Two new names are said to be contenders for the vacant Sheffield Wednesday manager’s job, as a potential replacement for Tony Pulis.
The Owls are still searching for their next boss and it’s vital they make the right choice as they well and truly going through them lately.
The latest names to be linked and sitting high up on the betting markets is former Wales boss Chris Coleman, who hasn’t managed since 2019 where he was last in charge of Chinese club Hebei China Fortune, however it wasn’t exactly a convincing spell in charge.
The club currently sit 21st and just a place outside the relegation zone of the Championship table, level on points (19) with Derby in 22nd. And Chansiri is said to be in no rush to make the appointment.
Chris Coleman is currently second favourite with the bookies to become the Owls’ next manager. #SWFC https://t.co/Tg9Ivbfnx3
— Dom Howson (@domhowson) January 11, 2021
His side finished the 2018 Super League season in sixth position, which was two places and 14 points adrift from qualification to the 2019 AFC Champions League.
Coleman’s side struggled to adapt in the 2019 league campaign, with the club sat in 15th place in the relegation zone, following nine games. Having only won one game that league season, a 2–1 victory over Shanghai Greenland Shehua, he was sacked on the 15th of May due to poor performance.
Previous to that, he was manager at Sunderland, appointed on the 19th of November 2017, with the club under-performing in the Championship table. He came in for dismissed Simon Grayson, who had left the Black Cats third from bottom of the standings in 22nd place and within the relegation drop zone. By the conclusion of 2017, Sunderland had collected 11 points, out of a possible 24, under Coleman’s guidance, briefly lifting out of the relegation zone into twenty-first place, following a satisfactory run of form.
During the winter transfer window, Coleman was informed that club chairman Ellis Short had refused to invest any more money into player transfers, with the American businessman announcing his intentions to sell the club. He brought in for free of charge loan signings of Jake Clarke-Salter from Chelsea, Ovie Ejaria from Liverpool, Lee Camp from Cardiff City and Ashley Fletcher from Middlesbrough; Kazenga LuaLua was the only permanent transfer that window, joining from Brighton on a free transfer.
After their transfer window nightmare, Sunderland went on a nine-game winless run, ending when they defeated Derby 4–1 which became his final victory in charge of Sunderland; his final six games saw the Black Cats record three draws and three defeats. Relegation to League One was confirmed following a 2–1 defeat against Burton Albion at the Stadium of Light. On the 29th of April 2018, Coleman was dismissed shortly following the club’s sale.
After a playing career, which saw Coleman play in defence for the likes of Manchester City, Swansea and Crystal Palace, the latter he represented in the Premier League. He spent a year-and-a-half at league champions Blackburn Rovers before signing for Fulham in 1997, helping the team to two promotions from the third tier to the top flight. He won 32 caps playing for Wales. Coleman’s playing career ended at the age of 32, when his leg was broken in a car crash.
Coleman started his coaching career at Fulham and guided the club to 9th place in the 2003–04 Premier League. After exiting Fulham, Coleman was appointed manager of Real Sociedad, where he resigned in January 2008 due to differences with the incoming president. He then manageed Coventry, but was dismissed in May 2010 following a poor run of results. Coleman then headed for AEL for the first half of the 2011–12 season before resigning due to financial troubles at the club. In 2012, he took over as Wales national team manager after the death of Gary Speed, and led Wales to UEFA Euro 2016, their first major tournament since the 1958 FIFA World Cup, where they made the semi-finals.
Coleman is currently 6/1 for the job whilst the next one up is former Manchester United player Roy Keane who has entered out of nowhere.
Recent reports state he is ‘itching’ to ‘get the day-to-day involvement at a club that he is missing’ and it would seem now it the time he wants to depart from punditry duties at Sky Sports.
In June 2019, Roy Keane rocketed straight into the top three favourites for the Doncaster Rovers job after leaving his assistant manager role at Nottingham Forest on the 23rd of June.
However he didn’t get the job and instead it went to former West Brom boss Darren Moore. Keane also was linked with going to Sunderland as Jack Ross was at one point under pressure to keep his job.
The former Manchester United player is keen to relaunch his own managerial career it’s been reported after previously managing the Black Cats and Ipswich Town before being assistant at Ireland and Aston Villa.
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As two new names are contenders for Sheffield Wednesday manager’s job, the leading contender is Paul Cook, who is known to have spoken to Wednesday and the former Wigan, Portsmouth and Chesterfield boss is said to be extremely keen to succeed at Hillsborough.
Cook’s odds on becoming Wednesday’s 37th permanent boss is now 2/5 with Sky Bet however new names keep appearing and the odds plummeting.
The 53 year old has been out of work since departing from Wigan last summer after they were relegated to League One due to their 12-point deduction for going into administration.
He managed to win promotion with Wigan, Portsmouth and Chesterfield and has made no secret of his desire to manage the Owls.
“Sheffield Wednesday is an absolutely massive football club,” he said. “It would be a fantastic club for anyone to manage so while I’m being linked with it, it’s obviously very flattering.”
Owner Dejphon Chansiri sacked Pulis after just 45 days in charge and caretaker boss Neil Thompson has won both of his league games in charge to lift Wednesday out of the relegation zone.
Cook was a studio pundit for Sky Sports over the weekend and was quizzed about the Owls link following Accrington Stanley’s 2-0 triumph at Charlton Athletic.
He said: “It is very, very flattering to be linked. I am an out of work manager and I am desperate to get back into football.
“You miss the day to day of the dressing room, good or bad. The interaction with the players.
” Sheffield Wednesday is an absolutely massive football club. It would be a fantastic club for anyone to manage so while I’m being linked with it, it is obviously very flattering.”
Understand the bookies’ favourite Paul Cook has applied for the #SWFC job. https://t.co/XCPYpZs6Uz
— Dom Howson (@domhowson) January 11, 2021
Caretaker boss Neil Thompson has presided over home wins over Middlesbrough and Derby County to lift the club out of the Championship relegation zone and also beat Exeter City away in the FA Cup.
Fans gave their reaction as two new names are contenders for the Sheffield Wednesday manager’s job, Roy Keane and Chris Coleman…
ON KEANE:
@No_Gimicks: Nope, leave him to flirt with Micha Richards on sky
@gregianjohnson: So long as he brings Micah Richards along as his assistant, I’m all for it.
@YOLO8976: Funny thing is I sort of wouldn’t mind that
@PistolPete1867: He wouldn’t last 5 minutes with Chansiri.
@Granty62owl: Hope not, ANNOUNCE PAUL COOK @swfc
@Bailey94435392: He’d kill chansiri
@Worstedjumper: Shit manager, even worse pundit. Just no.
@CharlieCassid20: Yeah him and Chansiri will get along like a house on fire..
@chippy1985: Roy Keane is second favourite…. Please fucking no to him or the favourite #swfc
ON COLEMAN:
@TidmarshGareth: Why are we going for people like Coleman and cook … Thompson on a 3 match run give him the Job till end of season , and review .he knows the transfer strategy, let him crack on …
@deharpham: Oh dear………
@No_Gimicks: No fucking way
@Dunsbyowl: Err…No!
@chrisma5on: He’s marmite and I don’t think a club as disassociated with its fans at the minute needs marmite, we need unity, and I think the majority of fans would be happy with cook, Coleman will split the fan base
@griffiths_tom41: Having watched Sunderland till I die, it did show Chris Coleman as a nice bloke. But without sounding horrible, I think we need someone with a better track record in league football.
@StoxMarren: Wow. I thought we were pretty near to the bottom of the barrel with a load of people no-one’s heard of and then Coleman appears. Jesus. Just appoint Cook and crack on.
@OwlPricey: I’d rather shit in my hands and clap
@PistolPete1867: Would be a dreadful appointment.
@sensiblereade: Rather monk back than Coleman and I was his biggest hater
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