Danny Rohl finally departs, but the 'closure' that Sheffield Wednesday truly need seems some way off - Comment
CHAOS as opposed to clarity has been the byword for the darkest of summers at Sheffield Wednesday over the past few tortuous months.
That some finality has now arrived on the footballing side of the operation regarding Danny Rohl is at least something.
Although the closure that Wednesdayites truly hanker for still appears to be some way off regarding increasingly reviled owner Dejphon Chansiri, who remains at the helm of the stricken South Yorkshire outfit.
Rohl's marriage with the Owls has been heading to the divorce courts since last December when Southampton made a move to appoint him, only to be scared off by the compensation fee.
His relationship with Chansiri started to fracture, with a grave breakdown in communication between the pair first exposed at a fans’ forum in mid-January.
A rift behind-the-scenes was brought into the open in no uncertain terms. Ostensibly, it was about recruitment, with Chansiri claiming that he had not been presented with a list of January targets by the German, with there having been no lines of communication between the pair since December.
It's fair to say there were many other tensions.
A fair bit of unseemly politicking has taken place in the press amid an internecine period at S6. Rohl had much to contend with, for sure, but neither did he do himself too many favours on occasions.
Team Rohl had plainly courted several would-be suitors for a good while, both in England and his native Germany and it has been clear as day that his departure would be a case of when, not if.
His recent surprise return to pre-season felt a bit of a charade in truth, with several players expressing concern at Rohl heading back to S6 after summer of upheaval.
Decree nisi has now become decree absolute. It was no quickie divorce, but now the Rohl reign is officially over.
He leaves alongside Sascha Lense, Chris Powell and club stalwart Neil Thompson, who has dedicated almost 15 years of his working life to the club in various capacities...and seen plenty.
Coach Henrik Pedersen has an unenviable task of preparing Wednesday's depleted squad for their season opener at Leicester City on Sunday week, but at least he can now get on with things to a degree.
Even if he is entitled to wonder just what is around the corner. August 10 will come around quickly.
Rohl will be remembered for orchestrating the club's remarkable 'Great Escape' of 2023-24. The present-day battle for Wednesdayites, namely witnessing the club free itself from the yoke of their owner, is a bigger one.
Worrying off-the-field developments continue apace, with the latest seeing the club served with a prohibition notice on the North Stand by Sheffield City Council, due to safety concerns. That the name of one of English football's grand old clubs is continually being dragged through the gutter is making for an unedifying and thoroughly depressing spectacle.