Alex Mighten, Port Vale’s on-loan winger, was possibly the only one who wasn’t pleased to see Darren Moore come through the doors at Vale Park when he was appointed manager at the start of February.
The 21-year-old was signed from Nottingham Forest on Deadline Day, but manager Andy Crosby was fired just four days later after a poor run of defeats saw the Burslem team fall down the league table.
Moore, the former manager of Sheffield Wednesday, was brought in as a headline move for Port Vale, employing a manager with a League One promotion with the Owls on his CV.
But Mighten could be forgiven for feeling a little guilty. Mighten had only been on loan at Sheffield Wednesday from Nottingham Forest for 13 months before Moore returned him to his parent club during the January transfer window.
Moore described it as “a football decision,” adding that “it was one of the most difficult things in my football career to talk to him.” But this is part of the job.
Moore’s decision leaves Mighten in limbo.
Mighten’s return to Nottingham Forest placed him in limbo. With only one appearance in the Premier League prior to his move to Wednesday, he was unable to play for a third team that season, and he was obliged to sit out at Forest, knowing he would not make the first team roster. It would have been difficult for the teenager, who had already played 55 Championship games and been promoted to the top division on his resume.
A move to Belgian club KV Kortrijk at the start of the current season did not go as planned, with Mighten making only four starts in 12 games in the Belgian Pro League, thus a move to The Valiants should have been a fresh start.
Mighten took a few weeks to adjust to life in the Vale, but he made his debut in Moore’s first game as manager, playing the final eight minutes in a 3-2 defeat to Cheltenham.
However, he made his debut away against Reading and looked very effective on the left side of Vale’s attack, continually taking on his opponent full-back and offering the offensive threat the Valiants had been without for so long. Despite his great performance, he was replaced after 73 minutes with the score 0-0. He was replaced by Gavin Massey, who failed to follow a runner only three minutes after coming on, allowing Reading to score and subsequently win 2-0.
Mighten’s Port Vale record is better than most.
Mighten was not selected for the following game against Lincoln, which saw Vale’s strikers draw another blank as they lost 2-0, although he did come on as a 58th-minute replacement against Fleetwood. With the score 2-0 to Vale, Mighten set up Ryan Loft for a one-on-one with the Fleetwood goalkeeper, but the striker blasted his effort woefully wide. Vale drew the game 2-2.
He also made an impact by coming on in the 57th minute against Shrewsbury Town. Again, Vale trailed, but Mighten’s quickness and skill helped them press the Shropshire squad back, and they were unfortunate to only have a Baylee Dipepa goal to show for their second-half attacking efforts.
Mighten began against Leyton Orient and once again demonstrated his attacking desire, setting his teammates for golden chances while also saving himself. However, Moore shuffled his lineup once more, and Mighten was replaced in the 68th minute, much to the disappointment of the crowd. Vale spent the rest of the game defending their box, with Mighten’s withdrawal limiting their attacking threat.
Moore should have faith in Mighten.
With Vale floundering at the bottom of the standings and goals being their main concern, Moore must give Mighten the minutes he deserves. The winger has demonstrated that his conditioning has improved, and more importantly, that he can create opportunities for his teammates.
With Mighten on the field, Vale play higher up the pitch, and he could provide the attacking spark Moore needs to ease relegation fears.
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