Focus of criticism turns out to be Sheffield Wednesday boss Darren Moore's key asset
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Well, in the 19 matches since Sheffield Wednesday last lost in the league, Moore has named an unchanged team just twice.
And yet all the griping has thankfully and rightly gone away. Without the Owls boss significantly changing his managerial style.
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Hide AdIt’s been about the success of the whole squad and the conclusion I reach is that it almost doesn’t matter what starting team he puts out - the eleven will adapt and get the job done.
That’s because of inclusion rather than isolation and the bonding of players to a common ethic and template.
They all know what’s expected and keep delivering.
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Or, as Moore himself put it with the key quote of the past week: “They all buy into the fact that you can win the game off the ball as much as on it.”
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Hide AdIn possession, Wednesday have few peers for quality and experience at this level. But we’ve all seen teams of great ability fritter it away.
It is in application, dogged determination, that the club record 18 clean sheets has been founded. Conceding twice in a 5-2 romp over MK Dons last Saturday was a rare blip in that regard.
And, with injuries still prevalent, every player has contributed. To the extent that Moore, not always by choice, has put out same teams only against Shrewsbury (November 19th) and Derby (December 3rd) during the long unbeaten league run.
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Hide AdThat said, there are more fixture players than at any other stage and less deliberate alteration.
Fitness and form permitting, you know there will be places for Barry Bannan, Liam Palmer, George Byers, Marvin Johnson, Josh Windass, one or both of Michael Smith and Lee Gregory, plus Cameron Dawson in goal.
But it’s the mentality of the group as a whole that stands to prevail and for that Moore will be due huge credit.