I.T.I Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 (edited) The Owls lost the 2016 play-off final to Hull City five years ago today and have been in a downward spiral ever since. Sheffield Wednesday will mark the five-year anniversary of their play-off final defeat by gearing up preparation for League One. It's been a remarkable fall for the Owls, who were one match from the Premier League and now couldn't feel further away. Three players remain from the squad that competed at Wembley, in the form of Liam Palmer, Sam Hutchinson and captain Barry Bannan. The anniversary highlights the drastic overhaul which is desperately needed this summer, with manager Darren Moore tasked with putting the club back on the right tracks. From Wembley to Wimbledon inside five years, the Owls have mismanaged their squad and finances to dismantle the club's best era since relegation from the Premier League in 2000 In goal, the Owls have had too many false dawns to move on from Keiren Westwood. The club have been guilty of stockpiling goalkeepers, with Westwood banished and then recalled on two separate occasions under different regimes. Academy graduates Cameron Dawson and Joe Wildsmith are yet to truly establish themselves as the future number one, leaving Moore looking for a new 'keeper in the summer. In goal, the Owls have had too many false dawns to move on from Keiren Westwood. The club have been guilty of stockpiling goalkeepers, with Westwood banished and then recalled on two separate occasions under different regimes. PROMOTED STORIES Academy graduates Cameron Dawson and Joe Wildsmith are yet to truly establish themselves as the future number one, leaving Moore looking for a new 'keeper in the summer. Westwood will leave next month, five years on from his heroics which kept the score level at 0-0 for so long. His save to deny Abel Hernandez was met with applause from all corners of the ground. At right-back, Jack Hunt has long departed after being sold to Bristol City in 2018. The attack-minded full-back was never replaced and instead, Liam Palmer assumed the number one role. Hunt has been released and will be a free agent this summer. In defence, the club struggled to replace Glenn Loovens, an iconic figure, captain and a leader within the dressing room. Tom Lees' form suffered without his experienced partner, though it was a stick he beaten with far too often. Lees himself has been a true professional and a great servant. After seven years of service, he'll bow out without a proper send-off after sustaining an injury away at Middlesbrough. It remains to be seen how long he'll be out for and when, or where, he may return. Daniel Pudil was one of the first from the Wembley XI to depart, alongside Ross Wallace. The former is still playing his native country in the Czech Republic, whilst Wallace is now part of the academy set-up at Burnley. The pair were released by Jos Luhukay after three years at the club. Left-back has been a problem area ever since, with Morgan Fox struggling to meet the demands in his early seasons, before growing into the position. Kieran Lee slipped through the net last season, with Garry Monk opting not to renew his terms. He'll be set for a Hillsborough reunion with Bolton Wanderers next year after earning promotion from League Two with the Trotters. Like Lees and Westwood, Lee was never given a proper farewell, though the time was probably right to part after struggling to hit top form following a two-year hip injury. Gary Hooper was out the door a year earlier, when Steve Bruce deemed the one-time Celtic striker hadn't earned a new deal. Hooper was injury prone but a proven goal-scorer. Given the number of strikers on the club's books at the time, you can understand the decision. Replacing Hooper's link-up play and skilful touches was an impossible task for a club that had drastically slashed its budget in order to meet financial fair play demands and thus, the goal output suffered. Surprisingly, Hooper didn't move to a Championship rival or a top European league. Instead, to New Zealand with Wellington Pheonix. He's now playing in Malaysia for Kerala Blasters FC. Fernando Forestieri was arguably the most frustrating departure of them all. 15 goals in his debut season saw a big-money offer from Fulham and reported interest from Newcastle United. The Italian stayed, signed a new contract but never looked the same again. A serious knee injury at the start of 2017/18 all-but ended his Owls career, though he didn't actually leave until three years later. He's now playing for Udinese in Serie A, co-owned by his former club, Watford. The Owls' inability to raise funds by selling on big-money purchases was their biggest downfall. Over £8million was spent and not recouped from that starting XI alone, which only tells half the story when you add in Adam Reach, Jordan Rhodes, Almen Abdi, Morgan Fox and Sam Winnall, who all arrived the year after and left for nothing Edited May 28, 2021 by I.T.I 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanzaroteowl Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 And back...... Believe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hornsby Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 Above is good bit. Wait while stadium goes and taxman cometh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthefish2002 Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 5 years is a lifetime in Football so its not been a quick transformation at all. Hull who beat us that day went up and came back down, went down again and then won the League and back in the Championship during that time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor Duran Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 seems a long time ago. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wilyfox Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 It’s double Wimbledon delight though innit cos we get to play the fake Wimbledon MK Dongs too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edmontonowl Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 We'd lose to Nadal anyway A Henman Hill to climb 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kobayashi Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 5 minutes ago, edmontonowl said: We'd lose to Nadal anyway A Henman Hill to climb Nadal? Fred Perry died 30 years ago and he would still fancy his chances... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heppers Posted May 29, 2021 Share Posted May 29, 2021 We’re on our way..... The prem via League 1. What a laugh. What a journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lincs Owl Posted May 29, 2021 Share Posted May 29, 2021 Some minor points. We haven't been in a downward spiral since Wembley. We finished the following season in 4th place, two places higher. We've been in a downward spiral since Carvahal got sacked. But that's what over half of the fans seemed to want at the time. Forestieri is not Italian. He's from Rosario in Argentina. His mother is Italian. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopparberg Posted May 29, 2021 Share Posted May 29, 2021 22 hours ago, matthefish2002 said: 5 years is a lifetime in Football so its not been a quick transformation at all. Hull who beat us that day went up and came back down, went down again and then won the League and back in the Championship during that time. Indeed. It can go either way. Leicester etc. That’s the small ray of hope. Nothing happens overnight though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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