Official website: Port Vale appoints Darrell Clarke as new Manager

[CambridgeDon]

Crikey, this has come from left field, signing a manager of an existing club but he looks like an impressive appointment. He has a win ratio of over 40% in League football and before that a terrific record with Salisbury City who he took from nowhere to the Conference. He also took Bristol out of the Conference back into the football league, not that I think now we will need his experience in doing that!

So, welcome to Vale Park, Darrell, we look forward to seeing you bring us long awaited success

And, yet again, thanks to our terrific owners for their continued investment and commitment to the Vale.

Think now we will really be going places with Flitters and Clarke!

[Bycarsbill]

12 minutes ago, Joe B said:

A proper manager. 4 promotions 10 years, with 44.5% win rate and holds the highest coaching qualifications.

Still only 42 and has worked under a DoF before.

Revered by the Gas; Walsall fans split but they're hardly going to wish him well as he dumps on them mid-season for a club they consider a rival.

I was genuinely concerned the DoF model would lead to an untested rookie. We've managed to snag a highly-qualified, young coach with a raft of success under his belt and nearly 500 games of management.

Very pleased, after a worrying few weeks.

As you were.

Hopefully those stats are reassuring for most of us.  However, as is the case with any football manager at any level in the game, the most important stats are always the last few games' results--so let's compare notes in, say, 6 weeks' time.  Presumably Dave Flitcroft is backing this appointment too?

In the meantime, I obviously wish him the very best for successful tenure and a very warm welcome to Vale Park.

[Joe B]

A quick note - do not take the Walsall fans' view too seriously. I remember Vale fans being very critical of Rob Page after he upped sticks, partly to save face. "We didn't want him anyway!" "You're welcome to him" etc etc. It's fundamentally a blow to your club's ego to have the main man poached, and fans go into a form of denial/revisionism to cover this up.

They're very unlikely to speak positively of a man who has left them in the lurch as they sit 11th, 4 points from the playoffs. He seems to have done a reasonable, if not excellent, job.

There has been mass turnover at Walsall and I've been impressed in all 4 games we've played against Clarke's Saddlers (they were the only team to win at VP last season, and we escaped with a 2-2 draw at their place). They've clearly got financial issues, which is probably what has propagated the move.

[Andyregs]

4 minutes ago, mikey said:

Not massively impressed, but we will see. Walsall forum seem glad hes gone, and saying he wouldnt have got another contract there.

And he’s a living legend to Bristol fans. 

[TJHValiant]

4 minutes ago, Andyregs said:

And he’s a living legend to Bristol fans. 

So is Ian Holloway! 

[Andyregs]

Just now, TJHValiant said:

So is Ian Holloway! 

Ffs

[Iron Curtain]

Certainly shakes it up a bit with fomations.

4231 against us twice

4141

4411

Have listened to interviews of his and speaks well... There is also one with him saying  "Things were not right at half time and we were being exploited, so we changed things around to change the game".... Lovely Jubbly

[valeparklife]

5 minutes ago, Joe B said:

A quick note - do not take the Walsall fans' view too seriously. I remember Vale fans being very critical of Rob Page after he upped sticks, partly to save face. "We didn't want him anyway!" "You're welcome to him" etc etc. It's fundamentally a blow to your club's ego to have the main man poached, and fans go into a form of denial/revisionism to cover this up.

They're very unlikely to speak positively of a man who has left them in the lurch as they sit 11th, 4 points from the playoffs. He seems to have done a reasonable, if not excellent, job.

There has been mass turnover at Walsall and I've been impressed in all 4 games we've played against Clarke's Saddlers (they were the only team to win at VP last season, and we escaped with a 2-2 draw at their place). They've clearly got financial issues, which is probably what has propagated the move.

Seems like he's been forced to play the youth team and recruit on the cheap.

https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/walsall-fc/2020/05/08/youth-will-get-chance-at-walsall/

[valeblue]

I’ll start ....Clarke OUT !!!!

[valeparklife]

https://soundcloud.com/ntt20pod/ntt20-pod-meets-darrell-clarke

Interesting at 11:15 - "I get on really well with Dave Flitcroft..."

Bit of a dream team!

[Iron Curtain]

Lovely to see Flickers tightening the ship on information leaving the club too... Too many leaks around the place, too many people with their own agendas and too many people claiming to know what's going on.

 

[Gasman]

Bristol Rovers ST holder here. The bloke is brilliant. Passionate, demanding, hard working, heart on sleeve, he may not get everything right, he may tinker too much, but he’ll be doing it for the right reasons. Give him a chance, may not happen overnight but he’s a good one and such a better option than some journeymen being touted around for our job even. Good luck. Just please give him a chance. He’ll come good. 

[valiant_593]

34 minutes ago, valeparklife said:

Also, anyone that can sell Zak Jules to L1 is clearly some sort of wizard. 

Never thought of that 😂😂

Never know whitehead might be next 

[Vale1995]

Tyler b nowhere to be seen he cant believe we've actually appointed someone with football league experience. He's currently sat googling his name hoping he can find something negative to say about him 

[valiant_593]

Glad we’ve made an appointment, record recently isn’t great but seemed to have been brilliant for Bristol rovers. Sky bet must have made a killing of some of the names thrown around and then this bloke arrives from nowhere. Wish him all the best hopefully he and flitcroft can finally get us back to where we can be.