Manager shoulders the blame for 3-2 defeat in League One clash at Shrewsbury Town.

• Darrell Clarke | “I take responsibility, we orchestrated our own downfall”
• Port Vale manager speaks to the press after his side’s 3-2 defeat at Shrewsbury Town
• Clarke: “I’ll take the blame; I picked a technical team, we started the game on the front foot and scored a very good goal but we were weak at set-pieces and that is what cost us the game – three set pieces.”

Port Vale manager Darrell Clarke said he would take responsibility for the Vale’s 3-2 defeat at Shrewsbury Town as his side lost an even game after conceding from three set-pieces and second and third phases of play.

Speaking post-match with iFollow the Vale, Clarke told the press:

“I’ll take the blame; I picked a technical team, we started the game on the front foot and scored a very good goal but we were weak at set-pieces and that is what cost us the game – three set pieces.

“We orchestrated our own downfall; it is not that the players hadn’t been warned about it, they’d scored eight from their last 13 goals from set-plays so it wasn’t like we hadn’t worked on it, but you have to do the fine arts and basics of the game right and we didn’t do that.

“We win the game if defend set-pieces and second phases but we couldn’t do that. With that and Butterworth, Robinson and Politic in the team, you lose some inches in height and you get punished for it so I take the blame for that.

“It is a big learning curve for these players and certainly our young players; you can look as good as you want on the ball, but if you don’t do the basics of the game and defend set-pieces from second and third phases then you get beat, and we got beat and they have to learn that.

“It is not about effort, attitude or application, it is about us not defending set-pieces today. It is as simple as that.”

And Clarke added that his side’s current winless run is down to a variety of reasons, and his side will tackle the challenge head on.

“It is football; we are in League One – a division higher – we are carrying one or two injuries for experienced players that are coming back and getting minutes into lads who are coming back, we don’t want lads breaking down,” Clarke continued.

“There are all sorts of reasons [for the Vale’s change in form] but football management is about managing a bit of adversity – we keep going, we keep building, we have another game Tuesday night and we will go again.”

New signing Matty Taylor is yet to make his Vale debut, though the manager was able to provide clarity on the experienced striker’s situation, with the Oxford United loanee potentially involved on Tuesday night against Barnsley.

“Matty is doing very well and he had a very good, positive session yesterday,” he added. “Matty wasn’t quite ready for today but we are hoping for Tuesday night. I am led by my medical team – which is superb; we always knew it might be the case with Matty missing two or three games when we signed him but it was late on Deadline Day and we knew he would be a great acquisition for us when he is back and fit, but he will only play when he is fit.”