Sheff Weds Championship Odds: Rohl revolution set to take Owls towards the top

Sheffield Wednesday performed the greatest of great escapes last season by turning around a horrific start to secure their Championship status on the last day after an incredible run under rookie boss Danny Rohl. Now they are looking upwards ahead of what should be a thrilling 2024-25.

Below you can find Sheff Weds Championship odds, as well as a season preview and prediction on how they will fare this term. 

Last Season: 20th

Top Scorer: Anthony Musaba, Ike Ugbo (7)

Transfers In: Ben Hamer – Watford (free), Max Lowe – Sheffield United (free), Yan Valery – Angers (£400k), Svante Ingelsson – Hansa Rostock (free), Jamal Lowe – Bournemouth (free), Olaf Kobacki – Arka Gdynia (£500k), James Beadle – Brighton (loan), Charlie McNeill – Manchester United (free), Nathaniel Chalobah – WBA (free).

Transfers Out: Adam Alimi-Adetoro – Halifax (free), Tyreeq Bakinson – Wycombe (free), Ciaran Brennan – Newport (free), George Byers – Port Vale (free), Cameron Dawson – Rotherham (free), Juan Delgado – Everton de Vina del Mar (free), Lee Gregory – Mansfield (free), Reece James – Rotherham (free), Will Vaulks – Oxford (free).

First Game: Plymouth (H)

Prediction: 7th

Championship Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Championship Odds page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices.

It’s never dull in Sheffield 6. Last season started on the back of a turbulent summer, a horrific pre-season, and a rushed transfer market. So it came as little surprise that Wednesday made the worst start in Championship history and resorted to sacking Xisco Munoz 10 games in. Then in came Danny Rohl, who oversaw a seven-month-long fightback of epic proportions.

Twelve months on, their preparations for 2024-25 couldn’t have been any more different. Rohl was immediately handed a new three-year deal, key senior players were given new contracts and sensible signings were made early in the summer. Pre-season friendlies were smartly used as distinct exercises in employing different triggers within the German’s philosophy of high-intensity football, and thus Wednesday look to be in pretty good shape as that first game approaches.

Savvy Championship-ready additions such as Max Lowe, Nathaniel Chalobah, Jamal Lowe and Ben Hamer give the squad an extra solidity, while James Beadle’s return between the sticks for another 12 months on loan from Brighton is a huge boost.

There are also some intriguing signings from overseas. Svante Ingelsson comes in from Hansa Rostock with the ability to play box-to-box or hold the centre of the pack, while Yan Valery returns to these shores having shone as a young right-back in the Premier League with Southampton. Olaf Kobacki, meanwhile, was chased by a host of Championship clubs and could be a key threat in the final third.

The big selling-point with Wednesday is undoubtedly Rohl. He brought in elements of his preferred style last season and it worked wonders. Now, ahead of his first full campaign, he will be asking for full buy-in to his methods and he has the total backing of the players to do so.

Football Odds

If there are pockets that need to be addressed, they are arguably in attack and the centre of midfield. The former might yet be filled by Ike Ugbo, who came in to devastating effect in January last season, but the relegation reprieve of his parent club Troyes has weakened Wednesday’s bargaining hand.

In the middle of the park they need to ensure they have the depth. Barry Bannan is still the team’s captain and key playmaker, but at 34 he should be expected to play around 30-plus rather than 40-plus games this term – especially given the increased emphasis on energy.

They have Liam Palmer, Chalobah and Ingelsson ready to also play in the two midfield roles – whether in a 3-4-3 or a 4-2-3-1 – but this is an area where the Owls could do with one more key signing who can be relied upon for big minutes over the course of the next nine months.

But with time still left in the window and a manager with a burgeoning reputation at the helm, there is still time for Wednesday to address those areas. And as we saw from December onwards in 2023-24, Rohl has the ability to get a top-six level of performance out of this club.

Chuck in the contributions of the new signings in a freshly-bolstered squad, and Wednesday are at the very least an outside shot for a play-off run.

Offers

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