Sheffield Wednesday are currently sixth in the Championship, but have a host of sides looking to put pressure on.
Peter Beagrie has told Sky Sports that Sheffield Wednesday have an excellent chance in the play-off race largely thanks to the acquisition of Jordan Rhodes.
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The Owls may be sixth in the Championship table currently, but it is fair to say that they have gone slightly under the radar having somewhat struggled for consistency this term.
Carlos Carvalhal’s men have put three straight wins together on just one occasion this season and have secured at least three fewer victories than all of the teams above them.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Carlos Carvalhal
Nevertheless, Beagrie has suggested that the deal to sign Rhodes in January could prove to be a pivotal one as it may give them the strength they need to pull away from the chasing pack all vying for that coveted top six spot.
“Sheffield Wednesday were struggling for goals but with Jordan Rhodes signing for big money and the win against Wigan straight afterwards there’s a feelgood factor now,” he told Sky Sports.
“I look at the players they’ve been without and they’ve overcome that. Kieran Lee – one of the best players in the Championship, for me – has been injured, as has Gary Hooper, while Steven Fletcher and Sam Hutchinson – who have both been pivotal players – have been banned.
“But players are coming back at the right time and in Rhodes, they’ve got a forward who will take chances consistently if they are created for him. The likes of Ross Wallace, Adam Reach and Will Buckley can get the best out of him and at the other end they are defensively very sound so they have an excellent chance.”
Sheffield Wednesday’s Jordan Rhodes
It is surely fair to say that the arrival of Rhodes will give Wednesday a major boost in the race for the play-offs. Only two teams in the top half have scored on fewer occasions, and none of their players have managed to reach double figures in the league this term.
While that can prove advantageous to a team as no one injury should hurt them that greatly, now having that potential talisman in their ranks could give them a better chance of going one better than last season when they lost the play-off final.
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Rhodes has a reputation for being one of the most lethal finishers in the Championship, and will be desperate to prove that he can still be that player having struggled to make an impact with Middlesbrough.
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