Sheffield Wednesday’s squad is now down to the bare bones, making the club unrecognisable just over two years since their famous win against Peterborough United.
Sheffield Wednesday are two weeks away from kicking off their 2025/26 Championship season, which, following an accumulation of issues both on-and-off the pitch, promises to be a challenging one.
After the Owls finished in a respectable 12th place under the stewardship of Danny Rohl, the first-team squad has been largely decimated, with several players moving on.
Djeidi Gassama and Anthony Musaba were notably sold, both of whom for substantially below their market value, whilst a catalogue of stars have moved on for free, including the club’s top scorer from last season, Josh Windass.
Those who remain face uncertainty about their future, leaving the team in a completely different state since their finest hour in recent years.
Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty ImagesSheffield Wednesday’s squad from famous Peterborough United win and where they are now
Under the floodlights on 18th May 2023, Sheffield Wednesday did the unthinkable by turning around a four-goal deficit in front of a cauldron of noise at Hillsborough Stadium.
The win will live long in the memory of supporters, especially Liam Palmer’s leveller in the dying seconds that brought it to extra time.
Unfortunately, the positivity that surrounded S6 on that now feels very far away, with many supporters expecting Sheffield Wednesday to be in the midst of a relegation battle this season.
One of the key factors behind the lack of hope in the current Sheffield Wednesday squad is based on how many players have exited, and that is emphasised when you look at the victorious starting side vs Peterborough United and where they are now…
Sheffield Wednesday starting team vs Peterborough United and their current club
Looking at the starting side that dismantled Peterborough United at Hillsborough Stadium, only one player is currently under contract at the club, with Callum Paterson, Liam Palmer, and Barry Bannan still awaiting clarity on their future.
Photo by Scott Llewellyn | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesSheffield Wednesday could lack a spine this season
The Owls may have to turn towards the academy to fill up numbers in the squad, which could cause many issues. As we saw when Bolton Wanderers faced financial issues in the 2018/19 season, they turned towards the youngsters, and it could be argued that throwing them in the deep end was not too ideal for their development.
Unfortunately, it also does not look likely that there will be any significant incomings at Hillsborough this summer either, leaving the Sheffield Wednesday squad in a sorry state.
Even if Sheffield Wednesday managed to secure the future of the likes of Barry Bannan and Callum Paterson, the severe lack of numbers in the squad will make the upcoming season very difficult for the Owls.