Next Sheffield Wednesday Manager Odds: Six names in the frame

Sheffield Wednesday are searching for a new manager with current boss Danny Rohl on the verge of leaving the club.

EFL pundit Gab Sutton looks at six candidates in the next Sheffield Wednesday manager odds.

Henrik Pedersen

The biggest advantage Henrik Pedersen has, from Sheffield Wednesday’s perspective, is that he’s already contracted to the club, so appointing him as manager wouldn’t require a new financial commitment.

And, at a time where the club’s position in that area is so uncertain, it may not make sense to sign a new cheque before taking care of old ones.

Plus, Pedersen was part of the coaching staff that delivered last season’s top-half finish, and would represent some form of continuity.

Again, being able to maximise existing personnel is an attractive credential, given the difficulty the Owls will have in attracting and affording new ones.

Gary O’Neil

Gary O’Neil’s adaptability has stood out in his Premier League stints with Bournemouth and Wolves, keeping both up in difficult circumstances.

Despite those achievements, he looks unlikely to get a third top-flight gig this summer, so unless he gets a Championship job now, he’ll start the season out of work – and he might be the type keen to get his hands dirty.

O’Neil’s motivational qualities could see him stabilise matters at Hillsborough, while his Premier League record suggests an agile tactician.

Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney hasn’t given up on building a sustainable managerial career for himself, even if his chances of that are hanging by a thread after tough stints at Birmingham and Plymouth Argyle.

The former Manchester United great is sorted for money, so the wage required might only be nominal, as he seeks one last opportunity at Championship level.

If one were to make an argument in favour of Rooney, it could be that when at Derby, he did show the ability to galvanise people in adversity and bring everyone together, a skillset that could be valuable – but we’re clutching at straws a little bit.

Leam Richardson

Leam Richardson managed to keep Wigan up in League One in 2020/21, after inheriting a precarious situation on and off the field, with skeletal staff and a ravaged squad.

That, in some ways, was a bigger achievement than inspiring the Latics to the League One title the following season, under new ownership.

Things haven’t gone quite to plan for Richardson since then, but he does have the ability to bring people together in difficult moments.

And, while his CV as a number one looks a little one-dimensional, he has had plenty of success as an assistant to Paul Cook.

Nigel Pearson

Nigel Pearson inherited a difficult situation at Bristol City in 2021.

The Severnsiders had some deep-rooted cultural issues, and were financially compromised after an era of overspending.

The former Leicester boss didn’t do anything particularly eye-catching with the Robins in terms of in-possession work, but he did strip things back, re-instil some basics, and make them a strong out-of-possession side, laying foundations for what they went onto achieve under Liam Manning last season.

Pearson could do that at Hillsborough, and the older and middle-aged generation of Wednesdayites are already familiar with the 1991 League Cup winning captain. This moment calls for unity… 

Michael Duff

After fabulous work at Cheltenham, Michael Duff showed what he can do in 2022-23, building an excellent Barnsley side in their first season after relegation, with his side losing narrowly to Wednesday in the Play-Off Final.

A couple of years ago, the Northern Irishman might have been reluctant to take a job at a Championship club plagued by financial uncertainty, but after stints at Swansea and Huddersfield that didn’t quite go to plan, he may be more open-minded about any opportunity to show what he can do at that level.

Duff is an excellent manager: Swansea was a bad fit, but he had Huddersfield in the top six almost throughout his tenure, despite having needed to do far more with the squad than he was able to, and they capitulated after he left.

So, whereas there are other prospective candidates who might be considered a short-term fix, Duff is somebody who could grow with the club after the ownership issue gets resolved.