Former Sheffield Wednesday manager backs Paul Cook or Nigel Pearson for top job

Chris Turner, who managed the club from 2002 to 2004, worked with Paul Cook in his time ‘upstairs’ at Chesterfield and played for the Owls alongside Nigel Pearson for three seasons, lifting the 1991 League Cup in the process.

Asked what sort of attributes it will take to replace Garry Monk, he said that both men would excellent appointments and that personality will be an important factor in lifting the spirits at the club.

He told The Star: “It’s time the club get the structure right, that they get the right manager in the position, someone that knows the league, can handle a fight and can build a team.

“I think it’s going to be two years or three windows if the manager is given the freedom to bring in who he wants, it’s not a five-minute job, Sheffield Wednesday. It never was.

“It has to be somebody with passion and drive, somebody who has a smile on their face.

“The lights have gone out at the club and there’s no positive energy at present. We need a manager who is going to come in and enthuse everybody, lift everybody, all the staff in the building. They all need a lift.

“Safety is well within reach this season, that six points back has given them a great chance. Whoever comes in needs time to get his style of football in there, but they need to come in and get them up the table, out of the bottom five or six places in the league.”

Charismatic scouser Cook won the League Two title with Chesterfield before achieving promotion with Portsmouth and Wigan, leaving the latter in the summer.

He has since spoken of his desire to find himself a Championship job, admitting that he misses management greatly.

“I’ve said for two or three years now that he’d be great for Wednesday,” Turner said on his old colleague. “He’s done great in his management career, success at every club he’s been at.

“I know his personality and he’d be great. It has somebody who is going to come in and lift this club, he needs to come in and lift the chairman, too, to give him a breath of fresh air. He’s supported the club and he needs help.

“I hope he’s someone that they look at and that they give him the opportunity to talk because I think they would be impressed.”

Former Owls skipper Pearson has previous suggested he would be unlikely to take the job given that he lives in the city.

He would be a popular appointment with the supporters.

Turner said: “Nigel is a very strong personality. The fans would take him tomorrow and that’s an important side to the appointment. Both of those guys, the fans would take to them straight away.

“Nigel was the best leader I ever played with, up there with Bryan Robson, and he’s got results everywhere he’s been to. Once again, I think he’d be a great appointment.

“The owner will know that this is such a vital appointment. They can’t go on hiring and firing, they need stability and a vision.”

MORE FROM OUR WEDNESDAY WRITING TEAM

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Everything Owls legend Nigel Pearson said just last year about taking the Sheffield Wednesday job

The return of Keiren Westwood? - Four players who could benefit from Garry Monk’s Sheffield Wednesday departure

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