Contract talks, transfer news and more - The latest at Sheffield Wednesday with Joe Crann

Things are starting to happen at Sheffield Wednesday, and on this week's episode of The Wednesday Word there are some updates from our man Joe Crann on Barry Bannan, Will Grainger and Max Lowe - as well as talk of Callum Paterson and Kyreece Lisbie.

We also spoke to Dimitar Berbatov for something a little bit different. Don't forget to hit the like and subscribe buttons if you're a fan of what we're doing!

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:06

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of the Wednesday with me, Joe Cran. Sorry it's a little bit late. We usually put these out on a Wednesday, but it wasn't to be this week. So here we are on Thursday talking all things Sheffield Wednesday today instead. First up, I suppose we better talk about the football side of things. It's uh we've had so much going on at Sheffield Wednesday for so long now, so much happening off the field, and there is still you know lots of that. There's a lot of work being done at Hillsborough, a lot of work being done on the training ground. Saw the the stuff that the club put out recently with Hursty's Social, with the the Quixel room at um at Hillsborough, they both look brilliant. I can't wait to see how they come out in real life. So that's very exciting. But I think more, maybe not more importantly, but um, yeah, there's things happening on the football pitch. Uh, and I think we'll start with contracts because you know that's the the guys that are currently at the club or currently contracted to the club at least for another 10 days or so anyway. Um, but yeah, there's a few bits happening there, so I thought I'd do a little bit of a run through on where things stand on that front from my side. Um, first up, I'll start with Liam Cooper because Liam Cooper was a we did a story on Liam's future today. Look, Coops has made no secret of the fact that he wants to stay at Sheffield Wednesday. I spoke to him at a great paddle event not that long back, uh, and he spoke about his uh how much he's enjoyed his time in Sheffield and playing for a club of this size. Um, and yeah, now it looks like they're they're making real progress on that front. It's looking sort of increasingly likely that he will get his wish of sticking around at Wednesdays. He's a player that for me um is so much more than just what he brings on the pitch, you know, his leadership, his uh his attitude, his work ethic, all those sort of things are going to be so important in this rebuild at Sheffield Wednesday. So uh yeah, fingers crossed that can get done. It does sound like they've made good progress. Um and yeah, as things stand now anyway, I would uh I would imagine that Liam Cooper will be sticking around at Sheffield Wednesday next season. Uh then we've got Max Lowe. Max Lowe's another one they've they've made you know progress on over the last little while. At one point it looked quite likely was he was going to be moving on, you know, then it got to a point when it looked more likely that it was going to stay. We're still not quite there, I don't think, in terms of finalising anything. But you know, like with with Liam Cooper, Max Lowe has made zero secret of the fact that you know he'd he'd like to stick around. So anyone who saw his his interview after the West Brom game, you know, could you could see uh how much he's uh enjoyed being at Wednesday. So fingers crossed again that something can be can be done there. Max Lowe would be a brilliant player for Wednesday in League One. He's he's not a League One footballer. Um so if Wednesday could get something done there, it'd be a real a real statement. Um and talking of statements, another one, Will Granger. Uh he's technically not out of contract, he's just got a youth contract, which um doesn't really mean anything, as we've discussed on the show before. It's uh you know he's on a on a scholarship contract, which means that anyone can come in and snap him up at any point, and they just pay the compensation and move on with their lives. Whereas uh if Wednesday can get a pro deal done, then the ball is in their court, he becomes a real asset. And you know, there are clubs sniffing around from the Premier League who have been looking at Will Granger, Evan are one of them. Um, but my information is that uh things have been agreed in principle, I suppose, between between Will Granger and Sheffield Wednesday. 17 years old, very talented. Unfortunately missed out on the Wales uh under-19 squad for the Euros, but um yeah, and yeah, he's he's he's been shooting well above his age group for a little while now. Um, and yeah, it's sounding promising. It sounds like Wednesday are going to get something done that'll that'll keep Will Granger at the club. And not only is that you know good for him and his his career because you know Wednesday are a good space for him at the moment, but it's also really good for Wednesday because it shows a um a desire to plan for the future, it shows a desire to look after their own talent, their own young players, uh, and from a financial perspective as well, it protects an asset that um you know could potentially be worth quite a bit of money in the future. Another young player we've got is Jarvis Thornton. Um my understanding is with Jarvis well, he has uh agreed a new a new contract to stay at Wednesday. I thought Jarvis really impressed last season. He's a he's a young player that um was asked to do do some so you know play some games in some difficult circumstances, and uh I don't think he disgraced himself at any point. I think he held his own, he showcased some of the stuff that he's he's really good at. I thought he was neat and tidy for for large parts, and you know, he's a sort of player that will have benefited a lot from the the difficulties of of last season. So yeah, nice to see Jarvis sticking around. There's there's a lot of other you know bits happening behind the scenes, you know, people like Reese Johnson, Devlin Moses, Wednesday trying to get contracts done for all of them, but my understanding is they're not quite as far down the line. Um there's also sort of a little bit of talk of even though Ernie Weaver and George Brown have had exercise um options exercised, you know, there's there's talk of potentially trying to get those those two down on longer term contracts as well, as we've mentioned um previously on the show and in articles on the Wednesday Word as well. And then in terms of transfers, so players that were potentially coming into the club, uh, we'll start with Barry Bannon, shall we? Because you know it's Baz. Uh Wednesday are increasingly confident that that could get done. Um, you know, Barry didn't really want to leave when he did. Um, the circumstances were such that it it was the sort of the uh the the only real option he probably felt he had at that time. Um, but yeah, I think the a homecoming is looking likely, shall we say? Um as far as I know, nothing's done, nothing's finalised. But Wednesday are um hopeful of getting Barry Bannon back at Sheffield Wednesday next season. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see that number 10 on a blue and white shirt with his name on it come this uh come the start of next season. Um another story we did today was Callum Patterson. Um Pato has just had a brilliant season at MK Dons, 16 goals, eight games, um yeah, 16 goals, eight eight assists as well. Team of the season in league in League Two with MK Dons as they got promoted. And my understanding is that he's a player that Wednesday are you know considering making a move for. Um we all know what Pato brings to the table. And I understand there's there'll be fans who say it's just you know taking a step back to uh an era before and all that kind of thing. But I do generally believe that you know, aside from the fact that that Pato's a great guy and and knows the football club and you know is a very, very well-liked or was a very well-liked um member of the side. I think if you take away the fact that he's a former player and you were to say Wednesday looking at signing a you know international footballer, or maybe former international footballer at this point, but uh a player of that of that calibre who's just scored 16 goals, just got eight assists, has you know, led the line for a promotion-winning team and been named in a team of the season squad, you know. I think people would probably be pretty eager to get that sort of player on board. So it's going to be interesting. I've not heard anything sort of concrete in terms of talks or offers or anything like that. I just know that that Pato is a player that the sort of the club are considering looking at going into next season. So that's a bit of a watch this space one, I think. Then we've got Kyries Lisbe, another player whose name has been mentioned recently. My understanding, as with with Alex Miller who's at the star and and what what Alex has said, um my understanding is he is definitely a player that Shafield Wednesday are interested in trying to get something done for, as you'd expect for a player of uh his quality and potential. They're not the only ones. It could take a decent chunk of money, I think, to get him away from Colchester. Um there's uh you know a few clubs in in League One that are that are looking at him. And yeah, Wednesday could have uh a little battle on their hands if they if they want to try and get something done there, but he is a player of interest, and that's um that's quite exciting. Um I think that's what Wednesday are going to need now. They're going to need that that split of young, up and coming talent, but also the more experienced players, which is where people like you know, Liam Cooper, Liam Palmer, Barry Bannon if he comes back, um Callan Patterson if he comes back, you know, those sort of players that have been there and done it because League One is a is a tough, tough division to to play in. We've we've seen it ourselves. We we know how hard it can be down there. So I think trying, you know, you look at sort of the these links, and you've got on one hand a Callan Patterson, on another hand, a Kyries Lisbey, they are sort of, you know, having those two ends of the spectrum, it does kind of feel like a logical way to go about things from from a Sheffield Wednesday perspective. Um, yeah, want to talk about Simon Wilson, who's come in as the new sporting director at Sheffield Wednesday. He uh did a great job at Stockport County, took him to the well, helped take him to the brink of of the championship on what what was a long-term plan there going up from the National League. Um, spoken to a few people now, and he he comes very highly regarded. Um he's very well respected in what he does. He's got great pedigree. Um and he said some really good things, I think, in his in his opening interview. Um there's one bit that stuck out for me that I just wanted to read quick. He said success will require patience, consistency, and alignment. We're not looking for quick fixes, but to build a football operation capable of delivering sustainable success over the long term. I'm excited to get started and look forward to helping shape the next chapter of Sheffield Wednesday's journey. And I think that's really important for me. I think the this idea that patience is needed and setting out that stall early doors is an important sort of thing to distinguish for for Wednesday. There is a new dawn, a new, you know, a new situation that's happening at the club. And you know, Simon Wilson wants to come in and make sure that not only are Wednesday okay now, but they're okay going forward as well. And I think that's a really, you know, it's a really exciting proposition that for Wednesday. I I mentioned this on Twitter the other day. I think one of the things I've really liked about this whole operation so far, whether it's been David Storch, Tom Costin, um David Bruce, Simon Wilson, we are um we're not hearing any talk of Premier League. No one's talking about uh you know a three-year plan to get to the Premier League or talking about you know what happens when we get there. It's very much a uh a case of trying to get the right things in place now from a Wednesday perspective and and make sure that we are in a position to you know maybe get to the Premier League one day, but to for right now to to rebuild this football club that has been left to rack and ruin by the the man who was in charge before. So I think it will be very easy to come in and talk about yes, we'll be in the Premier League in three years, yes, we'll be in the Champions League in ten years, but they they are very difficult things to to to promise to a football fan base, and especially to one that's been through as much as Jeffrey Wendsley have. And and I think you know, I obviously wouldn't want to speak for the entire fan base, but I I do think Sheffrey Wednesday fans just want to see a football club that they can be proud of, that is sustainable, that they're not going to have to worry uh about what the future holds for it. And and I think that that's one thing that they're doing, um they're doing really well with uh with Arise and the work that they've done so far. It's really nice to hear them talking about sustainability and putting together a football team that is going to be good in the future. And that's not necessarily on the pitch, but they know that the results speak louder than anything else, and that that ultimately that's how they're going to be uh going to be judged. But you know, all the work that they're doing at Hillsborough, you know, the the constant effort that they're making with the the training ground and improving the gym facilities and all those sort of sorts of things that are costing a lot of money. You know, we're we're gonna see Hursty Social, we're gonna see you know the quicksall room at Hillsborough, these sort of higher um higher quality match day experiences, and that that's that's all part of of what Wednesday want to do now under this new ownership. And you know, for me as a as a supporter myself, like it's what you want to see. You want to see your football club making proper moves, and and I think that's uh that's all very, very exciting. Um, but yeah, in terms of the the football things going forward, we now know um as of uh I think it was last week that the preseason is going to take place in in Austria and Hungary. We're Wednesday gonna be sending and spending a few days. Um I imagine it's just outside Budapest. I'm not sure how many big footballing facilities they have in you know Budapest Central. So I imagine it's it's gonna be around there. Uh and then Vienna, just a couple of days in Vienna. I I think there's there's probably they're gonna try and get a game there by the sounds of it, try and play a game in Vienna, which would make sense. You know, you're not really gonna go to Vienna for a couple of days if there's not uh at least the potential to get a game done. So that's gonna be interesting to see how how Wednesday look for preseason. They're due back in probably about 10 days or so now, um, with the with the players that are currently contracted, which let's face it, is not too many of them at the moment. That's hoping to, you know, they're hoping to expand the the amount of players that are gonna be there when they come back to Middlewood Road. So they'll do some testing, we'll get put through the paces there, and then obviously from there there's a few different friends these plans like West Brahm and Preston. And it's going to be very interesting to see sort of at what points in time Wednesday start to make progress when when they start to sort of really kick on in terms of the the incomings, the the new contracts, and and things like that. You know, Henrik Pederson will be itching to get going again. Football managers don't tend to like too big a break, um, they they just like to to crack on, really. And I'm sure Henrik is chomping the bit to get started again. And it's going to be very, like I say, very, very interesting to see where Wednesday are at come um come the return for for pre-season. Uh a little bit away from this is a bit of a different one. I um I was actually invited to go and have a chat with Dimitov Berbatov the other day, um, the former Manchester United player. Anyone who played Championship Manager growing up will know him as uh by a Leverkusen guy who you could sign on a Bosman, really, really cheap. Well, free. Um, but yeah, I had a chance to chat with Dimitar Berbatov, which was unexpected. Uh, I did try and find a couple of Wednesday links. I was desperately trying to find if he'd played at Hillsborough or if he'd played with any Wednesday legends and things like that. Came up, uh came up Trumps there, or yeah, didn't didn't manage to find anything. Um, so I just thought I'd ask him about sort of the the state of play in in English football. Uh he did know about the sort of the troubles that Sheffield Wednesday had been through. Um, but yeah, I asked him about the the importance of of football clubs like Wednesday, the importance of people in English football supporting where they they come from. Um, this is a little bit about what um Birbatoff had to say. So I'm a Sheffield Wednesday fan. My team has gone through a rough time recently. Um I I know you played in England for a long time, you've got an affiliation with the English game. Um, how important is it, do you think, for England that has such a massive pyramid of football from the Premier League all the way down to you know ninth division? How important is it for that to be protected and those clubs to be protected?

SPEAKER_00 15:16

Oh, 100%. Grassroots football, uh, football that is uh on amateur level uh and upwards to the to the big dogs and the big leagues, uh they work as a chain in my opinion. You know, because in football you never know, trust me. In football, you never know. You can become a player at 27. Prime example, Jamie Vardy.

SPEAKER_01 15:36

Of course. Who's from Sheffield by the way? Is the Sheffield Wednesday five?

SPEAKER_00 15:38

There we go. You by by that point you can be playing low league level football, uh going around clubs, and then at 27 something changes and you five star them and one of the best strikers. So if that doesn't exist, then probably it's gonna be difficult for you for someone to see you when you reach a certain age, let's say. Uh the same is by home. We I and it goes around the world. I think this type of uh football leagues, amateur uh should be protected because it's not uh strictly about football sometimes, it's about you moving, enjoying. Just do sport because uh you wanna you wanna move, especially for kids. Go out there, enjoy. Maybe you can do other sports, but if you talk about football, protect this type of way because uh you start from the lower leagues and then you work your way up. Is it academy, is it amateur level? Just go and play. And it's important. That's one of the the positive and of English football that they have so big uh league structures, and I think people support that in their local community, respect that, enjoy that. Uh you have big managers sometimes going and watch amateur football and lower league football. I have so many friends who are going and supporting their local teams. That's part of their history and community. And I don't I don't think that will that will ever disappear. Probably needs to be supported more, maybe with more money or infrastructure way. But obviously, I'm not English, I'm not deep into their uh way of doing things, but from the outside, protect it uh because it's important.

SPEAKER_01 17:15

Yeah, I mean I I did check to see if you'd played at Sheffield Wednesday or if you played at Hillswell and you never you never did. But you know, with with teams like that, how much do you enjoy the element of English football where you do support where you're from? Like if you're born in Sheffield, you support Sheffield Wednesday or United. Uh and and that's a really a big thing in in England in the UK, especially.

SPEAKER_00 17:33

Everybody can support the big teams, that's the easy part. Who you support Manchester United or Barcelona or Real Madrid. That's the easiest thing to say and do. Yeah. Say you support someone's small team, you know, don't be afraid. The people will laugh at you. What? No way. I get that a lot here. Yeah, but at the same time, you should be proud because that's difficult thing, that's to stay there in the difficult moments and support. And you know, yeah, we're gonna lose games, but I'm still there. I'm core supporter. Uh and believe me, the players who are playing for the team will feel that, they will know that. Maybe they're not then they don't show it much as appreciation, but they will know it and be like, we don't need to let our fans now fans down. Uh, and that's that's one of the most respectful things to say that you support a small local team or a team that's going through a difficult period of time. The easiest thing I told you were this I support Barça, yeah. Oh, you know, I support Brazil as a nation. Yeah, of course, support South Africa or Bulgaria in my case, because we have difficult moments. More.

SPEAKER_01 18:32

So that was Dimitar Berber of Manchester United and Fulham legend, Spurs legend as well. Um, yeah, really interesting talking to him because he's a he's a man who's achieved so much in his career. Um, was such a great footballer, you know, one of the best first touches I've ever seen. Um to be able to have a chat with him and and listen to his thoughts is uh is really fun. Hopefully, we'll get a few more bits like that on the Wednesday word going forward. Uh, you know, I do get the chance to speak to some pretty cool people on occasion um who aren't necessarily former Wednesday players. And yeah, I'll I'll hopefully have a few more of those uh coming up in the in the next few months and things like that. I did speak to John Terry about Sheffield Wednesday recently. I'll hopefully get the the video of that sometime sometime soon as well. So yeah, hopefully, like I say, there's a few bits like that you can you can watch out for. But thank you very much for watching this week's episode. Uh, I think we'll wrap that up there. Like I said before, keep your eyes on the Wednesday word. There is plenty happening at Sheffield Wednesday at the moment. I'll get the news to you as soon as I can. Um, yeah, I know myself, Alex Miller, Rob Staten, everyone else on the Sheffield Wednesday beat is uh is working very, very hard at the moment to try and figure out what's going on. There's some you know really interesting events. Miller did a really good story today that was interesting about sort of the way that that Storch and his guys are trying to get the the club's legends and the club's history and heritage back involved at the football club, which is which is really, really lovely to see because that's something that was severely lacking. Um but yeah, hopefully there's uh there's plenty of of goodness to come in the in the next coming sort of days, weeks, months. I think now Simon Wilson's through the door. We could see a little bit of uh a little bit of progress on on that front. It starts to to grease the wheels a little bit. Fingers crossed, I will be on preseason with Wednesday. That's the plan. Hopefully spend a bit of time in in both Budapest and Vienna. Uh I'll be taking you with me if that does happen. And uh yeah, thank you very much for watching. It's a pleasure as always. And as I always say, get your questions in. If you want to message me on Substack, if you want to reply in the comments with any questions you might have, um whatever that's about, I'll try and try and do my best to answer them. But yeah, it's been a pleasure, and I'll see you next week. Cheers.