February 15th 2022 marks the first anniversary of Darrell Clarke’s managerial spell at Port Vale FC. We take a look at some notable events during Clarke’s first twelve months.
Summary
Clarke took over a side devoid of confidence after just two wins in their last thirteen games. His first match in charge was a 1-1 draw at Leyton Orient and his reign started slowly as it took eight games for Clarke to record his first win. However, once that win (a 2-1 victory over Newport) was achieved, Clarke’s side went on an epic run which saw them record seven straight wins to take the club out of relegation danger and into unlikely play-off contention. Those hopes were ended with two losses at the end of the season but it was fair to say that Clarke had transformed the side in the last third of the campaign.
Wholesale changes followed in the summer and after three draws in their opening games, Clarke’s side gelled recording eight wins from their next eleven games. Progress stalled a little towards the end of 2021 largely due to injuries which deprived Vale of first-choice strikers Wilson and Proctor. A host of newcomers were brought in during the January window and at time of writing, Vale are still in the promotion picture with games in hand.
Match stats
Games in charge: 54
Wins: 24
Draws: 13
Losses: 17
Win percentage: 44.4%
Transfer business
Clarke has been extremely busy in the transfer window as he reshaped the Valiants and it has to be viewed as largely a success. Some decisions were controversial (notably the exit of goalkeeper Scott Brown and striker Tom Pope) but Clarke’s dealings have largely been vindicated by improved performances and League position this season.
Not all signings have worked out (the club has three keepers at this time) but the likes of James Wilson, Jamie Proctor, Tom Pett, Chris Hussey and Connor Hall have been astute signings, while unheralded addition Ben Garrity has arguably been the find of the season.
Outs – Shaun Brisley Scott Brown, Ryan Campbell-Gordon, Adam Crookes, Mark Cullen, David Fitzpatrick, Kurtis Guthrie, Luke Joyce, Harry McKirdy, Zak Mills, Cristian Montano, Tom Pope Tom Scott, Dan Trickett-Smith, Dino Visser, Theo Robinson, Ryan Johnson, Danny Amos, Danny Whitehead, Leon Legge, Scott Burgess, Devante Rodney
Ins – Ben Garrity, Mal Benning, Lucas Covolan, Ryan Johnson, Dan Jones, Aaron Martin, Tom Pett, Aidan Stone, Brad Walker, James Wilson, Jamie Proctor, Danny Amos, Chris Hussey, Connor Hall, Harry Charsley, Sam Robinson
Loans – Lewis Cass, Dennis Politic, George Lloyd, Ryan Edmondson, Kian Harratt, Joel Cooper, Tomas Holy
Conclusion
A year may be a long time in football management terms, but we hope it’s only the start of things for Darrell Clarke. Football clubs require continuity and Clarke seems an excellent fit for this club. He has good relations with the owners and Director of Football David Flitcroft and his passion and drive to succeed are obvious. We’ve been impressed with his reworked squad. He’s managed to add some quality additions (James Wilson, for addition) without increasing the wage bill which is an impressive achievement.
Furthermore, his squad is adaptable and versatile allowing Vale to line-up in a number of different formations. And talking of formations, we also like Clarke’s willingness to change things around, often mid-game to try and force a result. With good owners in charge and long-term plans to develop both the training facilities and youth academy, we think that this could possibly be the start of a bright new era for the club.
What do you think of Clarke’s managerial spell so far? Scroll down and send your thoughts by posting a comment at the end of the article.
Ģood first year.excellent progress
So let’s see what the rest of 2022 brings