Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl has taken a "major" action to lift his side after Monday's 2-0 defeat to Middlesbrough.
Damaging defeat at Riverside
The Owls were back in Championship action on Easter Monday, making the trip to Boro for an important clash, but the performance they produced at the Riverside Stadium left a lot to be desired. In the end, Rohl's side were comprehensively beaten by their opponents, who also missed a penalty late in the day, with the visitors only having 35% possession in the game and managing just two shots on target.
For a Wednesday team who are battling for their lives at the bottom of the Championship, it was a display lacking intent, quality and heart, and the manager was not remotely amused after the game.
"When you lose, you always look at things you could do differently as a manager, but I think since we arrived here I have always tried to protect my players and have always tried to take responsibility for a defeat. This is not just about tactical things, you have to have energy for such a game and such a situation. Everybody should know our situation. It's not enough to look for excuses, we have to deliver. We didn't today."
It was a rollocking that was richly deserved, considering how poor the display was, and the hope is that it produces a reaction in the coming matches.
Journalist reacts to big Rohl's rant
Taking to X, Alex Miller shared his thoughts on Rohl's angry reaction to Wednesday's loss at Middlesbrough, saying it feels like a potentially deciding moment in the run-in.
"Danny Rohl's angry, public post-match hairdryer felt like a major moment, a signal that the time for niceties is over. He'd sought to protect his players before by sticking his own hand up after heavy defeats. The reaction will be fascinating."
It did definitely feel significant that Rohl essentially decided to call his players out, having spent so much time backing them since arriving as manager earlier in the season, even when a performance or a result hasn't been good enough. Monday's performance appeared to be one too many for the German, however, who will be demanding so much more from his players between now and the end of the season.
Anthony Musaba
6
Ike Ugbo
6
Bailey Cadamarteri
5
Josh Windass
4
Marvin Johnson
3
Djeidi Gassama
3
Michael Smith
3
Other results didn't go Wednesday's way during the afternoon, too, with the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City and QPR all winning, and they will return to League One if there isn't a major improvement, starting away to the latter on Saturday afternoon.
There are still six matches remaining for the Owls, and only two points separate them from safety, but if they play in such a feeble manner in the last few fixtures, they will have little to no hope of avoiding the drop, ruining all of the manager's hard work.