The Sentinel

‘We’re now in a cup format and it’s all about the two legs...’

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PORT Vale manager Darrell Clarke spoke to the media ahead of Sunday’s League Two play-off semi final first leg away to Swindon.

Here’s what was said as the manager talked issues on and off the pitch.

LET’S START WITH BEING HERE, BEING IN THE PLAY-OFFS. AN ACHIEVEMEN­T IN ITSELF WOULD YOU SAY?

I think a lot of people would have taken that at the start of the season. I always want more because I am greedy.

But I think the way the club has represente­d itself, the way we have performed for the majority of the season, everybody has given everything and we want to continue to do that now in the play-offs.

So, we look forward to the build up but it is back to business, we want to try to progress into League One through the play-offs.

TALK TO ME ABOUT YOUR GROUP OF LADS IN THERE. THE CHARACTER, FIGHT AND HARD WORK THAT HAD GONE INTO MAKING THIS WEEKEND WHAT IT IS NOW?

I think it speaks for itself to be honest with you. The way the circumstan­ces were for a lot of the season. I think it’s four or five players we have lost through injuries, all season or some starting the season well and then out through injuries. Then my personal situation.

I just feel the togetherne­ss in the whole club which comes from the owners right through to everybody…we have that togetherne­ss and spirit and we want to try to build on that into the play-offs.

YOU HAVE BEEN AROUND FOOTBALL FOR A LONG TIME AS A PLAYER AND A MANAGER. HOW SPECIAL IS IT WHAT YOU HAVE HERE COMPARED TO OTHER PLACES?

For me, football clubs are built on a culture of togetherne­ss, everybody pulling in the right direction.

Yes, you get the mixed emotions with winning and losing football matches but the environmen­t is key. We build an environmen­t at our club that makes it enjoyable for people to come into work. Everyone feels part of it, there is a lot of hard work in the backroom team that aren’t from the first team squad, from

the cleaners, to the chefs to everybody in the offices. We have all come together as one and we have shown we can do that at a football club.

It is not the players and the first team staff, and them against us. We have pulled together, that epitomises what we have built here. But the culture also has to be a winning culture.

Nobody wants to win more than myself and Carol and Dave Flitcroft. We want to win and we have to keep striving to build that and to keep improving. We don’t want people comfy, that is not an option here.

We need people wanting to better themselves all the time and progress the club in the right manner, myself included.

YOU WERE BACK IN THE DUG OUT AT EXETER LAST WEEK AND WERE KICKING EVERY SINGLE BALL. WAS IT GREAT TO BE BACK?

It was one of those games where I just felt we needed to do what was needed. I never felt that any other result was going to go in our favour. This is not being disrespect­ful or negative, but I knew Bristol Rovers were going to beat Scunthorpe. There was nothing more certain.

So, we had to programme the lads’ mindset to make sure we did the job, to make sure that we finished as high up the league as possible and win the game.

We did that. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t great without the ball. It was 10/10 without the ball and probably 3/10 with

it. But we did what needed to be done.

There was no over-celebratin­g in our changing room which is a good sign. The boys feel a little bit frustrated that we are not in the top three, which again is a good sign.

Seventy eight points,,,’ifs’, ‘coulds’ and maybes’, I suppose everybody can look at that. So, we try to do it now through the play-offs.

HOW ARE YOU VIEWING THE SWINDON GAME? THE CLICHÉ IS NOBODY WANTS TO LIMP INTO THE PLAY-OFFS, BUT YOU WON AT EXETER WHO FINISHED IN THE TOP TWO?

I think a lot is said about momentum going into play-offs but the 46 games of the season are done.

It doesn’t matter what the results were previously against Swindon, it doesn’t matter what the previous 46 results were. It is a cup competitio­n now, over two legs.

So, the players will be preparing as well as we possibly can, with the great backroom team I’ve got. That’s what we will focus on.

WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE COUNTY GROUND AS A PLACE TO GO?

They are a good club and it’s a good ground, we are just looking forward to the challenge and I am sure they are as well.

Let’s go there, we’ll have a really good away support that have been outstandin­g all season. They will be backing us. All

the tickets will be sold out and it should be a good atmosphere to both games. We are looking forward to trying to win the first leg.

SO, ONLY FOCUSING ON THE NEXT GAME, NOT THE GAME HERE AND I IMAGINE, CERTAINLY NOT THINKING ABOUT WEMBLEY?

My players are programmed into just focusing on this next 90 minutes. It is a game over two 90 minutes and may the best team win through. We will be as well prepared as possible.

YOU’VE NEVER WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE ‘P’ WORD THIS SEASON. NOW WE ARE IN THE PLAY OFFS DO YOU FEEL THE CLUB IS IN THE POSITION TO TAKE THAT NEXT STEP?

Certainly, that is obviously what we want to do. It is not about finishing in the play--offs and not finishing the job off. We want to go up through the play-offs, it is as simple as that.

That is the mindset of me, my players and my staff and we are going to give it our best.

We are going to give absolutely everything, as the boys have all season, and make sure we leave nothing out on the pitch.

YOU KNOW ALL ABOUT SWINDON AND THEY DO HAVE VERY GOOD PLAYERS, AS WE SAW WHEN THEY PLAYED HERE. WILLIAMS AND MCKIRDY WERE VERY EVIDENT. THEY ARE A GOOD ALL ROUND TEAM AREN’T THEY?

Yes and they were thoroughly deserved winners of the game here.

We were carrying two players in that game if I am honest. Willo (James Wilson) wasn’t fully fit and Tom Conlon was only playing at 60 or 70 per cent, something that’s been seen with the Achilles problem he’s had.

So, there are always many reasons why potentiall­y we weren’t at it that day. I felt we performed very well at the County Ground in the early part of the season. But, as I said, that all goes out of the window. It is a fresh game, a two-legged game, and none of that really matters.

NATHAN SMITH’S NEXT APPEARANCE WILL BE HIS 300TH FOR THE VALE. CAN YOU JUST TELL US ABOUT THE JOB HE HAS DONE FOR YOU ALL SEASON?

Yes, Nathan has not changed since I have been in charge, and probably to supporters he has never changed. I have never known him give less than 100 per cent in every training session and every game. That is why he is a fans’ favourite, you know what you are going to get out of Nathan Smith.

We are trying to get him better, that is our job. He knows the areas we would like to see him improve, and he is getting better at that. Making 300 games is no mean feat so congratula­tions to Nathan – unless I don’t play him!

THAT SORT OF LEADS TO TEAM NEWS. I KNOW YOU WON’T GIVE ANYTHING AWAY BUT HARRY CHARLSEY WASN’T INVOLVED LAST WEEK. CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHETHER HE IS AVAILABLE?

We’ll see when the team is announced. I don’t like doing other people’s (manager’s) jobs for them. We’ll go with our best team we can possibly put out there on the day. How’s that fence I’m sitting on!

 ?? ?? Port Vale clinched their play-off place with victory at Exeter on the final day.
Port Vale clinched their play-off place with victory at Exeter on the final day.
 ?? ?? Port Vale manager Darrell Clarke is determined to focus on Sunday’s big encounter.
Port Vale manager Darrell Clarke is determined to focus on Sunday’s big encounter.
 ?? ?? Defender Nathan Smith is close to a Port Vale landmark appearance figure.
Defender Nathan Smith is close to a Port Vale landmark appearance figure.

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