Sheffield Wednesday: Danny Rohl’s cryptic Dejphon Chansiri comments are unfair

It has been a much-improved season for Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship so far, but they are facing a crucial January transfer window.

After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Wednesday have made clear progress under Danny Rohl in the opening months of this campaign, and while a play-off push may be a step too far, a top-half finish could certainly be on the cards.

Rohl oversaw a big rebuild over the summer with 11 new signings arriving at Hillsborough during the course of the transfer window, and many of those new additions have made a positive impact.

However, the Owls are still lacking the quality needed in certain areas of the squad to challenge for promotion, and if they are to have any chance of reaching the top six this season, they will need to have a strong January.

Rohl has previously spoken of his desire to bring in “impact players”, and he hinted that the focus could be on securing further Premier League loans after the success of the summer deals for James Beadle and Shea Charles, but the German made some eye-catching comments this week that suggest he may be concerned about the level of backing he will receive in the winter window.

Danny Rohl makes intriguing Sheffield Wednesday transfer claim

Speaking after the 1-0 home defeat to Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday night, Rohl appeared to lay down the gauntlet to owner Dejphon Chansiri ahead of January, cryptically stating that the window will allow him to see which direction the club is heading in.

“My statements have been very clear for weeks and months,” Rohl told The Star.

“Not all the things that I recommended are possible. Not all the things are easy in the market. In January we will see in which direction we want to go. We will try our best. Some decisions I cannot influence, I can just recommend. I think if we look back at the summer it is again the same points we have to improve and I work again. I do everything, all the decisions I make are for our success.

“At the moment I don’t really know what is possible for the budget, what is possible for the players; who wants to come, who doesn’t want to come. These are the questions we will try to find answers for. But for more we need extra and everybody can see this, or should see this.”

Rohl’s comments certainly came as a surprise to Wednesday supporters, and while they could be seen as the words of a frustrated manager after a lacklustre performance from his side, many fear that there may be a deeper issue between him and Chansiri.

The need for further investment is undeniable if the Owls are to progress up the Championship table, but Rohl was given support by Chansiri in the summer, and the 35-year-old should think carefully about being publicly critical of his owner.

Ike Ugbo deal highlights Dejphon Chansiri’s Danny Rohl support

Many Wednesday supporters understandably feel they have a special manager on their hands in Rohl, and some worry that the potential success that could be achieved under the former Bayern Munich coach will be wasted if Chansiri does not back him properly.

However, Rohl was allowed to spend £2.5 million on the permanent signing of striker Ike Ugbo from Troyes in the summer, and given Chansiri’s usual reluctance to invest, the deal marked a big shift in approach from the Owls chief.

To put it into context, the fee paid for Ugbo was the highest amount of money Wednesday had spent on a player since they signed defender Joost van Aken for Heerenveen for £3 million in August 2017 during Carlos Carvalhal’s reign, so it shows that Chansiri is willing to push the boat out in order to support Rohl.

Rohl’s predecessors would surely have loved to have been given those funds during their time at Hillsborough, and considering the way that Ugbo has struggled since joining the Owls on a full-time basis, you would have to say that it has not been money well spent so far.

 

Ugbo scored seven goals and provided one assist in 19 games during his loan spell in the second half of last season to help keep Wednesday in the Championship, but the warning signs were there that he was going to find it tough to maintain that form as just one of those goals came in the final two months of the campaign.

Despite that, Rohl pressed ahead with the permanent signing of Ugbo, and while he insists he is convinced the Canada international will eventually come good, there is little sign of that happening at this point, which will be a big frustration for Chansiri.

Rohl is not wrong to state the need for investment in the upcoming transfer windows, but his comments inevitably raised fears that he could walk away if he does not feel the club can match his ambitions, and after numerous protests took place against his ownership last season, it may not take much for the Owls fan base to turn against Chansiri once again.

It was unclear exactly what Rohl was implying with his comments on Tuesday night, but they have sparked plenty of speculation, and with Wednesday in a decent position in the table and making good progress, it is an unwelcome distraction they could do without.

 

 

 

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