Sheffield Wednesday hired a new manager following the sacking of Xisco Munoz, in German Danny Rohl.
This will be Rohl’s first job as manager, and he is also now the youngest manager in the EFL, at the age of 34.
This means that he has coached players that are around the same age as him or older – which will include Owls’ striker Lee Gregory.
However, in previous coaching roles, such as being assistant manager at Bayern Munich, Rohl has had this problem before, with big names such as Robert Lewandowski and Manuel Neuer.
Danny Rohl alleviates experience concerns
Speaking about his experiences with older players, Rohl said that this is not a concern for him.
“It’s about experience,” he told The Sheffield Star.
“In Munich I had Lewandowski, and he was older than me – as well as Manuel Neuer. It’s important that you find a good relationship with them, to build up something, and it’s also about the human. It’s not about the player or their age, it’s about them as a human – and when everyone is open-minded then you can be successful in the future.”
Danny Rohl on his ‘principles’
Rohl also stated that he will not be going into the Wednesday job with a set formation in mind, and rather that his ‘principles’ and how the players adapt to those will be the deciding factor as to how his side will play.
“I have my principles in my mind, and I look to bring them in – then I’ll decide which shape we’ll play. It’s more about principles than formation. We can play with a five, with a four, but the principles are non-negotiable.
“We need to be compact, we need to win the ball high, we need to push the opponent away from our goal, and make sure we attack at the right moments… These are some of the things.”