Since the dismissal of Brian Laws over two weeks ago there has been little official news coming out of Hillsborough with regards to who may be in line to take the reigns and after a predictable flurry of early rumours things seem to have gone quiet on this front, there is even speculation that significant long overdue investment could be coming in soon and the decision to appoint a new manager may be delayed until boardroom issues are resolved.
Whatever the case may be the best thing for the team surely is to have a plan in place to move forward with sooner rather than later. January is going to be a vital month in the Owls season, not least because they face a number of teams in a similar position in the league but also due to the transfer window. A new manager would be best served by having time to assess the squad and look at possible options to bring players in whether it be on permanent deals if the Owls secure some form of investment or even in the shape of loan players.
The last couple of weeks have certainly thrown some interesting options into the limelight with regards to the vacant post. Whilst Nigel Worthington remains amongst the favourites for the job the dismissal of Gary Megson from his position as Bolton manager on Wednesday will no doubt spark rumour and opinion.
Megson of course as a former player and fan has the Owls in his blood and whilst he may not have been popular with the fans at the Reebok stadium he could be just what the Owls need. His passion for the club combined with a no nonsense approach could kick the team into gear, Critics argue that his style of football is direct and unattractive but this seems slightly unfair given that Bolton have actually played some decent football at times this season with limited resources compared to many teams in the Premier League. It may be true that prior to this season and in past jobs his approach may have appeared to be negative but he has enjoyed some success with this. West Brom won promotion under him thanks in no small part to a lot of 1-0 wins. It may not always be pretty but Wednesday need someone who can assert some solidity into a leaky defensive unit and in the Owls current predicament the demand is first and foremost is for substance in terms of points regardless of the style.
Two other names that have recently come into the spotlight are Jim Magilton and Alan Irvine, both of whom have lost their positions at Championship clubs over the festive period. Magilton was dismissed having allegedly had a serious altercation with a player at QPR and Irvine was shown the door Preston following a poor run of results despite having led them to the play-offs last season and even now they are only 8 points off the top six with a game I hand over a number of clubs above them in a very competitive Championship.
These development however do mean that the Owls face competition from these clubs for possible managerial candidates and one man thought to be of interest to Wednesday - Darren Ferguson - has been installed by some bookmakers as the favourite to take over at Deepdale.