Sheffield Wednesday's derby defeat exposes a fatal flaw in club strategy | OneFootball

The Owls have a squad built for the short term

Sheffield Wednesday’s 1-0 loss to Sheffield United in the Steel City derby was a bitter blow - not just because of the result, but because it reinforced a concerning reality about the club’s current direction.

While Wednesday’s performance was competitive, the composition of the team highlighted fundamental structural issues that threaten the club’s long-term stability.

With an ageing core and an inconsistent recruitment strategy, the path forward, both for the 24/25 season and beyond, remains uncertain.

Sheffield Wednesday’s elder squad created gulf in quality between Owls and Blades

A closer look at the team selected for the derby paints a troubling picture.

The average age of Wednesday’s outfield players was 28.3 - the oldest starting XI named in the Championship this season. Callum Paterson, Josh Windass and Michael Smith led the line, with a combined age of 94.

In contrast, United’s squad was nearly four years younger on average. Their strikeforce - Tyrese Campbell, Rhian Brewster and Ben Brereton Diaz - accumulate 74 years between them.

Even more strikingly, despite ten signings in the last 12 months and 13 players brought in since last season who remain at the club, only one started the game.

The only player under 27 to start who belongs to the club permanently was Djeidi Gassama. Meanwhile, just one homegrown player was included in the squad - Liam Palmer - and never made it onto the pitch.

This reliance on an aging core is unsustainable. While experience is valuable, the club’s recruitment strategy has prioritized short-term survival over long-term progress.

Years of reactive, unstructured player turnover have resulted in a squad that lacks continuity and athleticism.

January signing Ibrahima Cissoko failing to make the matchday squad raises questions about the club’s recruitment process and whether these acquisitions align with the team’s actual needs.

Sheffield Wednesday need a new strategy to sustainably push for Premier League

The derby defeat was emblematic of the club’s struggles this season, particularly at Hillsborough.

Wednesday now hold the second-worst home record in the Championship, a stark contrast to their strong away form. While the team has shown resilience at times, their inability to establish Hillsborough as a fortress reflects a deeper issue: the lack of a cohesive, evolving squad capable of mounting a genuine long-term challenge.

This isn’t to say that Wednesday’s current squad lacks quality. In patches, they played well against United, creating more chances and enjoying spells of dominance.

However, quality alone is not enough without a sustainable structure. The reliance on loan players and short-term contracts exacerbates the problem - remove these players, and the average age of the starting XI rises above 30.

It is not a team with room to evolve; rather, it is one that will require another significant rebuild in the near future.

Manager Danny Röhl has done an admirable job in stabilising the club and making them competitive, but without a clear recruitment strategy that prioritizes sustainability, Wednesday risk stagnating.

The Championship is an unforgiving league, and clubs that fail to plan ahead often find themselves stuck in cycles of short-lived resurgence followed by inevitable decline.

History offers plenty of cautionary tales. If Wednesday are to progress beyond their current limitations, they must address this issue head-on.

Ultimately, Sheffield Wednesday must decide what kind of club they want to be. If they wish to break the cycle of short-termism, they must rethink their approach and commit to a more sustainable future.

Otherwise, they risk being trapped in the same cycle of frustration, with no clear route forward.