Sheffield Wednesday 4 Plymouth Argyle 0: Outstanding Owls look the genuine article as Danny Rohl's work pays out early

Despite the Owls' crass pre-match threats about refusing to let in anyone wearing counterfeit shirts, the fashion police did not seem to have stopped three sides of the famous old ground being full and bouncing at kick-off, with plenty of bright orange away shirts dotted amongst the blue-and-white stripes.

The football they saw was every bit as colourful – and without being as clinical as it ought to have been, it was still far too effective for Wayne Rooney's Plymouth Argyle, who can count themselves very lucky to have only lost 4-0.

After a debut eight months of compromises as he steered his team away from Championship relegation, we were promised the real McCoy when it came to Danny Rohl football. It was well worth the wait as Jamal Lowe scored and made one, and Josh Windass and Michael Smith chipped in too.

A lot can go wrong in 45 remaining games, but the first game went so empahtically, thrillingly right that it was impossible not to be impressed.

The opening goal summed up what Wednesday are about under Rohl – intense, always looking to play forward and get down the flanks. The 29,535 fans were as good as the players but then how could you not get behind what they saw?

In theory Svante Ingelsson was one of their two holding midfielders in a 4-2-3-1 but he was as much a right winger as Djiedi Gassama and when he made his umpteenth run there in the 36th minute, his partner Barry Bannan picked him out expertly. Ingelsson's outside-of-the-boot cross practically begged fellow debutant Lowe to score, and he had the good manners to do so.

Until then, that had been the one nagging doubt – the football had been so good, so intense, so fluid and yet so scoreless, a theme of pre-season. Add their most expensive summer signing Ike Ugbo to the mix when the Canadian's international paperwork is in order and it is a salivating prospect.

Because one thing this group of players will not struggle to do is make chances.

Windass, floating with intent behind Lowe, had a shot blocked inside five minutes when picked out by Anthony Musaba, Ingelsson poked a shot at Conor Hazard to force a corner and from it, Di'Shon Bernard showed the confidence and joie de vivre his side was playing with by overhead kicking off target from Dominic Iorfa's header back.

Shortly after, Bannan chased a stray pass back towards his halfway line, slide-tackled Mustapha Bundu, then shook him off with a Cruyff turn which had Hillsborough lapping it up.

Ingelsson was not the only player popping up in different positions, Musaba and Gassama both appearing inside to switch the play to their opposite winger, Windass here there and everywhere, full-backs bombing down the wings. Just working it all out must have been hard enough for Rooney, never mind stopping it.

Even the Plymouth kit man was having a ‘mare, spelling two of his players’ names wrong on the back of their shits.

Wednesday were not too snobbish to let Ingelsson unleash some long throws and 20 minutes in referee Lewis Smith was pointing at his watch as Plymouth desperately tried to waste time, wilting in the heat.

Windass had a shot blocked, Bannan blazed over from a Lowe lay-off.

The goal allowed them to just keep going, and Gassama slipped when he had the chance to quickly double the lead.

That happened in the 53rd minute, Lowe heading across goal and the ball bouncing in off Brendan Galloway. It was that sort of day for the shellshocked Pilgrims.

Lowe ought to have made it 3-0 a minute later, Yan Valery pulling a chance back from the byline which was there for the taking. This time he missed the target.

After that, Wednesday were wasteful, Musaba going all jigsaw and falling to pieces in the box when he ought to have had a hat-trick. But you could forgive him when he got to the byline and pulled the ball back for Windass to score the third with six minutes to play.

The substitutions were less tactical, more a cue for about engineering standing ovations as Ingelsson, Valery and Max Lowe got their dues for excellent debuts. “Max Lowe is a Wednesdayite” they sang of the left-back signed from Sheffield United.

Darko Gybai and Morgan Whitaker pulled late efforts wide of goal but this was one party that was unpoopable. Hillsborough was deafening.

Smith could only put Marvin Johnson's stoppage-time cross at Hazard, but put in the rebound.

"Danny, Danny Rohl" roared the crowd as the final whistle blew. It was hard to imagine him going up in their estimation the way last season ended but he may have managed it already.

Sheffield Wednesday: Beadle; Valery (Valentin 83), Iorfa, Bernard, M Lowe (Johnson 74); Ingelsson (Palmer 88), Bannan; Gassama (Kobacki 74), Windass (Smith 83), Musaba; J Lowe. Unused substitutes: Charles, Diaby, Ihiekwe, McNeill.Plymouth Argyle: Hazard; Palsson, Gibson, Galloway, Ogbeta (Mumba 57); Forshaw, Gyabi; Bundu (Wright 57), Cissoko (Issaka 67), Whittaker; Tijani (Hardie 57). Unused substitutes: Cooper, Pleguezuelo, Szucs, Edwards, Randell.Referee: L Smith (Wigan).