Live blog: 'Meet The Manager' Forum

Port Vale First-Team Manager, Jon Brady and Chief Executive, Matt Hancock, are addressing supporters at a 'Meet the Manager' Supporter Forum at Vale Park this evening. 

This page will be populated with updates throughout the event.

• 18:00 - Good evening, Valiants - we're all set up in the Legends Lounge here at Vale Park for this evening's Supporter Forum, which is being hosted jointly between the club and Supporters Club. Chair of the Supporters Club, Mark Porter, will kick things off before introducing Matt Hancock first, followed by Jon Brady. The event is set to start at 7pm. 
   
• 19:05 - We're under way here. Matt Hancock has started things off, sat alongside Matt Porter on stage, by thanking everyone in attendance acknowledging supporter frustration. Matt's opening speech accepts that results and performances haven't been good enough this season and says everyone associated at the club is hurt by that. He also commits to offering some context around some of the key talking points the club are aware of.
   
• 19:06 - Matt says that following the recent Supporter Advisory Board and Supporters Club Committee meeting, the club remains committed to communicating with supporters and wants to provide some of the context that was given during that meeting. He begins by addressing the departure of Darren Moore and the feeling among supporters that the decision could or should have been taken earlier, which he understands and acknowledges. He says data did not drive decisions but was instead part of a much bigger picture. Following a poor run or results between mid-October and mid-November, the club had discussions and made a decision to give the situation the best possible chance of turning around - considering in part the time, effort and resource that had been invested into Darren. The club won two and drew one of the next four in all competitions which offered hope that things were improving, but ultimately two more league defeats meant a decision on the manager was made. 
   
• 19:11 - Matt says that every season will offer its own unique challenges, and that - despite results, which can't be ignored - the club is in a much better place on the whole than the last time we were in League One. He then addresses the structure on the football side of the club, including previous models (Director of Football and manager-led model). He says there is now a process to determine the club's philosophy and strategy so that football decisions are club-led as part of a long-term plan and says there may be scope for change further down the line. The manager will continue to have the final say on the team, but the club is building a clear plan to determine desired player profiles, experience versus youth development etc. and have leaned on the experience of the likes of Adam Yates and Phil Sproson. In terms of the current structure, while some of the strategy and philosophy work is ongoing, Lee Darnborough (Senior Head of Recruitment) and Matt Oakley (overseeing analysis and performance data on a consultancy basis) will report into Matt. Matt Hancock's responsibility is governance, sustainability and setting direction. Danny Lloyd has taken on the Interim Head of Academy role following the departure of Academy Director, Will Ryder. That group is now driving what we want to be as a football club, alongside the external experience already mentioned.
   
• 19:21 - Matt says that Carol and Kevin Shanahan remain as invested as ever - both emotionally and financially, and are 100% in and backing Jon Brady. Carol is less visible as that is Matt's role, but is totally committed. Matt also tells the room that there has been a pre-planned corporate restructure around the businesses that Carol and Kevin own, which would have happened this year regardless of league position. He says that supporters should be reassured that nothing has or is changing in terms of control of Port Vale.
   
• 19:23 - Matt finishes by speaking about the Vale Park pitch. He says there has been a marked improvement in this area over recent years but that, recently, it is struggling. There was a significant renovation in the summer but, unfortunately, the sand bands that are in the pitch have failed. The information given to the club by the contractor was that the pitch would continue to play well this season, but the current situation means water isn't draining as well as it should. Matt credits the Grounds team, who are working harder than ever, and says the pitch situation will be rectified in the post-season. In the meantime, the club has invested in measures to make sure games are on.
   
• 19:26 - Matt accepts that there will still be disagreement among supporters and reiterates that while the current league position is unacceptable, he wants to look forward. He says we are desperate to remain in League One and that no-one at the club has given up, and invites questions from the room.
   
• 19:28 - The first supporter credits Matt for fronting up and says players also need to be held accountable. He asks what has gone wrong on the pitch. Matt responds by saying we have had extreme highs and lows over the last 12 months and that his opinions it that we have recruited season-to-season, with teams recruited for the following 12-month period. He says the club has learned that there has to be a longer-term plan for players, which includes in Academy. 
   
• 19:31 - A supporter asks Matt to elaborate on why the club is stronger now than the last time it was in League One. Matt says there is a lot of experience across the club, giving various internal departments as examples. He says that results are first and foremost and while they haven't been good enough this season, there is a lot of good behind the scenes. He acknowledges that it won't feel that way to supporters who rightly judge things on results, but says we have strong foundations to build on.
   
• 19:33 - A supporter asks about Lee Darnborough's role and whether he is also working with other clubs. Matt says Lee is an employee of Port Vale and the club is his priority - he also has to disclose any conflicts of interest as part of his employment. The agreement is that he can conduct other work as long as it doesn't conflict, but Matt reiterates that Lee's priority is Vale.
   
• 19:34 - A supporter asks whether we have ever employed a psychologist. Matt says the club recruited one in December who works directly with Jon and the players. It was previously a manager-led decision but the club has decided it wants to invest in this area and Jon has come into that environment, reinforcing the club-led model.
   
• 19:36 - There are no further questions from the floor for Matt, and Jon is welcomed to the stage by Mark.
   
• 19:37 - A supporter asks Jon whether he chose the wrong team against Wimbledon on Tuesday. Jon says he had five strikers when he arrived, but has unexpectedly lost Devante Cole and Mo Faal during the window. He said he had planned to take Faal off against Bolton after an hour but he suffered an injury just before. He says he played Ben Waine on the right, so was effectively down to two. He adds that Dajaune Brown was feeling his hamstring against Leyton Orient so brought on Jayden Stockley and had to change shape. He says the team found a way to get a result that day, but knows it's not sustainable. He likes playing 4-3-3 and wants to play the way we played against Bolton, but wanted to match up Wimbledon on our pitch, and that continuing with a 4-3-3 would risk 'breaking' his wingers. He says he may have to bleed in Andre Gray but that he wants to run in behind and work hard for the team; he says Martin Sherif is a 'running 9', which is what he likes in his teams. Jon wants to connect with supporters and works with a flat hierarchy, with staff supporting him and vice versa - he wants the same with supporters. He discusses his 'non-negotiables' including the KPIs he has set for his players, and believes his players are competing. He says that not scoring goals is putting pressure on the defence, and accepts that quality in the final third on Tuesday wasn't good enough, but adds the context that Devante Cole had contributed 42% of the teams goals (via goals/assists) before leaving. He says he will work as hard as he can for this club and receives a round of applause from the room.
   
• 19:52 - A supporter asks why we sent Ruari Paton out on loan. Jon says he thinks Ruari is a great person but feels he doesn't work hard enough and didn't do the non-negotiables against Bolton, as an example - something he discussed with the player. He says the club's new recruits have goals in them so we can address the lack of goals.
   
• 19:53 - A supporter says he feels we don't shoot enough and asks for Jon's view. Jon responds by saying there was probably only one shot from outside the box on Tuesday, and that Wimbledon got back into shape well. He agrees, but says it's something we are working on. He says he wants players putting the ball into the box and arriving into the space - he says he believes we will get there but that it's a work in progress. 
   
• 19:56 - A supporter asks about the lack of goals from set-pieces. Jon says he can't believe that, with the players we've got, our centre-halves haven't scored more in their careers. Simon Ireland is helping with set-pieces and has stopped us conceding set-piece goals. He points to our 12 corners against Leyton Orient - we do well in getting to the by-line but need to do better in that area. He urges supporters to stick by the likes of Jordan Shipley, who he says will come good.
   
• 19:58 - A supporter asks about previously working alongside Martin Foyle. Jon says he's someone who is passionate about Port Vale and is working with Carlisle, who feel he is irreplaceable. He has given Jon an insight into the club and discusses their positive working relationship while at Northampton. Jon says he is aligned with Lee Darnborough in his current role; he points to the difficulty clubs face in finding strikers and credits Lee with helping to sign Gray and Sherif in the January window. He says recruitment has been disjointed and needs to be better but says the club will get it right.
   
• 20:02 - A supporter asks whether the club can give more context around player injuries moving forward, citing Jordan Gabriel as an example. Jon explains the difficulties around giving away too much information on injuries - it can hamper the player's ability to get another club down the line, and can also land the manager in trouble. He says he wants to give as much insight as possible but can't always give too much detail away. On Gabriel, Matt Hancock adds that the player asked the club not to disclose much information on the loss a family member, but that the club supported him fully through it. 
   
• 20:08 - A supporter asks about Andre Gray and how the club came to sign him, and how he feels the fitness levels of the players were when he arrived. Jon says his sessions are shorter but intense - he says 'if I don't push them beyond their limits, how can I expect them to play to their limits in a game'. He credits Darren Moore for the work he did with the players, and for the club, including winning promotion. On Gray, he says the player wanted to come back to England and feels he has unfinished business in the EFL. Jon feels that once he's dusted the cobwebs off, he will be a great addition. Asked whether Gray will start on Saturday, Jon says it's the one question he can't be honest with.
   
• 20:10 - A supporter asks about the backroom staff that previously worked under Darren Moore, that have stayed at the club. Jon says he was asked by Carol what he wanted to do, and that he wanted continuity initially. He held individual meetings with the coaching staff, who now have full clarity on what their roles and responsibilities are - he adds they have been very supportive and that empowering them has been positive for the team.
   
• 20:12 - A supporter asks whether Jon had fallen out with Mitch Clark, to which he says 'never'. He adds that Mitch has four months left on his contract and wanted to pursue a longer deal elsewhere if he could, which Jon was unable to guarantee so early in his tenure. Mitch was open and honest - he was happy here but was allowed to pursue other opportunities. He says he will treat players as humans - with love and respect - giving them a voice. 
   
• 20:17 - A supporter asks why Rico Richards wasn't recalled from his loan, and about Rhys Walters' role in the team. Jon says he's had to work quickly, and that Rico hasn't been playing regularly for Walsall - he feels the player is best being there at the moment. Rhys hasn't had the game time that others have had, but says he's a brilliant young talent who trains well. Jon says Rhys' time will come and believes he has a future at the club, both here and longer-term.
   
• 20:18 - A supporter asks about Joe Gauci. Jon says he's a fantastic shot-stopper and says he's working with him on his kicking. He adds that he doesn't particularly like kicking the ball long and banking on a 50/50, but that the pitch isn't conducive to playing the brand of football he wants to play at the moment. He wants players to play with freedom and understands supporters' views but adds that the keeper's primary role is to keep the ball out of the net.
   
• 20:21 - A supporter asks Jon about what he thought when he sat in the stands prior to taking the Vale job. Jon jokes that going to the toilets at half-time was an 'experience!' He says he wanted to get a feel for things and saw a lot of things that he loved - a real mix of people and community spirit. He says he came away having seen a team that grew in belief after scoring goals, and that he asked the coaching staff who made the changes at half-time (Jamie Smith). 
   
• 20:24 - A supporter asks Jon what his biggest challenge is between now and the end of the season.  Jon says he wants to echo Matt's comments about looking forward instead of backwards now - he wants to work to the group's strengths and be aggressive, but firstly find ways to win. He says there are a lot of challenges but knows where he wants to get to. He says players have previously tried to be 'superheroes' by trying to rescue situations indiviually, but to the detriment of the team. He says the 150th anniversary game was one that hurt him personally, and that the team has perhaps been 'too soft' previously. 
   
• 20:32 - A supporter asks how impressed he's been with the club's away support in particular. They follow up by asking whether it's true that Jon has a tattoo of a boxing kangaroo... he says he has some regrets in life, and that's probably one! On the away support, he says it's incredible and can really help. He reveals he asked Ben Garrity to go over to the supporters before the Leyton Orient game to feel that connection, which is helped by the work the players do on the pitch. He says to take 700 to that game is incredible and wants to give supporters more to shout about.
   
• 20:36 - A supporter asks about the fitness of Garrity. Jon starts by saying he is a natural-born leader and the fits the profile he likes for an '8'. He says he gave so much effort to the Orient game and probably shouldn't have played 90 minutes. 
   
• 20:37 - A supporter asks about the midfield more generally and what Jon is looking for. He responds by saying George Byers is a technical player who helps you build, while Garrity adds another dimension as already explained. He says he wants a balance and blend. He reveals that Shipley had suffered a groin injury before missing a tackle against Exeter and apologised to the group. Jon feels Funso Ojo has had a new lease of life and has played through 'niggles'. On Ryan Croasdale, he says he typically runs 12.5-12.8km per game, the most in the squad. Jon says he's watched every single minute of Rhys Walters' performances going back to the Arsenal game and feels he has many good characteristics. He is working to get the right balance from those players, and would like more dynamics to the squad. 
   
• 20:43 - Mark invites supporters to ask one final question. A supporter asks about Jon's booking on Tuesday. He says he lost it because it should have been a Vale throw-in. He reveals exactly what he said, but it's not something we can repeat here - and that's probably a good place to wrap things up! 
   
• 20:45 - Jon finishes by thanking supporters and says he feels emotional in doing so because he wants to give everything to the club. He thanks Matt for 'wearing his heart on his sleeve' and says Carol has 'put the club before her health', before receiving applause from the whole room. Thanks for joining us and UTV!