Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri defends Jos Luhukay's touchline demeanour

Many Wednesdayites have accused Luhukay of showing a lack of passion on the touchline this season.

Luhukay was ironically cheered by some fans in the upper tier of the South Stand at Hillsborough when he left his seat in the technical area in the closing stages of their recent draw with relegation-threatened Rotherham United.

Owner Chansiri, who told a fans' forum on Wednesday evening he would put the club on the market, said: "You can't expect everyone to be the same.

"If you don't show it (passion), then it doesn't mean you don't have passion.

"I disagree about the fans always saying he [Luhukay] sits down. The coach is also a human being. He also has emotion.

"He doesn't speak too much. He is like me. His English is not good."

Luhukay lost his cool after Saturday's heartbreaking defeat to Swansea City. The Dutchman, who has presided over seven defeats in the last 10 matches, walked out in the middle of a post-match interview with BBC Radio Sheffield at the Liberty Stadium after reacting angrily to questions over his future.

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"He is a human being," said Chansiri. "After the game when we lose, everyone doesn't feel good.

"When we lose, the coach doesn't talk to the players on that day. He will talk to them next day. That is normal."

Luhukay has faced calls to be sacked in recent weeks following Wednesday's worrying slump in fortunes.

He has also received plenty of flak on social media for his public criticism of Josh Onomah. He branded the Tottenham Hotspur's loanee's performance against the Swans "not good enough", claiming the England Under-21 international "brought nothing on the ball".

Chansiri said: 'Sometimes, I understand (the criticism). He (the coach) is a human being and has emotion. Sometimes you can lose control.

'Nobody is perfect. I know he has a lot of pressure.'

You could argue Chansiri attempted to take some of the pressure off Luhukay and his under-performing players by revealing his plans to put the club up for sale at the forum.

Wednesday's problems have been well-documented off the field.

The club were placed under a transfer embargo between April and August this year after breaching English Football League's Profitability and Sustainability (P&S) rules. Under P&S, formerly known as Financial Fair Play (FFP), regulations, clubs are not permitted to post losses in excess of £39m over a three-year period.

The Owls' wage bill has soared significantly in Chansiri's tenure, with the owner having spent lavish amounts of money in the transfer market in a bid to turn the team into a serious force in the second-tier.

Luhukay has signed just three players in almost a year at the helm, bringing in Joey Pelupessy on a permanent deal and capturing Michael Hector and Onomah on loan.

'The EFL changed the regulations at the end of last season,' said Chansiri. 'We didn't just break (FFP rules) a little, we broke them a lot - eight figures.

"We have problems with FFP, so it is hard, but we will try our best. 

"I am not looking to next season, I am looking now to solve FFP and how we can make this season as good as we can. If we can solve those problems now, then next season can be better."

In Chansiri's first two two full seasons, Wednesday finished in the Championship play-off positions. But the Owls twice agonisingly missed out on promotion to the Premier League.

Things unravelled last year as Wednesday's expensively assembled squad finished in 15th place.

Luhukay's men are currently in 18th spot as the halfway mark fast approaches.

'We need to stick together,' insisted Chansiri. 'When we don't have a good day, we need you (the fans) more. We need you to help us to cheer up the team.

'When we have a good day, we don't need you (the fans) because they are fully confident. They need you.'

Young full-back Josh Dawodu has signed his maiden pro contract, committing his future to the club until 2021.