What does the 2023/24 season hold for Port Vale?
Whilst the relative malaise of the 2022/23 season at Vale Park is still in the midst of settling for some fans, the prospect of the cut and thrust of Football League action returning at Vale Park is very much a reality.
Consolidation was a key word for all around the club last season and ultimately, despite a few ups and downs along the way, it was achieved, with Vale finishing the campaign in 18th – 3 points and 3 places above the drop zone.
Looking ahead to the new season, Andy Crosby looks to have his side where he wants them in terms of pre-season minutes and with the opening game of the season against Barnsley on August 5th, the countdown to the start of the campaign has very much begun.
As ever at this point of the season, every UK sportsbook and online casino is busy collating their odds and predictions for the season ahead – from the elite level of the Premier League, all the way down to the National League North and South.
Here is where the major bookmakers in the UK have Port Vale ahead of the 2023/24 season:
Championship dream
Whilst every football fan is painfully optimistic, even the most gooey eyed of Port Vale fans wouldn’t have felt that back-to-back promotions was achievable last season and so it proved.
Despite having a full year of League One knowhow and experience under their belts, there isn’t too much optimism surrounding Port Vale’s chances of winning League One this season, with a whole host of big names sides in the mix for promotion.
The likes of Derby County, Wigan Athletic and Reading have all been plying their trade in the Premier League in the last decade and they are well resourced and ready for a push back into the Championship, despite enduring some rough recent campaigns.
At 40/1 to win the League One title in 2023/24, clearly Port Vale are not one of the favourites, but stranger things have certainly happened in the world of football.
Play-off push
One of the key nuances of the lower leagues in English football is the capacity for seemingly any team to get promoted, thanks to the unique nature of the play-offs.
There is always one team in a play-off battle that manages to find form at the right time and propel themselves into the league above and Port Vale could well be targeting that route this season.
Managing the rough with the smooth will be the challenge for Andy Crosby and his men, with the 46 game season a true test of every player but if they can find themselves in the top 6 come the end of the campaign, they will be more than in with a shout.
Coming in at 10/1 to achieve promotion and 7/1 to finish in the playoffs, Port Vale are in with a whole host of sides that should be in the running in one of the most open League One seasons in recent memory.
Avoiding the drop
For all the talk and dreams of promotion, the reality of League One football is that teams can go down as easily as they came up.
Momentum is the biggest killer in football and Vale will need to be on their mettle from the start of the season if they are to avoid slipping into a relegation dog fight.
Following relegation for League Two back in 2017, it took Vale 5 more years to achieve promotion from League Two and get back into League One, testament to the fine margins every single club is operating at.
Finishing above the drop zone last season will help this bunch of players as they look forward to the season ahead, with the squad able to draw upon their past experiences at this level.
Port Vale are currently 9/2 to slip back into League Two following the 2023/24 League One campaign, something that everybody at Vale Park would hate to see come May 2024.
However, as the campaign pans out, it is sure to be another memorable one for all associated with the Valiants and Vale Park is sure to be rocking for the first League One home game of the season against Reading on August 12th, 2023.