You hurt and then you go again – Darrell Clarke on his reaction to the Rochdale defeat
Port Vale manager Darrell Clarke says that the home defeat to Rochdale “hurt” but the squad are “analysing, refocusing and ready to go again.”
The Valiants suffered a disappointing 3-2 home loss last Saturday and now face a tough test going to Swindon Town.
Clarke told the media: “It is a tough, long two days. I am sat here because I love my job, but I am sat here to win, I want to be successful and I want to do well for people at this club.
“So, then you hurt for those two days. You hurt and then you go again, There is no magic wand to fix that. Just win every week! Unfortunately for a lower league manager that’s not going to happen.”
Clarke says the transition will take time adding: “You have to take time to turn the mentality around at the football club. Port Vale, for the last four years, have been in League Two, and the club has only been in the top seven for 11 weeks. And, then after ten weeks of the season, it has only been in the top seven for two weeks in the last four years.
“I am sat here because we need to change that. But how do we change that? We don’t just change it by talking. You change it by the work you do over a substantial period of time with a new group of players and then you see where the goals end up.”
Despite needing that period of time, Clarke says he is still confident of success this season adding: “I will be very disappointed if I don’t get us in the top seven. It is as simple as that.
“I said it at the supporters’ forum the other night. This league is very tight, teams can beat anybody on their day, we get that. But I believe in my group and I believe in my staff.
“If people want to have early assessments, that’s fine, that’s football. Things can change very quickly.
“But I believe what we are building here is going to be something special. But time will tell on that.”