Sheffield Wednesday

OPINION: Chris Waddle is right, Sheffield Wednesday need to make a statement

In some random London pub near Kings Cross where a woman decided to vomit near one of my friends, I was mulling how Sheffield Wednesday could bounce back and get promoted next season. I reasoned that we would need to make a big signing to get the fans really excited, much like Middlesbrough did with Stewart Downing.

So it was rather wonderful to see club legend Chris Waddle come out and say the same thing earlier this week. Like me, he said that Wednesday needed a big signing to energise the squad while also bring up that it would cause the rest of the league to look over their shoulders.

I imagine many of us agree, but let’s explore why a big signing is needed. The reason many teams struggle after losing a play off final is because of the atmosphere of depression that surrounds the club afterwards. The huge disappointment of being so close yet so far can last months, and by the time teams have got over that it’s too late to make any sort of impact.

A big signing can raise the mood in an instant as instead of dwelling on what could have been, you are excited to see your new big signing in action. That’s certainly what happened on the Riverside after Stewart Downing signed on.

There is also that fear element. Do you remember the shock waves that happened around the Championship when Downing signed for Middlesbrough? Every team in the league looked promptly in their direction and dropped their jaw at sheer shock of what they just saw and it marked Middlesbrough as champions elect. When teams fear you they play in a very different way and that would help Wednesday a lot.

But never mind all that, we just want to know who that big name signing will be. Ross McCormack was linked to a move to the Owls this week and that certainly would fulfill it, especially if we beat the likes of Aston Villa and Newcastle United to his signature. Perhaps Wednesday could also go for some of the other stars of the Championship like Alan Judge and Lewis Dunk.

Many marquee signings of this sort end up being a former player, so that’s something to consider too. Ben Marshall will be linked to Wednesday at some point this summer because that’s an annual tradition by now while Kenwyne Jones is now a free agent so hat’s something that will be brought up. However it’s testament to Wednesday’s growth as a club that I don’t think either of these would be big enough to match what Downing was to Middlesbrough.

If Wednesday do want to make a marquee signing, they need to be looking at players on the periphery of Premier League squads. The ones that end up spending moth of their time on the bench but still have the talent to compete up there if necessary. That’s where I’m personally stumped, finding the guy who Wednesday could realistically sign while also making us all excited.

Maybe you have a better idea of who Sheffield Wednesday could sign to delight us all?

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