Time flies, and while Sheffield Wednesday still have a long way to go this season, it is surely on Danny Rohl’s mind that four of his most impressive players this season will be out of contract next year.
We are now a third of the way through the current Championship campaign, and Sheffield Wednesday are in 15th place despite an inconsistent showing so far.
Danny Rohl has, largely, seen his team beat the teams they should beat, and lose to the teams they probably should lose to, but he will want more from the Owls moving forward.
While a number of Sheffield Wednesday’s signings this summer have fared well since arriving, it is the old guard that have actually performed the best this season, but they won’t be around forever.
- READ MORE: Danny Rohl told Sheffield Wednesday are missing one key factor right now – and it’s not a goalscorer
Barry Bannan and Josh Windass in final year of contract
At this stage of the season, data shows Barry Bannan is Sheffield Wednesday’s highest-rated player so far this term, with the likes of Michael Smith, Josh Windass, and Marvin Johnson not far behind him.
| Rank | Player | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barry Bannan | 7.26 |
| 2 | Shea Charles | 7.07 |
| 3= | Michael Smith | 7.01 |
| 3= | Akin Famewo | 7.01 |
| 5 | Josh Windass | 6.97 |
| 6 | Marvin Johnson | 6.93 |
| 7 | Dominic Iorfa | 6.89 |
| 8 | Di’Shon Bernard | 6.81 |
| 9 | Svante Ingelsson | 6.79 |
| 10 | Olaf Kobacki | 6.75 |
All four of those players, though, are out of contract come the end of the season, and it remains to be seen which of them, if any, will be handed new deals.
Given their age — all four are now in their thirties — it is not unrealistic to imagine that Rohl could let all those players depart on a free transfer.
However, with the influence the likes of Bannan and Windass hold among the Sheffield Wednesday squad, and their legacies at the club, it would be a bold move to cut ties and spark great upheaval heading into next season.
Danny Rohl must stick or twist
A big factor in any of these decisions will likely come down to how the rest of the season goes, of course. If the players keep performing, there is no real reason why they shouldn’t get at least another year in S6.
However, if Rohl’s project continues to follow its intended path, and if Wednesday were to finish in the top half of the table, it would perhaps be time for a clear out of the old, and for the manager to bring in fresh faces for the next phase.
Despite his relatively impressive goals-to-game ratio this season, Michael Smith is very unlikely to be retained, especially considering Bailey Cadamarteri’s probable promotion to the first-team next year.
Johnson has been Wednesday’s most creative player this season, and clearly still has a lot to give despite now being 33-years-old. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t be retained, unless a suitable replacement could be found in the summer.
Windass still has plenty to offer and should be the first to sign a new deal. Meanwhile, Barry Bannan simply cannot be allowed to leave until he’s ready to hang up his boots, even if just for the sentiment alone.