Popular old sage still doing it as Danny Röhl hails 'the future of Sheffield Wednesday'

On the one hand there's Callum Paterson, gnarled and snarled and full of moustache, blitzing his way around the field with all the attributes Wednesday fans have come to expect from him. In his own words, 'he's no Ronaldinho', but he's an embodiment of what is needed from players in a team scrapping a still-unlikely relegation battle; all energy, guts and thunder.

Sitting on the end of the other arm is Bailey Cadamarteri; fresh of face, raw and snappy. He made his full debut on Wednesday evening and up against England and Denmark internationals Conor Coady and Jannik Vestergaard caused the odd headache. He's ambitious and direct and looks to be a young man at moments bewildered, at moments emboldened by the sort of fearlessness a lack of exposure can deliver.

Walking from the field at half-time, the two Wednesday players were locked in conversation, Paterson gesticulating passionately, Cadamarteri nodding along. Advice on certain movements, pressing guidance, who knows?

It was the youngster's first senior start, his fourth senior appearance. Including international caps, it was Paterson's 376th. A big-brotherly slap on the back ended the conversation as they entered the tunnel. Grey hair and teenage boyishness, experience and exuberance; perhaps you need that bit of both.

Whatever Paterson's pointers, one of many excited by the embryonic start Cadamarteri has made to his senior career is Danny Röhl. "I believe in this guy," he said. "He is the future for our club and it’s so important to see his improvements in the last weeks. I spoke when I arrived here how I want to take the next step with the young players, this is important.

"He runs a lot, he has speed, he is the right type for pressing. It’s great to see him and for everybody in the stadium it is a good sign that we have a good academy that can bring players out. I am the manager to give them the chance and he took the chance."

So much has already been covered on Paterson's versatility. His performance ended with a cushioned header assist for Jeff Hendrick's last-gasp equaliser that Ronaldinho himself might not have felt was half bad. But it was his tireless effort in behind the front man, tucked inside in a vitally important role in a narrow block-and-press that helped stifle Leicester's Premier League talents to minimal chances.

The intricacies of the set-up go way over the head of us laymen, but it made for fascinating viewing. It was an approach for which Röhl should get praise, but so too the players who carried it out. The 17-cap Scotland international was an embodiment of how Wednesday went about a top-versus-bottom clash in which they were the better team and busted accumulators up and down the country.

"This is the strength of Callum, he can run a lot," the German told The Star. "He played in a different position today, different task, this is what we have to do. We have to run, we have to invest all that we can do, and at the end we can be empty, this is okay. That was the clear message before the game - if you are empty because you have invested everything, this is important.

"It showed today it was important today to bring fresh legs in to hold our energy and our intensity in the game, because in the last games we have dropped it down towards the end of the game. And today we pushed and end up all squared."

In the end, a draw only stretched Wednesday's shortfall on the safety spots thanks to a shock win for Huddersfield Town at Sunderland. The task remains a tall one. But in such an eye-catching tactical approach and with performances such as those described above, there was enough there to eek out a little optimism as the Championship turns into December.