Can Port Vale survive League One relegation in 2023/24?
Port Vale’s start to 2024 has been anything but ideal. Winless in the New Year, The Valiants will need to start living up to their nickname to avoid the current threat of relegation. A total of three points from eleven league outings this year at the time of writing, courtesy of draws with Charlton, Stevenage and Fleetwood, means newly-appointed Vale manager Darren Moore has a challenge on his hands to turn the club’s fortunes around.
It’s up to Moore to remedy the lacklustre performances fans and sports bettors witnessed against Derby. As things stand, many of the sites included on a list of the online bookmakers curated by Peter Addison favours Port Vale for the drop with odds of 4/6, behind only Carlisle (1/100) and Fleetwood (1/7), the two teams below them on the table.
Although Cheltenham (7/4) and Shrewsbury (15/8) remain relegation contenders, Port Vale’s record as the only League One team without a win in its last five games means Darren Moore has a challenging task on his hands to prove the bookies wrong.
The recent 0-3 reversal against Derby County has seen blame laid at the door of Port Vale’s senior players, who pundits believe need to step up to support the teenage players that newly-appointed Moore needs to rely on.
Primarily, a lack of positive transfer activity over the January transfer window has left the squad threadbare and looking devoid of the energy required for a sustained relegation battle, with the blame for this clearly lying at the door of the Port Vale ownership.
With The Valiants currently in 22nd position in League One and six points off safety, albeit with games in hand over its relegation rivals, immediate improvement on the park must occur to maintain the club’s current division status in 2024/25.
Despite these recent poor performances, there are some positives Moore can draw on to do ensure the team stay in League One.
The South African attacking midfielder, 25-year-old Ethan Chislett, in his first season at Vale Park, has been a revelation for The Valiants this season. With seven goals and eight assists in the league to date, Chislett’s consistent performances make him a top candidate for Port Vale’s Player of the Season award, but more regular buy-in from the attacking players around him is needed to impact results positively.
With Chislett’s fellow African, Ugandan striker Uche Ikpeazu, out injured but with only a single goal in his 12 games, and Port Vale’s two other strikers, Ryan Loft and James Wilson, only scoring four times in 56 combined League One appearances, only Chislett and stand-in skipper and top scorer, Ben Garrity (9 goals), have been finding the net.
Moore’s appointment itself should also be seen as positive. With Premier League managerial experience from his time with West Bromwich Albion, the gaffer has managed nearly 300 games in his career with a win rate of almost 45%. Winning anything close to that percentage over the rest of the season will see Port Vale move clear of the drop zone.
Darren Moore will need time though, which is something Port Vale doesn’t have much of. If he can find a formation to more capably include his strikers, and quickly motivate the team to provide the necessary mentorship to the younger players in training and during matches, hope of another season in League One remains a possibility.