DEAL AGREED: SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY HAVE ANNOUNCED THE SIGNING OF EX-ARSENAL STAR, MEDICALS DONE

August 2, 2023 admin sheffield wednesday 0

 

Sheffield Wednesday have announced the signing of 11 new youngsters to the club on two-year scholarship deals, some of which have experience at some of the

country’s biggest clubs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Haslam’s academy has been refreshed with the new additions, who join eight second-year scholars in the club’s Under18 set-up, who reached the fifth round of

the FA Youth Cup last season, dumping Cat A Southampton out at St Marys along the way.

Former Huddersfield Town player Andy Holdsworth will continue his fine work in charge of the Under-18s and will oversee a new-look squad this season.

Among the new faces is Jack Swales, a former Arsenal youngster who was reported to have trialled with West Ham United late last year.

He is joined at Wednesday by fellow former Premier League hopefuls Ari-Jae Shaw, formerly of Aston Villa, and ex-Liverpool youth goalkeeper Logan Stretch, who

has youth caps between the sticks for Wales.

Caiden Remy-Dee has previous experience at Charlton Athletic.

Finley Hunt, Joe Emery, Voldi Mbaya, Ernie Weaver, Dom Weston, Harris Lih and Sutura Kakay make up the list of new additions.

Jack Phillips, Carlos Rodrigues, Reece Johnson, Tyrell Dawes, Mario Bobea, Bruno Fernandes, Jarvis Thornton and Devlan Moses are the existing scholars at

Middlewood Road and will be looking to press on in search of professional deals in the coming months.

With senior numbers depleted ahead of a vast recruitment push, the number of Wednesday academy graduates have been given the chance to shine in preseason

under new first team manager Xisco, including Sean Fusire, Jay Glover and Rio Shipston.

That list also includes goalkeeper Pierce Charles, who arrived to the club from Manchester City in 2021 and at the age of 17 was involved in the club’s first team set-

up for much of last season.

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Concerning Sheffield Wednesday Championship prediction issued by EFL pundits

As ever, on the eve of a new season in the EFL, the Not The Top 20 Podcast – a podcast all about the Football League – have been issuing their 1-24 predictions for the Championship, League One and League Two.

With that in mind, we thought we’d give the podcast a listen and see how EFL pundits George Elek and Ali Maxwell thought the Owls would get on this upcoming season.

Wednesday supporters will certainly be hoping the duo are wrong, with the duo predicting the Owls to finish 23rd and relegated back to League One.

Offering an explanation for that relegation prediction, Ali Maxwell explained on NTT20: “I’m really angry about Dejphon Chansiri, the owner of Sheffield Wednesday.”

Dejphon Chansiri Sheffield Wednesday

 

 

 

 

“We’ve got Wednesday in 23rd, and I got bored of myself over the last two years, when things were pretty good for Wednesday in League One, I got bored of just

mentioning, even in good moments, the fact that I never trust the owner of the football club to not ruin things, essentially.

“Because I felt like he had been clearly the reason for their Championship demise, and I felt that their League One success was really in spite of him, or really

thanks to him seemingly taking more of a back seat and letting Darren Moore do what he needed to do with a good squad.

“Darren Moore did what he needed to do and won promotion, 96 points, up through the play-offs. Darren Moore is no the Sheffield Wednesday manager

anymore.”

Maxwell added to his above comments, going on to criticise the squad currently available to Sheffield Wednesday.

“I don’t think that Wednesday’s squad from League One, as good and as strong as it was for what they needed in League One, is built for the Championship. It’s

not built for Championship football,” Maxwell continued.

“I would have pretty big qualms about their ability to consistently score goals. I would have pretty big qualms about their ability to win midfield battles, while

including Barry Bannan in that midfield and, because you take the rough with the smooth with Bannan, the rough being that he really doesn’t have an impact out

of possession at all, the smooth being that he was the best technical player in the one last season, well, that advantage is not quite as strong at Championship

level.

 

Despite guiding the Owls to promotion, though, Darren Moore is no longer at the Sheffield Wednesday helm heading into the new season.

Instead, Moore has been replaced by Spaniard Xisco Munoz – a man who formerly led Watford from the Championship to the Premier League back in 2020/21.

Sheffield Wednesday kick-off their campaign with a tough opening fixture, hosting recently relegated Southampton at Hillsborough on Friday night.

The result in that match will not define their season. However, having just come up, Munoz and the Owls’ first aim will be to ensure avoiding the drop.

“So, your best player, for me, less effective this season. The squad, for me, not quite strong enough as it was.”

Maxwell concluded: “For me, the squad’s not strong enough.”

“Question marks about the manager, and my old mate Dejphon, in my eyes, ruining it.”

 

 

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