Caretaker Page To Replace Adams At Vale?

Port Vale`s Micky Adams has become the latest Football League manager to leave his post after admitting he had reached his `shelf-life` at the Staffordshire club.

Adam was currently in his second spell in charge of Vale after being re-appointed in May 2011. During this tenure, the former full-back managed to stabilise the West Midlands club before eventually achieving promotion from the basement division of the Football League in the 2012-13 season.

After five campaigns away, Vale made a bright start back in League One confounding the expectations of fans and pundits alike by ending last season in ninth. Such form, it seemed, wasn`t to continue with Adams parting company with his side in 23rd position and a quagmire of six games without a win in all competitions. With only one solitary victory in eight league games, the former Leicester City man acknowledged the delicacy of his position after falling to a 2-1 home defeat away at bottom club Crewe Alexandra. Four days later, a gutless 3-0 loss again at home at the hands of table-toppers Bristol City saw the four-time promotion winner consider his `shelf-life` before finally succumbing to the pressure this morning (Thursday 18th September). Speaking after the Bristol City game, the 52-year-old told BBC Radio Stoke, `I know a majority of supporters are not happy with Micky Adams and I understand that.

`Every manager has a shelf-life with a football club. Maybe I`ve reached mine.` He continued. `But that`s not for me to decide. It`s probably for a discussion elsewhere at a different time, instead of immediately after a game in which we`ve lost 3-0 against the leaders.`

The Valiants will now begin the search for a replacement with the bookies` favourite being Adams` former assistant manager and current caretaker boss, Robert Page. The 40-year-old who will lead the Whites into Saturday`s home clash with Yorkshire side Barnsley, is currently available at 11/8 with Skybet.

Something of a journeyman defender, during his short coaching career Page has been nothing but loyal to the club who gave him is first backroom opportunity. In a string of internal promotions, the former Watford man earned himself a shot in the position of assistant manager after joining the club as a youth coach back in July 2011. A year after signing on under Adams, the retirement of former prolific poacher and current first team coach Geoff Horsfield, saw Page experience his first internal promotion, in a role he filled for two years. It was when Mark Grew left his role as Adams` assistant to take up the position of goalkeeping coach and scouting co-ordinator in July of this year that the Welshman found himself as the boss` right-hand man.

Page`s only management experience came in September 2013 when he took to the Valiants` dugout in a 1-0 home victory over Tranmere Rovers as cover for Adams who was hospitalised after hip replacement surgery. Chris Lines` 56 minute on-target free-kick was the difference between the two teams after Rovers` keeper Owain Fon Williams kept out top scorer Tom Pope`s penalty. Loan signing Liam Ridehalgh had felled Chris Burchill inside the box.

Despite his lack of experience, the ex-Sheffield United star was linked to a move back to his former club after they parted company with manager Danny Wilson in May 2013, though lost out to ex-Everton centre-back David Weir. This followed rumours in October 2012 that Page was going to jump ship to League 2 side AFC Wimbledon after the axe fell on promotion-winning manager Terry Brown, though he again failed to seal the role.

Should caretaker Page also miss out on the Port Vale position, other names in the frame include FC Halifax Town boss Neil Aspin (8/1 - Betvictor) and England U19`s Sean O`Driscoll (14/1 -Skybet).

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18/09/2014     © Frixo 2024