Danny Röhl wants 'clear strategy' for Sheffield Wednesday with Dejphon Chansiri talks soon

All focus is on Wednesday’s clash with Sunderland this weekend, from which a point will secure safety for the Owls after a remarkable resurgence in the last few months. Beyond that lies the hope that Röhl will be satisfied with talks to be had with Owls owner Chansiri about the future direction of the club and changes he believes are required to take the club ‘to the next level’.

“We will speak, like always, and then go forward,” he said after Saturday’s win over West Bromwich Albion before he was asked whether the post-match scenes had furthered his motivation to build a dynasty at S6. “I think it is not about motivation, you know this. When I see the supporters and the togetherness, this is not the crucial thing.”

The ‘crucial thing’ appears to be the progression of talks with Chansiri. The Owls boss has long spoken a handful of times about the need to further the off-field infrastructure at Wednesday - and has hinted at a change in profile within the playing squad. With some suggestions up to 20 senior players are coming to the end of their contracts of loans with the club, it looks set to be a busy summer.

Speaking exclusively to The Star two days on at The Star Sports Awards, Röhl was asked what assurances he feels he needs to ensure he stays on to continue the job at S6.

“I need a clear strategy of what we can do and what we want to do,” Röhl said after a pause. “I am very hungry for more and when you feel the atmosphere in the stadium you can feel that everybody is hungry for more at this club. The experience of the Championship shows us we must be prepared for a tough season and I think the biggest mistake you can make is to think it is good enough what we are doing now.

“Now we must make the next step and for this we must bring all the things together on the table and we must speak about this. We have a clear direction on what we have to improve and if we can do this I think we can go into a good pre-season, this is important. And then we go into the next season.”

Details of the strategy Röhl has in mind looks like remains to be seen. Chansiri has previously expressed a resistance to the idea of ‘five-year plans’, though it will be hoped that he will be open and able to deliver what his manager has in mind. Owls captain Barry Bannan has described the German coach as the best he has ever worked with and believes Wednesday would be well set for a promotion push if they can keep him on board and back his plan.

“We will have some meetings in the following days,” Röhl said on when he plans to submit a proposal to Chansiri. “This is important. We are still not safe, this is the crucial thing. In the last weeks and months we have had more and more points and this is important, the experience from the games, the Championship and what it means.

“You see how quickly it goes in one direction or the other and we have to do the right things. For this we have to use the summer, to not do everything in the last weeks. It is important we go straight into the next season and we are prepared immediately.”