What's going on at managerless Wednesday?

Managerial mayhem has already made its mark in the Championship with six bosses already losing their jobs or resigning from their post. Sheffield Wednesday is one of those clubs where there has been a change but no one has yet filled the vacant spot on a permanent basis. Dave Jones did a good job in getting Wednesday promoted from League One, but he found it hard to establish the Owls as a real contender in the Championship. That is a challenge that our own club faces and you need some luck on such a journey.

Dave Jones got the Owls up to 18th place last season in the Championship, but struggled to improve on this until his time ran out at the start of December. But Sheffield Wednesday are a big enough club to still make a good fist of this season having already beaten Leicester and Reading.

As well as Dave Jones, many others have fallen by the wayside at Forest, Middlesbrough, Wigan, Barnsley and most recently at Watford, and I expect there will be more manager who will also be walking the plank. Chairmen are already getting nervous as the half way point approaches and there is the chance of the January transfer window to salvage the season.

But who does a team like Sheffield Wednesday get in to revive their season? It is a big club with huge fan support but I imagine the funds for big players is simply not there because the club has been in League One in recent seasons and has not enjoyed much success. They could do with a manager like Ian Holloway or Cardiff's Malky Mackay who knows the division well and has had success in recent years, but getting hold of the right man is not so easy. That is probably why the Owls have been slow to appoint anyone on a permanent basis yet.

There was talk of them making an approach for Roy Keane who is working for as assistant manager for the Republic of Ireland, but that would seem like jumping into the frying pan to me. A much better bet would be the moderate, but tactical thinking Steve Clarke who was unfortunate to lose his position at West Brom. Sometimes though I don't think chairmen really know who would be best to bring to their club and so we have poor appointments and the managerial merry go round continues.

When AFCB line up to face Sheffield Wednesday it looks like Stuart Gray will be in charge of the Owls and could probably do a good job medium term but everyone wants a big name to head up their club. Milan Mandaric was after Neil Warnock much to the disgust of Owls fans and now Mandaric is probably in a difficult position to bring the right person in for the job having lost out on one man.

Does this mean it is a good time to play Sheffield Wednesday at home? Well it could certainly be that way if the Cherries can get that early goal and get the home crowd upset. It is surprising the things that go on behind the closed doors at club that have an effect on how the players perform and if Sheffield do not yet have a new manager I would rather play them now than in a few weeks time.

Meanwhile, last night's FA Cup win for Burton Albion means that AFCB will face them at home on Saturday 4 January.