Carvalhal’s fate as Sheffield Wednesday manager could be decided after Saturday’s visit of Middlesbrough.
Sheffield Wednesday boss Carlos Carvalhal looks to have survived for a little while longer, despite seeing his side’s win-less run extended to six matches courtesy of Friday’s defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Nevertheless, many Owls fans appear to have reached the end of their tether with the Portuguese, with chants of ‘we want Carlos out’ prominent at each of the club’s last two fixtures. And few would be surprised if the situation came to a head this weekend, with promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough next up at Hillsborough.
If Carvalhal does depart, however, who could Wednesday turn to as they look to get their own assault on the top of the table up and running?
HITC Sport’s run-down of potential appointments continues here, with three currently-in-work bosses…
Paul Hurst
The Shrewsbury manager would be a popular choice with many Wednesday supporters, having grown up supporting their club. It was Hurst who restored Grimsby to the Football League in 2016, while his Shrews side are currently second in League One against the odds. He’d surely find a move to Hilsborough hard to turn down, although a lack of experience above the lower leagues may count against him.
Dean Smith
The Brentford boss could have featured in Part II of our series, having played for – and captained – the Owls before moving into coaching. He’s since managed Walsall and Brentford on tight budgets, and improved the likes of Romaine Sawyers, Scott Hogan and Ollie Watkins following spells lower down the league ladder. Moving to a club of Wednesday’s stature would be a logical next step for Smith.
Slavisa Jokanovic
A native of Milan Mandaric’s home town, Novi Sad, Serbia, the Fulham manager may also be familiar to the man who succeeded Mandaric as Wednesday chairman, Dejphon Chansiri, having led Muangthong United to the Thai league title in 2012. Chansiri will of course be aware of his most recent achievements, too, i.e. leading Watford to the Premier League two-and-a-half years ago, and Fulham the Championship play-offs last season. Reported behind-the-scenes turmoil looks to have hindered Jokanovic’s progress, however, and the Cottagers may be tempted to part ways with the 49-year-old in the near future.
Who would you like to succeed Carlos Carvalhal at Sheffield Wednesday?
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