Sheffield Wednesday’s season so far has been a disaster, with the Owls struggling in mid-table following a succession of negative results.
Four draws on the bounce has seen Carlos Carvalhal’s side plummet down the table, and the Portuguese has it all to do if he is to lead his side to the playoffs for the third year in a row.
January could be a huge month for the club, and Carvalhal will be forced into the market due to his side’s inability to pick up points in recent months.
Failure to secure a top-six finish this season will almost certainly result in the former Besiktas boss’ job, with many fans already beginning to question his future at the club.
New faces are needed at the turn of the year, and one man who could have a positive impact on the squad is Bolton Wanderers’ Josh Vela.
The youngster has impressed since breaking into the first-team in 2011, and here are three key reasons why Carvalhal should target a move for the youngster…
Commitment
In the wake of the news that Wednesday academy graduate George Hirst is set to leave the club in the summer having failed to agree terms on a new deal, commitment is certainly a contentious issue at Hillsborough at the moment.
In Vela, Carvalhal would have no problems.
In 2011, Bolton turned down a £1 million bid for the player’s services from Premier League Liverpool, and instead of forcing through a move, the player accepted his side’s decision and continued to give his all to his employers.
Whereas Hirst has been criticised for placing financial imbursement above loyalty, Vela is the opposite, and Wednesday fans would take kindly to the 23-year-old’s attitude.
Fans love nothing more than to see a player commit themselves to their club, and Vela would certainly do this.
Experience
Despite his tender age, the 23-year-old is a vastly experienced player.
Vela has done it all with Bolton during his nine year spell at the Macron Stadium, experiencing the disappointment of relegation from both the Premier League and the Championship.
His ability to accept defeat is countered by his winning mentality however, and the player played a key role in the Trotters' promotion success last season, when the club bounced back to the second tier at the first time of asking having finished as runners-up to Sheffield United.
The current Owls squad could do with the installation of a winning mentality, and the enthusiastic Vela could add this to the squad.
With well over a hundred first team appearances to his name already, the player has seen it all and played at three levels of the English game, and is exactly the type of player fans would love to see at their club.
Carvalhal must sign him up.
Defending from the front
Wednesday have dropped points this season by sitting back whilst in winning positions, and adding Vela to the squad will counter this concerning activity.
Vela likes to press from the front, closing down opposition defenders and forcing mistakes, a trait that will relieve pressure on the Owls’ back-line when defending a lead.
Several of the player’s key strengths include ball interception and tackling, traits that are perfect when seeing out games.
The 23-year-old is not afraid of a challenge and is more than willing to track back and work hard for the team, and Carvalhal will love this about the exciting young player.
Wednesday fans, does Vela sound like the type of player you need in January? Have your say below...