Digest: Smurthwaite sets no timescale on permanent manager move
There have been plenty of stories in the last few days following the resignation of Bruno Ribeiro. Here is a round-up of the latest.
Smurthwaite sets no limit on permanent manager move
Vale owner Norman Smurthwaite says he won’t rush into a decision over Bruno Ribeiro’s successor. He told BBC Radio Stoke: “I am putting no timescales on this because in the past I have put myself, and the club put ourselves, under undue pressure.”
Owner backs Brown and questions his use by Ribeiro
In the same interview with BBC Radio Stoke, Smurthwaite questioned whether assistant manager Michael Brown was used corrected by Bruno Ribeiro. Brown is now in temporary charge and Smurthwaite told BBC Radio Stoke: “Michael has an experienced head. Maybe he didn’t get the inclusion in the management that I would have liked him to have over the last six months but he is an able guy and he is also very well connected. He is very keen, obviously he wants to make it work so he gets the job permanently, and why wouldn’t he? He has been a great ally of mine and the club’s since Rob went.”
Thomas admits Ribeiro made mistakes
Speaking after the defeat to Walsall, winger Jerome Thomas offered some honest words commenting: “Two things I want to say about the gaffer. The first thing is he is learning as he goes. I have said this in my interviews, he is going to make mistakes. Once he has signed these players you can’t un-sign them and unfortunately he is not an expert yet. So, he may have signed players that he thought were better, it might have been off a reference, maybe they haven’t adapted, maybe they haven’t clicked with our system, maybe they can’t play in this country. I mean, there are so many things to factor in, that’s the first thing. The second thing I signed here because of Bruno and only because of Bruno. So, I would just like to make that clear, he is the reason why I am here.”