Sheffield Wednesday may have come away from Bramall Lane empty-handed after the Steel City derby, but the travelling fans made a huge gesture at full-time that will please Danny Rohl.
Fans of both teams have waited six seasons to see a clash between Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United, and though the scoreline ended up 1-0, there was plenty to enjoy for both sets of supporters.
A stoic and well-organised first-half display from the Owls appeared to suggest Danny Rohl’s tactical decisions for the derby were paying off, with United largely second-best in the first 45.
However, the Blades came out of the stocks firing on all cylinders after the break, and Tyrese Campbell scored the decisive goal through a neat sequence of play from United with 50 minutes on the clock.
Sheffield Wednesday did not give up, though. Far from it, in fact, with Danny Rohl throwing everything at United with a number of tactical changes to try and find a breakthrough and get back into the game.
In the end, Sheffield United were resilient enough in defence and managed to get the result across the line to secure bragging rights for the next few months.
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Sheffield Wednesday fans leave Bramall Lane with plenty of positives
It was a short trip across the city for Sheffield Wednesday fans, and while they will undoubtedly be the more disappointed set of supporters tonight, they clearly appreciated the effort levels their players showed throughout the game.
Alan Biggs picked up on something interested at the full-time whistle, taking to X to share his observations as the Wednesday fans and players shared a “mutual applause” for one another.
The Owls can come out of the game — against one of the very best teams in the Championship — with their heads held high after a gritty, hard-working display, and the fans obviously recognised that level of commitment shown throughout the match.
It wasn’t to be on the day, but a little more composure in front of goal, and slightly more focus at the back early in the second-half, and Wednesday could be looking at an entirely different result from this much-anticipated derby.
One thing that is important to remember, and the Sheffield Wednesday fans will very likely (perhaps secretly) admit, is that Rohl’s side were the underdogs going into the derby. The fact they have managed to not only compete, but stifle the Blades for large portions of the game, speaks volumes for how far Wednesday have come since the German coach arrived at Hillsborough.
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Still work to be done for Danny Rohl
There is no doubt that Sheffield Wednesday are a far better team than they were 12 months ago, and the impact Rohl has had on the club as a whole is monumental.
As the Rohl project continues to develop, Wednesday have every chance of becoming one of the top teams in the second tier in the coming years, but they will need to start beating those top teams first.
That is the Owls’ seventh defeat of the league season now, with five of those losses coming against teams in the top six of the Championship table — United, Sunderland, Leeds, Burnley, and Watford have all defeated Wednesday this term.
Winning against the teams around the bottom of the table is key to avoiding a relegation battle, but Wednesday fans are eager to see their team step up this year and beyond, and they’ll have to see some improvement in results against the biggest sides in the division.