This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Sheffield Wednesday are staring down the barrel of a monumentally challenging period after the EFL charged the club for financial misconduct.
It comes after the Owls sold their Hillsborough stadium to owner Dejphon Chansiri in order to offset any debts made in their 2017/18 accounts.
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Although no punishment is yet to be announced, it is expected that the club could face a minimum of a 12-point deduction while further penalties such as a transfer embargo and even expulsion can’t be taken out of the equation just yet.
This saga is only going to rumble on as the club plan to contest the charges.
Wednesday have been hit with a restriction on signing players multiple times before so that would come as nothing new, but if that course of action does ensue, then it leaves manager Garry Monk in a precarious predicament.
Around 11 first team players see their contracts expire at the end of the season, and given that 21 different members of the squad have lined up in the blue and white stripes this season, the Owls boss could be without nearly an entire starting XI come the summer.
If they are indeed operating under an embargo, it will make any activity to replace them all that more difficult.
Monk may be forced to finally delve into the academy set up so that he can actually have a full squad for next season.
In doing so, it would bring one major benefit to the table as he will be able to eradicate one of the club’s long-term ‘on the pitch’ issues.
The current side are the oldest in the Championship – no player under the age of 23 has even enjoyed one minute on the Hillsborough turf either.
Therefore, despite all the potential negativity to come from this awful situation, the young players contracted at the club should up their game in case they do get called upon in the near future.
And there’s plenty of talent lying in wait as Monk has regularly called players into first-team training, even as recently as at the start of this very month.
We’ll have to wait and see whether or not the EFL makes an example out of Wednesday before such planning can take place.
