Sheffield Wednesday had a very late flurry in the January transfer window to land their targets and have set themselves up nicely in the process.

The Owls came into the New Year looking to consolidate a place in the play-offs but their form has taken a serious nosedive and seen them slip to seven points behind the top six as we enter the back end of the season.

Garry Monk was appointed to replace Steve Bruce in September and has had to work with the squad he inherited until January allowed him to bring players in.

The former Birmingham City boss has implemented his style of play at Hillsborough very quickly and while their results have taken a massive slump, there is an element of continuity in the way he’s organised the squad after Bruce’s departure.

With the transfer window now shut and Wednesday’s squad set for the season, we tackle their January business with a six-point opinion…

Firstly, what business did they do?

“The Owls made a total of four first-team signings in Manuel Hidalgo, Alessio Da Cruz, Connor Wickham, and Josh Windass.

“Hidalgo arrives as the only permanent signing, with the other three names there coming in on-loan until the end of the season.

“In terms of outgoings, Wednesday let centre-back Jordan Thorniley leave for League One side Blackpool on a permanent basis, and parted ways with Ash Baker to let him sign for Newport County on a free transfer too.”

Why were these players main targets?

“When Wednesday faced Brighton in the FA Cup early in the month, top scorer Steven Fletcher suffered a horrid injury that looks set to keep him out until at least March.

“Without his goals, Wednesday are sorely lacking up front and needed to bring someone in to remedy that, and that’s why they moved to sign both Wickham and Windass.

“The two other signings, Hidalgo and Da Cruz, are both wingers that come in to provide depth out wide to Kadeem Harris, Jacob Murphy, and Adam Reach, as well as healthy competition for places, which is a smart move.”

Have they moved to tie down key players?

“Wednesday are in a very precarious situation with regards to their first-team players having their contracts running down into the final few months, so that is something that should have been top of their priorities.

“In January, they didn’t tie down a single player that has their contract running down, which isn’t necessarily ideal as they would be free to leave in the summer for nothing.

“Garry Monk confirmed that Morgan Fox is to sign a contract imminently, which is great news, but there are still a lot of lingering issues to be attended to before it’s too late, and the longer they leave it, the harder it could become to persuade them.”

Is Wickham a good signing?

“Bringing in Connor Wickham for his second spell at the club is a great move by the Owls as he wasn’t too far off being a first-team regular at Crystal Palace.

“He very much fits the mould of what type of striker Monk wants in his team as he can lead the line, win duels in the air, and is very confident with the ball at his feet.

“He can hit the ground running at Hillsborough and will be a regular, given Fletcher’s injury and the poor form of everyone else up front.

“Bringing in a striker was a must for Monk to keep up their slim hopes of the play-offs and Wickham certainly has the quality to help boost their prospects.”

Can you get 13/13 in this Wednesday quiz?

Is Windass a good move?

“There were clearly factors at play behind the scenes at Wigan which contributed massively to Windass’ lack of consistent form at the DW Stadium, but he still presents a very solid Championship signing.

“Having played mostly up front for the Latics, Windass has seen his struggles mostly come from being isolated in a side devoid of much creativity, but with Wednesday, he will have support in the form of a striker partner.

“The versatility is much-needed for Monk too as their current strikers are very similar in that they aren’t mobile, while Windass can offer real pace and impetus through the middle or either wing.”

Have they done enough?

“There wasn’t too much wrong with Wednesday’s business in this window as they signed players for their immediate needs and did so very well.

“The only caveat to this transfer window for the Owls is that their squad is still a bit thin and could do with a bit extra to withstand the back end of the season.

“They have definitely strengthened up front with Wickham and Windass, both providing more quality and different styles to Monk’s attack, which has become very stale of late.”