Sheffield Wednesday’s Dejphon Chansiri Message Revealed Amid Danny Rohl Situation

Pundit and former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer has urged Dejphon Chansiri to be more “transparent” with Danny Rohl, who has a seemingly tricky relationship with the divisive Owls chairman amid continued links to the job at Southampton.

Much has been discussed about the relationship between Rohl and Chansiri. During a fans’ forum last week, Chansiri said the two had not discussed January transfer targets or had any dialogue at all since December, and he considered it the German’s responsibility to initiate contact.

According to a recent report from Alan Nixon – via his exclusive Patreon service – the Owls boss and chairman have since held talks to “bury the hatchet” and resolve their differences, though that may not do too much to extinguish the fears among Wednesdayites of an eventual departure due to the seeming complexity of managing the club under the controversial Chansiri.

A fresh talkSPORT update has suggested Rohl could be in the dugout at St Mary’s next term, tipping him for the job. The former Saints first-team coach has a £5 million buy-out clause in his Wednesday contract and was extensively linked to the formerly-vacant Southampton post just last month.

However, the Saints were unwilling to pay the full clause and eventually elected to appoint Ivan Juric, though the Croatian’s contract has a break clause which can be activated at the end of the season should Southampton get relegated – of course, their fate is all-but-sealed already, having amassed just six points from 22 games.

Carlton Palmer’s message to Sheffield Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri

Amid fresh Danny Rohl, Southampton talk

Ex-Owls star Palmer has urged Chansiri to be more transparent with not only Rohl but also the club’s supporters, who, by and large, have grown unhappy with the ownership of their club.

Palmer believes Southampton would have been better off activating Rohl’s release clause before appointing Juric, but remains under no illusion of the fear that they could plot a fresh approach come the summer.

“Southampton are reportedly tipped to make a fresh move for Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl,” Palmer exclusively told Football League World.

“I find this really strange because Ivan Juric replaced Russell Martin, they brought him in on a year-and-a-half contract. Whether they’re happy with him or not I don’t know – they’re at the bottom of the league.

“They were going to recall Shea Charles – I know how difficult the Sheffield Wednesday chairman can be, so I think that’s a bit of tit-for-tat!

“But as I understand it, Rohl signed a new contract with a £5 million release clause, so it’s simple, if Southampton want him then they have to pay the price. It’s going to be a major problem because they would have to pay Juric’s contract up and then pay £5 million for Rohl, but if they believe he’s the right man for the job, it’s the right way to go.

“They would have been better off paying up the compensation in the first place and getting him out – Rohl has done a fantastic job at Wednesday.

“It would be difficult for all parties and the Wednesday supporters if he was to go in the summer, but from what I’m understanding, there are a lot of unhappy people at Wednesday.

“The manager isn’t very happy with Mr. Chansiri, there are certain players who are not particularly happy. You’ve got the situation with Josh Windass, who is out of contract again at the end of the season. You’ve got all these issues that Mr. Chansiri has got to deal with.

“All Mr. Chansiri had to do is come out and say ‘right listen, I’ve put a lot of money into the football club, I’ve paid up and bought all these players, and we’re not going to be able to do anything in the January transfer window’ and just be transparent with Wednesday supporters.

“But if he’s not, and he’s not being transparent with Rohl, then there’s going to be a problem.

“We’ll have to wait and see what will happen, but if there’s a £5 million clause the only way we will see him in the Southampton dugout is if they’re prepared to pay that amount of money.”

Danny Rohl has done an exceptional job at Sheffield Wednesday

Rohl has more than merited top-flight admiration, having performed an admirable job under rather unenviable circumstances both on and off-the-pitch ever since arriving in the blue and white quarters of the Steel City in October 2023.

The 35-year-old led Wednesday to the great escape against all odds last season and, after narrowly fighting off relegation, has the side just four points shy of sixth-placed Blackburn Rovers this time around.

Wednesday isn’t the easiest job in the managerial world but Rohl deserves immense credit for fighting on and pushing the side up the division, meaning it’s little surprise those efforts have been duly recognised.

There is a sense of inevitability surrounding his future with the club, as it feels to be more a question of when – rather than if – he will eventually depart for a move higher up the footballing ladder.

For the time being, though, they must appreciate what they have in Rohl – and if it means increased backing and more open and transparent communication from the top down, then Wednesdayites are right to call for exactly that.