With Sheffield Wednesday being one of the form sides in the championship, we take a look at the manager behind the revival of one of England’s sleeping giants.
Journeyman – this is one word that could be used to describe the man that is steering Sheffield Wednesday towards the promised land.
Carlos Carvalhal has managed 15 clubs, as well as turning out for nine different teams during his playing career.
Carvalhal was actually quite a tidy player and played for some of Portugal’s biggest sides, including Porto and Braga.
His preferred position was as a central defender, he also made inroads into representing his country, although he never appeared for the senior side, he did make nine appearances for the Portuguese U21 side.
Despite his modest playing career, it is his managerial career which has made him a more well-known name around the world.
Carvalhal retired at a club based in the lower echelons of the Portuguese divisions, and this is the club where his managerial career started, although he was dismissed midway through the season, Carvalhal was cutting his teeth and could not be fully blamed for making a slow start to his managerial tenure.
In 2002, Carvalhal made headlines across Portugal as he became the first coach in the country to take his Leixoes S.C to the third level of the UEFA cup and to also lead them to the final of the Portuguese cup.
After this, Carvalhal was approached by a team in Portugal by the name of Vitoria de Setubal, this team was based in the second tier of Portuguese football and seen as a better job than the one he had before, Carvalhal lead the team to promotion, which then prompted his move to Belenenses, a side which resided in the top flight of Portuguese football.
Unfortunately, Carvalhal was sacked from Belenenses early in the 2005-06 season, he then suffered more football misery as he was sacked from Braga and S.C Beira-Mar
Carvalhal returned to Setubal in the 2007-08 season, this is where Carvalhal enjoyed one of his best seasons as a manager, leading the team to 6th in the Portuguese top flight, this subsequently meant UEFA cup qualification, and he also led the team to the final of the Portuguese league cup, recording a historic victory against Sporting Lisbon.
After his highlight in Portuguese football, Carvalhal moved around different clubs, including Asteras Tripoli, Maritimo, and Sporting Lisbon, however, these jobs landed him only sackings and a lack of success.
Fast forward to June 2015, and he was appointed Sheffield Wednesday, many fans saw his appointment as a step backwards, however, he has in turn proved the majority of fans wrong with their excellent showing this year.
Out of the 47 games Carvalhal has managed Wednesday, they have W23, D14 and lost only 10 games.
Carvalhal has turned them into a side that has a steely defence and although they do not score goals in abundance, they score enough.
If Carvalhal and Wednesday carry on this run, Carvalhal could have another promotion on his illustrious C.V; also, instead of being touted as a journeyman, the man from Portugal could find a club who want him for a long, long time.
Wednesday fans..... How happy are you to have Carvalhal as your manager? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!