Sheffield Wednesday have endured a nightmare start to the season, with the Owls occupying a lowly mid-table berth approaching the halfway stage of the campaign.

A series of poor results in recent weeks has seen Carlos Carvalhal’s side drift away from the playoff places, and a big effort is needed in the new year if the South Yorkshire side are to claw away at the huge gap that has opened between themselves and the top-six.

Injuries have not helped the Portuguese boss, with key personnel including Fernando Forestieri and George Boyd ruled out for large swathes of the season, although the pair are set to return to action at the turn of the year, if not sooner.

Carvalhal has been severely let down by a number of players in his squad, with a number of poor performances costing Wednesday points this season.

The manager has to take blame for a lot of his side’s failings this term, but the players must also be held accountable for their actions on the field.

This pair have been a particular disappointment…

Jacob Butterfield

Arriving on a season-long loan deal in the summer from Derby County with the underutilised Sam Winnall heading the other way, a lot was expected of the 27-year-old attacking midfielder.

However Butterfield has failed to live up to his hype, and many fans have questioned why goalscorer Winnall was allowed to leave Hillsborough at the expense of the Rams man.

Butterfield has played twelve times in the league, making just six starts and contributing a single assist during his time on the field.

The player has looked flat and lacking imagination, and his performances are the opposite of what Carvalhal was hoping to see when he brought him in.

The Portuguese took a real punt on the player, gambling the services of Winnall in the process, and his faith has failed to have been repaid.

Jordan Rhodes

A £10 million striker with just three goals to his name approaching Christmas simply cannot be excused from this list.

Yes Rhodes has been underutilised, making just a handful of league starts this term, but the Scottish international has failed to seize opportunities that have come his way.

A recent upturn in form has seen Rhodes find the back of the net three times, but the former Blackburn and Huddersfield man was back on the bench before fans had finished reading his name on the team sheet.

Something isn’t quite right with Rhodes, as the player has proven himself to be a prolific goalscorer in the football league with both Rovers and the Terriers, and some may argue this is the result of Carvalhal’s perceived negative tactics.

Whether a new manager would draw the best from the 27-year-old remains to be seen, but as it stands, Rhodes simply hasn’t lived up to the £10 million Carvalhal forked out to secure his services.

Owls fans, who else has disappointed this season? Have your say below...