DARRELL’S VALE DESIRE
PORT Vale boss Darrell Clarke has hinted he will be looking to line up with two centre forwards as part of his long-term plans. The manager is looking to assemble a squad that can play a number of formations, but his recruitment this summer will look at ways of getting two strikers into the team.
Clarke has done that since taking charge in February, inheriting a squad that usually played 4-3-3, but often deploying them in 3-5-2 or 4-4-2.
He said: “I do like two centre forwards on the pitch a lot of the time, yes. There is no denying that.
“I will be recruiting for that but also you recruit to be adaptable as well. Like I said before, I am not a manager that recruits for one system. I recruit for adaptable systems.
“You are hoping you get that system, which I have had previously, where it is very successful and all the teams worry about you.
“I am hoping to build that at Port Vale so the other teams are worrying about us and not the other way around in the majority of the games.
“But if not, you have to have answers within the squad because sometimes players have runs of bad form or injuries. So, the adaptability in the squad is key for me.
“We won’t be carrying as big a squad into next year. That is a fact because there are too many bodies in my opinion, too many seniors and not really a pathway for one or two of the younger players.
“So, yes we have to get that balance of the recruitment spot on.”
Clarke, whose side are away to Crawley Town this afternoon, says he got plenty out on Monday’s reserve team game at home to Hereford.
Tom Pope made his comeback from injury in that game, having broken his arm and suffered shoulder damage in the Trophy defeat at Sunderland on January 12.
Clarke isn’t putting a date on when the striker might return to the first team but he is keen to have the 35-year-old around the group.
Pope travelled with the squad to last week’s 1-0 win at Colchester and will do the same at Crawley.
The manager said: “Popey is a Port Vale legend, I get that.
“We are working hard on his fitness but also, it was a bad injury. Tom Pope’s game is holding centre halves off.
“We are building confidence into the shoulder and into the arm. So when I think he is ready…
“He will be travelling with us on Saturday so we will see whether he is ready then.
“But he is getting the training minutes now, he is getting that contact work now and we will see how we go in the next week or two.”
The Vale are 19th after back-to-back wins, at home to Newport and away to Colchester, moved them nine points clear of the League Two relegation zone with nine games to play.