Defender looking to secure League One place before aiming higher
Liam Chilvers says Vale’s first target must be to make sure of their League One status before having thoughts of anything else, but is looking forward to the second half of the season.
Vale put in a disappointing first half performance against MK Dons on Saturday, but they must now look forward, and there is the matter of a home game against Notts County to come.
He says: “You have to look at performances whether you win or lose and take something from the game. Usually when you lose there is a lot more to look at and to take from the game in terms of learning.
“All the lads were disappointed. The ground is a lovely place to go to and it is somewhere where you want to put in a good performance – unfortunately we didn’t do that. We are all aware of it and know what we have to do on Boxing Day.
“We have done well up to this point, but we obviously can’t sit back on that, we have to keep going until that point when we are mathematically safe and then nobody is worrying about that sort of thing.
“During the Christmas period, if we can pick up results we can be looking up the table rather than down.
“As players we just look at the next game and the points take care of themselves, but I think you do get to the point where you say, we are on thirty points now and if we keep going the way we are it won’t be long before you would like to think we are safe.”
Vale face one of Chilvers’ former clubs here at Vale Park on Thursday afternoon (kick off 3.00pm) but he isn’t sure how many people he will recognise in the Magpies’ squad.
“I was there not too long ago. Quite a lot has changed, there have been two managers since I left but it is a big club there and I enjoyed my time while I was there.
“There have been a lot of changes – I think there are only two lads still there who started at the weekend and it will be good to see them, but I don’t know how many more are still left there.”