Lee Bullen's small window of opportunity to stake claim for Sheffield Wednesday job

In with a shout: Lee Bullen gives a thumbs up to fans after Sheffield Wednesday's victory over Nottingham Forest.In with a shout: Lee Bullen gives a thumbs up to fans after Sheffield Wednesday's victory over Nottingham Forest.
In with a shout: Lee Bullen gives a thumbs up to fans after Sheffield Wednesday's victory over Nottingham Forest.
Lee Bullen has two games to convince Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri he is the man to replace Carlos Carvalhal.

Former Owls captain Bullen was put in caretaker charge after the Portuguese head coach left Hillsborough on Christmas Eve after a poor run of results.

Just six league wins all season had left the Owls – who had previously reached back-to-back play-offs in the Championship – languishing in 15th spot.

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But Bullen engineered an impressive 3-0 away win at Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day to set down a marker.

While the 46-year-old insists he will not formally apply for the manager’s job on a full-time basis, Bullen knows two more wins over the next five days could sway Chansiri to turn to Carvalhal’s No 2.

Wednesday travel to Brentford on Saturday and then return to Hillsborough on New Year’s Day to host Burton Albion.

“The chairman has asked me to do it for one or two games. More than likely, a new coach then comes in,” said Bullen.

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“The chairman has a tough few days to try and work things through. What I am interested in doing is going to Brentford and getting a result.

“The chairman has asked me to do it up to January 1 and potentially the FA Cup game (at Carlisle United the following Saturday), and then he will make a decision where he wants to go.”

Bullen’s decision to let results on the field do his talking – rather than making his desire for the top job public – is understandable.

For any public declaration could backfire if Chansiri opts to bring in a new head coach next month.

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Chansiri has been linked with an ambitious move for Shakhtar Donetsk’s Paulo Fonseca to replace Carvalhal.

But Donetsk are in the Champions League, and have a last-16 tie with Roma coming up in 2018.

If Bullen – who lives in Sheffield and has family business commitments in the city – can help cut the 11-point deficit to the top-six and the play-offs, Chansiri could be tempted to give him the job until the summer.

The display at the City Ground – when Bullen made several tactical changes which paid off – was full of attacking intent, and in stark contrast to some of the tepid displays which had plagued Wednesday this season.

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The key for Bullen will be getting the best out of players like £8m striker Jordan Rhodes and expensive recruits under Carvalhal who failed to deliver on their hefty price tags.

Bullen spent four seasons as an Owls player – leading them to promotion from League One in 2005 – and famously played in every position for Wednesday, including goalkeeper.

The Scot was a well-travelled player, including spells in Australia, Hong Kong and China, before finishing his career at Falkirk.

Other managers linked with replacing Carvalhal are former Middlesbrough chiefs Aito Karanka and Garry Monk, Paul Lambert and Shrewsbury Town’s Paul Hurst.

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The latter, Sheffield-born and a lifelong Owls supporter, has taken the unfashionable Shrews to the top two in League One.

Having spent his entire playing career at Rotherham United, Hurst, 43, is a young emerging English manager who has served his managerial apprenticeship at the likes of Ilkeston Town, Boston United and Grimsby Town.

With the success at city rivals Sheffield United, under life-long Blades fan Chris Wilder, the Owls could be tempted to look to “one of their own” too.

“I know about the speculation because when the manager was sacked my wife’s phone was going mad – she wondered what was going on,” Hurst told the Shropshire Star. “But that’s just friends that would like to see me at their hometown football club.

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“It’s a massive club that I would love to see in the Premier League again. But there’s nothing in it as far as I’m concerned.”

Wednesday midfielder Adam Reach claims the Owls players must share the responsibility for a disappointing season, to date.

Having opened the scoring in the impressive 3-0 win at Forest, Reach believes the players have to “really step up and put our necks on the line”.

“It’s a strange one because Carlos brought me into the club and we owe a lot to him,” said Reach. “He was always high in spirits and trying to do the right things but it’s football.

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“The decision was taken and that’s football. No matter who the manager is, we have to go out there and prepare as best we can and give 100 per cent.

“We wish Carlos all the best and I’m sure he’ll back in management soon because he is a great manager. But it’s now up to the players to really step up and put our necks on the line.”

As for Carvalhal’s future, he is a long-term target for Swansea, and the Premier League strugglers could turn to the out-of-work coach to replace Paul Clement.

The Portuguese, 52, was reportedly at Anfield on Boxing Day to watch the Swans in their 5-0 thrashing by Liverpool.

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