Sheffield Wednesday go to Oxford United on Saturday for their last away game of the season, and the immediate task is a familiar one: turn competitive performances into a result. The 1-0 defeat at Middlesbrough was another example of that pattern, with Wednesday punished for an early error despite improving as the game went on.
That has been the frustration running through the last few matches. The Owls took a deserved point at Coventry with a disciplined defensive display, then controlled long spells against Charlton without finding enough in the final third, and at the Riverside they again showed enough to suggest a game was there for them if key moments were handled better.
With the penultimate game now here, Wednesday arrive at the Kassam Stadium bottom of the Championship in 24th on -3 points. Oxford are only two places above them in 22nd with 44 points, so there is no need to overcomplicate this one. It is a game between two sides near the bottom who both need a result.
Oxford United are not coming into this in any comfort. Their recent form reads D-D-W-L-L, and they were beaten 1-0 at home by Wrexham on Tuesday night after Josh Windass scored the only goal before the break.
That result leaves Oxford with plenty to do in their final two matches, starting with Wednesday. The report from that Wrexham game points to a side that created moments and had more than 10 second-half shots, but still came away without a goal. For Wednesday, that at least suggests they are facing an opponent with its own attacking issues rather than one arriving in full flow.
Playing at the Kassam has not eased that pressure for Oxford. Tuesday's defeat was another missed chance for them, and Wednesday have to approach this knowing the home side will feel the weight of the game too.
From a Wednesday point of view, the main football point is hard to avoid. There have been signs of structure, resilience and control in recent weeks, but the cutting edge has not followed often enough. That was the story against Charlton, and it was still there at Middlesbrough even after a better second half.
The Coventry draw showed this side can stay organised and compete properly against strong opposition. The problem is that too much of the good work is still being undone either by one costly moment or by not doing enough when games are still there to be taken.
That is the challenge for Henrik Pedersen's side at Oxford United. Wednesday do not need a complete reinvention in this game. They need fewer mistakes in the key moments and more from the good positions they have been getting themselves into.
Supporters have kept looking for the same basics from this team: honesty, effort and visible fight. The recent mood around Wednesday has improved slightly at times because of displays like the one at Coventry, but the defeat at Middlesbrough was another reminder that effort on its own is not enough when results keep slipping away.
This trip to Oxford is the last away day of the season, and that gives it a simple edge from a Wednesday perspective. After another difficult year, there is still a responsibility to finish these remaining games with a proper level of commitment and with something more tangible to show for the work being put in.
Against an Oxford side also under pressure near the bottom of the table, Wednesday should have no shortage of motivation. The question is whether they can finally match the resilience seen in recent weeks with the ruthlessness that has been missing.