“Best performance for the club” – Andy Crosby hails in-form Gavin Massey

Andy Crosby says wingback Gavin Massey put in his “best performance” for Port Vale on Saturday as the experienced wideman won over his critics with a scintillating display.

Gavin’s in a really good place. He’s playing well, I think he knows, from the first-half against Stevenage again where he’s a constant threat and he backed that up on Saturday against Wigan. I thought, in my opinion, it was his best performance for the club…

Massey has been the subject of the boo boys at times but Crosby says there are mitigating circumstances for his previous patchy form. He told the media: “”I think Gavin’s had a difficult time at the football club for a variety of reasons. I certainly didn’t help him at the start of the season playing him out of position and we’ve had conversations about that. So, I take responsibility for that.”

Crosby elaborated saying: “Most of Gavin’s career’s been playing wide in a 4-3-3 so certainly now when he’s now playing wing-back for us we are trying to get him higher up the pitch and when we can do that he can become more effective and he penetrates really well behind the back-line, he makes runs behind. It’s then about his end product and providing goals and assists for the team. That’s what we’re trying to focus on.”

The Vale manager hailed his players on the right flank during the win over Wigan commenting: “I thought the right hand side of the team on Saturday was brilliant. I thought they were at least eight, nine out of ten performances from Jesse (Debrah), from Alfie (Devine) and from Gavin. So, all those players have got to replicate that but I think Gavin’s in a really good place. He’s playing well, I think he knows, from the first-half against Stevenage again where he’s a constant threat and he backed that up on Saturday against Wigan. I thought, in my opinion, it was his best performance for the club.”

Crosby thinks Massey’s performances have won over the fans and can help him secure a regular starting place saying: “A lot of things that have made it difficult for Gavin have been out of his control 100%. It’s taken him time… but for me, I’ve let him down at times by playing him out of position and I’ve made it more difficult for him because he gets judged (by fans) when he’s out on the pitch and sometimes it’s not been in his natural position but he needs to replicate Saturday’s performance more and more and more.

“He has to play to do that. He has to cement a place in the team but if he can play anything like the level of performance he did against Wigan he stays in the team, obviously!”