Sheffield Wednesday's Squad Depth Issue Exposed in Pre-Season
Sheffield Wednesday's latest pre-season outing highlighted a couple of squad issues that need addressing. The Owls finished a gruelling training week in Hungary with a friendly against Stoke City on Saturday, their third clash against Championship opposition this summer after defeat to West Brom and victory over Preston.
What happened?
The match against Stoke at OFB Campus in Vienna was effectively two 70-minute matches. Wednesday lost the first period 2-0 and the second 4-0. The first line-up featured more senior players such as Joe Lumley, Liam Palmer, Max Lowe, Barry Bannan, Callum Slattery, Louie Barry and Jamal Lowe, before a much younger outfit featuring new signing Billy Mitchell and trialist Cameron Dawson were put to the sword.
Why it matters for Sheffield Wednesday
Despite making nine new additions this summer, the runout highlighted Wednesday’s lack of squad depth and the need to add more firepower. Ricardo Santos, Liam Cooper and D’Shon Bernard will boost the defensive ranks when they return from injury but they are still light in wide areas and strikers in particular.
What comes next?
The second XI included youngsters Cole McGhee, Joe Emery, Reece Johnson, Denny Oliver, Will Grainger, Devlan Moses, Harry Gray, with more youth coming off the bench in Aodhan Sopala, Jack Phillips and Kailen Hatfield. The need for more bodies was one of the big takeaways for Owls boss Henrik Pedersen, and it was no doubt evident to the on-watching club chiefs, including Simon Wilson and David Bruce.
The season starts in under three weeks, and the transfer window does not close until September 1, which could be one of the busier deadline days Wednesday have had in recent years. “I have learned that we have a strong, strong culture in our team and that we have 13, 14, 15 players and then we have a young group that has a lot to do before they can come onto the level of the other players,” Pedersen said at the weekend.
The road ahead
Wednesday’s attention now turns to a double-header friendly against Accrington Stanley (12.30pm) and Oldham Athletic (4pm) this Saturday. They then host Bolton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup first round before travelling to Leyton Orient a week later for the season opener.
