Former Sheffield Wednesday player Carlton Palmer believes Dejphon Chansiri is being 'badly advised' as he failed to bring in a director of football to Hillsborough to help with player recruitment.
When Chansiri spoke to Wednesday's fan engagement panel last month, he stated once again that he saw no value in an upstairs figure taking control of recruitment and other club matters as he believes the manager should have the final say.
Wednesday's summer recruitment was in the hands of then-manager Garry Monk, who brought five players into the senior ranks permanently, including Josh Windass, whilst letting a number of big earners go on free transfers.
The crucial time the Owls could have done with a more experienced figure to take control of transfers was January, when just Andre Green was added along with a returning Sam Hutchinson, but it may have been down to financial reasons as to why more additions weren't made.
Many clubs in the EFL are now adding a director of football to their ranks and former Wednesday and England midfielder Palmer believes Chansiri not taking the decision to bring one into the fold at Hillsborough may cost the club Championship football next season.
"He’s put a shedload of money in the football club and he’s on the brink of being relegated to League One when he should have been in the Premier League, and he’s saying he doesn’t want a director of football at the club? That says it all," Palmer told FootballFanCast.
“He has put a lot of money into the football club, that there can be no arguments about.
"But he’s been badly advised, hence why Sheffield Wednesday are in the position they’re in this season.”
The Verdict
We won't know now what impact a director of football would have really had on proceedings this season at Hillsborough, but it could have eased the burden on the multiple managers the club have had this campaign.
It wouldn't have been easy in January especially for caretaker boss Neil Thompson to juggle matches and potential signings coming into the club, and maybe that's why things started to go wrong not long after.
Because of the finances at the club though it's highly doubtful any kind of sporting director figure would have been able to spend millions, and Chansiri's willingness to not employ a person of that kind will probably continue into the 2021/22 season.