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Fans in shock as Port Vale sack their manager with replacement named until end of the season

Fans have woken up in shock as Port Vale sack their manager Darrell Clarke with a replacement named until end of the season.

Port Vale part company with manager Darrell Clarke, leaving the Valiants following run of two wins in their last 18 League One games.

David Flitcroft thanks Darrell for his role in driving the club away from potential relegation from League Two to winning promotion to League One, but feels time for change is needed to avoid going back down.

CLUB STATEMENT:

Port Vale Football Club has parted company with manager Darrell Clarke following Saturday’s League One defeat at Lincoln City.

Darrell deserves the utmost respect and appreciation from all at Port Vale for his contribution to the club’s progress since he was appointed in February 2021. However, performances and results have been below expectations since the turn of the year, with just two wins in our 18 League One fixtures since New Year’s Day and an alarming trend in performances in recent weeks.

Ex-Leeds, Doncaster, Darlington, Chester, Brighton, Oxford and Scunthorpe Andy Crosby will now take charge of the first team, initially on an interim basis until the end of the 2022/23 season, with the club’s immediate focus on retaining our League One status.

Commenting on the change, David Flitcroft, Port Vale’s director of football, explained:

“Firstly, it is important that we place on record our appreciation to Darrell for the role he has played in a successful chapter in the club’s history, culminating in last season’s promotion to League One via the Play-Offs.

“We have been on an emotional journey together, during which time Carol, her family and all associated with Port Vale have provided unwavering support to Darrell throughout an unimaginably difficult period in his life.

“We have immense gratitude to him for his role in driving the club away from potential relegation from League Two to winning promotion to League One. However, following discussions in recent weeks with Darrell, the backroom staff and senior players, we have decided now is the best time to make a change and give ourselves the best chance of retaining the League One status we have all worked so tirelessly to achieve since the Shanahan family purchased the club in 2019.

“We must now work together as a staff and supporters to help Andy Crosby and the players to secure the points required to allow us to build on the foundations we have laid and continue our progression this summer.”

Carol Shanahan OBE, Port Vale co-owner and chair, continued:

“Collectively, this has not been an easy decision to make, and given the close relationship we have developed during the past two years, it is difficult to part ways with Darrell professionally.

“We always wish to give our manager ample opportunity to deliver results, though at this stage we now agree it is in the club’s best immediate and long-term interests to make a change.

“We – staff, players and supporters – must now work together over the next three weeks to do everything we can to positively influence the team on the pitch and retain our League One status. We know a detailed review of the last few months is required to understand where mistakes have been made and we will commence this at the conclusion of this season. Now, though, is the time to come together and all play our part in the final four fixtures of the campaign.

“We wish Darrell well in his future career and he and his family will always be welcome here at Vale Park.”

FAVOURITES TO BECOME NEW PORT VALE MANAGER

BetVictor – 17th April – 9am
Danny Cowley – 4/1
Karl Robinson – 6/1
Leam Richardson – 8/1
Andy Crosby – 10/1
David Artell – 14/1
Brian Barry Murphy – 14/1
Graham Alexander – 14/1

Darrell Clarke said after the 3-2 defeat at Lincoln City on Saturday:

“I am speechless to be honest, absolutely devastated. We have to pick ourselves up very quickly. We still have work to do and we have one of the best teams in the league on Tuesday night. So, we can’t feel sorry for ourselves.

“I can’t explain a lot of the decisions in the game but I will go and see the referee in ten or 15 minutes to see what they have to say about it.

“I think it was eight yellow and three red cards…but we can’t feel sorry for ourselves, that’s the main thing.

“We certainly shot ourselves in the foot as well. Sammy [Robinson] is a young lad but he has to be more disciplined than that. He has apologised to the lads which is fair play to him but he has to learn from that very quickly because that left us with a mountain to climb.

“We can’t expect anybody to help us, we have to get ourselves out of this rut. We have work to do to stay in the division, we are well aware of that and have been for the last few weeks.

“We have to come out fighting, like we did today. The boys have given everything for the shirt. One or two things are obviously not going for us but we have to keep that belief and make sure we can try to put in a good performance on Tuesday.”

After the dismissal of Conlon and with the sides going in level at half time, Clarke made three changes, in a switch that looked like it may off as Robinson had a huge chance to score before his dismissal in the latter stages.

“I thought it gave us impetus and I thought we controlled large parts of the second half. Sammy had a great chance,” Clarke explained. “We needed legs in midfield and my only other midfielder – Tom Conlon – has got sent off, so you are forced to play a 4-3-2. We wanted to keep two centre forwards up and have a right good go.

“I will pick the bones through my own performance and my staff’s but it was one of those days where football really kicks you in the teeth.

“It is tough. I thought our fans were absolutely magnificent again for us, absolutely outstanding. We thank them for their support and ask them to stick with us for the last four games.”

As mentioned, fans are in shock as Port Vale sack their manager with a replacement named until end of the season…

@ChamboPvfc: At least give him the end of the season lads, no point doing it this late

@TheGolden_Z: How about start being open and honest with the fans. What really happened with Garlic. What happened in January. Saturday is massive now

@EmilyCherryCEO: Thats a shocker – stability in backroom staffing is what players need. Lets get behind Andy and the team to see out this season. I am grateful for everything Darrell has done for the club, but there has been a noticeable change since he interviewed for Portsmouth. Wish him well.

@The_Only_LeeH: New voice in the dressing room, tactics and formation to give us a chance. Clear players had stopped responding to Clarke. He had lost his edge. Good luck Crosby. Did brilliant last time he was in charge.

@PVFCMatty: If we we’re skint already we definitely are now

@disco_shippers: That’s unbelievable

@spinthewebmark: Some of our players want to have a long hard look at themselves!!!

@BradOwen0140: Should have been Flitcroft!

@fanaticvalefan: 🎶 We want our Darrell back 🎶

@dharvey4: That’s a mistake. 🙈

@KyleC23: Wtf 🤬

@MRaftery69: Pathetic decision. Best manager we’ve had for years, got us promoted in a year he suffered horrible personal problems. Thank you Darrell and good luck for the future.

@Jordans_1995: Got shafted in January, would’ve even kept him if we got relegated. Flitcroft should be first out the door!

@RichyW61: last thing I expected this morning, wow!

@NLValiants: NLV want to pass our thanks & best wishes for whatever the future holds for Darrell. He operated under impossible circumstances & will always be well thought of at VP #portvale #pvfc

@KyleC23: I can’t believe this man , why?

@lloydcooke: Flitcroft seems to have a spell over Carol and the owners and must have been key in making the decision even though he is complicit in the downfall this 2nd half of the season. Time to have a real look at who really driving and manipulating this bus.

@Panko3490: Gutted about this but something has seriously gone wrong since January. Players have stopped responding to DC and at times the effort wasn’t there.

@Evvo1991: Thanks for relegating us 👏

@nodgers: Why?!?!?!

@_DaveTudor_: Terrible decision

@CraigNeild: Saved us from going out of the football league. Rebuilt us and got us promoted and then started well this season. Not been good enough this year but overall an absolutely amazing time with us. Thank you and good luck in the future.

@Bainbridge90M: ITS THE PLAYERS. I can’t believe he’s been given the boot. Absolute joke.

@jordhansbury: Outrageous decision with 4 games left, do you really think DC has been the issue with these pathetic heartless, gutless performances? Let down massively by the players. Flitcroft has a lot to answer for here because I’m sure the majority would have preferred him gone than DC

@mattyg_97: Well that’s a bit daft aint it? First season back in league one and he’s done a solid job. One of the better sides to actually give us a game at our place this season

@tom_kenny84: Yet another decision I don’t agree with. He had his flaws but was a good fit for us all in all. Whoever was behind the January recruitment is to blame. Very very poor from the club.

@Vernonsdave: That is completely ridiculous

@Deanoyouds: From the outside looking in that looks harsh. From where he picked you up to where he took you. One win ensures league one football next year.

@TommieC98: You have to be joking me. Manager left out to dry in January, fucked over by the players and loses his job because of it. He deserved more time and respect than that.

@JayPVFC: Carols been on the fucking vodka wtf

@HSV_Valiant: I thought everything that touches the pitch was Flitcroft’s remit? The pound shop David Brent and the gutless dossers Flitcroft and his “recruitment team” bought in as players should be the ones walking. Absolute disgrace of a decision. Darrell Clarke’s Black and White Army!

@kensJoness: What’s worse is, we didn’t have any money in January but we’ve got enough brass to let a man on a 5 year deal walk, make it make sense ffs 🤦🏼‍♂️

@Pvfcfrosty: Piss poor this is Vale. No funding in January, what do you expect him to do?

@jasebaylay: Speedy, Garlic, Clarke, Jan window, radio silence from the top! Something ain’t right at the club and it’s clearly spread to the pitch. Was it Darrell, is it Flitcroft, has Carole been swayed/sided with the wrong camp? Bastard hard work being a Vale fan, always 😕😡

@WJStanway1: fuckin hell, i know results have been poor and people have had their moans recently but with 4 games to go this was the last thing i expected. Baffling decision #pvfc

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