Despite a prolific summer in the transfer window, Sheffield Wednesday have started poorly.
Sheffield Wednesday were widely expected to propel up the Championship table under Danny Rohl this season.
And whilst that may still happen, expectations among fans have quickly dwindled following three defeats, and three rather dire performances in the Championship.
Last time out, Sheffield Wednesday lost 3-0 vs Millwall. Just a few months ago, the Owls won 2-0 at The Den on their way to achieving Championship safety, but despite the addition of several new players, they seem to be backtracking under Rohl.
There’s now a lingering sense that some of the new signings at Hillsborough haven’t greatly improved the quality of the first-team, with BBC pundit Rob Staton suggesting that Liam Palmer and Callum Paterson should return to the XI.
There’s a distinct lack of attacking emphasis in the side right now, and combined with a host of individual errors in defence and a rapidly declining confidence level, it’s made for a very poor start for Sheffield Wednesday.
Marvin Johnson may wish he left Sheffield Wednesday this summer
Another Sheffield Wednesday player like Paterson and Palmer who’s barely featured this season, is Marvin Johnson.
Johnson’s return to the fold under Rohl last season was a major factor behind Sheffield Wednesday’s overall improvement in the Championship.
Yet this season, he continues to be second-fiddle to a rather average-looking Max Lowe.
There was transfer interest in Johnson over the summer too, with Derby County and Oxford United linked with a move for the 33-year-old, who is thought to be out of contract next summer.
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Danny Rohl must get back to basics at Sheffield Wednesday
Rohl is a great tactician. He remains very well-liked among fans for his heroics last season, but what he’s doing right now, clearly isn’t working.
For Rohl, it may be a case of sticking with what he’s doing until it finally comes good, but by which point, Sheffield Wednesday could be well drift in the Championship, or perhaps owner Dejphon Chansiri might have given him the boot.
As he did last time round, Rohl needs to call upon some of his more senior players to get the Owls out of this early rut, and Johnson is the perfect candidate to come in and get things back on track.
He was a key player last season with four goals and four assists, and he showed his creative nous against Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup recently.
Starting Johnson over Lowe, who’s not been all that impressive so far, may be a good move for Rohl to make in Sheffield Wednesday’s next Championship fixture vs QPR.
But if Johnson can’t get back in the side in the run-up to New Year, then he should certainly look for a move elsewhere.