Should Vale move quickly and appoint from within?
Rob Fielding wonders if Port Vale should replace the seemingly departing Rob Page with an internal appointment.
Rob Fielding writes…
If the press are to believed, the appointment of Rob Page as new Northampton Town boss is pretty much a done deal. So who should replace him?
Why potentially damage that by bringing in an outsider with his own ideas and possibly his own player preferences?
As I have said before in these musings, continuity is often underestimated in football.
Only last weekend, player of the year Anthony Grant was waxing lyrical on the togetherness of the squad under Rob Page. Why potentially damage that by bringing in an outsider with his own ideas and possibly his own player and tactical preferences?
This is a crucial part of the year. Vale have contract offers on the table for thirteen players. It would be only natural if they held off signing if Vale went into a protracted recruitment process. During that procrastination, there is every chance the better ones may sign for other clubs. So delaying things could cost the club important players.
There is another option though. One that is cheap, quick and has worked before. Vale could appoint from within just like they did with Rob Page.
An internal appointment would quite possibly keep that squad unity together, it would potentially spur out of contract players to make a decision and it would invoke that phrase I keep using – continuity…
An internal appointment would be quick to pull off, it would quite possibly keep that squad unity together, it would potentially spur out of contract players to make a decision and it would invoke that phrase I keep using – continuity.
I presume that assistant Paul Bodin is close to Rob Page and would probably leave with him. If so, then I would give serious consideration about appointing Michael Brown as player manager.
He has a similar skill set to Rob Page when he joined (top-flight experience, UEFA coaching badges and time spent on the coaching staff), so why not give him a chance?