Alan Biggs at Large: Darren Moore took the handbrake off for Sheffield Wednesday victory
And just as valuable as Theo Corbeanu’s spectacular midweek unveiling to Hillsborough fans was the removal - for now - of the target from the manager’s back.The 3-0 win over Sunderland, while not wholly convincing, stilled a debate that had been mounting for understandable reasons recently.
Further managerial upheaval is in nobody’s interests if it can be avoided and I thought Darren Moore helped himself by taking the handbrake off on Tuesday.
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Hide AdAccused of being too cautious with a squad the envy of most of League One, Moore approached the big home game with Sunderland in almost cavalier fashion.
Incredibly, eight of the eleven who started - barring Chey Dunkley, Liam Palmer and keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell - were instinctively attacking players.
None of them made more of a difference than Corbeanu.
The 19-year-old Canadian, who is on loan from Wolves, was such a revelation on his first league start that fans felt entitled to question why he had been held back so long.
Certainly he was the answer to my question of last week that to get more from Bannan he needed more action around him.
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Hide AdCorbeanu must surely have moved to the top of Wednesday’s stockpile of wide players after a superbly taken goal, the cross for the second and offering a constant attacking outlet sorely lacking previously.
Matt Murray, the former Wolves keeper on Sky duty at Hillsborough, told me that Moore, his long-standing friend, had wanted Corbeanu to be right physically before he thrust him into the spotlight.
Murray pointed out that the winger had made only one league appearance for Wolves and said he thought a lower profile club would have been his destination on loan.
So it says a lot for Corbeanu’s temperament, plus his answering of defensive concerns in his game, that he imposed himself so well in a big match setting.
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Hide AdOverall, Wednesday survived some good chances for Sunderland and I maintain 3-0 flattered them a touch - journalists shouldn’t have to rave over victories and rant over defeats - but that was a price worth paying.Supporters would rather see a team playing this way with the quality at Wednesday’s disposal.
Let’s have more from Moore please!