Port Vale’s 2023-24’s failures – eight reasons for the club’s relegation
In a special feature we take a look at some of the factors which resulted in Port Vale’s relegation from League One in 2024.
What is this feature?
It highlights some of the things that we think the club got wrong this season. It’s not going to include everything and we welcome your comments if you disagree or want to add anything we missed.
Note: we will following up this “negative” piece, looking at what went wrong with a “positive” piece looking at how Port Vale can turn things around and potentially get it right next season.
Trouble at the top
David Flitcroft had been in charge during three failed transfer windows – but despite two managers departing, Flitcroft’s position still seemed secure.
Things came to a head in the January transfer window, which was a disaster. Liverpool defender Rhys Williams came – and then promptly departed – but a centre-half wasn’t a priority – practically all fans felt the side needed a left wingback and a proven striker – and the club, under Flitcroft’s leadership, failed to deliver any. It proved to be a fatal mistake as clubs around Vale strengthened upfront and Vale dropped down the table.
Things came to a head during the defeat to Shrewsbury Town, with chants aimed at the directors’ box of “David Flitcroft get out of our club” – and banners demanding the same.
It was now clear to many supporters that the buck for the football failures lay at David Flitcroft’s door (an OVF poll saw 83% of respondents wanting Flitcroft to go) but with co-owner Carol Shanahan passionately defending him via a controversial open letter, it looked like there would be an impasse.
It took a delegation of leading supporters and a continued poor run of results for the club to finally act. Flitcroft departed in March but by then, in many fans’ eyes the damage had already been done and the club’s fate was sealed. Relegation may “not be in my vocabulary” he told a fans forum – it is now.
Strikers light
The club’s inability to add a proven forward came as a bitter disappointment but as no surprise. After all, Vale started the previous season with Tommy McDermott, a teenaged midfielder, partnering Jamie Proctor, the club’s only fit forward upfront.
It was a similar story in the summer of 2023. With only weeks to go, Vale had not signed any strikers. They belatedly added loanee Josh Thomas and then reversed a decision to release James Wilson, re-signing him in what could be seen as an embarrassing about-face. As the window closed, Vale made a fateful decision in allowing Ellis Harrison to join MK Dons and bringing in “long-term” target Ryan Loft. Loft’s goalscoring ability turned out to be near non-existent and he rapidly became the target of the Vale Park boo boys. The lack of potency upfront saw Vale add free agent Uche Ikpeazu, a move that smacked of desperation but short of match fitness, he proved as shotshy as Loft.
With the club desperate for a forward signing in January there was disbelief among fans when the club failed to do so. Injuries to Wilson and Ikpeazu saw the club having to play 17 year-old Baylee Dipepa, who to his credit did brilliantly, but it was a sign of just how badly Vale had failed to strengthen upfront.
No defence
If you’re not scoring goals upfront then probably the last thing you want is a leaky defence too. However, the signs were ominous from the very first game when the Valiants shipped seven against Barnsley. It has been a similar tale through the season. Vale have conceded 72 goals this season – an average of 1.64 goals per game. Furthermore, 22% of those goals have come in the last ten minutes when it’s arguably too late to mount a comeback. This leaky defence combined with a blunt attack was a recipe for disaster.
Bad timing
While the damage was done when Flitcroft (eventually) departed, the same could perhaps be argued about the timing of the club’s switch of managers.
Those supporters who are backing current manager Darren Moore point out that he was dealt a bad hand by being handed someone else’s squad and no chance to change it. If the club had been more decisive in removing Crosby, before (or at least at the start of) the window, then the new man could have brought in players he wanted (though with the Director of Football still in place it may still have been difficult).
Cover and contracts for crocks
Mitch Clark, James Wilson and Conor Grant have all had injury issues in the past so perhaps it comes as no surprise that all three have missed significant spells of the season. However, that would be mitigated in part by cover. However, Wilson was, at one point, the club’s only available senior striker while the club remarkably started the season with Grant as the only available experienced left-footed wingback. It meant that the likes of James Plant, Tom Sang and Gavin Massey have been forced to play out of position to cover.
It’s also remarkable that the club were happy to hand Clark and Grant two year deals while Wilson was handed a short-term deal to prove his fitness. It seemed a case of double standards and arguably the “Wilson approach” should have applied to all three. While those lengthy contracts weren’t a factor in relegation they do mean the club faces a tough task to regroup in the summer.
Loan blues
In football, it’s odd how something that could be a strength can quickly become a weakness. This was the case with the loan signings of Ollie Arblaster and Alfie Devine.
Both players, signed from Premier League clubs, quickly established themselves in the starting eleven seemingly demonstrating Vale’s newfound ambition to be a home for elite young talent from top clubs.
However, the problem was, as some fans pointed out, that loan youngsters should complement your core side, not be the key performers in it. That proved to be the case as Devine and Arblaster were recalled in the New Year
Arguably it could have been fixed by loan replacements but the duo brought in to do that were unable to do so. Jenson Weir has only been good enough for the bench while Dan Gore only made a single appearance before picking up an injury.
So it was that – with two key performers gone – Port Vale’s midfield was decimated as a result.
Lack of leadership
The club has been criticised for a lack of leadership both on the sidelines and on the pitch. Let’s take the first point – when Andy Crosby was dismissed his coaching staff also departed. It left David Flitcroft as the only person at the club with football management experience. In fact, Flitcroft had experience of managing 300 games. Did he step up to steady the ship ahead of a new appointment? Nope, he left it to promising academy head but League manager novice Will Ryder instead.
The make-up of this season’s Port Vale squad has also been the subject of much criticism. In many fans’ eyes it lacks bite and aggression. The match of two halves against Exeter City is a good example of this brittle side. Vale were 2-0 up at half-time but somehow contrived to lose 4-2. There is a lack of leaders, a lack of passion and a lack of confidence at the heart of this Valiants line-up.
No home comforts
Perhaps on the back of that lack of heart and leadership, Vale’s home form this season has been disastrous. Arguably the season was lost just after the January window closed when Vale took just two points from their next six home games, including matches against teams next to them in the table such as Shrewsbury Town and Fleetwood. It meant the Valiants have won six games at home all season and just one this year. It was, as it proved to be, relegation form.
What do you reckon? If we’ve missed something out or you disagree, please feel free to post a comment below
Marco polo
21st April 2024 @ 10:47 am
Two positives this can b The two Loan signings of Arblaster+ Devine and we Got rid of David Flitcroft.
Terrence David Burton
21st April 2024 @ 11:45 am
If we never had Flitcroft we still would have Clarke still there and Crosby as his assistant Flitcroft is poison at any club
Simon
21st April 2024 @ 2:20 pm
I just wish we learn from this.
It was so obvious we had no strikers in 2023 and let this continue. If you can’t score goals you can’t win games even if your defence is brilliant. Without garrity and chis chipping in it would have been even worse.
Secondly whilst the two loan midfield youngsters were great it really doesn’t help having the parent club pulling the plug on you mid season that’s just a massive risk and crippled us as other injuries took hold.
Defence nothing more to be said, just real poor season and no proper full backs either.
Put that all together and obvious why we went down. The warning signs were there in 2023 and moved into critical come 2024 but with no action, just left to drift.
So sad to see that occur: it’s like we didn’t even try to resist the decline. We did nothing. That mindset is what worries me most.
jeffrey norman keen
21st April 2024 @ 2:48 pm
The season could have been saved with Carol not trusting Flitcroft being capable of doing the job his salesmanship promised and failed . The transfer windows came and went with no positive signings –no improvements while other strugglers saw the future and made improvements to survive . The vast majority of vale fans could see the future and the danger coming but no amount of warning was heeded and relegation was deserved . The loyal sensible fans do not deserve what happened and in fact they are some of the best fans in the country and know their football , but Carol backed Flitcroft as she took her eye of the ball literally even sending out a statement backing him .Two perfectly sound managers lost their jobs but they could only deal with the failure of Flitcroft’s recruitment and with their hands tied had to play the bad hand dealt . Some faced arguments about substitutes but were only trying to find a formula considering what the DOF bought in . A manager should be in charge of recruitment and a DOF is just a waste of a salary especially now we are in league 2 . Flitcroft’s statement about chasing Loft for quite some time and the hype about the signing is prove of the success he gave us –NIL . A statement of a coulda , shoulda and woulda signed nine strikers is of no use what so ever –a career in politics beckons .
Carol now realises her faith in him was wrong but her heart is in the club and the community and we should not blame her as she is the one that put her money in to rescue the club from Smurthwaite and administration ,points deductions and non-league . So reasons to be cheerful with a wiser lady in charge and hopefully DM worth his 5 year contract .
Richard
21st April 2024 @ 3:02 pm
The biggest failure was David flitcroft & not spending money on a decent striker
Joe bloggs
21st April 2024 @ 7:19 pm
It’s easy to blame Flitcroft but it’s all Carols fault . She holds the purse strings and in my opinion she listens to the wrong people.
A good owner has a plan and sticks to it . Carol sadly appears to be star struck my football managers and afraid to challenge them .
Reg smith
21st April 2024 @ 7:47 pm
Carol needs to forget about being Burslem community centre and concentrate on port vale football club . First priorities need to be the squad on the pitch.
Col
21st April 2024 @ 9:15 pm
I said at the time of Andy Crosby’s sacking that Flitcroft was utterly gutless not taking charge of the team. Sadly we are mainly a squad of league 2 players and with many contracted for a few years we could struggle next year without recruiting in all areas.
Loan players are great, as we witnessed with Alfie Devine and Ollie Arblaster, but if they do well, which they did, then they will be recalled and moved to a higher level. We were never the same after their departure.
I will be there next season to support my team but expect more passion, aggression and determination from the men that wear the shirt.
Colin
21st April 2024 @ 9:17 pm
I said at the time of Andy Crosby’s sacking that Flitcroft was utterly gutless not taking charge of the team. Sadly we are mainly a squad of league 2 players and with many contracted for a few years we could struggle next year without recruiting in all areas.
Loan players are great, as we witnessed with Alfie Devine and Ollie Arblaster, but if they do well, which they did, then they will be recalled and moved to a higher level. We were never the same after their departure.
I will be there next season to support my team but expect more passion, aggression and determination from the men that wear the shirt.
Ian Mountford
21st April 2024 @ 9:33 pm
I’ve said it before, the old saying is~ if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys, and if you don’t have any peanuts, even the monkeys won’t come. Recruitment has been shocking but is this due to the poor playing budget ? While Flitcroft has used Crosby as a scapegoat in a way I think Carol has done similar with Flitcroft and this is why she was so protective of him. The recruitment stunk of no money, injured, unwanted unattached, and inexperienced players. Add to this teenage loanees and 5 of our own academy lads just out of school all to bulk up a poor squad. Good leadership is behind all good clubs and the jury is still out on Carol.
Man in the Pub
21st April 2024 @ 10:34 pm
It is always good to learn from your mistakes but even better if you don’t make them. Of course everyone makes mistakes but some are avoidable. Enough people on OVF were pointing out the folly of not signing a proven goalscoring striker in several transfer windows. It almost got us relegated in the previous season so the problem should have been red flagged at that point . I just hope Carol is able to learn from this. The problem when you surround yourself with Yes people is that they always agree with you and as the last 2 seasons have proved that is not a good thing.
RON
21st April 2024 @ 10:46 pm
Should never have gotten rid of Darrell and Andy they got us into lge 1 and although we struggled they would have turned it around the troubles had to have been Flitcroft his refusal to sign any forwards and letting go players who were better than the ones he signed if you do your checks before you give the future recruitment of your playing staff did they not see what he did at Bury let’s hope lessons have been learned if not National Lge awaits and don’t let them think we won’t end up it is a possibility
Paul
22nd April 2024 @ 10:02 am
I went to the Shrewsbury game, and the vale were awful. Looked like a team already beaten.
Ted Lasso
22nd April 2024 @ 12:23 pm
I was hoping that Crosby and Vale wouldn’t reach a settlement and all the dirt on Flitcroft et al would come out.
I’m convinced that AC threw a wobbler at DF and CS because of the transfer window shambles. Crosby was being asked to drive to Cornwall with £7.68 worth of petrol.
I don’t believe that Carol is that stupid but was it her or Patrick behind this?
Thomas Richardson
22nd April 2024 @ 3:07 pm
The day you forced Tom Conlon out of Port Vale. Was your day off reckon. He was Vale’s best player by far big loss.
A rushton
22nd April 2024 @ 5:44 pm
After relegation
I wonder if Mr Taylor and Mr Williams will consider investing in the Vale
Phil Greer
22nd April 2024 @ 7:37 pm
I agree with all the above and nicely put tbh. My view in short was, No strikers, no decent defenders, good midfield but all loaners that were always going back to their clubs, this passing it out from the back is a joke and has cost us dearly, we are not Liverpool and don’t have the players to pass it out from the back, root one and let’s play in their half hey ? Poor recruitment all round, Carol being blinded by this Championship ready crap and not focusing on the hear and now and investing on the pitch and not the carpark and toilets. Bottom line if you get it right on the pitch the rest will follow, yes invest in the structure as it has to be right to move forward but not at the expense of what’s happening on the pitch. I could go on !. That said I will still have my season ticket. U.T.V.
Paul Berrisford
22nd April 2024 @ 7:44 pm
The one thing that sticks in my mind is Carols well documented statement. We are getting Championship ready.
Sorry to get Championship ready you need decent div1 and possibly players who have played in the championship in your team.
Not players from div 2 and none league.
The recruitment has been woefull and who do you blame.Flitcroft has not done his job,or as Carol denied him the funds to get the much needed players we needed to stand a chance of stopping up.
Does Carol need someone else to come on board and invest in the club because lack of funding has been obvious for everyone to see.
Has she done has much has she can, or does she need to focus more on the footballing side of the club( which to me is why we all turn up)instead of how many the clubs fed this wk and am I in for some awards and back slapping ceremony.
It frustrating that all the hard work she’s done since taking over the club and we are back to square one with the club in more dept than it’s been in its history and possibly one of the worst sides for many a year.
Dee
23rd April 2024 @ 5:40 am
The problem is simple. Carol presumes because she has run a successful business she can run a successful football club. If you look at the board they have no one with any pedigree in football business. DF took advantage of this situation, forcing out the previous CEO and bringing in his own recruitment team. The club has convinced itself it knows what it is doing. A self fulfilling prophecy. Anyone who stood up to the way the club operated was forced out. This is why the club finds itself fighting several employment tribunals. The statement to the fans is another example of her naievity. The club needs direction and support from football or sporting experts.
Greengrass 59
23rd April 2024 @ 12:41 pm
Think it’s a case of not being prepared, thought at one point Vale could hold there place,but everything seemed gò wrong,from flitcroft,Crosby and the squad not being good enough,to general bad running of club.The real work begins now give Darren Moore opportunity to rebuild to work for promotion,and be sure to learn from mistakes before it happens again in league two (ITS a long road back)good luck stoke city forever.
Gerald Siery
26th April 2024 @ 1:59 pm
Ok we all have an opinion on who to blame Flitcroft!!!! What a disaster he should be arrested for stealing a wage, all we can do is look forward & hopefully get better recruitment. I personally feel we need to get rid of the sick notes keep the youngsters where possible & get some decent strikers.
Geoffrey Meadowcroft
29th April 2024 @ 7:22 pm
The main problem at PVFC is the Chair of the Club
As a Director she had the responsibility of due diligence ,but failed to exercise this in the only two football decisions that have seriously affected the position of the Club
She has to consider her position as Chair and if she had been in her previous occupation faced with a defective Director ,she would have had no hesitation in dismissing them ,therefore she needs to fall on her sword or she will be forever thought of as holding dual standards