BBC pundit Rob Staton believes Sheffield Wednesday would not have stayed up without one ‘integral’ player.
Sheffield Wednesday beat the Championship drop by three points, finishing in 20th after spending the vast majority of the season inside the bottom three.
For much of the campaign, the Owls were rooted to the foot of the table. Danny Rohl steadily turned things around, but his side were still slumped in 23rd for much of the season.
But Sheffield Wednesday would lift themselves out of the drop zone following a 3-0 win against West Brom in the second-to-last game of the season.
And then on the final day, the Owls secured their own fate with a 2-0 win at Sunderland, sending Birmingham City and Huddersfield Town to League One along with Rotherham united.
It was a huge team effort from the players and backroom staff. But Staton believes none of it would’ve been possible without one ‘integral’ player.
Rob Staton hails ‘integral’ Barry Bannan at Sheffield Wednesday
Speaking on Football Heaven, Staton gave his verdict on Sheffield Wednesday skipper Barry Bannan, who featured 42 times in the 2023/24 Championship campaign, scoring once and assisting twice.
Despite a lack of goals and assists, Bannan was once again a crucial player for the Owls, ending the campaign as the highest-rated Wednesday player, per Sofascore.
Staton said: “I don’t think Sheffield Wednesday would’ve stayed up without Bannan. I think he was so integral… especially in the final third of the season, when it really mattered.”
Bannan was also the man with the most ‘big chances’ created (8, tied with Will Vaulks), averaging the most accurate passes per game (39.6), and also the joint most key passes per game (1.5, tied with Vaulks).
Barry Bannan contract latest at Sheffield Wednesday
Bannan, now 34, is one of the many out of contract at Hillsborough this summer, following what is his ninth season at the club.
And speaking soon after the win over Sunderland, Bannan made clear that it is his desire to stay at Sheffield Wednesday for at least another season.
The Owls also announced their retained list on Friday, with Bannan one of the several players who’ve been offered new deals, along with Vaulks, Cameron Dawson, Di’Shon Bernard, Dominic Iorfa, Liam Palmer, and Josh Windass.
So it looks nailed on that Bannan will be a Wednesday player for a 10th season and after his impressive performances in 2023/24, it’s a huge boost for Rohl.
Like Staton says, Bannan put in the performances when times got tough, eventually playing a key role in helping to keep the Owls in the Championship.
But Sheffield Wednesday’s midfield is all of a sudden looking very aged, so Rohl will surely want to add some youth to that department this summer.
The post 'I don't think...': BBC pundit says Sheffield Wednesday would not have stayed up without 'integral' player appeared first on Sheffield Wednesday News.
