Port Vale: how was pre-season?
With the 2021-2022 football season kicking off this month, we take a look at how Port Vale scored during their pre-season matches as they concluded on July 31.
With their 110th English Football League pre-season coming to a close on July 31, Port Vale are getting to grips with a new manager in the form of Darrell Clarke. Pre-season is a great opportunity for players to reach optimal fitness levels and highlight any weaknesses ahead of the upcoming season and Port Vale managed to do just that. Continue reading to find out just how.
First friendlies
Port Vale kicked off their 2021-2022 pre-season with a friendly match against Kidsgrove Athletic on July 3. After a solid display throughout, they scored a comfortable win over the Staffordshire-based team. A relatively slow start culminated in Eden Bailey leading his team to victory with a final score of 2-0 secured in the final 10 minutes of the match. Their triumph was short-lived, however, as they were defeated by Stafford Rangers in a 0-2 away match at the Marston Road stadium on July 9. Their biggest win yet came on July 10 with a 6-2 win over their non-league neighbours Newcastle Town at Lyme Valley Stadium. With a number of victories under their belt so far, Port Vale is all set to continue dominating their upcoming season going forward and follow in the footsteps of English Football League Championship teams such as Queens Park Rangers and Bristol City. Information found on websites and blogs, such as MBet’s Bristol City blog, are a great way to familiarise yourself with the club’s rise to the top of the league.
https://twitter.com/OfficialPVFC/status/1421153858814939139
A disappointing mid-season
After a promising start, Port Vale faltered mid-season with three consecutive losses against Fleetwood Town, Nottingham Forest, and Sheffield Wednesday. July 13 saw them lose 1-0 at Poolfoot Farm. The first goal was scored by Jordan Rossiter 45 minutes in at the near post with a career-defining header. Even after a number of line-up changes, the score remained unchanged as the final whistle blew. On July 17, Nottingham Forest players Alex Mighten and Jack Colback led their team to victory in the first half with a 2-0 win over Port Vale. Finally, Sheffield Wednesday pipped them at the post on July 27 to win 1-2 at Vale Park with Dominic Iorfa and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru securing a comfortable win for their team.
Going out on a high note
Despite three consecutive losses, Port Vale managed to pull it back for their final match against Chesterfield at Whittington Moor’s Technique Stadium thanks to James Wilson’s first-half strike on July 31. Their win was especially impressive considering they had to end the game with only ten players after Lucas Covolan was sent off with only ten minutes to go for an elbow on Nathan Tyson. With three out of seven friendlies won during their pre-season, Port Vale are set to enter the 2021-2022 season in a comfortable position.
Predictions for the 2021-2022 season
Pre-season is also a great opportunity to assess how the upcoming season will play out. After a complete reshuffle and the let go of 15 out-of-contract players at the end of the 2020-2021 season, manager Darrell Clarke had to rebuild the team from the ground up. Players included Shaun Brisley, Scott Brown, Ryan Campbell-Gordon, Adam Crookes, Mark Cullen, David Fitzpatrick, Kurtis Guthrie, Luke Joyce, Harry McKirdy, Zak Mills, Christian Montaño, Tom Pope, Tom Scott, Daniel Trickett-Smith, and Dino Visser. Team coach Danny Pugh was the latest departure for the English Football League club. The decision to let so many players go came as a surprise to fans with fan-favourite Scott Brown eventually joining Exeter as a coach after 144 appearances for Port Vale.
As Port Vale’s pre-season concluded on July 31, fans are already looking forward to the team’s upcoming 2021-2022 season. By taking a look at how the English Football League club performed during its pre-season friendlies, fans have been able to predict how they are likely to play in the coming months.