Danny Rohl must urgently fix glaring Sheffield Wednesday issue after Millwall defeat: View | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday's vulnerability from set pieces has proven to be costly so far this season.

It has been a disappointing start to the season for Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.

After narrowly securing survival last term following a remarkable turnaround under Danny Rohl, there was plenty of hope among Owls supporters that the club could climb the table this season, particularly after the German signed a new long-term contract in May.

The positive feeling around Hillsborough increased further after a strong summer transfer window that saw the arrival of 11 new signings, while a number of key players committed their futures to the club, including Liam Palmer, Dominic Iorfa, Di'Shon Bernard, Barry Bannan and Josh Windass.

However, after an emphatic 4-0 home win over Plymouth Argyle on the opening weekend, it has been a tough few weeks for Wednesday, and they suffered their third consecutive defeat as they were beaten 3-0 by Millwall at The Den on Saturday, with second half goals from Josh Coburn, Duncan Watmore and Jake Cooper sealing all three points for the Lions.

The Owls have now conceded nine goals in their last three league games, failing to get on the scoresheet themselves during that time, and they head into the international break sitting 20th in the table.

Rohl said that the loss to Millwall was a "big signal" that things are heading in the "wrong direction", admitting he needs to find "solutions" over the next two weeks, and the 35-year-old's top priority should be solving his side's vulnerability from set pieces.

Sheffield Wednesday's set piece problems

With two of Millwall's three goals coming from set pieces on Saturday, the Owls have now conceded five goals from set pieces in all competitions so far this season.

Poor marking allowed both Dennis Cirkin and Luke O'Nien to score for Sunderland in Wednesday's 4-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light last month, and despite beating League Two side Grimsby Town 5-1 in the EFL Cup second round, similar problems were on display as Cameron McJannet headed the Mariners ahead from a corner.

Given that Millwall are known to be a threat from set pieces with their height and physicality, defending those situations would surely have been something the Owls would have worked on in the build up to their trip to The Den, but the Lions were the latest side to take advantage of what is becoming an increasingly concerning trend.

According to WhoScored, Wednesday scored just 10 goals from set pieces last season, while they also conceded 14, so it is not a new issue, and Rohl admitted back in April that it was costing his side points.

"This is for me a big, big part of the last few weeks," Rohl told The Star.

"At Huddersfield, the first goal, against Ipswich the second goal, with Bristol City for 1-1, against Swansea for 1-1, and today for 1-0. It’s big parts in this game, especially in this league as well.

"I think we can also look at how many set pieces we concede against us as well, and this is also a reason. If you’re more active and push them out and force them more into their half then you won’t have as many set pieces against you.

"It’s an issue, and it’s costing us points - it also breaks a little bit your belief because it’s another conceded goal. But we have to find solutions for this, and that’s our job for the last six games."

Danny Rohl must solve Sheffield Wednesday's set piece weakness

Rohl has done an outstanding job since his arrival at Hillsborough, but his continued failure to fix his side's inability to defend set pieces has been one of the main criticisms of him so far.

While Rohl may be right that it is partly a confidence issue, the questionable marking that has been seen this season would seem to be a tactical problem, and it is something that the manager and his vastly experienced coaching team need to solve urgently.

Just as it did last season, the Owls' vulnerability from set pieces is costing them points, and as they prepare to face QPR, who have already scored two goals from set pieces this campaign, after the international break, it could be exposed once again.

Of course, it is not the only issue facing Rohl right now, and he must find a way to make his side more threatening after three league games without a goal, but solving the defensive fragilities would take the pressure off Wednesday's forwards to deliver.