"A very real possibility" - Sheffield Wednesday concerns issued over potential Southampton, Danny Rohl approach | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit shares his thoughts on the links with Danny Röhl and Southampton.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Southampton’s sacking of Russell Martin following their 5-0 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday night will have several Championship clubs worrying about the future of their managers - and one of those is Sheffield Wednesday.

The Owls' progressive young boss, Danny Röhl, has already received great credit for the job he’s done at Hillsborough, despite only being just over a year into the job.

Now, according to The Sun's Jack Rosser, Röhl has ‘admirers’ at Southampton, who previously spent time with Saints as assistant to Ralph Hasenhüttl, having also worked with the Austrian boss at RB Leipzig before following him to the south coast of England.

However, talkSPORT have reported that a compensation package to bring Rohl back to St Mary's Stadium could prove too expensive for the Southampton hierarchy, which would be a blessing in disguise for Sheffield Wednesday.

Official Southampton approach for Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl feels inevitable

When you consider the fact that Röhl has worked at Southampton previously and knows the inner workings of the club, an approach from Saints seems more likely than not.

The 35-year-old has done a fantastic job at Hillsborough so far and currently has Wednesday sat as high as 9th place in the Championship, having hauled them to safety last term.

With that in mind, we asked our resident Wednesday fan pundit, Patrick McKenna, whether he expects Southampton to come in with an approach for the German.

Patrick told FLW: “It’s a very real possibility that we certainly have to think about and can’t completely be dismissed.

“During his time at Southampton he was very well thought of by the club and there seems to be some really positive memories of him from the fans. It’s certainly the sort of club that fits in with Danny Röhl’s philosophy and ambitions as a boss.

“So unfortunately, yes, in the next week or so I can foresee an approach from Southampton.”

However, when asked whether he believes Röhl would take up a potential opportunity to takeover on the South Coast, Patrick was far more uncertain.

“There’s a very real possibility that if Southampton do come in, he’ll be off and there’s no way that any Wednesday fan could begrudge him that," Patrick added.

“Even with their almost inevitable relegation, Southampton as a club are far ahead of Wednesday in terms of infrastructure, squad and funds available.

“But to be honest, my gut feeling is that right now he wouldn’t go.

“I know last season he performed a miracle in the Championship with us, but performing a similar miracle in the Premier League is a step-up, and I’m really not sure if he would achieve that.

“So, within his first few months of managing in the Premier League, would he want a relegation against him? I don’t think he would, so I think he might not go now, at this particular stage of the season.

“But if Southampton came again in the summer, I’d be very afraid of losing him then.”

Losing Danny Röhl would be a huge blow to Wednesday

If Röhl does eventually leave to join Southampton, it will undoubtedly be a huge blow for Wednesday.

Röhl’s arrival in October 2023 prompted a huge turnaround in Wednesday’s fortunes and saved them from a seemingly inevitable return to League One.

The German joined with the Owls already sat seven points adrift of safety, after previous incumbent Xisco Munoz had taken charge of the club's worst ever start to a season, failing to win any of the opening 10 league games.

Röhl eventually led Wednesday to a 20th placed finish on their return to the Championship, ending the season three points above the drop zone. In the time between Röhl joining and the end of the season, Wednesday were the second tier’s 9th best team.

He also has the Owls ninth in the Championship this season and only five points off the play-off positions at present, and his achievements have been made all the more impressive by the fact that he faces a near-constant battle with controversial owner Dejphon Chansiri to ensure he gets the backing he needs to take the team forward.

It’s vitally important for Wednesday that Chansiri recognises that Röhl is crucial to the club’s progression and does everything in his power to ensure he remains at Hillsborough.

If the German was to depart South Yorkshire, it would be a real kick in the teeth for Wednesday and could put a stop to their recent improvement.