Chris Waddle's Sheffield Wednesday-Wrexham transfer wish
Owls legend Chris Waddle talks SWFC
Chris Waddle says Sheffield Wednesday should copy Wrexham’s recruitment strategy.
The Welsh club, led by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, won three consecutive promotions from the National League to the Championship. This season they just missed out on the play-offs in the final day of the season.
The Red Dragons, who have had serious spending power behind them, have tended to sign experienced players from higher divisions and their quality has shone through. Many fans want to see Wednesday go down the younger route and think more long-term. But there will also be pressure from others who want instant results and an immediate return to the Championship.
Speaking to BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest football odds, Owls legend Waddle said: “They need to sign players who can not only play League One football but make sure they’re a good enough unit to compete back in the Championship. They need to be able to carry on if they do go straight back up, which is what everybody's thinking or hoping they will do next season.
“They need to build a team that can get back up into the Championship but then keep going rather than end up in the bottom half just trying to survive. Look at Wrexham. They bought players to get out of every division and this year they've come so close to the play-offs. They’ve just fell just. Wednesday need to find the players capable of doing that for them.
“It'll be interesting to see how they develop as a team this season. Will he (Henrik Pedersen) get more young players in? Wednesday also need to look at people they can bring in now who’ve done it all before. Like what Cardiff have done to come straight back up.”
It promises to be a hectic summer at Hillsborough and the rebuilding job is bigger than what people who don’t support the club realise. With only a handful of players still on the books following the retained list, Waddle believes they could need as many as 15 to 20 new additions.
“Wednesday need a lot of new players,” he added. “They've got a list of people who are staying and they've got the youngsters but they need that experience. Let's be honest, they need everything. They need a 10. They need a seven. They need a nine. They need a lot of players. It's going to need a different mentality next season. Wednesday have got to come out of the blocks very quickly. But they need a good 15 to 20 players this summer.”