Nottingham Forest will hope Sheffield Wednesday showing is not repeated at Port Vale: View | OneFootball

Highlights

Nottingham Forest confirmed that winger Alex Mighten had joined League One side Port Vale on loan on Deadline Day after a disappointing loan move in the first half of the campaign.

The 21-year-old recently returned from a loan spell in Belgium with KV Kortrijk, where he made 12 appearances in all competitions.

During his time in the Jupiler Pro League, his side managed just two wins - both in which Mighten did not feature.

Once touted to become a mainstay in the first-team at the City Ground, the winger will be hoping for his latest move to a club in the Football League is much better than his previous one.

Mighten joined Nottingham Forest at the age of seven after impressing with local side Arnold Town, rising through the academy ranks in the East Midlands.

The winger was handed his debut at the City Ground in 2019 having played regularly within the Reds' youth sides, coming on in the 78th minute against Arsenal in a 5-0 defeat in the Carabao Cup. He signed his first professional contract three months later.

In August 2020, Mighten signed a new contract extension to keep him at the club until June 2025, scoring his first goal for the club in a 1-1 draw with Millwall in December, ending the season with three goals in 27 appearances and was named Young Player of the Season.

Following the Reds' promotion to the Premier League, Mighten joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan but failed to make an impact at Hillsborough.

His time in League One saw him feature 14 times in all competitions and scored one goal, often played out of position at wing-back or centre-forward. He returned to Forest with Darren Moore deciding to end the loan as they were contributing a significant portion of the player's wages.

Port Vale's managerial change could help Alex Mighten's loan move

Port Vale announced on Monday evening that they had sacked boss Andy Crosby after less than a year in charge at Vale Park.

It followed a disastrous defeat to bottom of the table Fleetwood Town at the weekend with that result leaving Vale just two points above the relegation zone ahead of an important run of fixtures.

This month they play a number of the top sides vying for promotion to the Championship, with the end of February seeing them face the sides in and around the relegation battle, including Reading, Cheltenham Town and Fleetwood once more.

Vale kick-started life without the 50-year-old with a 1-0 defeat to Leyton Orient, with Mighten coming on as a late substitute in the right-wing back role - his second appearance from the bench since the switch.

And while Crosby was the man who brought the Forest man to the football club, his departure could allow the 21-year-old to flourish in his more natural wide attacking position.

Under Crosby's stewardship, Vale would normally operate three at the back in a 3-4-1-2 set-up with Gavin Massey and Conor Grant operating in the wing-back positions, meaning Mighten would realistically be utilised in that position, although during his first game in Saturday's defeat he replaced James Wilson in the centre-forward position.

The 21-year-old does have the ability to adapt and play anywhere across the front-line, but he is at his most dangerous in the wide positions at the top end of the pitch, and this managerial change could allow a new formation and new tactics to be implemented that cater more to his style of play.

Current favourites include former Queens Park Rangers and Wycombe Wanderers boss Gareth Ainsworth, who has shown his ability at managing in League One. He also adopts a 4-3-2-1 formation, with the emphasis of wide players creating opportunities for a sole striker, something that would certainly cater to Mighten's qualities.

While Mighten has endured a difficult period early on in his football career, he has proved in glimpses the ceiling he can reach. Under the right management and playing in the right formation, he could be a real asset to Port Vale and their mission to remain in League One this season.