Sheffield Wednesday v Southampton: Owls deserve some 'respect' insists captain Barry Bannan ahead of Championship opener

As captain, Barry Bannan knows that better than most.

Footballing obituaries were famously penned after the Owls' bruising 4-0 League One play-off semi-final first-leg drubbing at Peterborough United in May.

It was the prelude to the most remarkable night of end-of-season lottery theatre at Hillsborough in the second instalment – with events at Wembley completing the redemption.

Wednesday have their cherished Championship place back and start out the EFL season in a televised curtain-riser against relegated Southampton this evening in Xisco Munoz's first competitive game in charge.

The Owls – who completed the signing of Dutch winger Anthony Musaba on Friday to follow on from the capture of ex-Preston and Barnsley defender Bambo Diaby – still find themselves in a familiar place with many so-called experts.

Should anyone cast their eyes across the many eve-of-season prediction tables that proliferate across the media, they are pretty uniform in suggesting that Wednesday are in for a season of struggle and a relegation fight.

Bannan believes it to be a touch disrespectful. It adds fuel to the fire, nevertheless.

The Scot said: "Yes, I think it is a lack of respect. But they have their opinions and they probably like causing controversy.

"But it is what it is, it's their opinions. It's up to us to prove them wrong.

"We did that a lot last season – obviously the biggest one being the semi-final and being 4-0 down and being written off by a lot of people.

"It's something you become accustomed to as a footballer. You are always being written off. It's part and parcel of the game.

"But we don't look too much into it. Let people say what they are saying, they have a right to their opinions. But it just gives us that extra fire in our bellies to prove them wrong.

"It is what it is and we know what we have got in there and our goals and we will keep that in-house. Hopefully in the season we will be the last ones laughing."

The only thing generally predictable about the Championship is its unpredictability, in a division which invariably throws up a surprise or two each season.

Sunderland, promoted from the third-tier at Wembley in 2021-22, provided it last season by reaching the Championship play-offs.

The side who won the whole charabanc in Luton – who visited Hillsborough in a friendly last weekend – weren't tipped by too many for glory at last season's outset either.

Again, that is something duly noted by Bannan.

He continued: "We played a team on Saturday who, in fairness, no-one would have said would go up last season and they went up.

"They had quality in the right areas and a great team work-ethic and spirit and it took them to the Premier League.

"If people look at us, we've definitely got quality all over the pitch and great team spirit which was shown last season and at the minute we are adding to it with people who have pedigree in different leagues.

"People over here are blinkered and only watch the sport in their country. But these players have come over and settled.

"We know what we have got and it doesn't matter what other people think. As long as we believe, that's all that matters."

While the focus at Wednesday has firmly been on incoming recruits, with the club's total of summer signings now up to seven with more likely to come, it has been a wholly contrasting story at opponents Southampton.

Saints have seen defenders Mohammed Salisu and Duje Caleta-Car leave this week. The next is likely to be Tino Livramento with Newcastle United having agreed a deal to sign him for a fee raising to £40m.

Ongoing speculation continues to surround the futures of James Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia after the club rejected recent bids from Liverpool and West Ham respectively.

Speaking on Thursday, Saints chief Russell Martin confirmed that both would be involved at Hillsborough, unless things change.