"Not able to" - Danny Rohl issues scathing Sheffield Wednesday verdict after Stoke City defeat | OneFootball

The Owls' recent form has been a major concern, and Rohl was in no mood to defend what he's seeing from his team.

Danny Rohl has issued a scathing verdict on his Sheffield Wednesday players as the Owls' winless run stretched to six games with a 2-0 defeat to Stoke City on Good Friday.

The South Yorkshire outfit have, as a result, seen their faint play-off hopes slip into the abyss, and whilst they can no longer be mathematically relegated to League One, the German has claimed that next season will be a "big fight" against the drop as recent negativity continues to circle around Hillsborough.

Rohl has been linked with the vacancies at his former club, Southampton, and Leicester City in recent weeks as Wednesdayites continue to protest against the day-to-day running of the club overseen by controversial owner, Dejphon Chansiri.

However, a 2-0 defeat at the bet365 Stadium did nothing to ease such matters, as Wednesday offered next-to-no attacking threat throughout the 90 minutes and were seen off by goals from Million Manhoef and a bizarre mishap from Pierce Charles, which Stoke defender, Ben Wilmot, was the grateful recipient of.

Danny Rohl slams Sheffield Wednesday players as recent winless run continues

Speaking in his post-match press conference, the 35-year-old, who has overseen a vast amount of progression in S6 since taking the reins in October 2023, believes that some of his current squad aren't cut out to play his style of football, stating that it cannot be compared to the period in which he oversaw a 'great escape' act during his first 35 games in charge.

“I think my feeling is disappointment, but two things – first, we have to separate the last four or five results from the previous 18 months," he said via the Yorkshire Post.

"At the moment, we’re damaging our good work a little bit, and on the other side, the last couple of weeks, some players showed that they’re not able to play my football. We speak about quality, decision-making.

“If you want to improve as a club, you have to do a lot of things right in the summer, otherwise – and this is what I tell you – next season will be a big, big fight to stay in this league because we have a big group of players that are not able to play at this level – not my football. I must say this today very directly," Rohl stated.

“I think I protect all my players again and again, I take all the responsibility, I give chances now to players to see what they can do, but the results at the moment are not what they should be.

“And I demand, at the moment, not special things. For me, it’s about basics," the Owls boss concluded.

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It remains to be seen whether Rohl will still be in the Hillsborough dugout at the start of next season amid continuous links with a move away, as well as tales of frustration at various points of the current season.

According to Transfermarkt, including loanees in the form of Shea Charles, James Beadle and Ibrahim Cissoko, the Owls are set to lose an array of experienced mainstays such as Liam Palmer, Callum Paterson, Michael Smith and club captain, Barry Bannan.

Regardless, an overhaul of players is needed within the squad if Wednesday are to progress next season having reverted to their previous type in recent weeks, having the worst form in the division in the last six games, with just two points collected out of a possible 18 as well as finding the back of the net just thrice in said period.

Rohl's side will look to end the season on a much more positive note as they return to Hillsborough on Easter Monday to take on play-off-chasing Middlesbrough before facing Portsmouth on home turf just five days later, although the Owls have collected just 22 points from their 21 encounters in the Steel City thus far.