Danny Röhl found Sheffield’s stop-start style appealing. Both teams contributed to Wednesday’s thrilling comeback victory at Coventry City, and the team leader was proud of his team’s increased fortitude following a challenging start to the season.
Prior to a seven-point week following a string of five straight losses before the September international break, Wednesday had endured a difficult stretch of play. Their victory in injury time at Coventry completed a valiant effort at this difficult time.
After the game, home manager Mark Robins acknowledged that his team wasn’t playing up to par but said, “You know that’s what you’re going to get,” alluding to what he believed to be the Owls’ intentional disruption of the game. He continued by saying he would have been disappointed even if his team had emerged from the match with a draw. As his team lost in the late stages, Robins was critical of his own team, saying that Wednesday’s team’s agility made them vulnerable to late goals like Shea Charles’ winner.
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When questioned by The Star about whether Robins’ remarks about the Owls may be viewed in some ways as a badge of honour, Röhl replied, “First and foremost, we are Sheffield Wednesday.” “We need to put in the work and be difficult to beat. We were better today, especially against Bristol City; in Bristol, we had too many ball-losing situations, especially in crucial times. I believe that the previous five games we played were really difficult to defeat. Today, however, I witnessed a Sheffield Wednesday squad that can play football on the ground.
Today we were calmer, we played well and now this is the big change in the last weeks – to find the balance in which areas we need to be calm and in which moments we have to overplay the pressing. This is a big learning that we worked on and my team are doing very well at the moment, but you know in football it is just the next game. This is Burnley at home and it will be a tough one.”
A late flashpoint arrived in the clash when Akin Famewo and Coventry attacker Brandon Thomas-Asante got caught up in a tangle that left the Owls defender shirtless. The German coach took a philosophical view of the melee – for which both players were issued a yellow card – and recognised both sides were guilty of deliberate fouling.
Röhl commented, “I didn’t see it,” regarding the late push-and-shove. “I noticed that many players had gathered together. Take a look at this past game; Coventry won 2-1, but there was a problem involving Bambo (the former Owls player Diaby). It is poignant, particularly in the epilogue. I’m not sure what was appropriate or inappropriate. Despite a few tactical fouls where both teams halted transitions, overall it was a fair play game between the two squads.
