Danny Röhl, Sheffield Wednesday manager, had no complaints about the penalties issued to his club, but he was dissatisfied with his team’s involvement in them.
Penalties at Hillsborough are a rarity these days; Wednesday hasn’t been given one since their play-off semifinal victory against Peterborough United, and jokes about the absence of spot kicks have grown common among Wednesday fans. So it was even more irritating when Watford, who were looking to stop a six-game losing streak on the road, were granted two in the space of a few minutes on Saturday afternoon, both of which were converted as they went on to win 6-2 on what was a forgettable day for the hosts. Röhl was asked about the two judgments – one against Di’Shon Bernard and the other against Dominic Iorfa – after the game, and while he was concerned about the penalties, it was more about what led to them than the rulings against his own squad. “I think you can give both,” he told The Star. “The first one may be a handball, which is unneeded. You lose the ball and typically have control over it, which is our strength; you can pass out and go. The second one, I think it’s more of a mistake that we’re not connected with the last line, we didn’t make the run, and maybe we thought we were quick enough to close the gaps instead of taking the stride immediately.
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“There are things that we’ve never done before, and that we have to stop immediately for the next game otherwise it will be another tough one.”
Wednesday will need to improve significantly next week if they are to get back on track before the international break, and with Sheffield United on the horizon, Röhl will be well aware of the challenges that await.
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