Assistant manager says the Vale have to build on last weekend’s win at Pride Park when Forest Green Rovers visit Vale Park on Saturday.
- Andy Crosby | “Some really good things came out of Derby win and it is something to build on”
- Port Vale assistant manager discusses the Vale’s League One fixture with Forest Green Rovers, last weekend’s win at Derby County and Vale strikers Ellis Harrison and James Wilson
- Crosby: “We watched Forest Green play against Peterborough United on Tuesday and while they have been inconsistent in their results, they beat one of the big boys at home last weekend in Bolton Wanderers so they’re a good side and have good players”
Port Vale assistant manager Andy Crosby is looking for the Vale to build on last weekend’s win at Derby County when Forest Green Rovers arrive in Burslem on Saturday.
Speaking to the press ahead of the Vale’s return home, Crosby said that lots of positives came from Darrell Clarke’s side in both performance and result at Pride Park last weekend.
“I think some really good things came out of last week’s performance and result and it’s something to build on,” Crosby explained.
“We reviewed our performance against Derby and fed back to the players, asked them what they thought and since then our work has been about preparing for Forest Green Rovers.
“We watched Forest Green play against Peterborough United on Tuesday and while they have been inconsistent in their results, they beat one of the big boys at home last weekend in Bolton so they’re a good side and have good players, but it is about what we do and we need to try and build on last Saturday’s three points.”
Ellis Harrison and James Wilson scored the Vale’s goals in the East Midlands last weekend and Crosby added that the duo complement each other’s styles well.
“I think since Ellis has come in, his output in terms of goals is really good, his performances are getting better and he has really good qualities that complement Willo’s as well, as we had last year with Proc and Willo,” Crosby added.
“I think when we get the ball wide, Ellis is an incredible danger in the box and carries influence in our box and their box.
“It is important we get those two in good positions and they do their work for the team when we haven’t got the ball – which they do as our first line of defence – because we want to press teams high and regain the ball high up the pitch.
“James unfortunately picked up a niggle in pre-season that held him back a bit but he gets into a rhythm, has undoubted quality, is a top player and top guy. I think his best years are still ahead of him because he is conscientious, he wants to improve and take on information.”
Manager Clarke spoke last week about how the Vale will break their season up into quarters and look to improve through each quarter on their return to League One.
And Crosby’s first quarter review is that the Vale have done well on their first season in the third tier in five years, though there is slight disappointment that more points haven’t been accumulated, based on performances.
“We reviewed our first quarter as a staff and fed back to the players,” Crosby said. “We are probably disappointed that we don’t have a few more points because we missed a couple of opportunities to get more, but I think it is nine of the top 12 now and a few of the bigger teams away from home.
“We want to try to improve in this next quarter and Forest Green will be the next challenge.
“We will concentrate on our performance and what we have to do, clearly if we perform well we give ourselves a better chance of winning the game. We won’t take Forest Green lightly at all, they came up with us last year and the principles of how they try to play are still exactly the same.”