Clarke is among Port Vale’s best managers according to win percentages

After a number of rather non-eventful seasons, Port Vale are back competing against some fairly big clubs in League One.

Pep Guardiola he is not, but Darrell Clarke deserves a great deal of credit for the way in which he has rejuvenated the club in the same way the Spaniard did at Manchester City. The Valiants are putting on a solid showing in their new league, with a number of notable wins and excellent performances along the way. 

This isn’t the first time Port Vale have resided in League One, but make no mistake about it, though, Vale are happy to be back in the relative big time, competing against the likes of Bolton and Sheffield Wednesday and playing without fear. Staying up was undoubtedly the main aim for the club this season, although under Darrell Clarke’s guidance, anything appears to be possible. All it takes is an unbeaten run and Vale could be pushing for the play-offs, although in reality a mid-table season is probably more likely. That would surely be considered as a successful campaign, too. 

The jump from League Two to League One is a challenge, with sides in England’s third domestic competition typically playing more expansive, attacking football and possessing a number of players with vast experience in the upper echelons of the Football League. The fact that Vale are currently priced at 50/1 to be relegated according to football betting odds highlights the giant strides being made under Clarke, though, with the likes of Morecambe (3/10) and Burton Albion (31/50) being tipped for the drop instead. During pre-season, fans of the club would have been forgiven for predicting a scrap down at the bottom of the league for Port Vale, but Darrell Clarke is a manager who clearly enjoys punching above his weight. 

The former Bristol Rovers boss has led an impressive turnaround at Port Vale, although there is enough time left in the season for it all to capitulate or for the aforementioned play-off push to come to fruition. A season-defining period is on the horizon. As things stand today, though, Port Vale under Darrell Clarke are a solid League One outfit again, with foundations in place to kick further on in the future. The job the former Vale loan player has done is up there with some of the club’s greatest also, with Clarke among Port Vale’s best managers according to win percentages. 

Clarke and Morgan top the list 

At the time of writing, Darrell Clarke has a win percentage of 45.1%, making him the second-best manager in Port Vale’s entire history. The rejuvenation shown under Clarke is backed up by the statistics, with last season’s promotion campaign resulting in clear progression under the talented manager. Clarke is in good company, too, with Tom Morgan picking up a win rate of 46.3% during his time at the club. It was a period of numerous successes for Vale, namely winning the Third Division North title and recording a high finish in the Second Division soon after. Clarke will certainly be hoping to emulate the likes of Morgan, with his Port Vale side aiming to sneak into the play-offs come the end of the season. Should Port Vale manage to pull off what essentially is the unthinkable, then Clarke’s stock will rise further. 

Adams, Schofield and Steele make up the rest 

Although Darrell Clarke’s expertise has led to a much-improved Port Vale team on and off the pitch, it’s worth noting that he’s still relatively new in the job. There are managers before him with a much larger sample size, with the likes of Micky Adams coming in at third according to win percentages, with Adams recording 43.2% during his two stints at the club. Like Clarke, Adams secured promotion to League One, although his departure midway through the 2010/11 season with Vale sitting at the top of the fourth tier still leaves a sour taste in the mouth for some sections of the Vale support. Coming in behind Adams is Joe Schofield at 41.9% and Freddie Steele at 40.7%, with both managers also contributing towards Vale’s momentum, particularly when assessing Freddie Steele’s reign, a manager who led the club to a Third Division North title and an FA Cup semi-final.