Darren Moore makes an admission on why he left Sheffield Wednesday in a fresh interview with Sky Sports on Thursday morning.
He addressed his shock departure from the Owls for the first time, talking about why transfer targets rather than his own salary had been the key issue of conflict with chairman Dejphon Chansiri after the League One playoff final win.
Instead, it was transfer targets to support the club’s step up to the Championship that he claims were a key issue when he met chairman Dejphon Chansiri to make plans for the new campaign.
“After Wembley and the dust had settled, we had a meeting, the chairman and myself, to continue what was discussed in the build-up to it,” Moore said.
“I’m clear on record saying irrespective of what division the club was in our targets were set in mind.
“When we had the meeting, the vision set at that timescale was just a little bit out of line.
“Amicably we came to an agreement at the time and decided it wasn’t right. The decision was made for me to step away and the club to continue.
“That’s why, a lot of noise was made at the time, but I never said anything because my emphasis was to allow Sheffield Wednesday to continue and move forward and allow the chairman to bring in a manager of his choice that he felt would take the club forwards. I’ve got no grievance with that decision.
“It was a private conversation between me and him. I know there was a lot said about the salary – but it was never about the money side of it. It was purely and strictly about the football.
“Anybody who knows me, I’m energised by the football, I love the competition of the football. Ever since I’ve become a manager I’ve been energised by the job and I was really energised by Sheffield Wednesday.
“I didn’t expect to be sitting here but we understand football and we wish the club well and I’m ready for the next adventure.”
When questioned if, with time and backing, he could have taken the club back to the Premier League – a division they haven’t been in since 2000 – Moore replied: “Absolutely. When I first had my interview with the chairman that was the desire.
“The size and capacity of Sheffield Wednesday, it’s a club with wonderful history and tradition of playing in the top flight, a fan base as big as anybody, a passionate fan base that wants top-flight football.
“We know nothing is done overnight but I felt… going into the third season [of his reign], I think the club is perfectly poised to build on those solid foundations.
“The Championship is a hard league, some top players in there but at Sheffield Wednesday we have top players, a passionate, loyal support base and the club is back at the level they deserve to be at and I sincerely wish they’re able to kick on from here.”
After the broadcasting of his interview with Sky, Moore then spoke with local media, The Star, where he explained the timing of his choosing to break his silence came ahead of upcoming work on television.
“I didn’t want to leave Sheffield Wednesday,” he told The Star in an exclusive conversation this week. “It wasn’t about money, and I had already started working for the following season. I was prepared to negotiate, I wanted my agent to do that negotiation but the chairman wasn’t interested in negotiating with my agent – he wanted to do it with me.
“But there was no negotiation, it was a take it or leave it offer, and I gave my point of view.
“The chairman asked me what I was looking for from the football club. And my reply was that I just wanted a contract that shows that you value me… The chairman was asking for a figure, but I said to him ‘I just know that I want to be the manager of your football club.’ He kept asking for a number… I never wanted to leave the football club, I’ve made that clear.
“I’m not looking for this to drag on,” he said. “I’m just looking for my next employer, my next adventure. I just didn’t want people thinking that my exit was a case of me trying to earn as much as possible. I wanted to speak to you as the local press because we’ve known each other for two years and just say a big thank you to everybody at the club and wish them the best going forward. I want to draw a line under it.”
The Star say they had been told that as per conversations with the League Managers Association (LMA), Darren Moore was ‘among the three lowest paid managers in the Championship when he arrived at Hillsborough from Doncaster and saw his salary cut further once relegation to League One was confirmed’.
They also report that ‘a salary of four times his previous contract had been requested as a starting point of negotiations only – but this a figure again as per LMA indications that would still have had him amongst the lowest-paid managers in the Championship and somewhere in the region of the average second tier salary’.
Here’s how fans reacted as Darren Moore makes an admission on why he left Sheffield Wednesday in a fresh interview with Sky Sports…
@TomCoaching1: There’s so much tribalism on the Darren Moore stuff. It seems to be clear now that he did ask for 4x salary. Maybe as a starting point. And maybe it was fair. But he did. Chansiri didn’t want to pay it. Maybe he should. But he didn’t. A line needs drawing. It’s over. This whole stuff is really damaging for the football club. Without knowing what Darren Moore was on we will never know what demands were reasonable and who is to blame.
@JimWiltshire1: I like Darren Moore as a bloke. I 100% believe him. I can’t see him at all asking for 4x more his salary. As Chansiri said at the fans forum “our aim is play offs” Darren has looked at his budget and realised he had no chance. So leave on a high with your reputation intact.
@ayoungdesigner: Chansiri couldn’t afford to give him a raise, he’s had to get a cheap alternative in, and we’re cobbling together cheap signings from abroad. It’s clear as day he hasn’t got the money to compete in the championship…
@HTAFC_Bazza: Talked a lot without saying much… but it’s pretty clear why he didn’t want to stay. A certain group of Sheff Wed fans made the club a very unwelcoming environment. They don’t deserve him.
@C_Hatton90: I wonder whether this was actually the way he felt “at the time” though 😉
@13bradking: Left this video feeling unsure if it was right at the time ?
@IngoodNick17: So glad he parted company with Wednesday. A likeable Wednesday manager is just not a good look.
@No_Gimicks: Darren Moore saying “it wasn’t about the salary it was about the football” is not him denying he didn’t for 400% pay rise. #swfc
@swfcscout: Darren Moore gave us some of the best memories we have of supporting Wednesday. He has every right to come out and give his side of events to what happened But now is the time to put this to rest. No response is needed from Chansiri to this. Time to move on and get behind the players and Xisco. There’s no point in analysing and debating who’s right or wrong. It’s history. It’s done. Time to turn the page to a new chapter and look forward not backwards.
@swfc82: Chansiri is a full weight liar and we need him out of the club sooner rather than later. Under Moore we had a great chance to create stability and progression. Now we’re gambling on a bloke who spent 7 months in the Champ. Terrible state of affairs.
@HarryMiiddleton: So Darren Moore was honest with Chansiri and lost his job fucking ridiculous. Hope he goes and smashes it somewhere else because he definitely will and deserves it also. #swfc
You must be logged in to post a comment Login