‘We need patience both on and off the pitch’
OVF columnist Malcolm Hirst says that “patience is not a virtue common amongst football fans” but Port Vale need it both on and off the pitch.
Malcolm Hirst writes…
Anything short of automatic promotion will be seen as a failure by the majority of fans, which, when you think we were in administration at the beginning of the season, is bizarre and unfair on the players and manager alike…
Managers generally get very little time to prove themselves at a club and they live and die by their decisions.
I was talking to someone who played under Micky at Fulham. “Micky Adams is his own man” came up frequently in the conversation as did “You know when your time is up” as we mused over the success Micky has brought to Vale Park.
Sadly, I think Micky is a victim of his and the team’s success this season. Before a ball was kicked I would have been very happy to have seen Vale in a safe mid-table position.
However, our early success has raised the expectancy levels of fans. Anything short of automatic promotion will be seen as a failure by the majority of fans, which, when you think we were in administration at the beginning of the season, is bizarre and unfair on the players and manager alike. Patience is needed by us fans.
How does the saying go? “Patience is a virtue seldom found in women…and never in men” or is it the other way around?
Either way, patience is not a virtue common amongst football fans. However, it is definitely a quality required by all Vale fans at the moment. We need patience both on and off the pitch. Change needs a solid platform to ensure it is successful in the longer term.
I am looking forward to celebrating our promotion to League One. My ideal scenario would be to clinch promotion at Rochdale, be crowned Champions at home to Northampton and then one hell of a party at Wycombe. I’ve booked my annual leave days to ensure I will be there for those three days.
Can Micky and the lads do it? Yes they can.
#keepthefaith