The overlooked crisis brewing behind Danny Rohl’s likely Sheffield Wednesday exit | OneFootball

Why Sheffield Wednesday’s coaching situation needs urgent clarity

While speculation over Danny Röhl’s long-term future continues to dominate the headlines at Sheffield Wednesday, an equally pressing issue is quietly gathering in the background.

Several members of Röhl’s core backroom staff are out of contract this summer, and no decisions would be made on their futures until the end of the season.

This timeline was confirmed by Röhl himself in comments to The Star in February, where he likened the process to that of player contract discussions - something typically handled after the conclusion of the campaign.

“At that point we will make a general picture and overview,” he said. “We will bring everything to the point.”

Core coaching staff at risk as Sheffield Wednesday delay decisions

While the manager’s deal runs until 2027, those of performance manager Sascha Lense, goalkeeper coach Sal Bibbo, and assistant head coach Henrik Pedersen were not brought into line.

Even Chris Powell, who signed a new deal ahead with the Owls of the 2024/25 season, is believed to be out of contract again.

Röhl himself acknowledged back in February that conversations about their futures would be held at the end of the season - and that time has now arrived.

If Wednesday’s intention is to retain stability regardless of Röhl’s fate, the contracts of his support staff must be viewed as a strategic priority - not merely an administrative afterthought.

These are not minor roles: Lense, respected for his work on the psychological side of performance, has been a trusted figure in Röhl’s staff since the start of his Owls tenure. Bibbo, formerly of Arsenal and Reading, has brought top-flight experience to the goalkeeping department.

Pedersen - notably, the only name seriously linked to succeeding Röhl if he departs - has played a key role in shaping the team’s pressing identity. Chris Powell, admired across English football, has provided calm, grounded insight throughout the campaign.

Together, this group played a central part in lifting Wednesday from bottom of the table to mid-table safety 18 months later - and doing so with an increasingly coherent style.

The club now faces a pivotal choice. If Röhl is to stay at Sheffield Wednesday, he will likely want assurances that his team stays with him. If he leaves, the question becomes whether any members of his staff are retained as part of a continuity plan.

In either case, clarity is essential. Allowing this summer to drift into another period of internal uncertainty - as it did last year - would be a damaging misstep.

Röhl spoke of having a “clear view” on what should happen. It is now down to the club to demonstrate that they do, too.

Stability does not begin with players or transfer budgets - it begins with staff. If Wednesday want to continue the upward curve they've found themselves on since October 2023, the time to act is now.

A manager is only as effective as the team around him. If the Owls hierarchy truly believes in the project they’ve begun under Röhl, then those around him should be treated as architects - not afterthoughts.