EFL promotion hopes wobble as Sheffield Wednesday dismiss manager

EFL promotion hopefuls Sheffield Wednesday have dismissed manager Henrik Pedersen after just eleven games in League One, the club announced on Sunday. The Owls sit eighth, two points shy of the play‑off spots, having dropped their last two matches – 2‑0 defeats to Notts County and Doncaster Rovers.

Recent form and playoff chase

Wednesday had been unbeaten since August 20, a run that lifted them into the play‑off race. Their record this season reads five wins, three draws and three defeats, highlighted by a 7‑2 demolition of Bromley and successive away victories over Wycombe Wanderers and Peterborough United. The back‑to‑back 2‑0 losses to Notts County and Doncaster Rovers have left them eighth, two points off the play‑offs and seven points behind top‑of‑table Huddersfield.

Pedersen, 48, signed a two‑year contract in July 2025 after serving as Danny Rohl’s assistant. He earned an EFL League One Manager of the Month nomination in August after Wednesday collected six points from their first nine games. Two defeats in five days, including a 2‑0 loss at Doncaster where supporters chanted for his exit, proved the final straw.

Club statement and director's view

The club’s statement, released via Getty, read: “Sheffield Wednesday Football Club Henrik Pedersen has left the club with immediate effect.” It added that Pedersen “provided stability and leadership during an exceptional period in the club’s history” and thanked him for his contribution. Sporting Director Simon Wilson said the board appreciated Pedersen’s professionalism but felt progress in style and consistency had not materialised.

Sheffield Wednesday sack Henrik Pedersen as eighth‑place slump deepens

Wilson continued, “We believed a change now gives us the best opportunity to establish those foundations and build towards the second half of the season and beyond.” He stressed the club remains ambitious about achieving promotion and will focus on forging a clear identity for Sheffield Wednesday.

Matt Hamshaw has been appointed interim head coach and will oversee Wednesday’s upcoming visit to sixth‑placed Cambridge United on Tuesday. Hamshaw, who was dismissed by Rotherham United last season before joining Wednesday as a coach in August, inherits a side that has already amassed five wins, three draws and three defeats. The Owls are still aiming to return to the Championship, having been relegated after an 18‑point penalty in the previous campaign.

Wednesday are still emerging from the chaos of former owner Dejphon Chansiri’s tenure, which saw the club enter administration, incur an 18‑point deduction and rely on a squad assembled in haste. The side managed only two Championship victories that season, endured twelve draws and suffered thirty‑two defeats, underscoring the scale of the rebuild the new board faces.

Wednesday’s swift decision underlines the pressure on EFL promotion contenders to convert points into a sustained push for the Championship. With the managerial vacancy now open, the club hopes the change will reignite its momentum and close the gap to the play‑off places.