The Owls return from their pre-season training camp in Europe today (Saturday) fresh off a hugely positive second hour showing against Bundesliga side Werder Bremen in Zell am Ziller. In a clash cut into four half-hour quarters in a bid to expand the workload of players on both sides, the Owls battled back from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2.
The majority of Wednesday’s biggest names were held back until the final two quarters and got their reward for a strong performance thanks to well-taken goals from Anthony Musaba and Djeidi Gassama. It was put to Röhl that the side that played out that second hour looked something close to what many supporters would expect to be the starting line-up for their Championship opener against Plymouth Argyle.
“Two weeks is a long time, but of course I see your point,” he told The Star, encouraging players expected to be on the fringe of things to do everything in their power to force their way in. “At the start you make a mix in the main part of pre-season. Now we see a bit more what it could be, it was good, it is still open for everybody. But now they must deliver, it is not about finding excuses, it is about ‘just do it’. I demand a lot, there are a lot of things I want to see and when you get a chance you must take it.”
Coaching staff have used the summer period to further instil Röhl’s philosophies into the squad and build on the work done since their arrival in October last year. The second hour in Zell am Ziller displayed a lot of things they’ve been pushing for, leaving the Wednesday boss glowing.
“I am convinced in the way we want to do things,” he said. “We trained a lot on this, also against the ball, big pressing, double-pressing, a good net, we pressed well and rotated. There are still things we want to improve. At the end we could have kept the ball instead of taking the risks and getting transition actions against us, but these are the things we will improve in the next two weeks. I think we will be ready and now in the next two days we recover in our minds, in the legs, get more intensity in our game. It’s been a big day.”