How Sheffield Wednesday trio have made a huge difference to survival scrap

A run of three wins in four matches that has put them back in with a chance of staying up in the Championship after a 4-0 defeat at Huddersfield Town at the start of the month left many feeling an eight-point gap would prove unassailable. That gap is down to three and belief from the terraces has stirred once more.

A January transfer window many supporters initially felt was underwhelming has delivered the goals of five-in-four Ike Ugbo, the trickery of Ian Poveda and the ball-playing ability of goalkeeper James Beadle - all on loan. All three have played a monumental role in their good run of form, Röhl explaining the technical impact each have made on their system.

"We started with James, he has been helpful for us," said the German coach. "He is a young guy who did so well with the defending, a high line behind our back line. It is important to have a front-foot defending goalkeeper. Then we have Ian who can carry the ball, he gives us time to get into the right position and we have given him freedom between the lines. Ugbo is strong in the box. But it is all of my guys around, it is team work at the moment, this is the key. It is the outcome of our fantastic training group."

Ugbo is the man in many headlines after surpassing the tally of four goals he managed in 22 appearances for Cardiff City so early on in his Owls tenure. While he and Poveda have acted as the poster boys of Wednesday's more recent resurgence, Röhl was keen to press home praise for his longer-stay players, too.

"He is a striker," Röhl continued. "If you start to score then you make your own momentum. But what is best is that he has worked so hard against the ball. Now he creates more and more chances, we all understand one another more and more and understands the strengths of one another. Ike has done well, Ian has done well. These are two good signings in January but the other guys around are understanding the new players which is so important. At the moment I am very happy.

"I spoke always about the data. It was one, better than one, but we didn't score. Now we have xG and we score and that is good for a manager. Our basis has been with the defence. Even with 10 men we had a big chance to make it 3-1 and that is great to see. Last week at Millwall we had the same situation to bring the last 10 minutes down. At Rotherham we go again."