Sheffield Wednesday must fire back from the unacceptable - but Danny Röhl not immune from criticism

The one guarantee Danny Rohl’s chastened players MUST provide for the last six games of the season is absolutely no repeat of the second scenario.

Shameful no-shows at Ipswich and Middlesbrough are not only two too many, they point most alarmingly to a serious character flaw in the Owls squad that few had contemplated.

We took it for granted that, for all its limitations, attitude wasn’t in question.

Apparent lack of effort is a rare beast, usually a misguided term for playing badly. It’s a charge easy to level and hard to prove, but I was shocked into breaking my taboo on that at the Riverside Stadium on Monday - because that was unmistakably the way it looked, collectively.

You can make no more serious accusation against a group of professionals - and their response to it, those who are chosen, at QPR on Saturday will define the rest of the relegation escape attempt.

Where is the excuse? It’s no secret they love playing for Rohl and his coaching team. Has the relationship become too comfortable? If so, the young boss’s scathing reaction to the meek Middlesbrough submission must have shattered any illusions.

Not that the ever popular Rohl can be totally immune from criticism.

It won’t, of course, be the young German’s fault if Wednesday go down - ultimately the blame belongs above him. Nor can you accuse him of negativity considering all his line-ups are attack-loaded.

However, you can question him persevering with three up front when there is precious little service or substance from an overrun midfield.

Also, there is no central target man, no physical presence. So if it’s to be a front three, why no Michael Smith? Or the even more isolated Lee Gregory, the best hold-up man in the club?

And why the persistence in dicing with danger by playing out from the back? Mind you everyone’s doing it.

Bottom line, though, is that Rohl’s not the reason Wednesday are in this mess. He’s done brilliantly to give them what is still a realistic chance to drag themselves out of it.

It’s just that there seemed to be a hugely misplaced sense of confidence bordering on complacency among his strolling players at Middlesbrough. Just sit behind the ball, let them have it, we’ll break when we need to.

As the game drifted away, no drive, no urgency - or, to use Rohl’s word, simply “nothing.”

Along with one of the most damning comments imaginable: “Some players on the pitch always demand and expect to play. They have to show up - if not, please be quiet.”

All the noise from now on has to be on the pitch - or it will be only Rohl who doesn’t let Wednesday go quietly.