Sheffield Wednesday players urged to be 'braver' as boss makes Leeds United claim ahead of Ipswich Town trip

The Owls played out a 2-0 defeat to their title-challenging Yorkshire rivals last Friday evening and face another tough prospect this weekend with a trip to Leeds' fellow promotion battlers Ipswich Town. One point separates Wednesday from the safety places with an 11-point gap having been eaten up by some outstanding recent form.

Röhl's side earned plaudits for their performance against a Leeds side stationed at the other end of the table but gave an honest appraisal of their performance when speaking ahead of their Ipswich trip, encouraging his players to be braver in their technical decisions down in Suffolk.

"There are things we can take from the Leeds game," Röhl said. "In some phases we were not brave enough. I know when you play against a strong side it is about finding a balance between doing something special. I spoke to my team after the Leeds game and it's not about doing something special, it's about being brave and being on the front-foot in both directions. We have to take this to Ipswich and be brave.

"I want to see a team on the weekend that have belief to take something there, to be brave in all the situations. They (Ipswich) are on a great run, they're doing well, they have had a lot of games where they are decided very late and this is a key point. We are preparing for this as well.

"I think I have a starting 11 in my mind, I think they could be the right players. We had a big first half against Leeds, we played not bad and we were competitive. We were unlucky with the goal and these are the key moments. We must be ruthless in both boxes."

Describing Ipswich as a 'role model' for how they have gone about their run from the midtable of League One to the Championship promotion race inside two years, Röhl maintained his promise that no Wednesday side he manages will look to 'park the bus' no matter the opponent.

"I am a manager who has clear idea of what I want," he said. "Of course there are times in a game you have to defend in a different way and you have to be compact and protect your box. This is normal. But overall I am not a manager who will go there and look to park the bus, we have played against the strong sides and will always try to be on the front foot. We have to find the right balance and the right moments, when we go forwards and when we wait for the pressing trigger for example.

"Against Leeds we did a good game, but a good game against Leeds is not enough. This is then about being ready for the key moments. Of course they had some good chances but this is normal as we took more risks. The first half was all Sheffield Wednesday and the feeling in the stadium reflected this. It is not about playing well, we have to do it all the time and we lost it in the last 20 seconds. It was a pity that two conceded goals were not well played, it was about how we reacted.

"We must be ready for this game. Every game we have a chance, always. It is about how we react, how brave we are and if we do well then we have a chance."