Well, another year and
the first blog of 2021 and it's certainly not been a quiet start on
the Sheffield Wednesday news front. 2020 was of course a hugely
challenging year for us all and that was not just limited to life
away from football.
I was always planning
to do a blog after the Derby County game on New Years Day, little did
I know I'd be discussing another managerial change at Hillsborough.
Lets get on into it.
Tony
Pulis
So as I'm sure anyone reading this is well aware, Tony Pulis lasted
just 10 games as the manager of Sheffield Wednesday, when the news
broke last week I have to say that while it was a surprise it wasn't
a shock. There had been rumours he was unhappy and to be honest apart
from the odd decent game here and there, it hadn't exactly been the
best start.
There were positives to his appointment, experienced, several
contacts and I think most of us agreed that if he was allowed to do
the job then he'd probably keep Wednesday up, which is the aim for
this season, nothing else. However the performances and results were
poor, I've always been someone who doesn't really care about a style
of play as long as we get results but even I had to accept the
football was awful. Huddersfield away is probably up there with one
of the worst displays I have seen as a Wednesday fan. No attempt to
go forward, defensive errors and a general dull feel meant it was
hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel. The players for
whatever reason, and we'll get into them later, were not performing
for him. If Pulis had tried to change it, there's a chance he'd still
be here but he didn't.
Who
next?
I'll start off by saying I don't think there is a standout candidate.
Obviously Paul Cook's name keeps doing the rounds and if rumour is to
be believed Wednesday have contacted him about the job. There are
positives to him, he's done a good job wherever he has been, he has
recent Championship experience on his CV. He's a good communicator
and personally I think his interviews would go down well with
Wednesday fans. The drawbacks for me would be, the fact he's already
got rid of our best attacking player so far this season in Josh
Windass where there was a clear falling out while they were together
at Wigan. Also, would the club and expectation of the fans be too
big? Honestly I don't know the answer to that but knowing the
expectation of Wednesday fans, I'd fear so. There is also the fact
I'm not sure Cook would work with Chansiri, I don't think with the
current structure in place at Hillsborough that Cook would want the
job. It didn't work for Pulis who again if Rumour is to be believed
was warned against the job.
The names also doing the rounds include Joey Barton, Gus Poyet and
Danny Cowley as well as a number of other foreign managers. It
wouldn't surprise me if we went down the foreign route again. It
seems we operate a more continental approach to running the club and
that doesn't seem to suit the English 'Manager' type of role.
Personally for me, I'd take Cook but there is a big doubt for me
about him wanting it. I don't see it happening with the current
infrastructure. I'd again put forward the name of David Wagner as
someone with recent Championship experience who did such an excellent
job at Huddersfield. Neil Thompson who is currently in caretaker
charge for me should also be considered, he knows the players and has
been here for a while so knows the club well. He's in the best
position at the moment being in caretaker charge and it has a Stuart
Gray feel about it.
Chansiri,
Advisors and The running of the club
I'll start this section by saying I still firmly believe Dejphon
Chansiri wants the best for Sheffield Wednesday and the fans. I don't
buy into this idea that he is doesn't care or has some hidden agenda.
Where I think he has gone wrong is he still seems to view 'football
business' and business as the same thing, which as we all know, it
isn't.
His latest press conference covered a number of topics, some of his
comments I agreed with but I think most took issue, as did I, with
the comments regarding fans again being to blame for sponsorship
deals falling down. Now while I accept that social media comments can
be harsh, Chansiri himself said that they didn't have the best
interest of the club at heart. So why be so bothered about them? If
you know they don't have good intentions, tell the sponsors that. I'm
not for a moment suggesting I don't believe this to be true I just
find it strange how big companies are so bothered about what people
have to say. At the end of the day, football is an emotive game and
when you charge the highest prices in the league for a fourth season
of underwhelming and underachieving results then you get this malaise
of negativity. Does it go to far? Yeah it does, I've seen it many a
time over the last ten years since being on Twitter. I feel for
Chansiri a bit as it's clear it gets to him and nobody should just
accept blatant abuse, that much is obvious.
Where Chansiri for me could help himself is, as I've said before,
appointing a Director of Football and a Commercial Director. A big
football club like Sheffield Wednesday can't be run by just one or
two people. Especially when one isn't in the country. It needs a
structure and a plan. There doesn't really seem to be either at the
moment. The off the pitch stuff while less important has a hug impact
on the mood of the fans. You can't guarantee results but if you can
win the small battles off the pitch it makes a massive difference.
When fans are allowed back into the ground (whenever that may be)
making the matchday experience better needs to be a priority because
when you charge the highest prices and fans don't get value for money
they are more than entitled to complain.
The refund situation also has been a source of frustration, while I
accept it was always going to be an administrative nightmare to do it
still shouldn't have taken this long, remember we're not just talking
about this season. We're on about last season as well for the five
matches at Hillsborough people didn't get to go to due to Covid. I
also found it strange that Chansiri said they didn't expect as many
people to say they wanted a refund as they did. Again it goes back to
making the fans feel like they aren't important, apathy has more than
set in and I, as well as others, do fear that with the Covid
situation when fans are allowed back the crowds won't be what they
once were. The habit isn't there and it's not impossible to think
given the current situation that it won't be until well into 21/22
that fans are back. You have to try and keep that connection as
strong as possible, we're not on about the hardcore here, we aren't
referring to the die hards, we're talking about people who maybe have
to make a choice between football and something else they enjoy.
Price them out and make them feel like they aren't really part of it
and they'll go.
It also broke during the last week that another advisor has been on
the scene. Erik Alonso. While I think most of us will admit that
aside from a quick google we know little about him. It is good that
Chansiri has looked elsewhere for advice. While I'd prefer him to
appoint a Director of Football this is still a small step in the
right direction. This isn't to say there is a problem with Amadeu
Paixao, I don't know. I don't really know his role other than advisor
and to be honest, I don't really think many do. Nobody had an issue
with him when were were finishing 6th and 4th ,
again when things are going badly people tend to go all in on people
and things they don't know. I'm not saying they're wrong about
Paixao, as I say I don't know. But even if he is doing a good job at
advising Chansiri, it never hurts to look at other options. It also
shows Chansiri's commitment to the club I feel.
Aims
for the rest of the season
The aim for me is, as it has been all season, to stay up. Nothing
more. On New Years Day we moved out of the relegation zone for the
first time this season, a massive moment in the context. Especially
given some of the results prior to the Coventry game on December
19th. I, like a lot had pretty much resigned myself to the
fact it'd be very hard to stay up after the defeat at Nottingham
Forest. But since then 10 points from 12 and some decent performances
have shifted the believe back into focus. We have enough in the squad
providing we keep everyone fit and there isn't another collapse.
Twice already we've lost four on the spin, you can't do that when you
have a points deduction and battling against the drop.
Whoever the next manager is they will have to deal with some of the
off the field issues that have been going on. The late payment of
players is a worry and to be honest I believe it to be a massive
factor behind some of the results, if you are contracted to receive a
certain amount of money per week and you don't then you aren't going
to pub maximum effort in. I don't care what anyone says, the amounts
are irreverent, they're human beings, it's a natural reaction. For me
while I think they will appoint someone from outside the club, Neil
Thompson has put himself in a very good position with two wins from
two. Games, should the Exeter game go ahead then you'd hope he'll
make it three from three before a massive pair of games against
Coventry and Wycombe. If you offered me a Director of Football and
Commercial Director and left it with Thompson until the end of the
season, then I'd take it. I can think of a lot worse things to
happen.
Thanks for reading
Tom
WAWAW
