Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl believes 50 points may not be enough to avoid relegation from the Championship as he prepares to enter the final three games of the season.
The Owls are 23rd in the table following a 1-1 draw with Stoke City at the weekend. It was something of a missed opportunity for the Yorkshire side, with just three points separating the two sides before kick-off. Despite taking a second half lead through Liam Palmer, the Potters saw Luke Cundle restore parity and the game ended with the points shared.
For Wednesday, it was a result which did them no favours, with relegation rivals Huddersfield Town earning themselves a draw, whilst Birmingham City recorded an important win over Coventry City.
Rohl’s side are currently tied with the Terriers on 44 points. Birmingham’s victory lifted them out of the bottom three and up to 45 points. Who joins Rotherham United in League One next season is anyone’s guess, with that magic 50 point marker still to be achieved by a number of teams.
It’s a benchmark which has often been classed as the number to reach to guarantee safety, but Rohl believes this season could be different. Speaking following Saturday’s draw at Hillsborough, the 34-year-old said, via the Yorkshire Post:
“We have to be mentally strong. We have to go for nine points and we can take nine points. That means 53 points and then we’ll see what we get.
“At the moment, I am not really sure if 50 is enough this season.”
Their next game comes against a team they could still catch in Blackburn Rovers, with the clash scheduled for Sunday lunchtime. Speaking of the fixture, the German said:
“Whether it is fair or not fair, it’s not my decision. We have to take it. So many things are not fair, but I cannot change this.”
Three successive wins will be a tall order. However, Wednesday have lost just one of their last five, albeit with three draws. These dropped points could prove costly, a view echoed by the manager:
“It’s my job. In my first job as a manager, I will get all the experience. Sometimes, you need 10 years for this experience with all the things around. This has been unbelievable.
“In the home games against Cardiff, Watford, Swansea and Stoke, we took just three points in all four games when we were better at home. But it makes no sense to think about it and we must try and keep going.”
Following the trip to Ewood Park, the Owls welcome West Bromwich Albion to S6 before finishing with a tough trip to Sunderland.
Writer’s View
Rohl will of course be targeting all nine points, but the reality is that six will probably be enough. Seven teams – aside from Rotherham – are still to yet reach the 50 point marker and it’s hard to see at least five teams achieving this milestone.
The young German has done an admirable job in pulling the team back into survival contention, but it looks to be a little too late. Wednesday must be favourites to make an immediate return to League One. However, it is so tight that at this stage, it’s anyone’s guess.
Head of Writing
