Sheffield Wednesday v Derby County - Owner Dejphon Chansiri keen for Owls to produce attacking football

The Owls ring in the new year at home to Derby County this evening in an important game for two big, relegation-threatened clubs without a permanent manager between them. The hosts know victory will take them out of the Championship relegation zone for the first time this season, with the rest of the division not playing until tomorrow.

Wayne Rooney looks likely to be given the Rams job permanently having already led them out of the bottom three during an interim spell almost as long as Pulis’s time at Hillsborough, but Chansiri is looking to make a permanent appointment “as soon as possible”.

Chansiri said Pulis persuaded him he would not play the “old English-style” football which stopped him being appointed at Hillsborough in 2018 only to do so, and is adamant his successor must play with two centre-forwards and get the most out of a squad which cannot be overhauled in a mid-season, Covid-19 influenced transfer window.

Pulis said when he interviewed Pulis to succeed Steve Bruce: “I was not convinced about his style of play. This time I thought he had experience and the priority was to stay up and he convinced me he could do that with the squad we had.

“I told him I don’t like the old English style but he told me he wouldn’t play like that, his tactics would depend on the opponents.”

According to Chansiri’s version of events, Pulis soon changed his tune on the players’ capabilities.

“After about three weeks he said, ‘We’re a big club, we have great potential but the results don’t lie over the past 12 months, the club doesn’t have identity and the whole structure is unfortunately very unbalanced,’” said Chansiri.

Whatever he said in his interview, Pulis was very vocal in pre- and post-match press conferences that the squad needed strengthening.

Chansiri is keen to see his next manager play regularly with two strikers. How many he has at present is a matter for debate.

Monk signed Elias Kachunga and Callum Paterson in the summer window as strikers but Pulis did not regard either as such. Loanee Jack Marriott picked up a year-ending injury before Pulis took over, and he appeared lukewarm at best to Jordan Rhodes, a club record signing who has struggled to convince many a Hillsborough manager. That left only Josh Windass, who was sent off and collected a three-match ban in Pulis’s debut. Winger Kadeem Harris was also used there.

Pulis was sacked after just 45 days, during which time the Owls played 10 matches, winning one and drawing four.

“We need to play attacking football, we need two strikers, not 5-4-1,” insisted Chansiri.

“I thought Pulis was the right one to help us but I was totally wrong. If our squad is not balanced, as Pulis says, we’re not going to win the last game (beating Middlesbrough 2-1 under Thompson on Tuesday).

“That shows our squad is okay to stay in the league but if we want promotion maybe we need some more players.

“Good managers, before they come, need to study the squad to see if they fit their methods. If you don’t think it’s a good squad or you can’t manage it, you should not come.”

Last six games: Sheffield Wednesday WDWLLL; Derby County WLWDDW

Referee: M Donohue (Greater Manchester)

Last time: Sheffield Wednesday 1 Derby County 3, February 29, 2020, Championship.

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