Opinion: new Port Vale manager Jon Brady is right, he has to deliver

Rob Fielding says that new manager Jon Brady was correct that results are the one thing that will matter during his Port Vale reign.

Rob Fielding writes…

It’s inevitable in today’s football era that a new manager is presented with multiple questions from the media and (like any other manager who has had media training) he comes up with platitudes about wanting to connect with the fanbase, his gratitude to the owners for trusting him, how he buys into the club’s vision and ambition and so on. Jon Brady’s unveiling in front of the media was no different. It’s no criticism, it’s inevitable, but then again this sort of talk is cheap…

For all the talk of players being “good human beings” the owners being “community focused” and the fans being “passionate about their club” one phrase from Brady stood out to me. That was “I have to deliver”.

That’s the crux of it for me. Football is a results-based industry and for fans results are the be all and end all. Yes, it’s nice to have a manager who has a connection and understanding with the fans. Yes, it’s nice if the new boss comes across as a good bloke. Yes, it’s nice if everyone at the club is buying into the same philosophy on community engagement. But none of those things are essential and none of them will give you League One points.

So, it goes without saying that the jury is out on Brady until we’ve had a few games under his charge. Having said that, I hope fans don’t rush to judgement. Sadly, I bet some have written him off before a ball has been kicked but I hope he gets ten games or so to show us his worth on the pitch before people start coming to an opinion on him. After all, he’s dealing with another manager’s players and a team (despite that 5-1 win) which are rock bottom of the table. It’s not a positive situation to come into, so it may take a while for the new manager to show what he’s made of.

As for my expectations. Obviously relegation is a real and present danger but I hope that Brady keeps fighting for survival until we’re (hopefully) safe or we’re (sadly) mathematically down. So, I expect to see passion, hunger and a team fighting for their League One survival. I would dearly hope he can turn things around but if he doesn’t I want to at least see a manager who has installed fight and determination in his squad.

I would also hope he does some good work in the window. I think we need strengthening in some key areas, notably defence, but we also need to trim the squad down. The latter is a tough ask and I wouldn’t hold it against Brady if he cannot move players on (presumably) lucrative contracts on immediately.

I would also like to see some consistency with team selection and (conversely) tactical nous in formations – both things eluded Darren Moore for most of this season.

Clearly all of the above is in the future, so as for now. I take most of Brady’s words at Wednesday’s press conference with a pinch of salt. He was bound to say them. He sits in the dug out for the first time on Friday –  although perhaps the most important game won’t be until Vale meet Mansfield in the League the following Saturday.

As the manager himself says – he has to deliver – and only after 90 minutes against Mansfield will we begin to see how this latest Port Vale managerial chapter is turning out.