Sheffield Wednesday are thought to be eyeing up a move for an experienced EFL manager after parting ways with Xisco Munoz.
Who could be Sheffield Wednesday’s next manager?
The Owls made the decision to relieve Xisco of his duties on Wednesday following a disastrous start to the Championship season which has resulted in just two points from a possible 30. The club also confirmed that backroom staff members Miguel Munoz, Miguel Gomila, Roberto Cuesta Roman and Antonello Brambilla have left the club. In the short term, U21s manager Neil Thompson will take interim charge of Wednesday, beginning this weekend against Darren Moore’s Huddersfield Town.
Recent permanent managers | Time in charge |
Xisco Munoz | July 2023 – October 2023 |
Darren Moore | March 2021 – June 2023 |
Tony Pulis | November 2020 – December 2020 |
Garry Monk | September 2019 – November 2020 |
Steve Bruce | February 2019 – July 2019 |
The search for a permanent new manager appears to be underway, and the expectation is that an appointment will be made during the international break. That’s according to reliable reporters for The Star, Alex Miller and Joe Crann, with the pair sharing an early candidate for the Hillsborough vacancy. According to the journalists, Nathan Jones has emerged as a contender, with Miller stating on X:
“Sources suggesting Nathan Jones an early candidate for the now vacant Sheffield Wednesday job and could be open to the possibility of taking on the role. Understand Owls spoke to him in the summer pre-Xisco.”
Within the news report, they claim that Jones ‘is open to the possibility of taking on the Wednesday job.’
Is Nathan Jones a good manager?
As plenty of managers, Jones has had his ups and downs in the dugout, with his last role at Southampton ending after just 14 games earlier this year. The 50-year-old, who likes to play a 3-4-2-1 system, is best known for his two stints in charge of Luton Town, where he led the club in over 300 games in total. A stint in charge of Stoke City is also on his CV back in 2019, and Ryan Lowe has previously hailed Jones, labelling him as a “fantastic coach”.
“Nathan has done a fantastic job, he did a fantastic job taking them to the Championship then he went away for eight months and then came back. He’s a good lad, a fantastic coach and has some good coaching staff with him.
“He goes about his business in the right way. He’s different, he gets excited, he’s passionate. He’s different to other managers but that’s because he wears his heart on his sleeve.”
In total, Jones has taken charge of 157 games in the Championship, winning 55, drawing 49 and losing 53. Some may feel that a move for Jones could be a risky one following a tough period in charge of the Saints in the Premier League, however, his second-tier record makes for fairly solid reading, so it looks as if a move is one to watch over the coming weeks.
