Sheffield Wednesday boss Darren Moore happy to give boring answer to big promotion question
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For quite a while it had seemed a top six place and a chance at gaining a place in the second tier via the play-offs was the best that Wednesday could hope for, such was the form of the teams around the top of the division.
The promotion picture has changed a little though and suddenly with Rotherham and MK Dons stumbling – table-toppers Wigan have built up a gap that should see them through – and now there’s a little bit of wondering among Owls fans again whether perhaps a trip to Wembley won’t be needed after all.
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Hide AdThe Millers and the Dons, in second and third respectively but level on 83 points, keep slipping up, giving Wednesday a sneaky sight of that second automatic place thanks to the Owls gaining maximum points from their Easter weekend with wins in Milton Keynes and on Tuesday at home to Crewe.
Of course Darren Moore’s side still have to keep looking over ther shoulders at Sunderland and Oxford who are creeping around the outskirts of the top six, as they have done for much of the campaign, but there’s no reason why Wednesday shouldn’t be focusing their attentions on those above them rather than behind.
That said, ever the diplomat and not one for hyperbolic soundbites, Moore himself has shut down any talk of looking at the automatic promotion places as a goal – publicly at least – as he steadfastly clings to the ‘one game at a time’ mantra.
“The team is just thinking about the three points and competing for that,” he said ahead of Saturday’s match against fellow promotion-chasers Wycombe. “They don't think anything different. It's just onto the next game because if you start thinking that you take your eyes off the ball.
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Hide Ad"It's just the next one relly. Honestly, I don't even know where [the win over Crewe] puts us. The focus is just winning games. I'm pleased to win and now we look towards another game on Saturday which is going to be another tough one.
"They are a team well rehearsed at this level in this league and we know they have got an experienced manager so, we are going to have to be at our real best on Saturday and it will be a different test to what we had here.”