Subbed on and subbed off.. Where does Sheffield Wednesday record signing Jordan Rhodes go from here after Hillsborough humiliation?

Ushered on from the sub’s bench in a flurry of optimism at half-time, Sheffield Wednesday’s club-record signing was hooked just 40 minutes later as the Owls chased a rare late goal against Stoke and an even rarer home win. As his number was raised, a collective wince was felt all around the stadium.

It was a moment that laid bare many things, first and foremost the ruthlessness and conviction of new Owls boss Tony Pulis.

The Welshman was clear in his explanation after the game, that it was a decision made for the benefit of the team, that he felt his side were better equipped to break the deadlock with Izzy Brown on behind Callum Paterson, who was reinstated up top.

That’s the Callum Paterson who started as the lone striker ahead of Rhodes in the first place despite having been described as ‘not a striker’ by Pulis just a fortnight or so ago.

Something had to change. Across 90 minutes Wednesday mustered an expected goals (xG) rating of 0.14, meaning that statistically-speaking and based on the quality of their chances in the match, they would have to play six full matches to score one goal.

That says more about those providing the chances than those tasked with taking them, perhaps. Robust at the back, Wednesday were rotund going forward.

But the Rhodes numbers read just as gorily. The good news is that he’s scored from 50% of the shots he’s taken in the league this season. The bad news? He’s only taken two, the last of which came 10 minutes into a 0-0 draw with Watford 71 days ago. He’s played 271 minutes of football since.

This isn’t a piece designed to kick a man when he’s down, incidentally. Anyone who was at Hillsborough yesterday would have been mildly distracted from the end of the match by his lonely figure sitting head-in-hands in the South Stand. There’s a human side to all of this; Rhodes is quite possibly the Championship’s nicest bloke and has not lacked effort.

But football, as we saw after 85 minutes at Hillsborough yesterday, is a ruthless business.

If you include repeat caretaker boss Lee Bullen, five Wednesday managers have been unable to get a tune out of Rhodes.

Strikers such as him require better service, of that there is absolutely no doubt, but you wonder if the apologist theories have finally worn thin. For whatever reason, it’s just not happened.

Rhodes said last week that despite suffering some of the darkest time of his career over the past few seasons, he was hoping to play himself into a new contract at Wednesday. And right on cue, Josh Windass was sent off at Preston, offering up a three-game opportunity for someone, anyone, to take.

If talk of a new Rhodes contract seemed fanciful then, it seems even more so now. You can’t help but feel that a new start at a new club would be more beneficial for all involved.

MORE FROM OUR WEDNESDAY WRITING TEAM

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