Josh Windass is under no doubt that Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Röhl is the best tactical manager he’s worked with – and has offered a prediction on where the German’s future lies.
For several months, there has been speculation over the Owls manager’s future, with a number of clubs thought to be interested in the talented 36-year-old. Röhl revealed on Wednesday that he has made a ‘choice’ on where he wants to go next, but the Owls are expected to demand substantial compensation terms if approached by bidder clubs.
It creates uncertainty for the coming weeks but what seems to be in no doubt is the thinking of senior players when it comes to Röhl’s tactical talents. Captain Barry Bannan has praised the former Bayern Munich assistant manager as the greatest he has worked with, and Josh Windass has followed suit.
Speaking on what has become a controversial visit on Scottish football podcast Open Goal, Windass was asked whether Röhl is the greatest he’s played under and said: “Tactically and that, yeah. By a mile. He takes everything out of possession, while our assistant, Henrik (Pedersen), removes the majority of what is in possession. However, the detail is unlike anything I’ve seen before.
“He’ll prepare the game plan before the game. Off-ball pressing, mid-third pushing, building up from a goal kick, building up from the mid-third, and the proper positions. He’ll put up the exact same photographs on Monday after we finish the game to ensure that we all followed the match strategy. If you haven’t, he’ll ask, and then you’ll find out.”
Windass described in greater depth how Röhl communicates and analyzes his instructions to players, as well as the routine of team meetings before and after matches. The German coach has mentioned several times about how important these sessions are to his work. He came up through the ranks at RB Leipzig, starting as an analyst, and his methodology is unlike anything seen at Hillsborough before.
“It’ll be a Powerpoint of the match plan and what he’s asked of you and then a visual of the game,” Windass commented. “If you haven’t done it, he’ll tell you that he asked you to stand somewhere; why are you standing here?” You can’t say, “Well, I believe I should be standing here,” since it plainly states that you should have been standing here.
“I have a lot of freedom, but within a system. You need to be there every day to understand. The sessions can last a long time, and you can see some of the guys switching off, but I love it. “You’re constantly learning.”
Rangers, one of Windass’ old clubs, is one of the potential employers for Röhl. Other teams believed to be admirers include RB Leipzig, Wolfsburg, Southampton, Fulham, Crystal Palace, and Leicester City. When asked if he believes the Wednesday manager would take his career to the next level, the Owls’ top scorer replied:
“I do yeah. I don’t think he’ll depart this summer, though. I assume he has a buy-out clause, and do people even pay for managers anymore?”
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