If anyone was under any doubts as to the incredible and transformative effects results can have in sport they should look towards Hillsborough right now. Sheffield Wednesday are preparing for a challenging trip to Millwall this weekend and they go there as league leaders boasting two wins from their opening brace of fixtures. Thanks in no small part to the return of Kieran Lee, their influential midfielder, and the excellent work of Lee Bullen, the club’s oft-used caretaker boss, the Owls are on an up-curve and the fans are full of vigour.
The blue and white half of Sheffield is feeling upbeat and even at this embryonic stage of the campaign promotion is being talked about with admirable candour.
Such optimism is in stark contrast to the summer just endured, a dispiriting period that began with teeth firmly gritted at the sight of their arch rivals United reaching the promised land of the Premier League. That was hard to take. And as the Blades scythed their way through the transfer market Wednesday were forced to adhere to a ‘soft embargo’ placed upon them due to a failure in handing in their 2017/18 accounts on time.
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In July Wednesday’s owner Dejphon Chansiri bought Hillsborough for £60m to ensure they did not breach FFP and if this further highlighted the club’s financial problems things got a whole lot worse in that very same week when it was announced that manager Steve Bruce was leaving Yorkshire after just six months in charge to take over at Newcastle United.
With a new season approaching Sheffield Wednesday were finding it increasingly difficult to bring in new players and had no-one at the wheel anyway to select them. To make matters worse their previous two campaigns left them stoically mid-table on each occasion suggesting that the present squad wasn’t good enough to mount a serious charge for the top.
How was your summer? It’s probably fair to say it was better than a Wednesdayite’s.
After being loaned Jacob Murphy from Newcastle, have Sheff Wed fans forgiven Steve Bruce? Find out in the video below…
If the whole picture brought consternation, the departure of Bruce prompted only anger. The fans were aggrieved while the club itself sought legal action and the general exasperation at his switch was understandable because the former Manchester United defender – briefly – brought a stabilising influence. On his arrival on February 1st Wednesday had won only 9 from 28 league games. They went on to lose only three more times from 18 and that included an initial two-month unbeaten spell.
Enter Bullen. Twice before the 48-year-old has stepped into the breach following a sacking or resignation and once again he has injected positivity where so recently there was only despair.
Going forward the team has pace to spare in the form of Jacob Murphy and Kadeem Harris while Steven Fletcher provides a reliable focal point, netting 11 last season. The performances to date have been bright and energetic. “We’re all enjoying ourselves,” Bullen said with a broad grin after the Barnsley win.
Last season the Blades pulled off the near-miraculous feat of promotion. If Wednesday followed suit – given their soap operatic few years – it would surely exceed it for excellence.
