Port Vale: Give me time, urges new boss Glover

PORT Vale's new manager Dean Glover has urged supporters to give him time to rescue the Valiants.

The 44-year-old former assistant manager acknowledges that many Vale fans didn't want him to get a job he finally landed yesterday.

Some have criticised the board for not looking outside the club for a new boss, while others favoured coach Andy Porter, the only other candidate considered as Vale couldn't afford to appoint from outside.

Glover knows some fans blame him for poor results when he was assistant to Martin Foyle and then Lee Sinnott – and when he was caretaker boss for an eight-game spell last season.

However, he has urged his critics to reserve judgment until he has had time to lead the team as a permanent manager.

He said: "Some of the criticism is unfair. I have been here with two other managers and they (critics) obviously feel that outside influences would have been better.

"But what I can honestly say is the people who are still at the club are passionate and loyal to the club and want it to go forward.

"Please judge me in time. I believe we can turn it around, but it isn't going to be overnight.

"I know I am going to be in for some flak because I know there were people against me.

"Hopefully there are some good people there who are for me. Judge me down the line. Please."

Glover inherits a team which is 19th in the League Two table and on a run of six successive defeats. He has no money to improve a squad assembled by predecessors Foyle and Sinnott, but the directors have vowed to try to find ways of raising cash.

Glover added: "The budget has been spent. The board are trying desperately hard to generate some funds.

"I don't know how quickly that will be, but we are prepared to work with the team we have got and we know what is in front of us. It is not going to be an easy time."

Glover's job will at least be made easier by having the support of his nine-man board. They voted unanimously to give him the job.

Predecessor Lee Sinnott was only appointed on a 5-4 split, a situation Glover says affected their relationship.

He said: "I think towards the end, yes it did.

"Unfortunately, outside things got in the way and things didn't work out as they could have.

"But we were always there to help him. We were never against him."

Glover's new contract is set to be negotiated this week. The manager will also be allowed to appoint his own backroom staff, including an assistant manager.

Porter and youth coach Mark Grew are among the candidates for the job.