Danny Röhl has told The Star that the improvement of one aspect of James Beadle’s game was critical to Sheffield Wednesday’s final push for survival.
The on-loan Brighton & Hove Albion custodian put on a show in the weekend’s 3-0 win against West Bromwich Albion, making eight saves to keep his eighth clean sheet in 18 outings for the Owls since January. Beadle, a 19-year-old England youth international, arrives at Hillsborough to take the next step in his promising career and has already made an impression.
However, not everything has gone smoothly. Röhl defended his custodian and his belief in that style of play as a minority of supporters reacted to blunders committed while playing out from the back. In recent weeks, there has been stronger decision-making and more player autonomy about how and when to play more directly, with Beadle playing a crucial role.
Speaking to The Star following Wednesday’s triumph against the Baggies, Röhl stated that cleaner decision making has had a significant impact on the club’s five-match unbeaten run.
“I think today was the first time the fans sang his name,” he went on to say. “That explains a lot! James has been really strong in recent weeks; his first really impressive performance was against Birmingham, where he had a tremendous game, and we now have the decision-making, which is fantastic to watch. We discovered the right balance between keeping the ball on the ground and taking the football away from the keeper.”
Wednesday’s’mix it up’ approach to passing play has changed their strategy, with Röhl stating that it has been beneficial in keeping teams guessing. Against West Brom, opposition manager Carlos Corberan said the Owls’ formation had taken him by surprise in several ways. The German coach explained his tactical approach against the Baggies, saying: “It was difficult for the opponent; sometimes they pressed with two – then we played on the ground – and if they came with more, we played for the second ball.”
“This is what I said: it is about balance; we do not have only one direction. We may be more flexible and grasp what we need to do, which puts us closer to the ideal game. We can still make significant improvements. We have one more week and then we’ll see.”