He’s been in the job for less than two months, but Danny Röhl has already orchestrated a symphony of excitement around Hillsborough. Every Wednesdayite around the world found themselves searching ‘Who is Danny Röhl?’ on the day he was appointed, but as of yet, the 34-year-old has exceeded expectations.
Röhl was appointed by Sheffield Wednesday on October 13, and although he has only been in charge for nine games, he has harmonised a disjointed fanbase and instilled the buzz around Hillsborough that diminished when Darren Moore left the club in June.
A fearless revamp
Röhl made it clear early that he wasn’t afraid to make changes. He established an aggressive footballing philosophy, where the players were expected to press from the front and move the ball quickly from defence to attack. He made big decisions, resisting calls from the fans to drop the likes of Cameron Dawson and Bambo Diaby and brought back Marvin Johnson from the exile forced upon him by previous manager Xisco Muñoz.
And so far, the decisions have paid off. Sheffield Wednesday have accumulated three wins since Röhl took over, including a 3-1 victory over playoff hopefuls Blackburn Rovers. Goals have begun to flow again, and the defence looks much more secure. The side is unrecognisable from the one led by Muñoz just a few months ago.
Progress on and off the pitch
It is no question that Sheffield Wednesday have been run terribly in recent years, and so it has delighted fans to see that it isn't just on the footballing side of things that Röhl has been revolutionising.
18-year-old striker Bailey Cadamarteri - who was integrated into the first team by Röhl - recently signed a new contract with the club. The efficiency of the talks between Cadamarteri and the club highlights the progress the club has made already in Röhl’s brief stint.
In recent years, many of Wednesday’s brightest prospects such as Osaze Urhoghide, George Hirst, Liam Shaw, and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru have all signed for other clubs upon the expiry of their contracts for a reduced compensation package.
Although there may have never been a risk of losing Cadamarteri in the near future, the news of his new contract was tremendously well received by fans who feared he would eventually leave the club in a similar fashion. The uncharacteristic proactiveness shown to conclude talks before there was any risk of losing Cadamarteri reflects the club's new strategic and shrewd business practices.
Röhl’s willingness to secure Cadamarteri’s commitment to the club sends a clear message to Sheffield Wednesday fans. He is leading the club away from the uncertainties of the past and into a positive future where the club is actively working to build a stable and sustainable future.
Strong backroom staff
While documentation issues slowed the process, Röhl moved quickly to establish a strong backroom team.
He began by appointing Sascha Lense as performance manager. Lense had previously worked under Ralf Ragnick at Manchester United and has accumulated years of experience within the German leagues.
Former Charlton manager Chris Powell then followed. He joined as an assistant coach to provide valuable insight into EFL football for the coaching staff. Powell had previously worked at Tottenham Hotspur and for the England national team, adding further depth to what was shaping up to be a very experienced backroom.
Henrik Pedersen arrived as another assistant coach, alongside new goalkeeping coach Sal Bibbo. Pedersen was familiar with Röhl from their time in the Red Bull set up together and seemed another astute appointment. Bibbo, on the other hand, had gathered experience at premier clubs such as Brighton and Hove Albion and Arsenal and is sure to add even more experience to Sheffield Wednesday.
Neil Thompson, who was the caretaker manager before Röhl was appointed, was promoted to part of the first-team coaching staff from his previous role as manager of the under 21s.
The construction of a strong coaching staff will certainly boost Röhl’s chances of keeping Sheffield Wednesday from relegation.
Only the beginning
Sheffield Wednesday supporters, buoyed by early positive signs, are now eagerly anticipating more under Röhl's leadership. The shared hope is palpable, with fans yearning for sustained success and a bright future for their beloved team under the guidance of this promising new manager.
This season poses a formidable challenge for Sheffield Wednesday, still trailing by eight points. However, under Röhl's leadership, there's a renewed sense of hope that the team might just find the resilience and determination needed to have a fighting chance of staying up.