Things looked very different for Sheffield Wednesday at the start of 2023.
The Owls began the year with a huge 5-0 victory over Cambridge United, courtesy of a Josh Windass hat-trick and a Michael Smith brace.
After a run of 13 games unbeaten in League One, Sheffield Wednesday‘s first win of the year took them up to second place in the table.
Defeats against the likes of Forest Green Rovers and Barnsley followed, leaving Darren Moore‘s side set to battle it out in the play-offs.
Now this is one memory that not even football fans outside of Sheffield will forget.
Sheffield Wednesday’s season – and probably Darren Moore’s job – looked to be in the bin after they were thrashed 4-0 by Peterborough United in the first leg of the semi-finals. But could the Owls do the unthinkable?
Yes, yes they could. Five goals. Five different goal-scorers. Sheffield Wednesday were back in the Championship!
Now this is where things had begun to go downhill. It was only a month after that famous night at Hillsborough before Moore packed his bags and left the club, followed by the rather underwhelming arrival of Xisco Munoz.
Months prior, Sheffield Wednesday had been on a high, but the Spaniard quickly brought things crashing back down to earth. The Yorkshire outfit sat glued to the bottom of the table with only three points from ten games – conceding 18 goals and scoring only five.
Fans had accepted relegation before we had even reached the halfway point – but then our saviour arrived. Danny Rohl.
It has been a work in process – a project – but the German manager has transformed Hillsborough into a cauldron of determination and excitement.
The majority of 2023 has been a huge rollercoaster for supporters, but there are four changes that have happened at Sheffield Wednesday that can leave fans licking their lips for what is to come next year.
Danny Rohl’s impact
It was Darren Moore and his group of players that helped Sheffield Wednesday reach the Championship, but it is Danny Rohl who can steer the ship to safety a year later.
The Owls looked nowhere near capable of climbing the table under Munoz. The players were far from the standard needed, while the fans already seemed to be preparing for the return to the third tier.
Danny Rohl hadn’t had any experience in management before, but his hunger and desire was made very clear from the start. The 34-year-old made us believe, raised our spirits and got the supporters cheering again.
Players want to play for Rohl, and they believe in everything he tells them. They are prepared to work as hard as possible and fight for Sheffield Wednesday’s place in the Championship.
Emergence of the wonderkid
Sheffield Wednesday relied on the likes of Josh Windass and Michael Smith in League One, while they claimed the third-highest goal tally in the third tier.
Goals haven’t come quite as easily to them this term, with the likes of Ashley Fletcher and Mallik Wilks nowhere near the quality that the Championship demands.
The Owls looked set to have to bring in a new forward in January with their minimal funds, but Rohl’s keen eye spotted Bailey Cadamarteri impressing for the academy.
The striker had featured for the senior team once before, but Rohl was about to put a lot of trust in him to lead the line – and it certainly paid off.
Cadamarteri is a breath of fresh air for supporters, netting three goals in his five starts for the club so far.
The 18-year-old has plenty of learning to do, but his presence up top has given the team a much-needed boost and he is sure to play a key role in moving up the table.
Defensive stability
Xisco Munoz left Sheffield Wednesday with one of the worst defensive records in the Championship, conceding 18 goals in ten games and picking up one clean sheet.
The Owls had already endured two 3-0 defeats in September, and it still took a while for Danny Rohl to firm up the backline. The German’s arrival was followed by another 3-0 defeat to Plymouth and a 4-0 hammering by Millwall.
But things look a lot more solid at the back now. Di’Shon Bernard and Akin Famewo have impressed, while the team have conceded only six goals in their last five matches. It took them only two games to concede the same amount at the start of the campaign.
Sheffield Wednesday have found defensive stability and the risk of getting hammered week in week out is now a lot lower. Instead, the goals are creeping in at the other end of the pitch.
Points on the board
Definitely the most important change for this season is points on the board.
After previously racking up only three points in ten games, Sheffield Wednesday have since picked up 13 from their last 12. What is more impressive is that 10 of those have come from the last five fixtures.
The Owls are still six points from safety, but they are picking up important points and that is what matters if they want to avoid relegation. Whether it be pretty, ugly or just lucky, Sheffield Wednesday are beginning to grind out results.
Their form is rapidly improving game after game, so fans should be very excited about what we could see from this team in the second half of the campaign.