Darrell Clarke bans player interviews and adds new coach
Port Vale manager Darrell Clarke has continued to revamp the playing side of the club with a ban on players talking to the media and the appointment of a new coach.
The Port Vale manager told the media that he will ban players from speaking to the media for the remainder of the season. The move comes after goalkeeper Scott Brown criticised the club’s summer recruitment policy.
I think take them out of the limelight and let them do their talking on the pitch, or at least try to do their talking on the pitch…
Clarke told the Sentinel newspaper: “I don’t think it is the right thing. I think take them out of the limelight and let them do their talking on the pitch, or at least try to do their talking on the pitch… I am happy to do more interviews, I am happy to do that and take the burden. But I think it is just best that they get on with the football… People can read into it what they want. Players are not experienced in the press. That is the nature of the beast.”
The Port Vale manager has also added a new face to his coaching team with the appointment of Andy Crosby until the end of the season. The experienced coach has worked extensively with Nigel Adkins and Clarke feels his eperience is invaluable.
Apart from Crosby, Clarke has inexperienced duo Danny Pugh and Billy Paynter and he explained: “Danny is a great lad but he is an inexperienced coach. That is no disrespect to Danny but that is what he is, he is still learning his trade.”
He also sees Paynter’s role as more focussed on the youth team adding: “Billy has been looking at the first team over the last couple of months because it is important that he gets that focus back of how I want it in the youth team. The links between the youth team and the first team are very important, and that needs to be a lot better. So, that’s why Billy is with me until the end of the season.”
So Crosby’s experience could be invaluable with Clark concluding: “He is experienced, he worked for Nigel Adkins for a period of time and he is good to fall back on.”
Andy Crosby Factfile
Age: 48
Management positions: Northern Ireland U21
Coaching positions: Hull City, Southampton, Reading, Sheffield Utd
Playing career: Over 600 games including spells with Scunthorpe Utd, Oxford Utd and Darlington