Dejphon Chansiri blamed for Sheffield Wednesday's play-off chances being "110% over" | OneFootball

The Owls have fallen out of contention for the top six after struggling for form of late

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Sheffield Wednesday lost a third straight match in a row on Friday night, as Eliezer Mayenda’s double was enough for Sunderland to emerge with a 2-1 victory from the two side’s showdown at Hillsborough.

Following on from defeats to Coventry City and Burnley, it leaves the Owls seven points away from the play-off places in the Championship with just eleven league matches remaining, having been one of the key contenders just a matter of weeks ago.

A lack of depth has ultimately cost Danny Rohl and his side as the effects of a season of EFL football starts to take its course, with issues up front and at the back seeing them come up short against three sides with promotion ambitions of their own as we head into the final two months of the season.

But is the Yorkshire side’s play-off dream completely up in smoke right now? We spoke to Football League World’s Wednesday fan pundit Patrick McKenna to get his take on the matter at hand.

Sheffield Wednesday play-off verdict issued after slump in Championship form

Wednesday’s form has deserted them at a crucial part of the season, with a number of sides overtaking the Owls in the hunt for a place in the top six following their winless run.

A run of just three defeats in 15 league matches had put the Steel City outfit in the promotion conversation at the start of February, only for four defeats from five to see fortunes take a turn for the worse once the month had come to an end.

Coventry City and West Bromwich Albion now occupy the final two play-off spots after the weekend’s action, with six sides between the sixth-placed Baggies and Wednesday who will all fancy their chances of putting a late run together to stake their claim for a place in the end-of-season lottery for a spot in the Premier League.

McKenna doesn’t believe his side will be one of those competing though, but after the troubles faced battling relegation in the season before, there can’t be too many at Hillsborough all too upset with a steady mid-table finish this time around.

When asked if his side’s play-off dream is over, Owls fan Patrick said: “Yes it is, 110% over.

"To be honest, although for a part of the season where we were in an outside position and may have snuck in in sixth place, it always was an outside chance, being realistic about it.

“It is maybe easy as a fan to get carried away and start dreaming of that day at Wembley. However it is important to note that with the squad we have, it is still overachieving. With a lot of managers, with this squad this season, we would have been in a relegation battle.

“It’s hugely frustrating, but there have just been too many points dropped this season, especially at home. There have been way too many draws and the odd defeat where we have been our own worst enemy.

“There has been games where we have played well but just in that final third the final ball isn’t there, or the finish isn’t there, and then we will go and concede a soft goal.

“The problems we have had in defence all season needed to be sorted, and unfortunately they are still showing.”

Dejphon Chansiri blamed for Sheffield Wednesday’s poor form after quiet January transfer window

While every team in the Championship was trying to strengthen their squads during the January transfer window, Wednesday were one of the quietest teams in terms of bringing in extra personnel, after just two arrivals throughout the month.

Left-back Ryo Hatsuse made the move to Hillsborough as well as former Plymouth Argyle loanee Ibrahim Cissoko, although neither have really made a mark since their arrival, with just one league start between them.

That lack of winter business has seen the Owls found wanting in the second-half of the campaign, with a season-ending injury to Di’Shon Bernard contributing to their downfall, while the goals have started to dry up in the final third.

Some extra reinforcements could have made all the difference as push came to shove in the final few months of the campaign, leaving many a Wednesday fan ruing owner Dejphon Chansiri’s approach to his side once again, with Thai businessman seemingly at loggerheads with Rohl about transfer targets at the start of the year.

A lack of communication between owner and manager has cost Wednesday dear in the final furlong as other clubs start to pick up form, and McKenna has been left to rue a lack of activity from his side when others were strengthening for the season’s run-in.

Patrick continued: “I certainly think that based on our performances this season, you could argue if we had a bit more quality then we could be in the play-offs. Lack of quality at the back and up front persists and now our play-off dream has gone.

“One of the most maddening things is that even though it was an outside hope, the division is open this season and if in January we had got in more reinforcements in key areas and backed the manager more, you just don’t know.

“If that had happened I probably wouldn’t be sat here now saying it’s 110% over.

"We have this fantastic manager in Danny Rohl, and he is still being asked to perform miracles, and unfortunately the owner can’t back him and give him the required tools for a play-off bid.”