THAI OWLS AIM FOR EPL
Sheffield Wednesday begin promotion push
When Thai businessman Dejphon Chansiri bought English Championship side Sheffield Wednesday in 2015 for £37.5 million, he stated his intention to take the Owls back to the top flight for the 2017-18 season — the club’s 150th anniversary.
He came close to achieving the goal a year ahead of the schedule but Wednesday lost to Hull City in the Championship play-off final.
The club get another chance to win promotion to the Premier League as they finished fourth in the Championship of which the regular season concluded last Sunday.
The play-offs begin this weekend with sixthplaced Fulham hosting third-ranked Reading today and fifth-placed Huddersfield Town at home to Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow in the semi-final first leg.
In the second leg, Reading face Fulham on Tuesday and Wednesday meet Huddersfield the following day.
The final is scheduled at Wembley on May 29.
Sheffield Wednesday could join another Thai-owned club, Leicester City, in the Premier League next season.
Reading are also owned by Thais but their owners are trying to sell the club.
“I want to do my best to improve this club,” Dejphon said last year.
“It is my duty to do that. I can’t fail. If I stay here for so long, I miss my family... so what is the point if we don’t succeed? That is why I am determined to make us succeed.”
Dejphon’s family owns the Thai Union Group, the world’s l argest producer of canned tuna.
Manager Carlos Carvalhal has warned his Owls players not to underestimate Huddersfield as the two Yorkshire clubs prepare to lock horns in the Championship play-off semi-finals.
Although the Terriers, arguably the surprise package of the season, have lost six out of their last 10 matches, Carvalhal is refusing to take the West Yorkshire club for granted.
The Portuguese coach told The Star: “Huddersfield didn’t finish very well because they have changed their players. They rested players in the last game. They have been preparing for the play-offs, which is why they have lost the games.
“They will be with a completely different face on Sunday [tomorrow] and we will be too.”
Fulham face Reading in the other semifinal and Carvalhal thinks the play-offs are too close to call.
He said: “Last season we finished sixth, this season we arrive in fourth position.
“We were underdogs last year but this season it is more balanced because the table doesn’t lie. There is a small points difference, so we will have a 25 per cent chance this season. It doesn’t mean it will be more easy.”
There is a good working relationship between Dejphon and Carvalhal and it was very telling that Carvalhal described the Thai businessman as the “the best chairman of my career” in a recent interview on Sheffield Live TV.
“The chairman is a very rich person but he has principles,” said Carvalhal. “This makes a big difference and makes it very easy to work with him.”
Wednesday forward Sam Winnall believes the Owls are the favourites to win the play-offs and secure promotion to the Premier League, the Sheffield Telegraph reported.
When asked if the Owls are the favourites to go up, Winnall said: “Of course, we are. I believe we are the best squad in the play-offs and are the best team in the play-offs and there’s nothing to change my mind over that.
“I also think that even if we’d have been on a bad run, I’d still believe in that as I believe in my teammates, squad and the club.
“I believe that this club is going places and hopefully we can do that sooner rather than later, starting Sunday [tomorrow].”
While Winnall is confident of Wednesday’s prospects, he expects Huddersfield to provide a stern examination of their promotion credentials.
Winnall, who made his Owls debut as a
substitute in their 2-0 victory over the Terriers in January, said: “They have done fantastic. Their squad and manager have done really well.
“They are a really good side and are going to be challenging for us. But we will go into the two games, believing we are going to win over two legs”
Wednesday are full of confidence after winning six of their last eight matches.
“We obviously fancy ourselves,” Winnall told the Sheffield Telegraph.
“We know we have got the quality to take us up and that is what we are going to concentrate on doing. We know we can beat anyone and that’s what we are going to try and do over the next two legs and hopefully the final.”