Adams responds to ‘naive’ Davis comments
Manager Micky Adams has delivered a stinging response to Crewe manager Steve Davis’ comments about Vale’s youth policy.
Earlier this week, Davis slammed a “derisory” wage offer for his son Joe Davis and suggested that Vale needed to do more to “push” youngsters such as Davis and Jordan Hugill into the first-team. Davis left the Valiants to join Premier League side Leicester while Hugill has joined Preston.
Davis’ comments went down like a lead balloon with Vale fans, especially as many feel Crewe only stayed up last season after they decided to replace their own highly-regarded youngsters with half-a-dozen loanees. It was also felt that Davis was wrong to compare Hugill’s situation with that of Davis. In many Vale fans’ eyes, Hugill was developed by the Valiants and he has moved purely for financial gain. Many feel the striker was actually given a long run in the Vale first-team last season and is more likely to get first-team football with the Valiants than at Deepdale.
Now Adams has delivered his response and he told the Sentinel: “I think we are all disappointed with the comments from Steve. I can understand him being disappointed as a father of a player, but it is hardly disappointing for the lad is it?
“He has a pay rise and has gone to a Premier League club, so I would think he would be jumping through hoops.
It has got nothing to do with him. I don’t comment on Crewe Alexandra or their players. So, I think for Steve, being a bit naïve and a young manager, maybe that is a lesson he should learn. Don’t talk about other people’s players…
“We are always disappointed to lose young players, but what I am disappointed with Steve about is that he would then go on and talk about Jordan Hugill and other players that are at our football club.
“It has got nothing to do with him. I don’t comment on Crewe Alexandra or their players. So, I think for Steve, being a bit naïve and a young manager, maybe that is a lesson he should learn. Don’t talk about other people’s players.
“I don’t want to get into ‘he said, she said’, and all that, but I believe one of his young players has not turned up this week either. Maybe he got a derisory offer too.
“Maybe Steve should get his own house in order before he starts talking about other people’s football clubs and other people’s players.”