Ipswich Town v Sheffield Wednesday: Danny Rohl calls on Owls to be more 'extreme' against leading lights

The Football League's youngest manager – if you discount interims Gavin Gunning of Swindon Town and Bradfordian Tom Cleverley at Watford – is an all-or-nothing type when it comes to how he wants his team to play football.

In the last seven games it has worked – usually.

Five of those seven have been won, form which has taken the Owls to the brink of getting out of a Championship relegation zone they have been sat in ever since the table was more than a jumped-up form guide.

The exceptions were defeats against Leicester City and Leeds United. They are easily excused.

Looking at the points column of the Championship table tells a story – the top four are way ahead of the rest, three greatly helped by parachute payments after being relegated from last season's Premier League. Between them, they have played 54 matches against the bottom eight and lost just three.

So third-placed Ipswich Town versus Sheffield Wednesday, in 23rd, ought to be a home win.

But in a press conference where he spoke a lot about being braver, there was no question of Rohl running scared at Portman Road.

“They're really strong teams who have a good momentum and are working hard,” the ex-Southampton coach says of the top four. “At both ends of the table there is big competition.

“Belief is always an important thing but when you've taken five wins from the last seven games you have to believe in what we can do.

“When you play against strong sides you need a little bit of momentum. In any game there is a key moment when you can bring your game in one direction or another.

“If we make good decisions, we have a chance.”

At home to Leeds United last week, the Owls came up just short. For 49 first-half minutes they were probably marginally the better side, but Patrick Bamford gave Akin Famewo the slip to convert a sumptuous Junior Firpo cross, and the balance of the game titled. Leeds’ extra class saw them to a 2-0 win.

Rohl's response was clear – do not back off, turn it up to 11.

“I'm not a manager to park the bus,” explains the 34-year-old.

“In the meeting (to review the Leeds game) I showed some situations where we were not brave enough, we can do more. If we play against the strong sides you have to be a little bit extreme.

“Extreme means doing it with 100 per cent again and again.

“We were well organised, we created some chances in transition moments and can play more two against one to create a better chance.

“This is maybe the difference with the second goal we conceded against Leeds. The guy (Willy Gnonto) was brave in his finishing and this is what we can do.

“This week I put my players in situations again and again where they had to score in training games. We have to use every shot we get.

“We had some good phases with the ball, sometimes a good balance to use the second ball to get into the opponent's half but also lure the opponent and play in behind.

“All the things we've improved in the last five months you could see but we lost.

“When people say we did so well against as strong a side as Leeds, unbeaten in 13 (league games) it shows a lot. It shows our mindset at Sheffield Wednesday that we are still hungry for more and this is good. This is what I want to see in the next few weeks.”

Just like extremism, in football “bravery” means something slightly different.

“For example if the opponent have a long pass of 20m, 30m, it means being in positions for front-foot defending, not being a little bit scared about what comes behind us,” he says. “Also when we win the ball, be brave and carry the ball instead of passing too quickly.

“If we have this calmness in the game with the ball, press high and stay in our positioning, we have a big chance to do something.

“Against Leeds it was a good game but a good game against Leeds is not enough.”

Ipswich games have been fairly extreme as it is, late goals either side of a missed penalty turning a 2-1 defeat to Bristol City into a 3-2 win, then strikes in the fifth and 10th added minute seeing them throw away a 1-0 win at Cardiff City last Saturday.

It suggests Rohl's substitutes – which might well include Bailey Cadamarteri, called up by Jamaica for the first time this week – could be even more vital than normal.

“Our impact from the bench in the last 20 minutes against Leeds was important and it will be at Ipswich,” says Rohl. “It's important our impact players are ready to bring the game home.”