Sheffield Wednesday Handed Potential Danny Rohl Manager Boost

Southampton are reportedly interested in former Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand, which could be a boost to Sheffield Wednesday’s hopes of keeping hold of Danny Rohl.

According to talkSPORT, Southampton have a “long-standing interest” in Hjulmand, and he could come into consideration as they search for a replacement for Russell Martin, who was sacked on Sunday night.

Martin led the Saints to promotion from the Championship via the play-offs last season in his first year in charge, but the 38-year-old found life much tougher in the Premier League.

Just hours after the 5-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur at St Mary’s on Sunday, Southampton announced that they had made the “difficult decision” to part company with Martin, bringing his almost 18-month tenure at the club to an end.

Under-21s manager Simon Rusk will take charge on an interim basis for the EFL Cup game against Liverpool on Wednesday night, but with the club sitting bottom of the Premier League table, nine points from safety, they will likely be keen to make a swift appointment.

Southampton eyeing Kasper Hjulmand as potential Russell Martin replacement

Shortly after Martin’s exit was confirmed, it was claimed that Sheffield Wednesday manager Rohl was one of the names in the frame to take over at Southampton.

Rohl previously had a spell at St Mary’s as assistant manager to Ralph Hasenhuttl, helping the Saints stay in the Premier League in the 2018-19 season, and it seems his excellent work at Wednesday has not gone unnoticed by his former club.

The German arrived at Hillsborough last October with the Owls sitting bottom of the Championship table with just three points to their name, but he led them to survival after a remarkable turnaround, and after a strong start to this campaign, they are currently ninth, just five points from the play-off places.

However, Southampton have not yet made a formal approach to Wednesday for Rohl, and it is believed that the compensation needed to bring him to the club could be a stumbling block, so the South Coast outfit are considering alternatives, with two out-of-work foreign coaches said to be on their radar.

One of those candidates could potentially be Hjulmand, who is available after leaving his role as the manager of the Denmark national team in July after four years in charge.

Hjulmand guided Denmark to the semi-finals of Euro 2020, where they were beaten 2-1 by England, and while he could not quite replicate that success in future tournaments, they did make it out of the group stage of this summer’s Euro 2024, suffering a 2-0 defeat against hosts Germany in the round of 16.

The 52-year-old is reportedly open to the prospect of working in the Premier League, and he has been linked with a number of English clubs over the years, including West Ham United, Burnley and Aston Villa.

Wednesday supporters understandably feared the worst when news of Southampton’s interest in Rohl emerged, but they may be reassured by the fact that the Saints are considering alternatives.

Having masterminded a great escape at Hillsborough last season, Rohl would certainly fit the bill for the Premier League strugglers, and given his outstanding work in the Championship over the past year, he would represent a good long-term appointment if they were to be relegated.

Given that Rohl has previously spent time at Southampton, he already has a connection with the club, and after a cryptic interview last week in which the 35-year-old seemed to question whether he would be backed in January by Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri, he could certainly be tempted by a top flight move.

However, Chansiri is a notoriously difficult owner to negotiate with, and as the Owls will likely demand significant compensation for Rohl, the Saints may decide to turn their attention to Hjulmand or other out-of-work candidates.