Sheffield Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri on Darren Moore exit, recruitment and new manager hunt

The Thai businessman parted ways with promotion-winning manager Darren Moore by mutual consent this week, just three weeks on from their famous Wembley win over Barnsley.

Facing questions from supporters, in his pening gambit Chansiri stopped short of explaining any explicit reasons behind the parting of ways but did open up on the timing of the statement, which leaves them without a manager and coaching staff less than two weeks out from the start of pre-season.

“It’s not a complicated question,” Chansiri said. “If you understand the football business, this happens. Coaches come and go, it is normal.

“I cannot talk much because I promised to Darren I would not say anything unless he said it first. If you want more information you can ask him. Journalists try to ask him.

“Football is a business, but our relationship is still good. On Saturday we went out together for dinner. The fans may think ‘why now?’

“When the season finished he went on holiday, he just came back last week. We had a meeting on Wednesday.

“It’s nothing, it’s a football business, it’s normal. At the moment the situation I believe we can get better.

“Maybe someday he will come to watch a game. He will sit next to me. Yesterday he said to me ‘Do you need help at this meeting?’ I said I could handle.

“Coaches leave and stay, it is normal.”

Asked for a timeframe on the appointment of a new coach, Chansiri attempted to reassure that whoever was to replace Moore would recruit players put together by the Owls recruitment team.

He also made clear a new boss would be brought in ‘soon’, and said that club captain Barry Bannan had offered to take the start of pre-season training in order to buy the club more time to make the right appointment.

Chansiri and the holidaying Bannan spoke via Zoom as the skipper sought assurances over short-term plans.

Recruitment could take time, he warned, but told those present that the club would have 25 players ready to go by the start of the Championship campaign on the first weekend of August.

“We will have the new coach soon,” Chansiri said. “I will try my best to get my new coach before our players come back. If you’re talking about recruiting players, in the Championship it is more difficult than in League One.

“In League One we don’t have much competition so it is easier for us. In the Championship we have more competitors, so it will take longer than in League One. Many managers and players are on holiday. I expect many clubs will start to complete next month.

“If you want to recruit the players nobody wants, you can do it immediately.

“Of course we have targets. We have already started on that. If you want to bring in a good player, it is more competitive and you need to wait, sometimes the club or players ask you to wait. There are many factors.

“It [recruitment] is going to take more time. In the end we will have 25 players ready to play on August 5, for sure.

“We never rush because of the process. Good players will ask you to wait until the last minute.”