SHEFFIELD Wednesday boss Danny Röhl admitted he is crossing his fingers that Saints can get promoted this season.

The former Southampton assistant saw his Wednesday side get beaten 4-0 on his return to the south coast.

The win has seen Saints climb to second place temporarily - with Ipswich playing the late kick-off. 

Röhl, 34, is hoping Southampton can return to the Premier League, but pointed out it will be "tight at the top."

Speaking after his return to St Mary's, the German said: “It’s a big challenge at the top of the table.

“It was hard. They deserved to win - they played well. In such a game you have to perform very well with no mistakes if you are going to take something from here. 

“They had more possession and a lot of movement in between the lines.

"You can see the quality of what they have in possession. They are a strong team.

"With my past here, of course, I have crossed my fingers for Southampton, but you can see how close it is at the top. It’s not easy.

“Everyone was convinced we could have taken something. It is different to three months ago when we came to games and thought there wasn’t a chance. We had the confidence to try something.

“This team is a different league to us. For us it is about staying in the league and for them it is the Premier League."