Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping for a much-improved campaign in the Championship this season, especially after their last-gasp win over Coventry City.
Wednesday narrowly avoided relegation last season following a remarkable turnaround under Danny Rohl, and there is plenty of optimism that they can climb the table in the year ahead.
It was a tough start to the season for the Owls as they suffered three defeats in their first four league games, but performances have improved significantly since then, and they extended their unbeaten run to three league matches with a 2-1 win at the Sky Blues before the October international break.
Wednesday currently sit 15th in the table, and they are just five points from the play-off places, so while consolidation this season is the main target, Rohl will be keen for his side to continue their progress when the action resumes next weekend.
| Championship table (as it stands 8th October) | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 9 | Middlesbrough | 9 | 3 | 14 |
| 10 | Oxford United | 9 | 2 | 12 |
| 11 | Swansea City | 9 | 2 | 12 |
| 12 | Derby County | 9 | 0 | 12 |
| 13 | Hull City | 9 | -1 | 12 |
| 14 | Plymouth Argyle | 9 | -3 | 11 |
| 15 | Sheffield Wednesday | 9 | -4 | 11 |
| 16 | Bristol City | 9 | -4 | 11 |
It was a busy summer for the Owls with 11 new signings arriving at the club, but attention may already be turning to the January transfer window, and we looked at some of the dream scenarios that Rohl may be hoping for in the New Year.
Ronnie Edwards signs on loan
Wednesday have conceded 15 league goals so far this season, which is the joint-fourth highest in the Championship, so Rohl may be keen to strengthen his defence in January.
The Owls do have Dominic Iorfa, Di’Shon Bernard, Michael Ihiekwe and Akin Famewo on their books, while Yan Valery and Liam Palmer can also play at centre-back, but all six of those players have been injured at some stage this season, highlighting the need for more cover at the heart of defence.
One player Wednesday could target is Southampton defender Ronnie Edwards, who has found it tough since making a £3 million move to St Mary’s from Peterborough United this summer.
Edwards established a reputation as one of the brightest talents in the EFL after starring for Posh, but he is yet to feature in the matchday squad in the Premier League for the Saints, which is surprising given that they have struggled defensively.
At this stage of his career, Edwards will not want to be sitting in the stands, so a loan move may be on the cards for him in January, and he could be the perfect addition for Wednesday, with his skills as a ball-playing centre-back likely to be appealing to Rohl.
Ali Al-Hamadi signs from Ipswich Town
Wednesday have scored 11 league goals so far this season, and while Rohl will be delighted to see players from across the team contributing, the lack of output from his strikers will be a cause for concern.
Ike Ugbo, Michael Smith, Jamal Lowe and Charlie McNeill have all struggled to deliver in front of goal in the early weeks of the campaign, so Rohl will surely look to bolster his forward line in January, and he could consider a move for Ipswich Town striker Ali Al-Hamadi.
After a prolific spell with AFC Wimbledon in League Two, Al-Hamadi made the move to Portman Road in January, and although he was not a regular starter, he was a valuable member of the squad as the Tractor Boys secured back-to-back promotions, scoring four goals and providing one assist in 14 appearances in the second half of last season.
Al-Hamadi featured as a substitute in Ipswich’s first three Premier League games this season, but he has been left out of the matchday squad for the last four matches since George Hirst’s return from injury, raising serious question marks about his long-term future at the club.
The Tractor Boys reportedly received loan enquiries from a number of Championship clubs for Al-Hamadi this summer, and he seems likely to attract similar interest in January, but the Owls should attempt to win the race for his signature as he could be the prolific goalscorer they are missing.
Callum Paterson departs
If Wednesday are to strengthen their squad in January, they may need to sell players in order to raise funds, and Callum Paterson is one player who could move on.
Paterson arrived at Hillsborough from Cardiff City in September 2020, and he has played in a host of positions for the Owls over the last four years, including right-back, centre-back, central midfield, out wide and up front.
After returning from injury towards the end of last season, Paterson played an important role in Wednesday’s survival, and the club took up their option to extend his contract by a further year this summer, but he has surprisingly found himself out of favour in the early weeks of the season.
Paterson made his first league appearance of the campaign as he came on as a late substitute in the win at Coventry, which could suggest that Rohl’s stance is beginning to change, but the Scot was reportedly free to leave in the summer if the Owls received a suitable offer, and his exit in January looks likely as things stand.
Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri’s decision to replace Stuart Gray with Carlos Carvalhal in 2015 proved to be the right call.
Shea Charles remains at Sheffield Wednesday and isn’t recalled by Southampton
Wednesday signed midfielder Shea Charles on a season-long loan from Southampton this summer, and it is fair to say he is quickly becoming a firm fan favourite at Hillsborough.
Charles has started all six league games since joining the Owls, and he scored his first goal for the club as he netted a 93rd-minute winner in the victory at Coventry.
The 20-year-old is proving himself to be a quality performer at Championship level, which is perhaps no surprise given that the Saints signed him from Manchester City in a deal worth £15 million last summer, but Rohl raised fears last week that he could potentially be recalled by his parent club in January.
“Hopefully we can keep him the whole season – you never know what happens if he performs in this direction,” Rohl told The Star.
“For me, he is a great player and you see what it means when you bring quality players in. This is the difference in this league.”
That will be an alarming prospect for the Owls, and the chances of Charles being recalled could increase if Southampton head coach Russell Martin is sacked over the coming months after their poor start to life back in the Premier League, but Rohl will be desperately hoping to keep hold of the Northern Ireland international for the entire season.
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