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Championship 2015-16 season preview: Sheffield Wednesday

Sports Mole wonders what 2015-16 will hold for new-look Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.

Apart from perhaps Brentford, the Championship team with the biggest question mark hanging over its head this season is Sheffield Wednesday.

They were just a few goals from a decent top-half finish last season, but new owner Dejphon Chansiri decided that had had enough of Stuart Gray.

Portuguese coach Carlos Carvalhal has arrived along with a host of foreign faces, so the question is will it be boom or bust for the Owls this year?


In

Darryl Lachman (FC Twente), Marco Matias (Nacional), Lewis Price (Crystal Palace), Ross Wallace (Burnley), Lewis McGugan (Watford), Lucas Joao (Nacional), Rhoys Wiggins (Charlton Athletic), Modou Sougou (Marseille), Vincent Sasso (Braga, season-long loan), Jack Hunt (Crystal Palace, season-long loan), Alex Lopez (Celta Vigo, season-long loan)

Out

Lewis Buxton (Rotherham United), Giles Coke (Ipswich Town), Paul Corry, Rafael Floro (Belenenses), Dejan Kelhar (Olympia Ljubljana), Gary Madine (Bolton Wanderers), Jacques Maghoma (Birmingham City), Joe Mattock (Rotherham United), Rhys McCabe, Matt Young, Kamil Zayatte (Al-Raed), Chris Kirkland, Chris Maguire (Rotherham United), Marnick Vermijl (Preston North End, season-long loan)

Last season - 13th



Manager - Carlos Carvalhal

Besiktas JK Head Coach Carlos Carvalhal reacts during his team's UEFA Europa League group E qualifying football match against Maccabi Tel-Aviv at the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv on December 1, 2011© Getty Images

The Portuguese is not yet 50 but already has 17 years of experience. He was not without a job for long between 1998 and 2012, but this is his first role since he stopped working in Turkey almost three years ago.

He has used his contacts in his homeland to bring several new faces from the Primeira Liga. How will they, and Carvalhal himself, fare in what is one of the most competitive leagues in the world?


Key Player - Lewis McGugan

The signings from across Europe may prove to be a masterstroke, but right now the permanent capture of McGugan appears to be the club's best piece of business.

The midfielder rejoins the Owls after scoring three goals in 22 appearances while on loan with them last season. In the last five seasons, McGugan has averaged more than seven goals a campaign and Owls fans will be hoping for more of that after their strikers struggled last term.

Lewis McGugan of Sheffield Wednesday celebrates his goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday at The Den on February 24, 2015© Getty Images


Possible starting lineup

Westwood; Hunt, Lees, Loovens, Wiggins; Wallace, McGugan, Lopez, Matias; Nuhiu, May

First game: Bristol City (H), Full fixture list



Sports Mole says

The likes of Matias, who scored 17 goals in 33 Portuguese top-flight games last season, could well be excellent purchases and the ambition shown by Chansiri has impressed many of the supporters.

However, there initially appear to be many sides more ready for a promotion challenge this season and the job for Carvalhal will be to consolidate the Owls' mid-table place and build a winning mentality ahead of the 2016-17 season, when Chansiri has said he wants to achieve promotion in the club's 150th anniversary year.

Wednesday had the fourth-best defence last season, but also the fourth-worst attack, so Carvalhal must improve the latter while maintaining the former if the Yorkshire side are to make a surprise playoff push.

Prediction - 12th

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Besiktas JK Head Coach Carlos Carvalhal reacts during his team's UEFA Europa League group E qualifying football match against Maccabi Tel-Aviv at the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv on December 1, 2011
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