Transfer window will be key for promotion ambitions

Twelve months ago Sheffield Wednesday enjoyed an eight-goal avalanche at Hillsborough and everything looked rosy for the Owls.

A 6-2 home win over Bristol Rovers, the arrival of new owner Milan Mandaric to end years of debt-filled misery and a side flying high at the top of League One under Alan Irvine set the scene for a Christmas of hope at S6. Within eight weeks Irvine had been sacked, as Wednesday came crashing down quicker than the Christmas tree decorations, shipping five goals at Exeter and Peterborough and four at Leyton Orient. So it is with a tinge of reality 12 months later that we assess the current Wednesday bunch after another eight-goal feast on Saturday.

Gary Megson’s side are perched second in League One, four points better off than Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town who snatched a dramatic point at Hillsborough, with Sheffield United in between them.

As it stands this morning it looks like the three Yorkshire clubs are fighting for the second automatic spot alongside Charlton Athletic.

After 20 minutes on Saturday, you would have been laughed all the way down Penistone Road if you had suggested that Wednesday could be challengers.

For a side boasting an almost impregnable home record – 25 points from a possible 27 – the Owls started like a team who had never met before.

Two teasing crosses ended with the same result, Jordan Rhodes – the best striker outside of the Premier League according to Megson afterwards – hammering headers into the roof of Stephen Bywater’s goal. Slack marking maybe, but Rhodes has this gift to drift into spaces and when he is on form, he is virtually unplayable.

Last season, the game would have been lost by this point. But Megson’s class of 2011 – even with five loan rangers in the ranks – have a real fighting spirit.

For the next hour they bossed the game, scored four goals and should have won all three points.

Town’s Alex Bruce was fortunate to escape with just a yellow card when, as last man he pushed the ball away from the on-rushing Chris O’Grady with a blatant handball in the second half, but going down to 10 men wouldn’t really have made that much difference to the outcome. The on-loan defender would have at least picked up an unusual double, for he was red carded playing for Wednesday against Town in 2005.

Home fans were chanting ‘sign him up’ as Ben Marshall ripped the Town defence to shreds, his goal a gem in a match which was not shy of quality finishes.

And for Wednesday their promotion chances won’t rely on two dropped points here after Rhodes twice waltzed through the heart of Wednesday’s defence, his fourth and final goal coming in the 96th minute, but on keeping the likes of loan players Marshall, Bywater and Danny Batth when the January transfer window opens in a couple of weeks.

As for Town, it could be argued that Saturday’s score should have read Wednesday 4, Jordan Rhodes 4. He really carried the Terriers to a dramatic point and without his goals you would fear for Town.

But that’s not to ignore the mercurial talent of winger Gary Roberts – a target for Megson in the summer – who delivered two inch-perfect crosses for the first two goals.

So the points were shared in this Yorkshire derby – by far the best game seen at Hillsborough for many years and worthy of a far better setting than League One.

The Hillsborough crowd of 28,600 was the fourth largest attendance in England on Saturday, only bettered by West Ham in the Championship and the Premier League gates at Everton and Newcastle United.

The biggest winners, however, were probably Danny Wilson’s Sheffield United who sneaked into third place with their fourth-successive League One win, with leaders Charlton only drawing and MK Dons losing.

It sets up the race for promotion nicely heading into 2012 and it would take a brave man to predict which Yorkshire club can come out on top.

The January transfer action will be key – the Blades just have to keep leading scorer Ched Evans to maintain their assault – so I will reserve judgement until I see who stays and who goes come midnight on January 31.