Sheffield Wednesday

Image source, Shutterstock

Sheffield Wednesday's new owners wanted to bring in a winner - someone capable of turning recent defeats and draws into victories.

Dave Challinor's record fits the bill, with seven promotions to his name already. He also knows League One through his time at Stockport County.

His task will be to provide an effective form of football. He has to bring a Sheffield Wednesday squad together that has talented individuals but now needs to be shaped into a team.

The top seven in League One is starting to look strong and Wednesday, along with Leicester and possibly the rising MK Dons, will be looking at joining the group that appears to be establishing.

This will be an interesting next step for Challinor. It's a very different job to Stockport, Hartlepool or Fylde - with massive expectations.

Whenever Wednesday are in League One, you're expected to win. A lot. Darren Moore had a 96-point season at this level and was always only a bad result away from having people question his job.

I'd expect he will probably be joined by Clint Hill and Anthony Sweeney on his staff.

Simon Wilson, who worked with Challinor at Stockport, will have been instrumental in the appointment. That working relationship will be key moving forward.

Image source, Getty Images

The decision to part with Henrik Pedersen won't have been a knee-jerk reaction.

It would be easy to assume it was solely motivated by disappointing defeats at Notts County and Doncaster Rovers, where Sheffield Wednesday were poor.

Yet from Wigan to Stockport to Salford in the EFL Trophy, to Huddersfield then the two latest defeats - unconvincing performances were becoming a common theme.

A lot of good work has taken place at the club since the end of last season. The hospitality and commercial arm of the club is totally revamped. Key personnel have been appointed to finally give Wednesday an infrastructure.

The training ground now has a proper, functioning gym. I have been shown around the new facility and it is a big upgrade.

There is a big emphasis from the top on a cultural shift at the club. David Storch is very keen to connect and support the community, as we saw with his recent backing for Sheffield Children's Hospital.

James Silverwood, the chair of the Supporters Trust, has also been invited to join the board.

We have often said it is like two year's work has taken place in a single summer. With all the change occurring at Hillsborough, the product on the pitch also needed to evolve and develop.

I doubt anyone at Wednesday is demanding they romp the league. They had to rebuild the squad under significant EFL restrictions after all.

There had to be evidence of progress, though. The playing side of the club had to improve, just as everything else was growing off the pitch.

There was no sign of that. Wednesday were a confusing team to watch. There wasn't enough fight and you didn't feel like they were set up to do what it takes to win their tricky October away games.

It is one thing to turn it on at home against Bromley and Wimbledon. You have got to find a way to win at Meadow Lane, or Doncaster during a storm, too.

My understanding is Wednesday are moving swiftly in the process of appointing a replacement. This will not drag on - but the necessary time will be taken so a proper process can take place.

Dave Challinor is the red-hot favourite because of his prior working experience at Stockport with Simon Wilson, Wednesday's sporting director.

I would not rush to assume his appointment is a foregone conclusion though. If that were the case, he'd probably just be announced on Monday. There will be other candidates in the running and we'll see who emerges.

I am not sure it will be a manager in work given the Owls are limited by EFL spending restrictions.

That is a shame because a candidate like Paul Warne at MK Dons would've been ideal. He has won four promotions from League One, five in total, and managed Derby when they had the same EFL limits (and got them up).

Supporters contacted us suggesting a host of names on Sunday. One that came up regularly was Steve Cooper, but I understand that he can be ruled out.

The Owls need a winner. Someone adaptable who can make the most of the assembled squad and know how to get a result.

In the meantime, Matt Hamshaw will lead the team in interim charge. He is very experienced in League One and a respected coach. He knows the club well having played for Wednesday and would be an asset on the staff for whoever takes over.

A simplified approach on Tuesday against Cambridge, a vocal home support and the players stepping up to be counted, as Liam Cooper called for post-Doncaster, can help get Wednesday back on track before the new boss arrives.

I think most Sheffield Wednesday fans get what this season is about.

An instant return to the Championship would be welcome. Who doesn't enjoy a promotion season? But more than anything they just want to see convincing proof they're heading in the right direction.

New ownership has been warmly welcomed. David Storch's most recent social media post, external, backing Sheffield Children's Hospital whilst committing to doing what he can in the city, highlights how different this regime is.

On the pitch though it continues to be a mixed bag. Enough results to put the club within touching distance of the top spots, with mostly unconvincing performances.

The Wimbledon and Bromley games, against admittedly weak opponents, showed what Wednesday can be. They have the quality.

Yet too often in other games you wouldn't know it. The first half at Notts County sounded very similar to the experiences against Huddersfield, Salford, Stockport and Wigan. Ineffective, second best, confusing.

Manager Henrik Pedersen said after the game that the basics were not there. That's worrying, 10 games into the season.

He said it was difficult to compete with County's physical power. Ok, but this was only a second win of the season for newly promoted Notts.

The reaction from some of the fans made it clear how they feel. There were chants for Pedersen to go for the first time, plus unflattering songs about the quality of the football being played.

Image source, Shutterstock

You might look at the table and say this is harsh. No, this is just life at Sheffield Wednesday in League One. Just as it was in the past for other Owls managers, or anyone else managing a club of this size in the third tier.

Darren Moore won 85 and 96 points in his two seasons in this division and was only ever one loss (or even a draw sometimes) away from people calling for him to go.

That's no curse. That's the privilege of managing a big club.

The way to avoid the pressure is to play well. To convince with your plan. Your style.

The odd bad result isn't a surprise when you have to rebuild the whole squad in a summer. But Wednesday simply can't keep playing as poorly as they are.

There are other questions too. Was it too much of a gamble to play Di'Shon Bernard again in midweek, so soon after returning from injury?

On reflection, given he went off in the first half, it probably was. Yet Wednesday are not flush with options at the back. Gabriel Otegbayo, who came on for Bernard, gave away a penalty and has had a difficult season so far to say the least.

It begs the question — why are Wednesday considering sending Ernie Weaver on loan to the National League? Maybe that's best for his development. But with all due respect, could he do any worse than Otegbayo?

Saturday is a big game. The Steel City derby is the king of rivalries for Wednesday fans - but you better believe they hate losing to the other South Yorkshire clubs, who all revel in trying to get one over the Owls.

Whatever noise there was at Meadow Lane will be far louder if Wednesday put on a similar showing in Doncaster.

A win and a performance is needed.

Don't forget to tap the 'follow' button at the top of this page to stay up to date with the latest Sheffield Wednesday news.

Image source, Shutterstock

There was hope that an international break could iron out the kinks. Sheffield Wednesday had been picking up results - wins and draws - without playing particularly coherently or well.

Yet Saturday was more of the same.

It took the Owls an hour to have a shot on goal against Huddersfield. That can't be right. Not with the players they had on the pitch. Yet it's indicative of what's not working.

The number nine - whoever it is who starts up front - is too often isolated and at times anonymous. The wide players and number 10 aren't connecting well enough with the front man, nor are the central midfielders.

The Owls have barely mustered anything in the first half against Huddersfield, Stockport or Salford in the EFL Trophy recently.

We've seen Davis Keillor-Dunn, never a winger, feature out wide - before it was made painfully clear on the pitch he's better inside. Jamal Lowe has been asked to play out wide.

After half-time on Saturday, Callum Slattery seemingly shifted to the right wing. Yet it wasn't clear because his position was pretty inverted, despite Harry Gray hugging the touchline on the left. Was he a wide-man or not? I said in the commentary: "What is this formation?"

It was the most unlikely come-from-behind 2-2 draw I can recall, with Huddersfield the architects of their own downfall. Head coach Martin Drury must be the only person to be inspired by Thomas Tuchel's management against Argentina at the World Cup, given he adopted the same tactics.

Huddersfield blew it - and not only with their late-game approach. They messed up a 4 v 2 in the second half and if it wasn't for two excellent Joe Lumley saves, they could've won comfortably.

Wednesday were gifted a route back in and had enough about them to create the chances to score two goals. But why did they need desperation and opponent surrender tactics to spark into life?

Callers to Praise or Grumble who typically have defended Henrik Pedersen in the past threatened to turn on Saturday. Others are past the point of no return. The pressure is increasing on the Owls boss because the performances leave a lot to be desired.

As the excellent Alex Miller of the Sheffield Star jokingly tweeted at half-time of the recent Salford EFL Trophy game: "Emmeline Pankhurst grew up on the outskirts of Salford. Feel like I could tell her a few thing or two about sufferage after this first half."

He could've retweeted that during half-time at Huddersfield.

Wednesday have enough talent to be better than this. Which begs the question - is the boss complicating things too much?

Continental managers have a way of doing things, especially those like Pedersen who came through the Red Bull setup. Yet this is League One. It's not a very technical league, to be honest.

Amid all the talk of verticality and overloads, isn't it time to go back to basics?

The individual players at Hillsborough are better than most of League One has to offer. A simplified system with refined ideas could see Wednesday succeed more often than not.

Saturday's Praise or Grumble perfectly summed up the mindset of Sheffield Wednesday's fans at the moment.

An angry call, deriding a drab performance against Stockport. Then an even more passionate response from another supporter, calling for perspective.

There'll be a season of this and there's merit to both arguments.

It was poor on Saturday. Stockport comfortably controlled the first half, should've scored and if they were more ruthless they probably would've been ahead at the break.

Wednesday were simply too slow and the frustrated boos in response were understandable.

The second half was more of a tactical battle with little between the teams.

The use of Davis Keillor-Dunn as a right-sided player is an ill-fit.

He's a goalscorer, someone you want in the box. His record for Barnsley and Mansfield shows where his strengths are. He's never going to be a winger, even one encouraged to cut in and play narrow.

Jamal Lowe has been filling in admirably in a wider role but whilst he's comfortable there – he's not a winger.

It was crying out for Harry Gray – who gave Wednesday a major shot in the arm when he came on – and Kieran Morrison – to provide width.

Even then, the midfield didn't really mesh with the attacking system. Callum Slattery has flashed at times but sometimes seems caught between two stools. Barry Bannan and Billy Mitchell in the middle hasn't quite clicked.

It sometimes leaves the striker a bit isolated, even anonymous, and Wednesday struggled to create anything on Saturday.

They were out-shot 6-18 and they've gone scoreless in three of their four home league games (the other, of course, was the 7-2 spanking of Bromley).

Henrik Pedersen is often good at describing, as he did post-match, what the issues were. But that often begs the question from fans – where were the solutions?

His comment that their opponents had a wrinkle similar to Paris Saint Germain also invited derision, given they were, after all, playing Stockport County.

Image source, Shutterstock

Yet the counter to this is also fair.

Wednesday are still in the early stages of a rebuild the size of the Grand Canyon. The squad is so reliant on loans that one has to miss out on the matchday squad every week.

Despite injuries at the back, only league leaders Bradford have conceded fewer goals. Despite playing at a level below what is possible so far, they are still second in the table. That's a great platform to build on.

When Louie Barry returns, he'll inject goals, width and excitement. They have players in their squad that most League One teams would love to have.

Howard Wilkinson, footballing royalty in Yorkshire, was invited onto the pitch and awarded a lifetime presidency alongside Lord Blunkett and Clive Betts MP. It was a reminder that Sheffield Wednesday has finally got its soul back.

Acknowledging the good that has happened, and the enormous amount of work still required on and off the pitch, is only right. It has to be part of the conversation.

Yet it's also just a fact of life that when 32,290 are packed into Hillsborough, they expect to see a bit more. The doubts about Pedersen, rightly or wrongly, will go on until he's either celebrating a promotion or leaving the club.

He has to find the right formula and that could mean making some difficult decisions.

Should he look at Keillor-Dunn as a number ten rather than out wide? Does he need to consider not using Bannan for every game these days? Is it time to put more trust in young talents like Gray and Morrison – simply because they are the best wide options he has?