Sheffield Wednesday today announced the appointments of vastly experienced duo Glenn Roeder and Adam Pearson.
Both Roeder and Pearson have come into the club as advisors to the chairman and, along with head coach Stuart Gray, will effectively form a three-man sporting director by committee.
Mr Dejphon Chansiri formally welcomed the new additions this morning at Hillsborough.
The committee is something of a new concept in English football but one that comes highly endorsed by Roeder, who said:
“This committee is something that I really believe in and I think English football has been behind on this situation.
“Too much is expected of the manager to do everything.
“This is the way forward and I feel this is a big opportunity for me. I’m very appreciative of the chairman for giving me this opportunity to work for this great football club.”
And Roeder arrives at Hillsborough with a clear aim in sight and that is to help steer the club back into the top flight.
He said: “You can never get to the Premier League too soon and we will try and get there as soon as possible.
“The challenge next season is to be promoted. As the chairman has said, we may possibly have to wait one extra season, then by 2017 we want Sheffield Wednesday back in the Premier League.
“I didn’t realise how long it has been since we have been in the Premier League, it’s too long.”
Pearson, who will advise the Owls’ chairman on business-related strategies across all areas of Hillsborough, said:
“I’ve got 17 years’ experience in running football clubs and I certainly think I can bring that here and add to what is already a strong management team.
“My job will be to assist the chairman and to help bring the players in at the best possible value.
“On the business side, we will certainly be looking at it from top to bottom to make sure this club is put on the right footing for promotion.
“Sheffield Wednesday has the tradition, the size, the support, the ground and the facilities to make an impact in the Premier League so it is a fantastic project to be involved in.
“The chairman is hugely ambitious which obviously attracted me because I would love to be part of putting this club back into the Premier League and go on to make an impact.
“This club can certainly do that.”