Sheffield Wednesday have now lost 12 straight Championship games, and with each passing week, they go closer to their last encounter in the second division for at least the next year after being relegated to League One.

The Owls have had an extremely difficult season, and their 3-1 defeat against Southampton on Saturday afternoon was simply another day to forget for a team whose whole emphasis is now on finding a new owner after James Bord’s failed purchase last week.

The South Yorkshire outfit is still on -7 points and appears to be on track to finish with a loss. Nonetheless, supporters have paid less attention to the situation as the season progressed, focusing more on what is going on off the pitch.

A former Sheffield Wednesday hero has spoken out about the club’s current situation and the issues created by Dejphon Chansiri in the years leading up to his departure.

Lee Gregory criticizes Dejphon Chansiri as Sheffield Wednesday look for a new owner. Gregory spent three years with the Owls from 2021 to 2024, guiding them to promotion from League One to the Championship in his second season before moving to Mansfield Town the following year.

He observed Chansiri’s ownership of Sheffield Wednesday firsthand and has now detailed what went wrong at Hillsborough. He told The Football League Paper’s print edition: “Chansiri’s only goal was to get to the Premier League.” He made little investment in the training site, infrastructure, or the ground itself. He was solely focused on paying players to advance to the Premier League.When that did not occur, everything came crumbling down.

Even though we knew it was coming, it has been heartbreaking to witness. That’s why the new owners, whomever they are, can’t simply come in and focus on moving back up the ranks. Because putting money in at the top without starting at the bottom is like pouring water into a bucket full of holes, right? It will remain full if you keep pouring. But the moment the tap is shut off, it will all come pouring out.”

Gregory continued: “You just hope they say, ‘Right, let’s focus on one issue at a time. Consider a ten- or fifteen-year solution rather than a two-year one. It doesn’t matter where we are in the standings or how many points we have; we’re going to rebuild this club one step at a time. After establishing a solid basis, we can pursue our goals.They can, because everything is there. The fan base, the city, everything – it has all it needs to reach the top. However, there must be a shift away from the type of short-term thinking that existed under Chansiri, or they would never succeed.”

Gregory also addressed the current situation of Wednesday’s Hillsborough Stadium, which is in desperate need of investment and repair and has long been a source of contention among Owls fans.

The former striker went on to say, “When it comes to what’s needed, it’s basically everything. The stadium is terrible. The training ground is terrible.

“For a club of that size, which has competed in the Premier League, the condition of the facility must be seen to be believed.” And this is coming from someone who has played in the non-league.

“Don’t get me wrong: Hillsborough is a fantastic location when it’s booming. I played in the 5-1 victory over Peterborough in the second leg of the play-off semi-finals, and I’ve never experienced a more electric atmosphere. It was incredible that night.

“But it’s been left to rot for years. When you look at it objectively, and I hate to say this, the entire thing needs to be demolished and rebuilt. The same goes for the training ground. And how many individuals can afford to do that?”

Lee Gregory was a member of the most successful Sheffield Wednesday team over the last decade.

Sheffield Wednesday has had a frustrating 11 years since Chansiri took over, and they have gone from a Championship play-off contender to a team that appears to be heading for the third division for the foreseeable future.

Gregory, on the other hand, is well-versed in achieving promotion from League One, having done so with the Owls in 2022/23. He was a member of Darren Moore’s winning team in the play-offs, with Josh Windass scoring in extra time to send the club back to the Championship.

It was one of Chansiri’s only successful moments, but credit goes to everyone on the pitch and in the dugout that day at Wembley.

Nonetheless, due to Chansiri’s conduct in previous years, this is going to be the most significant rebuild for Sheffield Wednesday in history, and it is critical that they do it right to have a fighting chance in League One next season.