A new division, a new era – Sheffield Wednesday enjoy morale-boosting week as curtain-raiser beckons

The last seven days have seen the Owls make two new signings, hold their own against Premier League opponents, release some much-improved accounts for 2021/22, and Xisco has been full of praise for the Wednesdayites he’s met in the time since he arrived.

As Championship football returns to Hillsborough tomorrow night the fanbase and club seem to be in a far better place than they were even a couple of weeks ago – and with a few weeks before the transfer window closes there’s still plenty of room for more good news.

It’s been over a decade since Wednesday last faced the Saints in a league game, and even longer since the two faced off in the second tier, but following their respective promotion and relegation in 2022/23 they find themselves pitted against each other to get the English Football League season underway on Friday night.

Since Wednesday’s dramatic Wembley win on May 29th they’ve parted ways with a manager, hired a new one, released seven players, signed – at the time of writing – six of them, hosted fan forums, sweated it out in Spain for a week and been linked with a whole host of players from various different countries. It’s been a busy summer.

Xisco has called for patience, his players have done the same, and there’s no hiding away from the fact that the Wednesday team that takes on Russell Martin’s side this week is nowhere near the finished article. A new formation, a new style, a new backroom staff – the Owls are very much in transition.

But before every season there’s a sweet spot. It’s there at almost every club. No matter how well the summer has gone, for most fans there’s the gloriously optimistic spell before the opening game where everyone goes, ‘You know what, this season could be fun…’

At one stage it looked like Wednesdayites might not get that period, but on the back of the signings and with the prospect of Southampton under the Hillsborough lights, they’ve got there in the end. Xisco’s infectious positivity has helped, his interviews with the media are charming, informative and always done with a smile – it’s not difficult to see why he’s so well liked.

Who knows what’s going to happen on Friday, the Saints still have a host of Premier League players and – on paper – are among the favourites to win the Championship this season, let alone get promoted. Wednesday, it’s safe to say, are not.

But football isn’t played on paper is it, we all know that. So for the next little while fans can enjoy that sweet spot, can enjoy that walk along Penistone Road with their Béres for the first time since the Miracle of Hillsborough – if that could happen, what’s to say that they can’t pick up three points in this one? A new division, a new era, off we go.