Exclusive: "Left in the lurch" claim made as Sheffield Wednesday, Danny Rohl drama continues | OneFootball

Danny Rohl could continue as Sheffield Wednesday manager, and not every player has taken kindly to it

There is still uncertainty around whether Danny Rohl will be in the Sheffield Wednesday dugout at the start of the new season.

It was only last month that it seemed an open secret that Rohl was leaving amid ownership issues with the Owls, to the point that the 36-year-old personally invited German newspaper Bild to Hillsborough Stadium, where he discussed his next steps in management.

That, understandably, did not go down well with those around the club, and when Rohl unexpectedly returned part-way through pre-season to begin managing the team again, a number of linked moves having fell through, some players were reportedly not keen.

We asked pundit and former professional Lee Hendrie about how he might have felt in the shoes of those Wednesday players.

Wednesday players’ frustration understandable, but there’s a job to do

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Hendrie said: “Yeah, the Danny Rohl situation is that a lot of the players reportedly didn't want him to return.

“I think if I was a player myself, listen, you have to get your head down, you have to get on with things, because decisions can be changed quite quickly, and this seems to be the case with Danny Rohl.

“Obviously, he was linked with a number of clubs, he was leaving the club.

“But coming back, I can only suggest that with players being frustrated, I think they feel maybe they've been left in the lurch, and that's where you can understand from a player’s perspective.

“Probably gives them something to go at as in, you know, maybe offers and promises of things and then walks away from the football club, that's a disappointment to the players.

“So, yeah, I think this thing needs to be ironed out completely from the top to the bottom, and that's Danny Rohl sorting things out. If he is to stay, if he's going to stay, and he's keeping his players.”

Rohl must learn a lesson from this saga

Ownership issues or not, Rohl felt destined for a higher level after the work he’d done with the Owls, rescuing them from relegation in his first season before helping them climb to a respectable 12th position the season after.

Add in the toxicity of the Chansiri saga, and top-level interest from the likes of Wolfsburg, RB Leipzig and Leicester City, among others, and it’s not particularly surprising that Rohl was keen to take the next step.

Few would have blamed him, but the way he handled the potential exit left a lot to be desired, openly hinting about his future with the season yet to end and pulling stunts like the one that saw him invite German media to his current employer’s own stadium.

Exiting a club, especially one in the position of the Owls, is to be done discreetly and respectfully, not to mention they are the side that put him on the map as a no.1.

Moves are not confirmed until the ink is dry, and Rohl has learned that the hard way, with many of the clubs he seemed to have his pick of now having appointed other candidates, and he is left heading back to the club he had readily severed ties with.

Whether Rohl’s return lasts for long remains to be seen, but his handling of the situation should provide the German coach with plenty to reflect on.