Sheffield Wednesday could recruit players in January before new manager arrives

Even so, the Owls have a list of players they want to recruit when the transfer window opens on Monday, and have made some offers. Chansiri says if he is unable to appoint the manager he wants quickly, he will press ahead with signings.

Despite assuring fans new players will be recruited, he hinted at a heavy emphasis on loans and free transfers.

Tensions about recruitment were thought to be one of the main factors behind the dismissal of Tony Pulis on Monday but in a scathing press conference, Chansiri insisted “it’s not true he left because I wouldn’t give him players” and accused the Welshman of being “unprofessional” and the “worst manager” he had appointed. He claimed Pulis offered to leave by mutual consent last week, but when an agreement was slow in being drawn up, he threatened to call in sick. At the time of writing, Pulis is yet to speak publicly about his departure.

With the club three points from Championship safety after 22 matches, the biggest concern of supporters will be who succeeds Pulis. Chansiri ruled out a “firefighter” until the end of the season.

“I’ve received many applications, even now they’re still coming, so my people need to help me to make a shortlist, then I will start to interview a few because we need to think more and more,” he said. “They need to fit to our philosophy and our squad.

“At all clubs, even if (managers) sign for three or four years, if they’re not good, after half a year they’re sacked.

“If we can wait, we will wait (to sign players) until the new coach comes in but if I can’t bring a new manager in in a couple of weeks of course I’m going to bring (players) in because we know what we want and the new manager is going to want good players.”

Asked if there would be money to spend, he replied: “I do not expect any club to spend too much in January. Sometimes the transfer fee is less than the wages so whether it’s a loan, a free transfer or a (paid-for) transfer it’s still a lot of money.

“We already have the list of players we want to bring in and we’ve already talked to some players. We’ve sent offers out but of course they haven’t answered yet because they will wait to see who can offer more.”

Chansiri suggested on-loan centre-back Aden Flint could stay at Cardiff City, but no decision had been made on centre-forward Jack Marriott, on loan from Derby County. Neither was able to play for Pulis because of injury.

He said he was confident there would be no transfer embargo this month, having paid the outstanding player wages not settled on time in November.

Pulis was sacked after 45 days and 10 games, winning one and drawing four. He and Chansiri went into their working relationship saying they wanted to be up front with one another, but the chairman paints a very different picture of how it played out. Such is the seriousness of his allegations, it could ultimately be a court’s job to try to decide the truth.

Chansiri claimed he was persuaded against sacking Pulis after “five or six” games, only for the manager to suggest a departure by mutual consent.
“He is the worst (manager) in my club, trying to create a lot of trouble,” said Chansiri. “That made me think he shouldn’t stay any longer because he could damage my club.”

He claimed Pulis initially approached him about leaving because he felt the players were not “buying into his methods” but when an agreement was not reached things turned sour.

“He said to my people if the chairman didn’t answer now he couldn’t be in charge tomorrow,” said Chansiri. “He would call in sick. He’d been in football almost 30 years (as a manager). How unprofessional!”

Pulis said after what proved to be his final game, a draw at Blackburn Rovers, he had been unable to arrange the meeting he planned with Chansiri to assess the club after a month, but the chairman said he was frustrated his manager was reluctant to call him, only text and email.

Chansiri said the Owls’ accounts, which he promised would be published “soon” when he addressed the media shortly before Garry Monk’s November sacking are close to be being released, and blamed software issues for delays in refunding season ticket holders but scored a spectacular own goal when it was pointed out some people really needed the money back.

“When they bought a season ticket they knew they would not get it back (if the season had been played normally) so if you can’t afford it, don’t buy it,” he said crassly.

He also revealed his 12-year-old son Att was abused on social media over his father’s running of the club, and threatened to go to the police if it happened again.

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