“To look him in the face..” Sheffield Wednesday boss responds to Alex Mighten cut and Nottingham Forest frustration

Mighten returned to Nottingham Forest this week having made only nine League One appearances for the Owls, cutting short a loan stint that had originally been agreed as a season-long deal.

The news seems to have angered Forest boss Steve Cooper who made no secret of his frustration at the decision. It comes as Cardiff City finalise the recall of Mark McGuinness from Wednesday.

“It was football dynamics,” Moore said on the decision to send him back to his parent club, citing the experience of being a ‘loans manager’ at West Brom as important.

“Alex is an exceptional man and it was one of the hardest decisions that I have had to make since becoming a manager. To look him in the face and talk to him on that level was a real, real tough decision.

“I’ve worked as a loans manager and I know the dynamics that come with loans. I understand what loans are, I’ve had to put people in clubs and I’ve had to take people out of clubs.

“No loan is ever a failure. If it goes well you ask ‘Why did it go well?’, if it goes badly you ask, ‘Why? How can we be better at it?’

“That can be on-the-pitch dynamics, living away from home, there are so many variables that football present. It was a footballing decision.

“He’s an impeccable individual, a wonderful player and we thank Alex for his time here and giving us the platform he’s given us at this stage. We sincerely wish him all the best and thank Nottingham Forest and wish him well.”

Mighten is in a degree of limbo as he is now unable to sign on with another club having already played for two this season.

In response to Cooper’s passionate reaction to the return of the England youth cap, Moore’s response was typically calm and collected.

“I can understand it,” he said. “In the loans manager role I’ve had before I do understand that.

“It’s a football decision. It was one of the hardest things in my football career to talk to him. But this is part and parcel of the job.”