Sascha Lense has heaped praise on Sheffield Wednesday after the team finally started to pick up some points last week.
Speaking to The Star, the performance manager has made an interesting claim about the players’ commitment to training.
Previously working as a sports psychologist for the likes of Manchester United and RB Leipzig, Sascha Lense arrived at Hillsborough in October – days after Danny Rohl was appointed manager.
While Sheffield Wednesday‘s new-look backroom staff took a while to settle in with only five defeats in six games, the club looked to have turned a corner recently after picking up four points from Leicester City and Blackburn Rovers.
Rohl, Lense and the rest of the coaching team have looked to implement a much more high intensity, high press style of play that the players have taken a while to adapt to. However, Lense has claimed that the entire team is doing ‘very well’.
“Every time, in every moment, every player has a job to do,” Lense told The Star.
“In our opinion we thought it might be easier when the player is younger, but when we arrived here we have not only young players but senior players and they have all taken to it very well. There is a very high commitment to training.”
Can Sheffield Wednesday keep up this style of play?
Danny Rohl has taken advantage of some of the young talent Sheffield Wednesday have on offer, with the German bringing Bailey Cadamarteri into the senior squad. The likes of Di’Shon Bernard, Anthony Musaba and Djeidi Gassama have also played their parts.
However, with the second, third and fourth youngest average XI in the Championship this season, the Owls manager has really had to attempt to transform an ageing squad and seems to be pulling it off.
Barry Bannan has continued to impress under Rohl, while the likes of Callum Paterson and Marvin Johnson also seem to have adapted to their new roles well.
Rohl will surely look to youth in the transfer window though if he wants to keep up this high intensity play, which means the older players will have to be at their best to match the rest of the squad for both quality and stamina.