Danny Rohl expects Sheffield Wednesday groundwork to bring happy returns over Christmas

Although the madness of an English footballing Festive period is far removed to what Rohl is used to in Germany, where they take a winter break, it is not entirely foreign to him having been on Southampton's coaching staff five years ago.

And whatever the physical challenges, they go into it in good heart having taken 10 points from their last five matches to move off the bottom of the Championship and into a position to threaten 21st-placed Huddersfield Town over Christmas.

To get to that point has not only involved a lot of tactical work driven by a manager appointed when the Owls were still winless in October, but also a lot of physical work he believes will pay off in the congested period.

"From a physical point of view you have to find a balance between a little bit of rotation and still keeping a group strong enough to cover the next game," he said. "When I see how fresh my players are and how much energy they have two days after a game it's always a good signal.

"Sometimes two days after a game it's a little bit hard to come in but they enjoy to play football, they enjoy to be here (at Middlewood Road) and they show the energy to go again.

"The good thing when I came to Southampton was that I arrived on the sixth of December so I was a little bit more fresh!

"I know it's hard doing Boxing Day and you have lots of games, you have to travel but the reason why we trained hard was to create a foundation and to have our habits so we can adapt a little bit what we need but it's not completely new.

"It's very important because our players can be shown a video and say, 'Okay, guys today we have to adapt in this and this area a little bit more because the opponent we face will do this and this,' and this is much easier. If you start from zero and have no habits, it's difficult."

The Owls host Cardiff City on Saturday before finishing the year with games at Coventry City (Boxing Day) and Preston North End (29th). They then entertain Hull City on the evening of New Year's Day.

Rohl, whose wife and children flew in late last week and whose parents come in this, has no issues making sacrifices he did not have to in previous jobs on the coaching staffs of RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and Germany.

"We are all professional guys and there are things we have to do," he said. "You can always get energy from your family, then it's about finding the balance with more video meetings and not so much on the pitch, more training for the mind, giving advice.

"But the players know, they've done it in the past over Christmas.

"I hope the fans enjoy this time – a lot of good football and family time, good food and all the things you need for a good life. For us it's all about making a good performance and making the fans happy."

Meanwhile Hull coach Liam Rosenior will have to watch his side's Championship game at Bristol City on Friday from the stands.

The 39-year-old received a one-match ban and £2,500 for misconduct in the December 9 game at Queens Park Rangers.