Common sense approach needed in Sheffield Wednesday transfer strategy

While we continue to hold our collective breath, you can’t beat a bit of belt and braces. Like, for instance, that endangered species, the transfer budget.

Just consider its many advantages over an owner simply telling a manager: “Find players you want and I’ll try to support you.” How do you know the players you want if you don’t know what the club can afford to spend? How do you deploy your resources without knowing them?

I believe resolving this conundrum is key to the longer-term success of Danny Rohl, or any other manager, at Sheffield Wednesday. It can’t be piecemeal, making it up as you go along. That’s where a proper plan comes in. Let’s hope Wednesday have one whereas they clearly haven’t under this regime in the past.

Crucially, it cuts to players leaving as well. If you know what you can spend, you can offload accordingly to balance the figures. Sounds like plain common sense and yet there has been little evidence of it in the running of Wednesday in this era of under-achievement. That has to change if the club is to move into a forward gear, regardless even of Rohl staying.

As I write this to meet a Tuesday afternoon deadline, we are no nearer to being sure of an outcome that could depend on interest from other clubs at home and abroad. This may also have a bearing on the decisions of some players made contract offers. Josh Windass for one, it would seem.

I applaud the club for moving to keep the core group together, albeit in an announcement conspicuously making no reference to the manager. As before, I think preparedness to work with Dejphon Chansiri and a better way of working will be as important, if not more so, than a new contract and money for signings. We can only hope for the sake of the club and its supporters these issues are resolved.

I keep being reminded of the old saying “possession is nine-tenths of the law” and the advantage this provides. But it’s only likely to work if Rohl stays because he is completely happy rather than because of obstacles put in his way. There is a fantastic opportunity here and it’s not to be missed.