Sheffield Wednesday: Sky Bet Championship season preview 2016/17

All the transfer news, fan opinion, predictions and odds ahead of Sheffield Wednesday's 2016/17 Sky Bet Championship campaign.

Last year's finish: 6th

Manager: Carlos Carvalhal

Title odds: 14/1 with Sky Bet 

First five games: Aston Villa (H), Norwich (A), Burton Albion (A), Leeds (H), Brentford (A)

Sheffield Wednesday

Players In: Steven Fletcher (free), Jake Kean (free), Almen Abdi (Watford, £3m), Daniel Pudil (Watford, undisclosed)

Players Out: Lewis Price (Rotherham, free)

Fan's view - David Garrido (@SkySportsDavid), Sky Sports News presenter 

Expectation? Play-offs, minimum. Steven Fletcher and Almen Abdi in particular are shrewd signings and hopefully there are more to come (especially defensive recruits), but we're after quality not quantity.  

Opposition teams know what to expect and we've got a tough start with Villa and Norwich in our first two league games, but it might be the best time to play them.  

An improved record against the top teams and making Hillsborough a fortress again (we lost only twice there last season) should give us a shout of automatic promotion. If nothing else, we'll be good to watch. Expect plenty of attacking football and our usual passionate support, home and away.

It was a privilege to see them progress last season. It's amazing what togetherness can do. They could easily finish higher, but finishing fifth would be no mean feat.

Most important player? Fernando Forestieri. It's not just his goals, it's the fact that Wednesday play differently with him in the team. He earns free-kicks in dangerous positions and has a fantastic work ethic. Indispensable.

Who will win the league? Newcastle (obviously) 

Potential dark horse? Wigan

One Championship player you'd want to sign? Anthony Knockaert

Ollie's prediction: 5th

I can only see Wednesday spending more money and getting better. They'll have to deal with more expectation, but I can see them growing as a football club. It was a privilege to see them progress last season. It's amazing what togetherness can do. They could easily finish higher, but finishing fifth would be no mean feat.

Sky Bet odds

Sheffield Wednesday suffered Wembley heartbreak when going down 1-0 to Hull in the play-off final and they are 7/2 to build on that improved showing and gain promotion to the Premier League at the end of the 2016/17 campaign.

The Owls finished the season in sixth spot and can be backed at 11/8 to cement their place inside the top six and 14/1 to claim title glory, while they're hot favourites (10/11) to achieve the highest-finishing position of any Yorkshire club in the division. Forestieri led the way with 15 goals last season and he's 20/1 to be the league's top marksman this time around.