#SWFC Half-Time Report

With the Boxing Day fixtures now behind us we are half-way through the 2013/14 season and with Sheffield Wednesday still languishing in the relegation zone, the second half to the season needs to be a vast improvement on the first half. Ending 2013 two points adrift of safety and 21st placed Doncaster Rovers, manager-less, over reliant on loan signings and an owner reluctant to open the chequebook - it seems that Wednesday will be glad to see the back of the year and start afresh in the new year.




Pre-season for the Owls saw contract extensions to key players such as Lewis Buxton, Jermaine Johnson and Miguel Llera whilst Wednesdayite Nicky Weaver, Julian Bennett, Chris O'Grady and Chris Lines all departed to make way for new signings. The exciting, highly rated Burton Albion winger Jacques Maghoma rejected approaches from Middlesbrough and Charlton Athletic to sign for the Owls and Jeremy Helan signed on a permanent deal following a successful loan. Atdhe Nuhiu also signed for Wednesday from Rapid Vienna as the Owls prepared for their pre-season schedule which began with a 1-1 draw at St. Georges Park. The game saw Llera equalise against the Romanian Premier League champions, Steaua Bucharest. A 0-3 drubbing of Stockport County followed with goals from Michail Antonio, Martin Taylor and Chris Maguire in Rodger Wylde's testimonial. Scunthorpe United were the next team to be on the losing side against the Owls as a Helan goal saw a 0-1 win for the Championship side at Glanford Park before Braga proved a test too much in a 3-1 win against the Owls with Taylor scoring the Owls solitary goal. A drab 0-0 draw with Hull City preceded a 1-0 Wednesday win against Rangers before Chesterfield held the Owls to a 1-1 draw to end the pre-season calendar.

Atdhe Nuhiu vs Joey Bartons' QPR.

A successful pre-season was followed by a stuttering start to life in the SkyBet Championship where a battling display at promotion favorites QPR saw a losing effort when Nuhiu's goal wasn't enough to prevent a 2-1 loss. A disastrous 2-1 loss to Rotherham United in the League Cup followed before Burnley beat the Owls 1-2 at Hillsborough. August ended with three successive draws - away at Leeds United (1-1), at home against Millwall (2-2) and away at Middlesbrough (1-1). The displays by the team merited better results as a free-flowing, attacking brand of football was played and through lack of defensive discipline and some bizarre refereeing decisions, points were dropped and draws were settled for.

As positive as those performances were, September was dire. A lacklustre draw with relegation favorites Yeovil Town preceded a 4-1 hammering at Birmingham City where Manchester United loanee Jesse Lingard scored all four of City's goals. Gary Madine was then found guilty of assaulting two men in February 2012 and would later be sentenced to 18 months behind bars. The month ended in a shock 1-0 home defeat to Doncaster Rovers in a match that saw the Owls dominate but struggle to finish in front of goal, with Atdhe Nuhiu guilty of spurning numerous chances.

Back at Hull, Fryatt proved a success at SWFC.

Hull City loanee Matty Fryatt scored for the Owls in an impressive 1-1 draw at Brighton to start October well before Ipswich Town (home), Bolton Wanderers (away) and Barnsley (away) all held Wednesday to 1-1 draws. This ensured a win-less but undefeated October and with only 8 points on the board from a possible 36, tensions were starting to arise with the Wednesday fans.

Those tensions were quickly quashed in the first game of November when Wednesday hosted promotion chasing Reading and turned in a brilliant performance. A brace from Fryatt, an individually brilliant Antonio goal, a debut goal for Connor Wickham and a Morrison own goal saw the Owls win for the first time this season and deliver a hammering to the Royals with a 5-2 victory. The brilliant attacking play of the Reading game was quickly forgotten as a lazy performance at Derby saw the Rams come out on top with a 3-0 victory before Huddersfield (1-2) and Blackpool (2-0) beat the Owls to end November with feelings of unrest and uncertainty surrounded manager Dave Jones.

Sacked manager Dave Jones.

The busy festive season saw Wednesday sack manager Dave Jones before caretaker Stuart Gray oversaw the first win in the first game of December when a Wickham brace saw off Leicester City (2-1). A 0-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough followed as the Owls became the only team in the English football league to not keep a clean sheet since the season started. That was put to bed in the next game though as a 0-1 victory at Watford cost Gianfranco Zola his job when a 20 yard Wickham free-kick saw off the
Hornets. Bournemouth then took advantage of the 'topsy-turvy' start to the season made by Wednesday as they beat the Owls 1-2 at Hillsborough before a 0-0 draw at Blackburn Rovers and a 1-1 draw, which should have been a Wednesday win, at Charlton Athletic ended 2013.

Connor Wickham, the Owls' main threat.

So, 2013 ends with the Owls in the relegation zone but with a positive feel about the majority of the teams performances. We go into the new year manager-less but with an owner seemingly in no rush to appoint a new one. The constant rumours of investments and takeovers will have an adverse effect on the field as players' future is uncertain but with the additions of Connor Wickham, Glenn Loovens and Roger Johnson  the Owls look in good stead. That is of course if those deals can be extended - Wickham is quoted as saying he would like to stay at SWFC when his current loan deal expires on the 1st of January, Loovens is a free agent and no doubt enjoying first team football at Wednesday whilst Johnson is an outcast at parent club Wolverhampton Wanderers. Seyi Olofinjana, brought in on a short term deal, has left the club following the expiry of his contract on Boxing Day and those funds will go towards other players.

Milan Mandaric, SWFC owner.

Milan Mandaric - the saviour, stepped in when the club were on the verge of going out of business but seemingly wants rid of the club now. He has actively been searching for takeover parties since pre-season and had numerous 'special guests' at Hillsborough. A Chinese consortium, an American company and more have all been rumoured to be 'on the verge' of takeover deals already this season - with nothing to show. A loan of over £1m from an agent against the stadium was also taken out by Mandaric to 'help with expenditure' as the club had already overspent their season budget according to the man at the top. Smoke and mirrors with Mr Mandaric - what else would you expect?

Stuart Gray, caretaker manager.

As for the current managerial situation, I expect the job is Stuart Grays to lose. A fan outcry at the proposed appointment of Neil Warnock denied the former Blade boss a job at S6 - whether that proves a good decision or not is yet to be seen. The top contenders for the position include Ian Holloway, Paul Ince, Stuart Pearce and Alex McLeish - not exactly mouthwatering prospects, with Holloway the fans favorite. Fans are associating Gray with the same tactics and style as Dave Jones but from what I have seen, the current caretaker team of Gray and Lee Bullen have done well. The attacking substitutions and new sense of freedom on the pitch tell them apart from their predecessor in my opinion. I'd sooner keep this management duo than have Ince, Pearce or McLeish in the Wednesday hot seat.

The current team needs a shake-up and the decision to recall Chris Maguire from his loan spell at Coventry City was a good one if the fans response is anything to go by. His high work rate and desire to succeed is appreciated by the Wednesday faithful. The departure of Olofinjana should allow either a new signing or the continuation of Wickham's deal and that is also a good decision. Liam Palmer has stepped up to first team football well since his loan stint away from the club and now fully over his injury, Jacques Maghoma is quickly becoming a fans favourite with his direct approach. Atdhe Nuhiu is a frustrating one as he has shown flashes of quality that could see him become a real asset once he acclimatises to English football whilst Rhys McCabe can't seem to get a game despite possessing the creative decision making our midfield lacks. The dip in form of Jeremy Helan has coincided with the loss of Antonio due to injury and that has caused a lack of confidence in the former Manchester City winger and a general feeling of dissapointment when his name is on the team sheet.

Khalil Lambin, development squad player.

In my opinion the second half of the season will not mirror the first half - the negativity of the Jones era will be put to bed and whilst we will still finish bottom half, we won't be relegated. I'm obviously an eternal optimist and some people will be reading this shaking their head but I will always have faith, rightly or wrongly. I would like to see Maguire and McCabe given a run in the team, its in their hands to impress the new manager now. I'd also like to see a development squad player used when we aren't chasing a game, off of the bench - like Floro (much improved since being thrown in the deep end of the first team), Obileye, Hinchliffe or the raw Lambin who is earning rave reviews at development squad levels.

Here's to a successful new year with plenty of cheers and less of the groans, Happy New Year.