For Sheffield Wednesday, 2023 has been a turbulent year to say the least.
There’s been highs and there’s been lows for Sheffield Wednesday this year.
Right now, although the club is in a lowly league position, many would say that the recent upturn in form under Danny Rohl is one of the high points of 2023.
It signals a change in mentality at the club and suggests that there’s bright times on the horizon, despite what was a torrid start to this 2023/24 campaign under Xisco Munoz who won none of his 12 games in charge.
With 2024 just around the corner, we look back at 2023, and at Sheffield Wednesday’s three most disappointing moments of the year…
Darren Moore’s sudden exit
Darren Moore was often a divisive figure among fans.
Many liked him, and all would thank him for his efforts and good work during the two-year spell in League One, but others thought the club was eventually doomed to fail under his watch.
But whether he was liked or not, his sudden exit at the start of the summer was a controversial and disappointing moment for the club.
It signaled that something was afoot behind the scenes and after Moore’s exit, Sheffield Wednesday really became a circus.
Peterborough United first-leg defeat
Moore guided the Owls to a play-off finish last season, where they met Peterborough United in the first leg.
But Wednesday would go on to lose the first leg 4-0 away at Peterborough.
It was a calamitous performance and result and everyone’s attentions were turning towards another season in League One, with many blaming Moore for the defeat.
Of course, Sheffield Wednesday somehow managed to turn it around and eventually go on to win promotion, but that first leg defeat still rings disappointment in the minds of many when looking back at 2023.
Sheffield Wednesday thumped by Sunderland
Another, more recent defeat that highlighted a low point for Sheffield Wednesday in 2023 was the 3-0 defeat at home to Sunderland back in September.
When looking back at this season and at that result, it might not be such a standout game, but for those who were there and who witnessed that performance, it was truly symbolic of just how bad Sheffield Wednesday were at the time.
They’d just lost 3-0 at Swansea City to hand the Welsh club their first win of the season, then within eight minutes of the game vs Sunderland at Hillsborough, Wednesday were two goals behind.
It proved to be Munoz’s second-to-last game in charge, and thankfully, things are looking much rosier now.