Port Vale manager Darren Moore was questioned on a wide range of issues ahead of Vale’s away game against Newport County on Saturday.
The Valiants manager spoke to BBC Radio Stoke’s Phil Bowers and here’s what he had to say…
On the options on the left following the Sam Hart injury
On Sam Hart’s injury
“Harty’s picked up a muscle injury that’s going to keep him out for some time, to his hamstring, just by overstretching to make a last-ditch challenge. Hes going to be out for some time. We wish Harty a real speedy recovery. He covers a couple of positions and he’s an excellent player and to lose him is a blow. We have to move on as a group. It’s a bit of a blow for us…
On Jack Shorrock
“Young Jack Shorrock… he’s been given the green light to resume full training. He’ll be with us next week…”
On Dan Jones and Conor Grant’s availability
“Dan Jones is still with the medical team, still working himself back to full fitness. Conor Grant is a little bit ahead. He’s be handed over to the strength and conditioning coach getting his fitness levels, volume to where he should be…”
On the midweek Trophy clash with Wolves
“It was huge that game for us. There were players there which got sufficient match minutes. For us, it was a welcome game to play. We got real good minutes into the players…”
On the squad depth, formation and starting eleven…
On squad depth
“We’re a completely different squad from last season. There’s been a lot of business over the summer months. We’re going through that period where there’s competition within the squad and people are starting to get fit, bodies are coming back available and people are starting to excel and show more of themselves which is good…”
On switching to a back four from a back three in midweek
“We’re recruited for that. We have a team that is functional in a back four or in a back three or back five. You’re trying to nullify their (the opposition) strengths and expose their weaknesses. You have to have that (flexibility)…”
On his best starting eleven
“You have to be adaptable in this League. You go into games and you have got your eleven, your systems and formations but you have to be adaptable. That eleven can change at any point and we have a group that is able to do that…”
On the poor start to the season
“We’re disappointed as a group that we’ve not got more points on the board. We’ve lost games through lapses of concentration. We feel as a group we’ll score goals and they are getting fitter and stronger but it’s also about making sure we keep the back door shut. When we score goals we score as a team, when we concede goals we concede as a team…”
On the Newport game
“They’re in great form. Credit to them. We’ll be facing a team that’s full of confidence. We have to make sure that our game is ten out of ten. We’re getting punished for any slight mishaps. We have to make sure our game is a flawless ten out of ten. It’s a great challenge. It’s a game we look forward to…”
