Jon Newsome's Sheffield Wednesday column: More of the same please under 'safe hands' Bullen

It was a certain Jimmy Greaves that once said "It’s a funny old game” - and the last week or so down at S6 has certainly proved him correct.

It seems quite a long time ago now but the visit from Middlesbrough on Boxing Day brought about another defeat making it three on the bounce and no win in seven.

Further to that though was yet another pretty dismal performance where we stuttered and never looked comfortable.

What happened over the next 24 hours was quite baffling in that the chairman Mr Chansiri released a very lengthy statement, obviously not happy with some of the criticism that he has received.

Then just a few hours later the news broke that Carlos Carvalhal had left the club by mutual consent.

Now, none of us are or were privy to what went on but it did make you wonder why the initial statement had been released, didn’t it?

Anyway, Lee Bullen was given the reins and off we went to Nottingham Forest, where we have done extremely well over the last few seasons.

Bully shuffled the pack and it was pretty obvious to see that he wanted the team to play forward quicker but with quality.

The possession game had gone and it was about playing in the opponents' half as opposed to our own and trying to create chances.

It worked a treat and it was a pleasure to witness good players playing with freedom and being adventurous without being reckless.

Now don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t perfect, especially in the first half when we got caught overplaying a couple of times and Joe Wildsmith pulled off two or three fabulous saves to keep them out.

Bullen spoke about this after the game and again it was refreshing to hear a full, honest and frank analysis of what had gone before.

As he said, goals change games and the wonder strike from Adam Reach’s right boot nearly thirty yards out was just what was needed after five minutes.

It settled the nerves and, although understandably it took us a little while to adjust to the new formation, as the game went on you could see the confidence coming back into the players.

This was highlighted no more than by Jordan Rhodes grabbing the ball for the penalty and calmly sticking it home to make it 2-0.

I was delighted, not just for Lee Bullen and his coaching staff, but for the players as well.

I have said it all along that we have good players, but they have been shackled for too long.

I also enjoyed the fact that at the final whistle the players and staff went over to our travelling supporters in the far corner and celebrated together.

Onto Brentford on Saturday, which will be a really firm test for us but if I am honest one that I am really looking forward to after the Forest performance.

You would have thought that was it - and then all of a sudden the news broke that Carlos Carvalhal had been named as Swansea’s new head coach.

Was it a surprise? - A little if I am honest but then I sat back and thought about it and it suddenly all made sense

Now, I am only surmising here and cannot base any of my thoughts on anything other than a gut feeling but I just wonder if either before or just after the Boro game contact was made between Swansea and Carlos’s advisers.

It would surely then make sense that there was some sort of discussion between Mr Chansiri and Carlos Carvalhal and it was greed that he would leave by ‘mutual agreement’.

This would explain the bad timing of the chairman’s epilogue just a few hours before Carlos was gone.

As I said, I have nothing to base this on other than a gut feeling and knowing how football works but in my opinion I don’t think it is a plain and simple as it is made out to be.

Personally I wish Carlos well in his new post.

My thoughts on how he has sent out his teams over the last 18 months or so have been well documented here.

I wish him nothing but good luck but I did have a wry smile at his latest press conference at Swansea, where he has told of his attacking football dynamic and not being able to get the best out of the ‘second string’ players at Sheffield Wednesday.

I will leave it to you to come to your own conclusions on that but all I am bothered about is seeing more of what I saw on Boxing Day.

With regards to who will fill Carlos’s shoes? It is a very difficult question to answer at this moment in time.

I think the club is at a bit of a cross roads to be honest. Bullen got an excellent reaction from the players and for me it is in safe hands right now.

Would the chairman benefit from a director of football? Someone who can link between the first team coach and himself in an advisory roll?

Does he want to go for an experienced man, somebody who has been successful at his level or does he give a young up and coming manager a chance at it?

Who knows, only Mr Chansiri has the answers to these questions but I reiterate that I think it is in good hands at the minute and there really is no rush.

Jon Newsome is the owner of prestige, sports and performance car specialists Automarques on 21-23 Leigh Street, Sheffield, 29 2PR. Click here to visit automarques.com