Pre-season suggests Darren Moore should table big transfer request to Dejphon Chansiri

It’s not been madly inspiring, but pre-seasons so rarely are and to be fair, they’re very rarely an indication of much – as many rip-roaring run of friendly results lead to a slow-starting league campaign as it does vice-versa.

The Owls have been careful over the workload placed on their players and many of the matches can be seen for more than training exercises, with swathes of half-time substitutions made as each individual is managed appropriately.

But The Star have been present at each of their ‘official’ pre-season outings and there have been outline themes that will have served as food for thought for Darren Moore and his staff heading towards the season opener at home to Portsmouth next weekend.

Moore was candid in his assessment of the Owls defending after their 4-1 defeat to Wigan Athletic on Saturday and admitted a concern at his players making similar mistakes as last season – with goals throughout the summer arriving via a similar method.

New faces have come in to combat the defending of crosses and set pieces – Ben Heneghan, Michael Ihiekwe and Akin Famewo among them – and Wednesday are visibly bigger and stronger across the field, with the likes of Michael Smith and Tyreeq Bakinson to come in and add height and aerial aptitude in both boxes.

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Moore and assistant manager Jamie Smith were spotted expressing their frustration with Wednesday’s inability to break with enough pace at Wigan and though they’ve had their moments, a critical eye would suggest their pre-season efforts have struggled for pace for large periods.

The returning Josh Windass is quick and has certainly impressed for periods of matches.

The squad certainly has goals in it, but neither Lee Gregory or Michael Smith would profess to offer much in the way of speed, neither Callum Paterson; their skillsets lay elsewhere. Sylla Sow has a turn of pace but hasn’t shown anything in his short Owls career to suggest true League One quality.

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Transfer links to Keke Simmonds and Mallik Wilks remain and it is likely Moore and the club’s recruitment staff are indeed searching for more pace in the final third.

Greedy perhaps, but Wednesday’s promotion aspirations would be strengthened with a speedster or two.