BRUCE IN RUNNING AS OWLS GO ON MARKET
SHEFFIELD Wednesday appear to be lining up former Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce to replace the sacked Jos Luhukay.
Luhukay departed on Friday after a poor run of results left Wednesday struggling in the Championship.
Caretaker-manager Lee Bullen led the Owls to a 1-0 victory against Preston at Hillsborough yesterday, but it now appears the experienced Bruce is on the way.
After yesterday’s win, Bullen said: “At this level I think you can only point at Steve Bruce, or our good friend at Cardiff (Neil Warnock), that have just had an unbelievable record of success at this level.
“Steve will be hurting with the way things went at Aston Villa, absolutely, but if you get the opportunity to speak to someone like that – a British coach that knows the Championship inside out then you don’t knock back the opportunity to speak to him. Whether anything comes of it I don’t know.”
It comes at the end of a busy week at Hillsborough.
Earlier, Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri told supporters he is putting the Championship club up for sale.
Speaking at a fans’ forum this week, Chansiri said he believed there was plenty of interest in the club, despite offfield problems which saw the Owls placed under a transfer embargo for much of the summer.
“I will put this club on the market and I believe many people will want to buy,” said Chansiri.
The Thai businessman bought the Owls in early 2015 from Milan Mandaric and the early signs were promising as they finished in the Championship play-off places in his first two full seasons.
But they fell short of promotion to the Premier League and could only manage 15th last season.
CARETAKER manager Lee Bullen lauded Steve Bruce’s record in the Championship as second to none after Wednesday beat Preston yesterday.
Michael Hector scored the only goal as the Owls claimed their second win in 11 games as the potential arrival of Bruce dominated talk at Hillsborough, a day after Jos Luhukay was sacked.
Bruce is believed to be on his way to Hillsborough, 20 years after starting his managerial career across the city at Sheffield United. Steve Agnew, Bruce’s assistant, and coach Stephen Clemence were in the crowd at Hillsborough and Bruce appears set for a return to management two months after being sacked by Aston Villa.
Bullen said: “At this level I think you can only point at Steve Bruce, or our good friend at Cardiff, that have just have an unbelievable record of success at this level.
“Steve will be hurting with the way things went at Aston Villa, absolutely, but if you get the opportunity to speak to someone like that – a British coach that knows the Championship inside out then you don’t knock back the opportunity to speak to him. Whether anything comes of it I don’t know.”
On the pitch, Hector, on loan from Chelsea, glanced in a cross from Adam Reach after 62 minutes as the Owls claimed three vital points.
Preston played for all but 26 minutes of the match with 10 men following a straight red card for Ben Pearson, the midfielder playing the ball but following through on Marco Matias with both feet high.
Preston boss Alex Neil intends to appeal Pearson’s red card, saying: “Having watched it on a few occasions it certainly merits an appeal. I thought it was very quick for the red card to come out, I’m not convinced there was any malice in it.”
There was nothing of note from either team in the opening exchanges with both guilty of some sloppy, broken play.
The first goal action came after 34 minutes when Steven Fletcher’s looping header from Reach’s cross was clawed away by Preston keeper Declan Rudd.
The Owls came within inches of taking the lead three minutes before the break when Lucas Joao’s firm header beat the outstretched arm of Rudd only for the ball to hit a post, Adam Reach again the provider.
The hosts were on top but could not breach the stubborn Preston defence and half-time arrived with the score goalless.
It was going to be a long second half for Preston being a man down, but the Owls were not creating clear-cut chances.
The Lilywhites were on the back foot and when they did get themselves into an attacking position from a free-kick they were caught offside.
Rudd then produced a fine save to block Matias’s closerange drive before the Owls scored from the resulting corner.
That rocked the visitors into attacking and Tom Barkhuizen had a free header in front of goal only to sky the ball over the bar. Rudd beat away Fletcher’s low drive and although Preston battled hard they could not find a way through the Owls defence.