SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY: Owls need to swoop for loan deals

Sheffield Wednesday v Blackpool........All smiles Owls Connor Wickham with Jacques Maghoma.

As January’s transfer deadline came and went last Friday, the Owls and the rest of the football league gladly welcome the opening of the emergency loan window this week.

Wednesday need to search high and low in the market to add depth and strength to the squad, if they want to continue to climb the table.

The Owls are now unbeaten in 10 outings and have moved six points clear of the bottom three.

A place in the last 16 of the FA Cup tops off what has been an incredible start to 2014.

Despite all the positive vibes at the club at the moment I still believe Stuart Gray must keep his side’s feet firmly on the ground as they are not out of trouble yet.

I still think there is a lot of room for improvement in order to maintain championship status for next season.

A big concern for me is in defence.

The Owls have failed to maintain a regular back four all season for many different reasons but one player who worries me the most is Miguel Llera.

The Spaniard is guilty of making a lot of indecisive errors and his urge to boot the ball as far upfield as possible weakens the entire squad.

His style of play is predictable and gives Wednesday a one dimensional route to goal.

He eliminates the midfield with his wayward long balls.

The Owls’ most creative players such as Kieran Lee and Chris Maguire are then unable to cause opposing teams problems.

Not only is defence a worry but the desperate need for a goal scoring striker has never been more evident.

January loan signing Ofobe has bags of pace and a promising future ahead but does he have the goalscorer’s instinct Wednesday need?

Gus Poyet confirmed this week that Connor Wickham was unlikely to be heading back to S6 due to the injury to Steven Fletcher

So this leaves Gray searching elsewhere for that all important striker.

Maguire is improving game by game and netted his fifth of the season with a dramatic 97th minute strike against Yorkshire rivals Barnsley on Saturday.

I just think it’s important that the Owls have more depth and striking options ahead of a busy end to the campaign.

Wednesday face six games in just 17 days starting with a trip to promotion hopefuls Reading on Saturday

The Royals are in free scoring form and seek revenge against the Owls after the 5-2 defeat in November at Hillsborough.

This run of games will stretch an already injury struck team as Wednesday attempt to maintain this terrific vain of form and avoid a relegation battle come April and May.