As Sheffield Wednesday continue their promotion push, it’s time we give manager Carlos Carvalhal the respect he truly deserves.
With half of the Championship season in the books, things are looking pretty good for Sheffield Wednesday. The Owls appear to be in the prime position to make another run at the play-offs, and a great deal of that can be credited to manager Carlos Carvalhal who doesn’t quite get the recognition he should.
Throughout his managerial career, the 51-year-old Carvalhal has never really thrived at any of the clubs he’s taken charge of. With his track record including the likes of Besiktas and Braga he was certainly a big enough name, but it was still a risk for Wednesday to hire someone who had 15 jobs in 14 years.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Jack Hunt in action with Hull City’s Andrew Robertson
But Carvalhal strolled into the Championship, a notoriously difficult league, and didn’t let it faze him. The Portuguese boss had been out of football for three years before turning up at Hillsborough, and the fact that he was able to guide the club into the play-offs at the first attempt may be seen by some as a miracle.
Then again, others would consider it a fluke. Wednesday had not flirted with the idea of promotion to the Premier League for over a decade, and it took some relatively unknown manager from Europe to come in and re-direct this side for it to actually happen. The important thing to remember, though, is that this was not a one off occasion.
Because Wednesday are still right there. With many thinking the Owls would fall away, Carvalhal has proven he has the composure, quality and mindset necessary to perform consistently in this country. Wednesday’s squad was full of a talented group of players who just needed the right leadership and direction in order to get them firing on all cylinders – and that is what Carvalhal has provided.
He may not win Manager of the Year, but good old Carlos should certainly be in the running.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Carlos Carvalhal before the match
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