Danny Röhl’s final whistle reaction revealed plenty about his Sheffield Wednesday mindset

Because at the final whistle of Sheffield Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat at Watford, Danny Röhl’s first as Owls boss, they had every right to feel aggrieved after seeing a promising performance and moments of huge encouragement go unrewarded.

A chin-scratching penalty retraction, good chances made and a late concession to a side that had been kept at arm’s length for the most part - of Wednesday’s nine Championship defeats this season, this one will have stung more than most.

But there was no bottle-booting. Röhl’s reaction was one of genuine satisfaction and positivity at what he’d seen, turning to his newly-assembled coaching colleagues and exchanging warm words. The result was disappointing, he’d later admit, but few watching wouldn’t agree with the German’s assertion that encouraging steps had been taken straight out of the blocks.

A nine-point gap to the safety places has been opened up but with important matches scheduled to come thick and fast, there’s no time to waste. Röhl speaks with a quiet authority and told reporters he is ‘convinced’ of Wednesday’s ability to retain their Championship status.

“I’m convinced about the team and that we can do this (survive),” he said. “We’re up for the fight and it’s a long season. For me it was a good signal of how we’re ready. It’s important to get first impressions out on the pitch. Hopefully we can go forward with our fans to create energy and in the dressing room there’s belief and energy.

“This was a good step for me. I want us to be a team who is very compact defensively with good distances between each other. We need to be calm on the ball. We need possession to create something. In the first half I saw some good actions and now it’s about taking the good things, analysing the not so good things and moving forward.”