Danny Rohl's future at Sheffield Wednesday could be decided by Chansiri this month | OneFootball

Danny Röhl needs to be provided with the tools to strengthen in January, or he may re-think his future in the summer.

Sheffield Wednesday’s January transfer window could prove to be a pivotal month for the future of their boss Danny Röhl.

The Owls are currently flying high in the top half of the Championship and could find themselves on the cusp of the play-offs, if they get the January window right.

Controversial owner Dejphon Chansiri has been unpredictable at best during his time in charge of Wednesday, but it’s vitally important he provides Röhl with the tools to effectively strengthen his squad in January, or it could potentially have a huge impact on where the German sees his future.

Röhl is a very highly rated young coach and has already caught the eye of some of Europe’s top-level clubs, with both Southampton and Hamburg thought to have been interested in him back in December.

Röhl has done an outstanding job at Sheffield Wednesday

It is no understatement to say that what Röhl has achieved so far in South Yorkshire is incredible.

He came into the club in October 2023, with the Owls winless in their first 10 games and already seven points adrift of safety in the second tier.

Röhl oversaw a remarkable turnaround at Hillsborough and eventually kept Wednesday up by three points. He’s built on those foundations that he established last season, and now has the Owls firmly in the play-off picture just after the halfway stage.

Wednesday are outside the Championship's top six by just three points, as they chase a first second tier play-off berth since the 2016/17 season.

Röhl has achieved all this working alongside Thai owner Chansiri, who has notoriously made life difficult for managers at Wednesday.

A prime example of this came at the end of December, when it was revealed by the Sheffield Star that communication between Röhl and Chansiri over the club’s plans for the January transfer window had broken down.

Röhl has spoken previously about the need for signings at Hillsborough in order to achieve his and the club’s Premier League ambitions, but it is looking unlikely at present that Chansiri will facilitate this.

The ex-Germany assistant has been up against it from the start where Chansiri is concerned. The 35-year-old was almost immediately faced with a registration embargo when he joined the club, as a result of an unpaid tax bill. Just a month prior, Chansiri had announced that he would no longer be putting money into the club, amidst protests towards his ownership.

Given the circumstances, the job Röhl has done, to firstly secure Wednesday’s second tier status and then lead them up toward the play-offs, with fairly little investment, is outstanding.

The January window could be pivotal for Röhl’s future

Given the relationship between Röhl and Chansiri, you get the impression that things could come to a head at Wednesday during the January window.

Röhl will be desperate to be handed any sort of competitive budget by Chansiri, enabling him to bring in the players he needs and potentially repay the owner with a play-off finish and maybe even a shot at winning promotion to the Premier League.

However, if funds are not made available for Röhl to make the improvements he needs, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see him decide enough is enough in the summer.

He’s been linked with Premier League jobs in the past, and with his stock continuing to rise this season with the fantastic job he is continuing to do at Wednesday, those links look unlikely to stop coming any time soon.

One thing Wednesday really can’t afford is to lose the German. He is very much the jewel in their crown at present and while it is inevitable that he will depart the club at some point in the future, it’s highly likely the Owls wouldn’t achieve the same level of success without him.

He’s worked wonders under difficult circumstances, getting the most out of a squad that it’s fair to say is significantly outperforming where it perhaps should be.

The January window will be vitally important for Wednesday in terms of deciding their fate in the second half of this season, but it could also be massive in deciding the immediate future of their prized boss.