Danny Rohl's message to his Sheffield Wednesday players about the Championship table

Six wins in nine league matches since the start of last month have totally transformed Wednesday’s campaign with the Hillsborough outfit having propped up the division for most of the first half of 2023-24.

Prior to the arrival of Rohl, Wednesday looked totally bereft of hope. Now, they have given themselves a realistic chance of survival with 20 games left in the season.

As it stands, they are just third points adrift of the side just outside of the bottom three in Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town, who they visit in a relegation ‘six-pointer’ on February 3.

The following week, the Owls host the team just above the Terriers in Birmingham City.

Rohl’s side have also to still play the likes of Plymouth Argyle and Stoke City at home before the end of the campaign, but the German has stressed that he believes that the battle to stay up will go right to the wire.

Rohl, whose side visit high-flying Southampton on Saturday, said: "It’s about us and we have to look to take points, points, points and then we will see how many teams are around the bottom of the table.

"But what is clear - and I have spoken to my players and they know - is that they don’t look too much at the table at the moment as it’s about our games and taking (more) points and then we will see if we are close and how many teams are around us.

"And if we make enough points in the last eight games, I think then we are in a good way.”

After bringing in Brighton loan goalkeeper James Beadle, the Owls are chasing several other new recruits, including West Ham’s Conor Coventry and Brentford attacking midfielder Myles Peart-Harris.

Michael Smith continues to be linked with a reunion with Paul Warne at Derby, while Lee Gregory is also believed to be attracting interest, with Mansfield Town among his admirers.