da dobrowin： Sheffield Wednesday aren’t letting their circumstances off the pitch affect their plans on it.
da dobrowin： The Owls have gone five games unbeaten in the Championship after firing four past fellow playoff hopefuls Nottingham Forest last weekend.
Garry Monk’s side now sit fifth in the standings with just three matches remaining in 2019 despite the possibility of being deducted a vast 21-points as a consequence of their EFL charge.
It means that January is fast approaching – the first opportunity for the 40-year-old to make his mark on this current Wednesday squad.
The players he has had to deal with to date were all signed by previous members of the management and coaching staff. Thus, Monk can bring in some players of his own next month.
Earlier this week, the south Yorkshiremen were reported to hold interest in Charlton Athletic striker Lyle Taylor with the 29-year-old out of contract later this summer, via Sky Sports.
It could mean that he’s available on a cut-rate deal in January if the Addicks aren’t able to tie him down to a new contract soon.
But would it be a wise move for Monk to make? Here’s what the writers at Football FanCast believe…
Viji Jeevathayalan
“Whilst Lyle Taylor’s track record at a lower league level is certainly impressive – he fired in 25 goals last season in Charlton’s promotion success – Sheffield Wednesday certainly don’t need him right now. Garry Monk has several front-line strikers available to him, and he already has a difficult task in ensuring his players get their expected game-time and kept happy. Bringing in Taylor would be a complete waste of money. Jordan Rhodes’ hat-trick on Saturday showed he is still more than capable of finding the back of the net, whilst the likes of Steven Fletcher and Atdhe Nuhiu have scored themselves in recent weeks. The Owls would be better off investing any money in January in areas that need attention. A new centre-forward is the least of their worries.”
Matt Dawson
“If you’d asked me at the start of the season whether Sheffield Wednesday should sign Lyle Taylor, I’d have said yes. He started the campaign in mesmeric form, scoring five times in the early weeks. However, injury has halted both his and Charlton’s progress.
“Wednesday did appear like a side lacking goals, but with Steven Fletcher bagging 12 and Jordan Rhodes recently scoring a hat-trick, they have plenty of viable options at their disposal – especially ageing ones too. Signing a player who will be 30 by the end of the season isn’t something the Owls should be doing. Wednesday have one of the oldest squads in the division so if they are to strengthen their ranks, they need to target younger players.
“Taylor is a fabulous player at this level, but I’m not sure he’s what Monks needs. They should look elsewhere in January.”
Danny Lewis
“Sheffield Wednesday may already have plenty of options in the attacking areas, but if they can get Taylor, it is definitely worth it. The 29-year-old was prolific during the first six games of the campaign before picking up his injury.
“He hasn’t even fully come back from his lengthy layoff yet, making three substitute appearances so far, but he has still been a threat on the pitch. That is best summarised by his goal that was controversially disallowed against Huddersfield Town.
“Having the Montserrat international alongside Steven Fletcher would give Wednesday some serious firepower at Championship level.”
What do you really know about the Premier League’s greatest managers? Find out below…
Lewis Blain
“Garry Monk must stay well clear of Lyle Taylor in January. The Charlton man has only just come back from a lengthy layoff through injury and is far from match fit. In addition to that, he will hit 30 before the season is out and as the club already possess the oldest squad in the Championship, it doesn’t make sense to add to an ageing frontline. His physicality is noted by current boss Lee Bowyer, something that Monk uses Steven Fletcher for. It would just be a pointless move for all.”
And in other Owls news, Sheffield Wednesday dealt a big blow in their pursuit of the next Michael Owen…