Things to like about Sheffield Wednesday's summer recruitment drive

They are elements that provide a buffer against the unrest of the summer, and afford the whole club some time and patience...

* Focus on younger players.

* Targeting of pace.

* Prioritisation of the new manager’s pick.

Certainly there was much realism in the reaction to a predictable opening night defeat to a slick Southampton.

And again about the stumbling way the Owls, a team of strangers with all eight signings starting, found a way past League Two Stockport on penalties in the EFL Cup.

Fans are rightly reserving judgment and giving Xisco Munoz every opportunity to bring his plans to fruition. Nobody is talking promotion or even top six; that’s good as well.

The forthcoming trio of games, against Hull, Preston and Cardiff, will yield a much more meaningful measure of where the Owls are at.

But, within tighter finances these days, I don’t think you can fault the approach to strengthening the squad - other than that it’s been damagingly overdue.

At the last count (Reece James apart), seven arrivals and six of those in the age range of 22 to 27. And four of those six on full transfers.

That said, I think it’s good that most of last season’s promotion squad remain. Many have solid Championship backgrounds.

It’s just that an average age pushing 30 was unsustainable in an ever more athletic business.

MORE: Michael Smith’s mysterious Wednesday absence explained by Xisco

Rectifying that was bound to give Wednesday a non-representative start to the season. Indeed, they played like what they were in midweek - a team of strangers.

Much of what they served up was pedestrian and predictable, although, again, it will take time for Xisco to impose his ideas on the group.

These are clearly based on a possession-based passing style from the back.

But, on Tuesday’s evidence, there will be a lot of getting up to speed before it can be properly judged.