Sheffield Wednesday have appointed Dave Challinor as their new manager. The club confirmed the move in a statement on Sunday morning, turning to a proven promotion winner after a difficult start to the League One season. The team currently sits 9th in League One on 20 points, having recorded five wins, five draws and three losses from their 13 games so far.
Challinor arrives with a formidable record, having secured seven promotions across his career. His successes include leading AFC Fylde and Hartlepool United up the pyramid and guiding Stockport County to the League One play-offs on two occasions.
His immediate task is to shape a talented but inconsistent squad that has struggled for results. Wednesday sit ninth in the table with 20 points from 13 games, a run that includes just one win in their last five outings. Their recent form of one win, two draws and two defeats in that period includes the 1-1 draw with Blackpool on Saturday 1 November, where Davis Keillor-Dunn opened the scoring in the 25th minute. That result extended their winless streak to four matches, a sequence that includes the 1-1 draw with Cambridge United on 27 October, where Mason Burstow scored, and defeats to Doncaster and Notts County, following a 5-0 win over AFC Wimbledon on 17 October.
Staff appointments and expectations
Clint Hill and Anthony Sweeney are expected to join Challinor's backroom staff as he begins work at Hillsborough. The club has promised to release further details about the appointment on Monday.
Challinor takes over a side that has scored 22 goals this season but has found consistency hard to maintain, having conceded 14 for a goal difference of plus eight. Top scorer J. Lowe has five goals, but the team is eight points behind league leaders Huddersfield. The new manager's first test will be a tough home fixture against fifth-placed Plymouth on Saturday 14 November. Fans can view the full fixtures schedule as the team looks to climb the standings.
First reported at bbc.co.uk
The club confirmed on Monday that Dave Challinor's appointment as manager is now official. Challinor was in attendance for Saturday's 1-1 draw with Blackpool, a result that extended their winless run to four matches. The team, currently 9th in League One, will be formally introduced to their new manager later today. A club statement said it "looks forward to formally introducing Dave to supporters on Monday."
