Is Darren Moore Statistically Port Vale’s Worst Ever Manager?
When a new manager is employed by a football club, it’s supposed to be met with feelings of optimism and excitement about the possible improvement to come.
But not all bosses enjoy that ‘new manager bounce’, a theory that is actually backed up by data from across the Football League, with Darren Moore’s bounce as flat as the proverbial pancake.
Vale lost five of his six opening games in charge, with just two wins coming in the 15 games that Moore has taken the reins for.
The result, of course, is that relegation back to League Two is now a distinct possibility.
Down, Down
Has a manager ever been relegated twice in the same season before?
When Moore was sacked by Huddersfield Town earlier in the campaign, he left the Terriers deeply mired in the dropzone – now, they remain odds-on at 4/9 in the Championship betting to be relegated; ironically, alongside another former Moore club in Sheffield Wednesday.
Vale’s relegation fears require no introduction, so within the next few weeks the man at the helm could suffer a double relegation in the same campaign.
Moore comes across as a nice guy and a decent man manager, with a number of his players past and present revealing how much they enjoyed playing for him.
He has inherited what must be described as a squad not cut out for League One football; not necessarily in terms of ability, but in mental fortitude and application.
🗣️ | Hear from the Gaffer
Darren Moore speaks after Wycombe Wanderers result.
Watch the full video here 👉 https://t.co/S6WizCjkrC#PVFC pic.twitter.com/xlXeWTLwjX
— Port Vale FC (@OfficialPVFC) April 16, 2024
The problem in football is that so much is quantifiable – and the numbers don’t make for good reading for Moore. Vale have conceded two or more goals in eleven of the 15 games he has managed, which is evidently the kind of stat that precipitates a downward spiral.
A win percentage of 13.3% is actually the second-worst in Port Vale’s history for bosses that have helmed 15 or more games – only Ivor Powell back in the 1950s had a leaner time of things.
On the Bright Side
The general consensus is that Moore did a good job at West Brom, Doncaster Rovers and in his promotion-winning season with Wednesday.
There’s evidently a good manager there – anyone that has a win ratio in excess of 45%, with three different clubs over 250 games, clearly has quality.
A manager can only work with the players they inherit in their time before the transfer window opens, so it comes as no great surprise that Moore has struggled with a largely below-par squad.
The hope is that a summer of activity in the market will enable Moore to bring in his own players, which a few months down the line will ensure he can be judged on merit rather than circumstance.
Sheffield Wednesday have confirmed that Darren Moore has left the club by mutual consent.
Moore helped #SWFC achieve promotion to the Championship via the play-offs last month.
More from @nnamdionye https://t.co/k7bEZjWcWx
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) June 19, 2023
Quite what division the Valiants will be in at that point we’ll have to wait and see, but the good news is that Moore does have promotion on his CV – that would have to be the aim in 2024/25, if the remainder of 2023/24 plays out in the worst possible way.
There’s an irony to the fact that Darrell Clarke now has a chance to remain in League One, with his Cheltenham Town side fighting hard against the drop. That irony, mind you, is not lost on Vale supporters.