What Dejphon Chansiri said about Sheffield Wednesday's long-term planning

Sheffield Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri has said he doesn’t believe football clubs can make long-term plans in the same way other businesses operate.
Sheffield Wednesday chairman and owner Dejphon Chansiri......Pic Steve EllisSheffield Wednesday chairman and owner Dejphon Chansiri......Pic Steve Ellis
Sheffield Wednesday chairman and owner Dejphon Chansiri......Pic Steve Ellis

Clubs like Brentford have been lauded for their approach, in which they have a clear long-term strategy which appears to be reaping rewards particularly off the pitch, where their impressive recruitment has brought millions of pounds into the coffers which has in turn has been reinvested.

Wednesday fans have been voicing their discontent in recent times regarding the future of their club with no apparent blueprint in place.

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However, Chansiri doesn’t appear to believe that planning for the future can be achieved in football.

Football is a very unique business,” he told Yorkshire Live. “Football operates and is budgeted for on a seasonal basis depending on which division your club is in. It is not the same as a normal business where you can plan ahead for five or 10 years, for example.

“It is difficult to look too far forward in football. We did our best to push for the first two to three years but then we had to step back, change some players and rebuild, then bring younger players in for the future. Investment cannot guarantee anything in football but it does help give the best chance of staying up and then move towards going up.

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“We have seen how some of the big clubs with a lot of money have been relegated so nothing is guaranteed but everyone has tried their best.

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Of course, we all want the perfect blend of youth, height, pace, strength and experience but we do not live in the perfect world, everyone wants the same thing. We have always tried to recruit the best we can and some transfers work out well while others do not, this is the benefit of hindsight.

Football is not like a normal business where you recruit who you think is the best option but let go if it does not work out. You cannot do that with players, contracts are in place so you do the best you can and the plan is to succeed.

“In year one and year two we came very close but did not succeed so we had to step back and build again.

“The plan of every club in the Championship is to firstly at least stay in this division and secondly aim for the Premier League. Some clubs, particularly those with parachute payments, have a better chance than others. For the rest, they all have the same ambitions and try their best to achieve them. The football will always be on the front line and in the background, I will always try to improve the off-field operation in every way possible.”