Barry Bannan says Sheffield Wednesday contract uncertainty making his job harder and may be affecting results

Chairman Dejphon Chansiri probably thinks it keeps his players hungry but Barry Bannan believes the uncertainty is damaging and making his job as captain harder. Manager Danny Rohl agrees it is unhelpful, though not an excuse.

Every club has players out of contract at this time, some of whom will be back, some who have been written off and others keen to move on.

In Wednesday's defence, it is hard to make decisions when they do not know if they will be playing in the Championship or League One in 2024-25.

Finances and the attraction to players are different.

After Saturday's trip to Queens Park Rangers there will be only five matches to go, yet there are just seven points between the Rs in 16th and the Owls in 23rd.

But for a second-tier club, the number of players in the dark is disproportionately high.

Bannan is one, along with Josh Windass, Dominic Iorfa, Liam Palmer, Di'Shon Bernard, Will Vaulks, Ashley Fletcher, Cameron Dawson, Lee Gregory, George Byers, Tyreeq Bakinson and Ciaran Brennan. The injured Juan Delgado's status is unknown. James Beadle, Ike Ugbo, Momo Diaby, Ian Poveda, Kristian Pedersen and Jeff Hendrick are on loan.

This time last season there were 15 players out of contract, and Bannan feels it played a part in their weak run to the promotion finish line.

Whilst he is using the thought that these could be his final few games at a club he has served since 2015 as motivation, Bannan worries it is unhelpful for others.

"I've not heard anything," he says. "I think it's just a case of knuckling down for these last six games and what will be, will be.

"I think as a club we need to learn from this and make sure it doesn't happen because it's happened the last few seasons now. It's not a good situation.

"We had a talk after the Huddersfield game and that was one of the topics I brought up, it was a case of not being selfish.

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"If you can get the club safe, your negotiating power at the end of the season is a lot stronger in the Championship than it would be as League One players. But we're humans and everyone thinks differently. It will probably play a part.”

Bannan says it makes his job as the main on-field motivator harder.

"I'm the captain and it puts me in a (difficult) position because if I'm trying to scream and shout and ask for things from these individuals and I don't know what they're thinking, it's hard for me," he argues.

"I'm coming towards the end of my career so what will be will be for me, I'll just be fighting to keep this club in the league.

"But there's young people who have got a good few years left in them and not knowing where they're going to be with their families and kids at school, it's hard for them.

"It was the same last year with a lot of out-of-contract players going into the play-offs and we dipped off at the end of last season."

The thought that this could be the end will drive him on, though.

"If this is the season when my Sheffield Wednesday career ends I want it to be a big season for me, a season I'll look back on and be proud of," he says.

"I know fighting relegation's not something to be proud of but it will still be an achievement considering how the season started (bottom, with seven points from 18 games at the end of November).

"This could be my last six games at this club so I want to give it my all and give the fans something to cheer at the end of the season.

"You don't want the last thing you did for the club to be getting relegated. No one set out at the start of the season (just) to avoid relegation but with the start we had, we've got a chance of doing something good.

"We don't know what's happening so we've just got to focus game by game and give our all for this club until that contract's up. At this minute in time this club's paying your wages, so you need to fight for the club and what will be, will be."

Boosted by the return from injury of Windass and Callum Paterson – registered on Thursday – Rohl admits selection for Saturday is far from clear-cut after Monday’s really poor defeat at Middlesbrough.

Bernard is his only fitness doubt, but far from the only question mark.

"Everyone else is available and back,” he said. "You have to select the right players for the starting XI, and after the last games my thoughts are in a lot of directions.

“You have some players who are good at the moment, some who have had good games and then dropped back a little. That’s been the challenge since I arrived – we’re not always with the same performance.

"If you compare some players from Friday to Monday there’s a big difference. But hopefully I find the right XI, and the other guys to help finish the game.”