Sheffield Wednesday new boy Chey Dunkley opens up on January transfers and THAT promotion shout

And it’s a confidence that was applauded by Sheffield Wednesday fans listening in to his first interview as an Owls player when he made the claim that despite their 12-point deduction, promotion was still an attainable goal.

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think we could get promoted,” he said after a free transfer switch from Wigan. “Of course it’s hard to get automatic with the 12 point deduction, but it’s within us to push on and get promoted.”

Fast-forward four months and the Owls are locked in a relegation battle, four points shy of safety and second-bottom of the Championship. Circumstances have piled up on Wednesday, but the fact is that Dunkley’s prophecy has not emerged.

Speaking to The Star last week, the charismatic defender reflected on that confident opening gambit and stood by the quality he believes is within the dressing room.

“We haven’t got enough results,” he said when asked what had gone wrong this season. “On paper, when you look at the squad, I don’t think I was wrong in thinking this team could be pushing for a playoff spot.

“I know we lost key players in terms of Steven Fletcher and Morgan Fox, but this was a team that was third in terms of the season before. People forget about that.

“There are good players in this dressing room and I wasn’t out of line to say at the start of the season that we could try to push up the league and get the playoffs.

“What’s gone wrong? We haven’t won enough games. That’s not rocket science and we need to be held accountable for that and responsible for that. We’re the players out there.”

Owls boss Tony Pulis has reiterated a number of times the need for reinforcements to the squad heading into the January transfer window and asked how much of a boost new faces would offer the current players, Dunkley admitted it was important but made clear he felt there was more existing quality at the club than has been shown this season.

He said: “I’m not a manager, I’ve still got a couple of years as a footballer, I’d like to think.

“I look amongst the dressing room and there are good players defensively and that can create. And we have got players who can put it in the back of the net.

“Whether the cohesion is there or not, that’s another thing. But every team, whether that’s us or not, in and around the bottom are going to look to strengthen, that’s a given.

“And that’s the gaffer’s task, it’s a hard task for the gaffer to identify the players that can make us better as a team.

“Whoever comes I will welcome them and we can get down to business.

“It’s good when you bring in new players, especially if they are good players, because it’s competition in the team and it means that you get that five or 10 per cent more from everyone around you. Competition is healthy.”

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