Barry Bannan has questioned Sheffield Wednesday’s position on their troubling contract predicament.
Sheffield Wednesday’s primary goal right now is to stay in the Championship, with only six games remaining and two points to make up if they are to be safe.
However, the Owls have been in a’relegation struggle’ for the whole of the season and have yet to make significant progress up the table.
With the club’s focus on the mission ahead of them, many players’ futures at the club are in serious doubt.
There are now eleven players whose contracts are slated to expire at the end of the season, although Danny Rohl has already stated that he prefers his team to concentrate on their game rather than contemplating new contracts.
Earlier this week, the German coach stated: “There are two things. Behind the scenes, we are looking and thinking about what we can accomplish. The essential aspect right now is that we don’t know where we’ll be next season. This makes things harder.
“This means we’ll be preparing two shadow squads. We have one for ‘this’ and another for ‘this’. This is our job, and we must do it. Hopefully, we can go across the line as quickly as possible so that we can make contracts and get them completed right away. This is the challenge. We have something in mind, and I always communicate with Kevin (Beadell, head of recruitment). We’ll have some significant discussions in the coming weeks and see what we can do.”
The contract situation is ‘tough’ for Sheffield Wednesday.
This has left some key players’ fates utterly uncertain, and Barry Bannan has now questioned the potential negative impact on the team’s performance.
During his press conference today (as reported by The Star), the Owls captain added, “Listen, we’re people. People differ. It [relegation] will most likely play a factor. So, as a club, we need to ensure that this circumstance does not occur again.
“It’s about providing some certainty for players moving ahead. This does not seem appropriate for a club. It’s hardly an ideal position. If people’s futures were clearer, it would be much simpler for them, but as I have stated, you must prioritize the club at this moment. The club is paying your money, so you should go out and fight until your contract expires, and then whatever happens will happen.”
“It puts me in a position, which is why I’m saying we need to address the situation, as it was last year with so many out-of-contract players.” We also slipped at the end of last season. It’s difficult for me to continue screaming and shouting. People handle things differently. I can only speak about it from my own perspective.
“But everyone is different. It is difficult to begin demanding since you do not know how others are dealing with it. It’s tension, and it’s unnecessary stress for those people.
“It is hard. I’m in that circumstance, but how I handle it may be very different from how the other folks in the changing room do. I can only speak about myself. I am the captain of this club, which puts me in a position. I have no idea what these people are thinking inside when I’m screaming, shouting, and asking them questions. It’s challenging for me because I can only rely on myself.
“I’m nearing the conclusion of my career, so whatever happens will happen for me. I’m just battling to keep this club in the league right now. But there are young individuals in there who have a few years left and don’t know where they’ll be; they have families and children in school. It’s difficult for them.”
Has Danny Rohl handled the matter properly?
Sheffield Wednesday have some highly crucial players out of contract this summer, with Di’Shon Bernard and Will Vaulks potentially leaving.
It’s a difficult decision for both Danny Rohl and the players because, while the Owls might give contracts to some of their players, those players may be hesitant to sign when they could still end up in League One.
However, the club should have these discussions about what they want, what their preparations are for relegation, and so on, so that these players are not absolutely unaware of whether or not they will play League One football next season.
Leaving contracts to the last minute might also backfire, as some of their biggest talents may be tempted to move elsewhere, leaving them with little choice except to send them on a free transfer.
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