Sheffield Wednesday fans discuss the main factors David Storch needs to prioritise if he’s to be a success
Sheffield Wednesday’s long-awaited takeover was confirmed on the final day of the Championship season
If Sheffield Wednesday was a house on the market it’d have likely been sold as a doer-upper.
After all, it’s a club that’ll need plenty of TLC to get back on its feet after being relegated as the bottom club in the Championship, all while winning twice all season and waiting until the final home game of the season to secure a first home victory.
There’s also expected to be departures to an already thin squad, while there’s also factors off the pitch like filling important recruitment roles such as sporting director which have to be considered.
However, at the same time it’s fair to argue that if Wednesday was a house it would be one of the biggest on the street in League One terms, and certainly one of the ones with the largest potential.
You only need to look at the history of Wednesday football club to understand that. They were League Cup winners in 1991 under Ron Atkinson, competed in European competitions that same decade - and also notably finished inside the top seven in three of the opening six Premier League seasons after the top-flight’s rebrand.
Even the stadium, Hillsborough, was once a regular venue for FA Cup semi-finals - and significantly one of the stadiums chosen to host matches in both the 1966 World Cup and the European Championships 30 years later when England competed on home soil.
In many ways it’s quite symbolic that Wednesday got to zero points by overcoming West Brom on the same day that it was also confirmed that the team wouldn’t be starting next season with another points deduction.
It represents a fresh start and what many will hope is the start of a more positive era at the club with David Storch at the helm as owner. But what are the three things the American businessman needs to prioritise to ensure a productive first season with the Owls?
The Star spoke to Wednesdayites and most struggled to narrow it down to just three things due to the seismic task the board faces.
One, in Hillsborough Park, explained: “It’s a good thing that there’s a takeover. I’d like to see everything improve and the team to start winning. The main thing I’ll go with is simply morale as there’s been a lack of that and the club’s been losing its direction for a while.
“I’d like to see David Storch come in with a clear vision on what he wants to get the team doing well again.”
Another fan, George Smith, who’s first match at Hillsborough was back in 1947, said: “It’s brilliant that Storch is coming in. He looks like he's really interested.
“I’ve also got to say I think the manager Pedersen has been unbelievable. He lost so many players over the summer and has had to work with academy lads and free agents, and he’s kept them solid. I know there’s not been many wins but there’s been a hell of a lot of draws which with a bit of luck could have gone our way.
“The first aim should be to get back to the Championship. We need to do things a stage at a time. Recruitment is obviously important, they need to try and get some players, there’s a lot of young boys in the squad and they need experience and quality up there.”
Another supporter at the Rawson Spring pub added: “They’ve won two games all season and they’ve still got the following which is amazing. I think if they can get some players signed they can be a good team. Hopefully one day a great team like they used to be.”
Sheffield Wednesday has new ownership and a new energy to it which has so far generated a sense of optimism which the club has lacked for a long time. What happens next is anyone’s guess but one thing for sure is that there'll be plenty of incomings and outgoings in pre-season ahead of fixture release on Thursday, June 25.