Football’s fickle side gives Vale a problem

FOR an illustration of the impact of outside forces rippling across football, see Port Vale, who beat Blackpool 3-0 to go 14th in League One on December 19 — the day Sheffield United exercised a clause to recall Ollie Arblaster from his loan spell.

Chris Wilder had gone back to Bramall Lane and wanted the England Under 20 midfielder, although injury delayed Arblaster, who made the bench at Bramall Lane yesterday.

Three weeks after the call from the Blades, Tottenham recalled Alfie Devine from Vale Park to send him up a tier on loan to Plymouth Argyle, where Steven Schumacher had been tempted away by Stoke City and Ian Foster had taken charge. Foster had coached through England’s development teams, so he knew and trusted Devine from their time together. Spurs liked the idea of the teenager playing in the Championship for the second half of this season.

Managerial sackings at Sheffield United and Stoke damaged Port Vale, a club dependent on the loan market like so many others. They know the power lies in the hands of those further up football’s food chain. They know the risks and enjoy the rewards but cannot legislate for all these events unfolding. Arblaster and Devine excelled in their midfield with the experienced Funso Ojo. The club reached the Carabao Cup quarter-finals and were clear of relegation.

Dan Gore has signed on loan from Manchester United and Jensen Weir from Brighton, but they require time to find the rhythm of a new team, just as Arblaster and Devine did. Vale, meanwhile, have not won since beating Blackpool. They had games postponed against Wycombe and Peterborough and a game at Reading abandoned when home fans invaded the pitch in protest.

Slipping into trouble, they sacked manager Andy Crosby on February 5. They were in the relegation zone by the time they appointed Darren Moore last week and lost on Saturday at Cheltenham as their problems deepened.