Port Vale v Brentford preview – Valiants target a cup upset after long break
Port Vale v Brentford: if this FA Cup third round match takes place it will be Port Vale’s first competitive match in weeks. Who will prevail? Here’s our preview…
Match details
Details:
Port Vale v Brentford, FA Cup third round
Vale Park stadium
Saturday January 8th, 2022, 3pm
Last time we met?
It has been eight years since Brentford and Port Vale last met – at the time both teams were in League One. Goals from Marcello Trotta and Will Grigg gave the Bees all three points with a 2-0 victory. This is the clubs’ first meeting in the FA Cup.
Overall record:
25 Vale wins, 7 draws and 23 defeats. However, it is five games since Vale’s last competitive win over Brentford.
Pre-match quotes
Brentford are a club I have a massive amount of respect for. I think their recruitment and the model of the football club is outstanding…
Port Vale manager Darrell Clarke
We truly respect Port Vale, a good team that are doing well in League Two. I’ll put a strong team out there, a strong squad to travel because I believe in keeping the momentum. We’d love to go on a cup run…
Brentford manager Thomas Frank
I made my debut (in the FA Cup) when I was 18 here at Vale Park. That makes the competition even more special for me. You remember it as a kid growing up, always on the telly, little clubs going to big clubs. Then when we got Man City away the other year that just summed up what the FA Cup can do…
Port Vale defender James Gibbons
Valiants team news
It’s a tricky one to call as the long playing absence may have given some injured Port Vale players a chance to recover. Definitely missing will be defender Dan Jones (pictured) who is suspended, loanee Ryan Edmondson (cup-tied) and the recently returned Danny Whitehead (also cup-tied). Another who won’t be involved is defender Ryan Johnson, who was sold to Stockport County on Thursday.
It’s been common knowledge that Vale have been very short of forwards in recent weeks so it will be interesting to see if any of Jamie Proctor, James Wilson, Devante Rodney or David Amoo are fit for this game. If none of them are then Vale’s choices would appear to be between loanee Dennis Politic, converted midfielder Ben Garrity and youth teamer Eden Bailey.
Hopefully the rest will also have been beneficial for the likes of David Worrall and other players who looked to be carrying knocks in the run up to Christmas. In Jones’ absence at the back, the likes of Leon Legge, Aaron Martin or less likely Danny Amos will be hoping for a start in the back three.
Opposition team news
It’s also tricky to know what team Brentford will put out, but they are likely to rest some of their regular Premier League performers. Manager Thomas Frank has indicated that defender Kristoffer Ajer and Bryan Mbeumo will play in the game. However, Mathias Jensen and Sergi Canos will miss out through injury.
Man in charge: Thomas Frank
- Age: 48
- Games in charge: 169
- Win ratio: 47%
The former Brondby boss was appointed in 2018 and led the club to the Premier League last season.
Recent form…
Port Vale
The Valiants have had some patchy form which has been disrupted by the postponement of the last three games.
Form (all competitions):
Top scorer (all competitions):
Proctor, Wilson, Garrity (7)
The opposition
Brentford ended a run of three straight losses with a win over Aston Villa on the 2nd January.
Form (all competitions) :
Top scorer (all competitions):
Toney (5)
Current connections
Leon Legge
115 Brentford appearances
127 Port Vale appearances
Veteran centre-half Leon Legge is now approaching his fourth year at Vale Park following his free transfer in the summer of 2018. The well-travelled defender spent for years at Brentford earlier in his career, a move which saw him break into League football.
After spells with Tonbridge Angels and Lewes, Legge joined Brentford in 2009 and made his professional debut in September. He was named the Brentford player of the year in 2010.
After a spell on loan with Gillingham in 2013 he left the Bees to join the Gills on a permanent basis. He won promotion with Gillingham in 2013 and left the club in 2015. He had a further spell with Cambridge United which saw him make 124 appearances before leaving the club in 2018 in order to join the Valiants.
Vintage connection
Tony Rougier
34 Brentford appearances
54 Port Vale appearances
Winger Tony Rougier was one of many inspired John Rudge signings for Port Vale. Brought in for a fee of £175,000 from Scottish club Hibernian, he was sold on for a £150,000 profit to Reading eighteen months later. His spell at Vale Park was a memorable one with Rougier becoming the then record International appearance holder (until he was eclipsed by fellow Trinidad International Chris Birchall) and becoming top-scorer for the 1998-99 season.
After three years with Reading, the winger joined Brentford in 2003. He made 34 appearances and scored five goals for the Bees during a single season with the club.
He finished his playing career in 2005 after making more than 300 senior appearances and winning 67 caps for Trinidad and Tobago.
From the archives – photos
Steve McPhee in action for Port Vale against Brentford
The Port Vale away support at Griffin Park
The 2001 LDV Vans Trophy final between the two sides
From the archives – videos
Potted history
Brentford were founded in 1889 and played home matches at Griffin Park from 1904 before moving to Brentford Community Stadium in 2020.
They won the Southern League Second Division in 1900–01 and were elected into the Football League in 1920.
The club reached the top flight of English football in 1935, finishing fifth in 1935–36, their highest ever league finish, before three relegations left them in the Fourth Division by 1962.
They returned to the top-flight in 2020 via the play-offs.
Were you paying attention?
Here’s a quick quiz on the opponents:
- What was the score the last time the two met?
- Who is the current Brentford manager?
- In which year were the club founded?
- Which current Port Vale defender has played for both sides?
Quiz answers (no cheating):
- Port Vale 0-2 Brentford
- Thomas Frank
- 1889
- Leon Legge