Sheffield Wednesday Talisman Makes Promotion Promise

As Sheffield Wednesday returned to the top of League One this week, captain Barry Bannan has assured fans that the Owls have what it takes to secure automatic promotion and return to the Championship. 

Wednesday ended a six-game winless streak this past Easter Monday after a convincing 3-0 victory against Accrington Stanley renewed hopes of promotion. The win then became even more significant for those involved, when challengers Plymouth and Ipswich dropped points, leaving the door ajar for the Owls to get back in the mix.

With results going in their favour, it has left a positive atmosphere around the club and key contribution Barry Bannan believes his side has the quality to go up automatically.

Wednesday’s skipper was nominated on the three-man shortlist for the EFL League One Player of the Year award earlier in the week, after an impressive season saw his team go 23 games unbeaten at one point in the league.

Playing on the left side of a three-man central midfield, the 33-year-old has tallied up 16 goal contributors this season. Starting in 36 league games, his play and leadership on and off the field have been an important asset for the Sheffield team, as his eighth season with the side comes to an end.

Fans will be glad to hear the Scotsman’s stay with the club is extended, after triggering an extension in his current contract that will keep him at the club for another year.

With five games left for Wednesday this season, they have played a game more than their competitors with just two points separating the top three.

Speaking about their promotion chances prior to the Easter Monday game, Bannan said: “We know exactly what we have in the changing room, we have an experienced group and one more than capable of bouncing back and getting where we need to be.

“You don’t go on the kind of unbeaten run we have been on without being a good side and we’ve got the tools to put it right.

“It’s one big collective push from now until the end of the season. We set out at the start of the season to get promotion and to win the league and we still have a great chance of doing that. There will be ups and downs for lots of teams in and around us and we need to make sure we get back to what we’re good at and finish the season strongly.”

 

Writer’s View

Ending that six-game unbeaten run will be a huge weight off of the shoulders of people involved at the club, as the kind of mistakes leading to that dip in form was self-inflicted.

Coming off a confident win they still don’t hold their fate in their hands, however looking at the remaining fixtures, Wednesday has a simple run towards the end. `With four teams still in the chance for the top two places, Ipswich and Barnsley are still set to play each other, so the result of that game could have big repercussions on Wednesday’s chances of promotion.

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