Sheffield Wednesday: The alarming Danny Rohl trend that will concern Southampton | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday's record against the Championship's top teams could deter Southampton from making a move for manager Danny Rohl.

It has been a much-improved season for Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship, but their hopes of reaching the play-offs suffered a blow as they were comprehensively beaten at Burnley on Friday night.

After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Wednesday have made significant progress under manager Danny Rohl this campaign, and they have emerged as outside play-off contenders in recent months.

However, the Owls' rise up the table has stalled after a run of just three wins in their last 12 league games, and they were beaten 4-0 by Burnley at Turf Moor on Friday night.

Wednesday made a strong start to the game, but after they missed a host of golden chances, the Clarets began to grow into the contest, and goals from Marcus Edwards, Josh Brownhill, Connor Roberts and Manuel Benson secured an emphatic victory for Scott Parker's side.

The Owls currently sit 13th in the Championship table, and they are now six points from the play-off places, but while few supporters believed promotion was a realistic possibility this season, many are concerned that missing out on the top six could make the club vulnerable to losing Rohl in the summer.

Southampton speculation is casting a shadow over Sheffield Wednesday progress

Rohl was a relative unknown when he arrived at Hillsborough last October, but given the outstanding transformation he has overseen during the past 16 months, it is no surprise to see him attracting interest from other clubs.

After the sacking of Russell Martin in December, Rohl was said to be on the radar of Premier League side Southampton, where he previously served as assistant to Ralph Hassenhuttl, while it was also claimed that he was under consideration by German second division outfit Hamburg in the same month.

Shortly after being linked with the Saints, Rohl became involved in a public dispute with Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri, and after a breakdown in communication, the pair did not speak until the middle of the January transfer window.

The disagreement between Rohl and Chansiri is believed to have started after he was denied a move to St Mary's, and while they have now resolved their differences, the fact that the German is reportedly keen to reduce the £5 million fee needed to release him from his contract at Hillsborough suggests that he is still open the possibility of departing.

Southampton eventually appointed Ivan Juric as Martin's replacement, but the Croatian has failed to turn around his side's fortunes, and with relegation from the Premier League looking near certain, the club may decide to activate the break clause in his contract in the summer.

According to talkSPORT, the Saints could reignite their interest in Rohl if they decide to part company with Juric at the end of the season, but there is one factor that could potentially deter them from making a fresh approach.

Sheffield Wednesday trend may give Southampton doubts about Danny Rohl move

If Southampton are back in the Championship next season, they will be expected to challenge for promotion, and owner Dragan Solak will need to find a manager he believes is capable of leading the club to an immediate Premier League return.

Given the success he has enjoyed at Hillsborough in the second tier, Rohl seems like the perfect candidate for the Saints, and his appointment would likely be well-received by supporters after his previous stint on the coaching staff at St Mary's.

There is no doubt that Rohl has done an excellent job at Wednesday, but his side's record against the top teams in the Championship could potentially create a few doubts in the minds of the Southampton hierarchy.

The Owls regularly suffered comprehensive defeats against the promotion contenders last season, including a 4-0 defeat at Southampton and a 6-0 loss at Ipswich Town, but as Rohl's men were battling against relegation, few expected them to be able to compete against sides that were significantly stronger than them.

However, despite Wednesday being in a much better league position, that worrying trend has continued this season, and while they were unfortunate to be on the wrong end of such an emphatic result against Burnley on Friday night, the 4-0 defeat at Turf Moor means that they have now lost by an aggregate scoreline of 16-0 against the Championship's current top four.

That may not necessarily be too much of a problem for the Owls, for whom a mid-table finish would represent solid progress, but it does suggest that Rohl has not yet learned how to set up tactically against the division's elite, and that will be a worry for Southampton.

In order to achieve automatic promotion next season, the Saints will need to take points off those around them, and should they finish in the play-offs, they will need to overcome two fellow top six sides, so Rohl's shortcomings could be exposed at St Mary's.

Of course, Rohl would have a better squad to work with at Southampton than he currently does at Wednesday, which could mean that his bold approach is more successful, but his poor record against the Championship's top teams may give the South Coast outfit food for thought as they weigh up their managerial situation ahead of the summer.