The January transfer market is not far away, and while Sheffield Wednesday are very unlikely to spend any money in the New Year, Danny Rohl could still make a huge call that will change the shape of his starting XI.
Sheffield Wednesday have struggled for consistency this season, and really need to find a way to fix that if they are to pull away from the danger zone and achieve their target of a comfortable finish in the Championship.
We already know that Sheffield Wednesday will not be able to do much business in January, loan deals and free transfers aside.
But, Danny Rohl may still be able to do something that will not only alter the course of the season for the Owls, but could also have a big impact on the future of the club, too.
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Sheffield Wednesday don’t need James Beadle anymore
James Beadle did a great job for Wednesday in the second half of last season in helping keep the Owls up. He’s been less impressive this term, though.
Statistics show Beadle is underperforming when it comes to xG against this season, and Sheffield Wednesday fans are not particularly happy with the goalkeeper for the number of goals he has conceded, and the manner of those goals, too.
The youngster is on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion until the end of the season, but the situation may well have reached the point now where Wednesday decide they are getting less out of the agreement than Beadle and his parent club.
Beadle is unlikely to stay at Hillsborough beyond this season. The player himself will be eager to show what he can do at Brighton, and now, Sheffield Wednesday actually have very little need to keep hold of him, thanks to the emergence of Pierce Charles.
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Pierce Charles is ready to step up
Danny Rohl recently named Pierce Charles as one of the ‘future’ stars for Sheffield Wednesday, but there’s no reason why the 19-year-old can’t step up and be a key player in the here and now.
He’s already shown glimpses of what he’s capable of, most notably in that brilliant display against Brentford in the Carabao Cup. Charles has also been breaking records for Northern Ireland, and has started the last four games for his country.
| Statistic | James Beadle | Pierce Charles |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 15 | 4 |
| Goals conceded | 25 | 3 |
| Clean sheets | 4 | 1 |
| Saves per 90 | 1.7 | 2 |
| Pass completion | 65.2% | 81.2% |
While some may say he is too young to become Wednesday’s number one goalkeeper, it’s worth remembering he is only one year younger than Beadle.
Most importantly, Charles is a homegrown talent the club can be proud of. From a selfish point of view, there’s very little benefit for Sheffield Wednesday to keep working on the development of Beadle — a player they’re unlikely to keep — when they could be investing time in their own academy product instead.