Ex-Sheffield Wednesday boss Tony Pulis runs the rule over Owls play-off mission and ‘quiet but assured’ successor

Former Sheffield Wednesday manager Tony Pulis has praised the work of his successor Darren Moore in taking the Owls to the League One play-off final.
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The Welshman, whose time at S6 ended with one win in 10 matches back in 2020, was the man who brought Moore into first team coaching and has spoken a number of times in his pride at seeing the strides the 49-year-old has taken with Wednesday.

“I had him as my captain at Portsmouth and he is one of the nicest people in football I have ever met,” Pulis told Sky Sports. “When I went to West Brom I got him involved in the first team and he is a very, very good football man.

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“He loves his football, he is very organised, he’s quiet but he’s assured. It’s absolutely amazing for the lad.

HUDDERSFIELD, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 08: Manager Tony Pulis of Sheffield Wednesday gives his team instructions during the Sky Bet Championship match between Huddersfield Town and Sheffield Wednesday at John Smith's Stadium on December 08, 2020 in Huddersfield, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)HUDDERSFIELD, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 08: Manager Tony Pulis of Sheffield Wednesday gives his team instructions during the Sky Bet Championship match between Huddersfield Town and Sheffield Wednesday at John Smith's Stadium on December 08, 2020 in Huddersfield, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
HUDDERSFIELD, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 08: Manager Tony Pulis of Sheffield Wednesday gives his team instructions during the Sky Bet Championship match between Huddersfield Town and Sheffield Wednesday at John Smith's Stadium on December 08, 2020 in Huddersfield, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

“He’s about six-foot-eight, about 16 stone with a lovely family and I’m so, so pleased for him personally because it’s important to see good people be successful.”

Moore’s Wednesday take on Barnsley on Monday at Wembley with a place in the Championship on the line. Pulis hinted that the personality of his old skipper is suited to the pressure of such an occasion.

“He always had the ambition to go on and be the manager,” Pulis continued.

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“If he walks into the room without opening his mouth, he’s a presence and that’s what he’s been all his career. At Pompey, we went into a bad position and he was so helpful in so many respects to me, stepping into the football club. I’ll never forget that.

“He might talk about how I helped him, but he helped me. We stayed up pretty comfortably in the end and that was partly down to Darren’s knowledge of the players and the people he knew around the football club.

“It’s a difficult job and it can be a very, very lonely job at times.

“He’s very much his own man, he knows what he wants and he’s been successful. He's had a good season, if they win the play-off final they’ll have had a great season.”

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