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Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping for a much-improved campaign in the Championship this season.

The Owls looked destined to make an immediate return to League One last season after a disastrous start to the campaign, but they achieved safety following a remarkable turnaround under Danny Rohl.

Rohl signed a new long-term contract in May, and it was a busy summer for Wednesday with 11 new signings arriving at Hillsborough, providing plenty of hope that the club can climb the table in the year ahead.

Given the outstanding job he has done since his arrival in October, Rohl is loved by Owls supporters, and the German is arguably the club’s most popular manager since Carlos Carvalhal.

One man who came close to receiving similar affection during his short spell in charge was Steve Bruce, and his recent surprise return to management with League One side Blackpool will have brought back mixed emotions for many Wednesday fans.

Steve Bruce’s brief Sheffield Wednesday tenure

Bruce was appointed Wednesday manager in January 2019, replacing Jos Luhukay, who had been sacked the previous month.

The Owls made a strong start to the 2018-19 season, and they sat as high as sixth in early October, but a significant decline in form over the following few months resulted in Luhukay’s dismissal.

Wednesday were 16th in the table when Bruce arrived, and he made an immediate impact, going unbeaten in his first 11 games in charge, winning five and drawing six.

With his side rapidly moving up the table, Bruce himself admitted that the play-offs were the target, but the poor first half of the season under Luhukay had given the Owls a mountain to climb, and they eventually finished the campaign in 12th place.

Bruce’s impressive record during his four months at the helm gave Wednesday supporters plenty of reason to be optimistic going into the summer, but the situation changed when rumours of interest from Newcastle United began to emerge in early July.