Nobody would claim the Sheffield Wednesday squad is perfect, but Dom Howson has highlighted one particular area of concern that Danny Rohl needs to think about sooner rather than later.
Sheffield Wednesday’s 1-1 draw against Preston North End on Saturday may have seen the Owls maintain their unbeaten run and climb to ninth place in the Championship table, but it also raised some issues.
Danny Rohl was furious with the mindset of his players in dropping points at home, and has demanded a reaction when fans descend on Hillsborough again on Tuesday night to watch Sheffield Wednesday vs Blackburn Rovers in the midweek fixture.
In the short-term a win would do the Owls a world of good, but much more serious, long-term concerns reared their head on Saturday.
Dom Howson outlines Sheffield Wednesday’s need for a new midfielder
Taking to Twitter/X to analyse the performance against Preston on Saturday, Dom Howson discussed a serious area of concern for Sheffield Wednesday in the very near future, and underlined the importance of that being resolved by next summer.
Howson wrote: “Preston was a reminder for Sheffield Wednesday of the need for them to bolster their central midfield options.
“[Shea] Charles is not their player, Bannan can’t go on forever, Ingelsson has struggled for consistency and there are fitness concerns over Chalobah, who turns 30 later this week.”
Indeed, we all know that Shea Charles will almost certainly say goodbye to Sheffield Wednesday at the end of the season, barring a miracle.
That would leave a gap enough on its own, but the fact Wednesday’s other options are either ageing, fairly untested, or struggling for fitness does not bode well for next season.
Barry Bannan’s retirement will be a heartbreaking day for Sheffield Wednesday
This is something we picked up on after the game, with the absence of Barry Bannan certainly being felt against Preston, prompting debate as to how Wednesday will cope without their captain when he eventually decides to retire.
At 35-years-old, one would assume Bannan may give the Owls one more season after this before saying his farewells. It will be a very sad day indeed for the Wednesday faithful, with the Scottish midfielder serving the club impeccably over the last decade.
So, what do Sheffield Wednesday do to counter this inevitable future? While young Sean Fusire is a great prospect for Sheffield Wednesday, he alone would not be enough to solve the impending midfield crisis.
The central midfield area may not be an area that is looked at as a priority when it comes to Sheffield Wednesday’s January transfer plans, but finding a long-term successor to Barry Bannan has to be something the club puts at the top of their list in the summer.