Danny Rohl, in his first game at the helm of Sheffield Wednesday, experienced a defeat but found some positive aspects in the performance.
The new Sheffield Wednesday manager, Danny Rohl, emphasized the resilience of his team as a crucial factor in defying the odds for the rest of the season.
Rohl, who took over during the international break, faced his predecessor Xisco Munoz’s former club, Watford, in his debut match.
How Did Sheffield Wednesday Perform Against Watford?
After a week of training, the former assistant of Bayern Munich and the German National Team made several changes to the team for the Vicarage Road fixture. Only Cameron Dawson, Dominic Iorfa, and Callum Patterson retained their spots from the goalless draw with Huddersfield Town on October 7th.
In a match that lacked overall quality and remained highly competitive, Wednesday did well for most of the game in containing and frustrating Watford’s attacks. They also had their own opportunities to score, with Josh Windass and Jeff Hendrick having the best chances from the Owls’ perspective, despite a penalty initially awarded for a foul on Anthony Musaba being overturned.
Ultimately, Watford secured a 3-0 victory with substitute Yaser Asprilla scoring just eight minutes from time, leaving Rohl without any points in his first Championship match. Sheffield Wednesday is still searching for their first win of the season.
What Were Danny Rohl’s Comments After His First Game in Charge?
In his post-match interview with YorkshireLive, Rohl expressed initial disappointment despite believing that his team deserved a point on the road.
“I’m somewhat disappointed because we gave our all on the field. We displayed a strong side and made it tough for our opponents to beat us.”
However, Rohl remains optimistic and sees promising signs in the team’s performance that will be crucial for the club’s survival.
“In the end, it’s a positive step forward, even though we didn’t secure any points. I told the guys they had a hard week of training, and we’ll take the positives from this match and prepare for the next one.”
“I’m confident in the team’s abilities, and I believe we can achieve our goals. We’re ready to face the challenges of a long season. This was a positive signal of our readiness. It’s essential to showcase our initial impressions on the field. Hopefully, with the support of our fans and the belief and energy in the dressing room, we can move forward.”
“I aim to build a team that’s defensively compact with good spacing between players. We need to be composed on the ball and maintain possession to create opportunities. In the first half, I saw some positive actions, and now it’s about learning from our mistakes and progressing,” Rohl continued.
Can Sheffield Wednesday Survive?
Despite Rohl’s optimism following the performance, the odds of survival appear daunting for Sheffield Wednesday. In fact, the club now holds the record for the lowest points total after 12 league games at the Championship level.
Next on the schedule for Wednesday is a crucial away match against Plymouth Argyle. Despite dropping to 21st in the table, Argyle managed a goalless draw against West Bromwich Albion. Rohl and his players must target this game against another newly-promoted side as a must-win, as their survival hopes hang in the balance.
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