Sky Sports pundit David Prutton has admitted that he believes that it will be a fruitless season for Sheffield Wednesday if they fail to secure a top-six finish in League One next year.
The Owls have made an inconsistent start to the current term following their relegation from the Championship earlier this year.
After winning three of their opening four league games, Wednesday suffered defeats in their clashes with Morecambe and Plymouth Argyle before dropping points against Shrewsbury Town and Ipswich Town.
The Owls then suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of Oxford United before finally returning to winning ways in the third-tier last weekend.
Lee Gregory's second-half strike for Wednesday turned out to be the only goal of their showdown with Bolton Wanderers.
Currently ninth in the League One standings, the Owls will be looking to push on under the guidance of manager Darren Moore in the coming weeks.
Set to face AFC Wimbledon this weekend, a win for Wednesday in this clash could result in them leapfrogging the likes of Bolton, Oxford and Milton Keynes Dons in the table.
Making reference to Wednesday ahead of this particular game, Prutton has admitted that not reaching the play-offs this season would be a failure for the club.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Sky Sports EFL Podcast, the former Owls midfielder said: "There's plenty to be optimistic about.
"I think again given the standards that are set by that particular club and that unbelievable set of supporters, I'm not saying it's promotion or bust but anything below a play-off place would be deemed a fruitless season."
The Verdict
This is a reasonable assessment by Prutton as Wednesday really should be aiming to launch a push for promotion this season when you consider the quality that they have at their disposal.
As well as being able to call upon the services of some exciting young players such as Dennis Adeniran and Theo Corbeanu, the Owls can also turn to the likes of Barry Bannan and Callum Paterson who both possess a wealth of experience at senior level.
Having scored in two of his last three league appearances for Wednesday, Paterson will be determined to add to his goal tally in this weekend's clash with AFC Wimbledon.
By securing an eye-catching victory at The Cherry Red Records Stadium on Saturday, the Owls may be able to use the momentum gained from this result to climb the League One standings in the coming weeks.