"Saying we should get rid" - Sheffield Wednesday: Response offered to "ridiculous" stance on Barry Bannan | OneFootball

We asked our Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit if there was a player who split opinion amongst the club's fanbase

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Criticism of Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan has been branded ridiculous, with the 34-year-old still a key player for Danny Rohl's side.

Bannan has been at the Owls for nine years, and in that time he's cemented his status as a firm favourite at Hillsborough, but in recent times criticism of the Scottish international has begun to seep in amongst some supporters.

Despite this, the veteran is still a mainstay in Danny Rohl's side, having started and worn the captain's armband in all 15 Championship games this season, and one of our Sheffield Wednesday fan pundits believes that criticism of Bannan is underserved.

We asked one of our Sheffield Wednesday fan pundits, Patrick McKenna, about what player splits opinions amongst the club's fanbase, and what side of the fence he sits on, and it's clear that while Bannan is the player who splits opinion, he finds it absurd.

Speaking to Football League World, Patrick said: "Unbelievably, and it’ll seem ridiculous to an outsider and to me, it’s ridiculous that this player divides opinion, but my answer to this is Barry Bannan.

"It seems that after every defeat or poor performance there are always fans who come out with their edgy or out-there opinions that Bannan’s at fault, or that he’s overrated and a problem at the club.

“That, and all sorts of ridiculous notions like talking Bannan down saying we should get rid and things along those lines.

“What side am I on of that argument? Well, I named my cat Barry, so I suppose you can guess from that! To me, it’s ridiculous the stick that Barry Bannan seems to get from a portion of our fanbase. He’s a club legend, it’s as simple as that.

“He’s been absolutely brilliant for us in his time here, and at 34 he’s still our best player at the club, and it’s no coincidence that manager after manager picks him pretty much every game, makes him captain, and fans, managers and pundits from other clubs all seem to rate him as well.

"Let’s be honest, Barry Bannan’s engine is scandalous, his passing is brilliant, he drives the team forward, he’s the ticking heartbeat of the team.

"I’m not saying that he’s absolutely perfect and that there’s no weakness in his game. Like any player, he has some bad games. He’s human, but it seems like if he has a bad game, the criticism of him is a lot stronger than other players.

“Post 2000, Barry Bannan has been one of our best players and to me, that’s simply undeniable with all those attributes he has. His passing, the intelligent nature of his play, the engine and just the fact that when heads drop it’s him lifting and rallying the team.

“Some of his critics may point to the fact he doesn’t score enough goals, so what? not all midfielders do, and then there’s the slightly dishonest stat of he’s not at the top of stats in the division but if you watch his play, quite often he plays a key pass to set up an assist or even the pass before that. Look at Palmer’s goal against Peterborough or Palmer’s goal against Sunderland last season.

“They are just some examples that come to my mind, yet there are some fans who criticise him, but I am his biggest fan and I think the criticism of him is just ridiculous.”

Barry Bannan is a club legend at Sheffield Wednesday and should be appreciated

Perhaps because he's been at the club for so long, he's seen as an acceptable player to scapegoat, but after everything he's given to the club in recent years, it seems unfair that he's being criticised by some supporters.

Bannan stayed loyal to the Owls during some dark days, playing an important role in helping them win promotion from League One, but nobody could have any qualms if he had decided to leave, because he was clearly capable of playing at a better standard than League One, but he chose to remain.

Even this season, the 34-year-old has come up with big moments, scoring goals against Luton Town and QPR, as well as registering an assist in the win over West Brom, and while he may not score too many goals, he always keeps them ticking over in midfield.

With a whopping 420 appearances for the club under his belt, there's no denying that Bannan is a club legend, and some of the criticism is certainly uncalled-for.

Ultimately, the only opinion that really matters is Danny Rohl's, and he still selects Bannan every week, which tells you all you need to know about how important he is to the club.