Sheffield Wednesday Manager Danny Rohl Urges Ambition in January Transfer Window

Danny Rohl, the manager of Sheffield Wednesday, has expressed his contentment with his current role, despite recent reports connecting him to open positions at Southampton and Hamburg. However, he emphasized his desire for the club to demonstrate ambition during the January transfer window. The 35-year-old German coach assumed leadership at Hillsborough in October 2023, following the team’s historically poor start to the season. He successfully steered them to secure Championship safety in May, and currently, after 21 games, they are positioned five points away from the play-off spots. Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield, Rohl stated, “The most important key point is that I’m here and I decide to stay here. I feel very well.” He further commented on the nature of the sport, saying, “In football there are a lot of rumours around a person if you are successful – it’s a normal way.” Rohl articulated his perspective, stating, “I’m very clear in my mind what I want to do. I know we have started a journey 14 months ago and I know my team is still hungry for more and we want to develop and make the next step.” He also mentioned, “I spoke a lot about the topic of what I want to do and see but also what we have to do.” Regarding the upcoming transfer period, he remarked, “The next opportunity is in 12 days [when the transfer window opens] and let’s see what we are doing. If we really want to attack or we are just talking.” Sheffield Wednesday has not participated in the Premier League since 2000, nor have they secured a top-six finish in the Championship since 2017. A significant portion of the Owls’ achievements this season can be attributed to their strong performance in away matches. Specifically, they have secured victories in five out of 10 away fixtures, in contrast to only three wins from 11 matches played at Hillsborough. Rohl’s squad is set to host Stoke on Saturday at 12:30 GMT, and he suggests that opposing teams are adopting different strategies to try and quiet the home supporters. He observed, “The expectations are higher. Last season we had really nice atmospheres whoever the opponent was.” Rohl reflected, “Last season it was about sticking together and celebrating the small actions – I can remember the crowd was really there if there was a good tackle. This year it is sometimes a little bit quieter.” He added, “I have the feeling that clubs when they come here are looking first for a point. Last year we were a little bit more the underdog.” Concluding his thoughts on this shift, he stated, “The opponents now are deeper and that means you have to do more in the game and improve as a group and be stronger against the new challenges.”