Sheffield Wednesday is the EFL’s crisis club, with the Owls heading for relegation to League One, failing to secure a new owner, and now dealing with yet another blow in the transfer market.
Sheffield Wednesday experienced a miserable summer as Dejphon Chansiri refused to sell the club, enabling both on- and off-field activities to fall apart.
The controversial Thai businessman pushed Wednesday into administration in October, effectively ridding the club of the 57-year-old, but with a ten-point deduction.
Relegation seemed unavoidable, especially given the departures of so many first-team players over the summer and transfer limitations that limited Wednesday to bringing in only Ethan Horvath and Harry Amass on loan from Cardiff City and Manchester United, respectively.
Their small team has been worked to the bone in the first few months of the season, and an additional six-point deduction for multiple violations of EFL regulations in early December has rendered relegation even more certain.
A reasonable 2-2 draw with Yorkshire rivals Hull City, who are flying high in the Championship, leaves them with -8 points at the bottom of the second division.
That performance restored some pride for Wednesday, but additional bad news delivered by manager Henrik Pedersen about the forthcoming January transfer window has only harmed the team.
Sheffield Wednesday’s attempt to sign players was rejected by the EFL.
Henrik Pedersen stated in his post-match interview after the Hull game the other day that the EFL had denied the Owls’ desire to sign further loan players in the January transfer window.
Sheffield Wednesday remain under a tight transfer restriction as ownership uncertainty and doubts over the club’s future persist.
In the short term, Wednesday’s goal will be to get through the season without causing too much damage to their youthful and stretched squad.
Strikers George Brown and Ike Ugbo have lately suffered hamstring injuries, while Pedersen has revealed that Max Lowe and Nathaniel Chalobah will be sidelined for some time.
Due to the injury issue, goalie Horvath was the only senior player chosen on the substitutes bench against Hull, leaving Wednesday to rely on youth youngsters.
Signings would have relieved some of the burden on the squad, and Pedersen is anxious to bring in fresh players, but the EFL is now blocking the club’s request.
James Bord is close to taking over Sheffield Wednesday amid fresh EFL
Sheffield Wednesday are said to be on the verge of a sorely needed takeover, with James Bord reportedly moving down on a deal to buy the club.
Bord, a former professional poker player and current co-owner of Scottish Championship side Dunfermline Athletic, which is managed by Neil Lennon, has been named preferred bidder for Wednesday.
Bord has worked as a consultant and adviser to Wednesday’s archrivals Sheffield United for the past year or so, which is somewhat contentious, or at least worth noting.
In any case, regardless of that relatively odd event, any buyout of the club is now urgently required, or Wednesday may be forced to sell some of their valuable assets, according to Alan Nixon.
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