David Storch should consider Stockport County raid as big Sheffield Wednesday call looms | OneFootball

As David Storch weighs up whether to stick with Henrik Pedersen at Sheffield Wednesday, Stockport County manager Dave Challinor should be on his radar

A new era could soon be underway at Sheffield Wednesday after David Storch was named as the club's new preferred bidder.

Almost five months on from former owner Dejphon Chansiri's exit in October, Wednesday remain in administration after the previous preferred bidder, a consortium led by James Bord, pulled out of the running to buy the club last month.

Having failed with their initial bid last year, Arise Capital Partners, a group consisting of David Storch, Michael Storch and Tom Costin, were given preferred bidder status last week, although their takeover has not yet officially been completed.

It is believed that the next few days could be crucial in their purchase of the Owls, with a number of important issues on the agenda in discussions with the EFL, including the expected 15-point deduction that could be imposed in League One next season, as well as the potential transfer fee and wage restrictions the club could face.

However, should he become the next owner of Wednesday, one of the biggest decisions facing Storch immediately after taking over at Hillsborough will be whether to stick with manager Henrik Pedersen.

David Storch will face huge Henrik Pedersen decision at Sheffield Wednesday

After spending the previous two years as assistant to Danny Rohl, Pedersen stepped up to the top job at Wednesday in the summer after the German's exit just over a week before the start of the season.

Amid a summer of chaos that saw many of the club's key players depart, it is fair to say Pedersen could hardly have inherited a more challenging situation, and his task was made even tougher after the Owls entered administration and had a total of 18 points deducted.

Given that he has been working with a squad lacking the quality and depth required even to compete at Championship level, it is difficult not to have sympathy for Pedersen, and it would be incredibly harsh to judge his managerial ability based on his side's results this season.

However, Pedersen has won just one of his 42 games in charge so far, and he oversaw the earliest relegation in English football history as Wednesday were relegated in late February with 13 matches of the campaign remaining, while he has also come in for criticism from supporters for his tactics and in-game management in recent weeks.

With new owners often keen to bring in their own man, it had been widely assumed that the Owls would part company with Pedersen in the summer once a takeover was completed, particularly as the Dane's record provides little reason to be confident that he is the right man to take the club forward, but it seems his departure may not be a formality.

Speaking to Danish media this week, Pedersen said that it was "100% my expectation" that he would remain in charge at Hillsborough next season, while he also revealed after Saturday's defeat to Ipswich Town that he was planning to meet with Tractor Boys manager Kieran McKenna to gain some inspiration on how to rebuild the club, suggesting that he is planning to continue in his role.

David Storch should target Stockport County manager Dave Challinor after Sheffield Wednesday takeover

Pedersen has earned plenty of respect from Wednesday supporters this season for the way he has conducted himself in such adversity, and there is an acceptance that, as he has had both hands tied behind his back, it was always going to be impossible for him to deliver results.

The 48-year-old is a highly-rated coach, and in a more stable environment with a stronger squad at his disposal, he may be able to show more of his managerial pedigree, while his experience in navigating the events of the current campaign could come in useful if the Owls are hit with another points deduction next season.

However, there is no doubt that it would be a huge risk for Storch to keep faith with Pedersen, and he should instead target an ambitious move for Stockport County manager Dave Challinor.

Challinor took over at Edgeley Park in November 2021 and led the Hatters to the National League title in his first season in charge before his side were crowned League Two champions two years later.

Stockport's rise continued in League One last season as they finished third in the table, but while they missed out on promotion after losing to Leyton Orient in the play-off semi-finals, they are on course to achieve another top six finish this time around, with Challinor's men currently sitting fifth in the table.

The Hatters have been a club transformed under the ownership of Mark Stott, and they have well-documented ambitions of reaching the Championship, but they have been a little underwhelming at times this season, which could open the door for Challinor's possible exit in the summer.

If Stockport were to fall short of promotion once again, Challinor may feel he has taken them as far as he can and seek a fresh challenge after almost five years at the helm, while the opportunity to manage a club the size of Wednesday would surely be tempting for the 50-year-old.

Of course, there is no guarantee that any appointment will be successful, but incredibly, Challinor has never finished outside the play-off spots with any of his respective clubs in his 14 full seasons as a manager, so there would be no safer pair of hands to lead the Owls' rebuild in League One.

It would not be easy to prize Challinor away from Edgeley Park, but poaching him would be a big statement of intent from Storch early in his tenure at Hillsborough, and he should seriously consider making an approach this summer.