robf

I'd agree. I can see why you'd need a good, experienced club secretary to manage transfers, contracts all the other EFL requirements (i.e. the admin side) especially if the owners don't have that specialist knowledge. But there's no need for a DoF and presumably if they removed the role a significant wage saving too.

If the club do read this (and I think they are all off reading "social media" anyhow so they probably aren't) there's numerous comments on the frontpage features that are 100% behind Flitcroft leaving. I think I've had circa 100 comments since Crosby left and not a single one in support of Flitcroft. I appreciate the owners want someone in charge of the football side of things to cover for their lack of experience but while the role may be worthwhile I just think they have the wrong person in the role. I also appreciate that they may not want to act now while the recruitment is apparently happening but unfortunately I think they have no choice, regardless of how disruptive it is. If he appoints the wrong person then long-term damage could be done. If they still want someone to run the football side... I hope they give some thought to getting a Colin Garlick style experienced club secretary in who can deal with the administrative side and allow a new manager to deal with all the transfers and tactics etc. Speaking personally, I agree that Flitcroft has to go. I'm perhaps a late adopter but came to that decision after the January window closed. there was just no excuse for not bringing a striker, of some sort, in. Leaving it till the last day and then failing is totally unacceptable. I also hope the club would see that, after throwing Ryder and co under the bus, rather than taking charge and responsibility himself, what sort of person they have as DoF.

Vote now added.

I'm adding a vote to this topic now

If you're looking for a clear indication of views... have you considered adding a vote on this thread? That's a clear yes or no and allows the thread itself to run it's own course. I'd also suggest a vote would be far easier to see the results rather than ploughing through 500+ yes or no replies.

Sorry folks - you need to go onto the OVF front page more often. Besides I can't keep a poll open when I'm quoting it in an article. What am I going to do - change the figures every ten minutes? In case you guys haven't been keeping up with the opinion pieces on the front page there's also... Opinion: Crosby is the fall guy but should Flitcroft be under threat too? - onevalefan.co.uk WWW.ONEVALEFAN.CO.UK Opinion: why is inexperienced Will Ryder and not former manager David Flitcroft on the Port Vale bench? - onevalefan.co.uk WWW.ONEVALEFAN.CO.UK

It was on the front page but it's closed now. You're too late.

I don't think you'd ever get 100% but 83% to me is about as conclusive as you can get. It's a pretty damning stat, I feel.

Our current lead story... 83% of Port Vale fans polled say the Director of Football should leave - onevalefan.co.uk WWW.ONEVALEFAN.CO.UK

Colin Garlick was very much an unsung hero over the years. I think it's telling that before he came onboard we had issues (I remember the Lee Hughes paperwork fiasco where we failed to get him the first time and had to wait till January for him to come). After he's left we appear to have had another paperwork issue with the US midfielder. But we didn't appear to have any such issues when Garlick was in place.

I think the biggest problem with us hoping things come up in the free agent market is that, unless like Gayle, they have just been released, the majority have not been in regular training. It leaves us in the situation we had with Uche where it could take any free agent who hasn't been with a club for while some weeks to get anywhere close to matchfit. We can't afford those weeks, we needed someone who was ready to go straight away - and that's why our lack of signings in January (even if it had been a young striker with no experience on loan) just didn't make sense. I would say Gayle is the exception in that he should be fit - but the majority of free agents won't be anything like fit to just come in and play. Madine, for instance, has spent months recovering from an ACL injury.

However, now he would presumably have to accept whatever is offered and probably that would be a massive drop in wages. However, there seems to be interest from clubs like Derby who presumably would offer a fair bit more than Vale (though nowhere near £40k a week)

Not sure if Wickham even wants to stay in the game after a fair while out. Even if he did he may take weeks to get up to speed like Uche did. If Madine doesn't opt for Blackpool or also doesn't call it a day then he too may take some weeks to be anywhere near. Vale need someone who can come in and play from day one. Dwight Gayle is presumably match fit but would his expected wages be way beyond our budget? In my view the experienced free agent options are very few and far between and it seems very unlikely we would get anyone unless.... there's some more free agents in those lucrative Australian, New Zealand, Scandinavian markets that our DoF says are so good...

Regarding Gary Madine... There was a report in a Blackpool newspaper in December. He had an ACL injury. Back then he was trying to get back match fit and aiming for a "end of January" return. So, he may be just about fit around now. However, it sounded like he had a good relationship with Blackpool and had been training there. It sounds like they would be his first choice. Neil Critchley hinted at such saying he would only sign "fit" players but he had a "good relationship" with Madine. I suppose if they don't there's a chance of another club taking him on, but having trained with them for some weeks, I would imagine it's most likely he'd go there.

Conor Grant also has a year left. Who came up with these contracts? At any other club it would be here's a year and an option of another one if you hit a certain level of appearances. Bizarrely, they managed to do something like that with Wilson so it's staggering that he's treated one way and two other, equally injury-prone players are given two year deals. The inconsistency...

He's got another year left!!! Dan Jones signs new two-year contract extension | News | Port Vale WWW.PORT-VALE.CO.UK

*** OVF PRESS RELEASE *** I'd just like to reassure all our regular readers that plans are already well in place for the summer transfers and rumours thread. We have employed a team of experts to ensure that only the very best rumours and transfers are posted on this thread. We are scouring the whole planet for the best ones. We noted that on our recent fans forum (or forum as we call it on OVF) some people were concerned at the proportion of rumours to actual transfers on our recent January transfers and rumours thread. We intend to address that imbalance by temporarily posting transfers involving Man Utd, Spurs and Liverpool* on our forthcoming summer transfers and rumours thread. This meets our goal to be a trusted forum where top-level transfers can appear for a short period of time and grow in the welcoming environment of a lower league forum. Please note we have recently made some changes to our word filter after a request from a few people... phrases that will no longer be accepted on future transfers and rumours thread include "That player needs a thorough medical", "How about not waiting till the final day to make signings?" and "How about signing a ***** striker." We hope you understand. The OVF team *Liverpool transfers will only remain on the thread for a short period of time

According to the official website's Crosby interview... Ojo ahead of schedule - "next couple of weeks" Jones - back in full training Plant - "back on the grass" (hopefully he means the training pitch) Garrity and Ikpeazu - on the long-term list (Uche was said to be 12 weeks) No mention of Mitch Clark but I presume he's still some way away too

I think we all need a long lie-down first...

To me what's baffling is why we didn't add a loan striker. We've had an increased emphasis on loan talent this season and we have heralded the fact we are apparently highly regarded and trusted by bigger clubs. However, we finished the window with four loanees when we can play five in a game. I'm sure loanees from top-flight clubs are pretty much subsidised in terms of wages, so even if we were on a tight budget surely we could have brought a youngster in on loan? Yes, people would still have no doubt complained that we needed experience (and would have a good point) but a youngster on loan would have been better than where we are now which is praying that James Wilson doesn't break down.

Anyone know what free agent strikers are about? There's Dwight Gayle from the neighbours but are there any more out there?

Yeah, I don't think the Taylor one last window was actually confirmed until after 11pm - as long as the paperwork is in then the club can announce it whenever they please...

Ha! Precisely the browser tabs I have open!

For any late comers, here's a summing up of the day so far in OVF features (my typing fingers are starting to hurt)... "Underlying injury issue" - Port Vale loanee returns to club without making an appearance - onevalefan.co.uk WWW.ONEVALEFAN.CO.UK Port Vale sign Nottingham Forest winger on loan - onevalefan.co.uk WWW.ONEVALEFAN.CO.UK Lewis Cass goes on loan to Stockport County - onevalefan.co.uk WWW.ONEVALEFAN.CO.UK "Minimum ten to twelve weeks" - Port Vale manager has bad news on Ikpeazu injury - onevalefan.co.uk WWW.ONEVALEFAN.CO.UK "Commanding unit" - Port Vale replace departed Williams with Barnsley stopper - onevalefan.co.uk WWW.ONEVALEFAN.CO.UK "Undisclosed fee" - Port Vale youngster joins Premier League side - onevalefan.co.uk WWW.ONEVALEFAN.CO.UK

I think Flitcroft's comments in the press release give a hint of why he's moved. No U21s football at Vale and the loans haven't worked out, so he's moved into the Burnley U21 set-up. It makes sense from his perspective. I can't imagine the fee is much but all income is no doubt welcome... -- Speaking of McDermott’s departure, Port Vale FC’s Director of Football, Dave Flitcroft, said: "At the start of last season, Tommy was the first professional contract that we gave to a player out of our academy since I arrived at the club. "Due to not having an U21s group, in order for Tommy to get playing minutes, we loaned him out. The loan vehicle was excellent for James Plant, but it hasn’t been as successful for Tommy. The deal gives Tommy the opportunity to now continue his development in the U21s system at Burnley. We feel this is the right deal for him and for the club. "We wish Tommy all the best with his future and will be monitoring the success of this deal."