DC not JC

The new king is proclaimed: Darrell Clarke. The man to take us forward has to be a miracle worker, in much the same way as JC. It’s not clear what the club’s finances are like and, with the takeover still unconfirmed, we need to assume that there isn’t much more available.

Clarke is renowned for having a fluid playing style, but he favours a 3-5-2 system, with wing-backs and three solid defenders. That’s probably good news for Smith and Turnbull and suggests that Lee O’Connor, once fit, will be a good option. He will probably want an upgrade on Patrick Brough.

In the middle of the park, I suspect that Sam Finley will be the central anchor. It remains to be seen whether Charlie Whittaker will stay at the club; hopefully, the new manager will persuade him to stay. Beyond this, the current squad has question marks rather than certainties. Lewis Warrington showed poor form when he returned to Prenton Park. He has been under the knife and is recovering from injury. Hopefully, a fit and rejuvenated Warrington will be able to make a difference. Nohan Kenneh is another player who needs to prove himself. Josh Williams and James Plant remain enigmas. We haven’t seen enough of either to know what their real potential is.

Up front, we have two forwards on our books: Connor Jennings and Joe Ironside. Clarke favours using two forwards up front, so Joe will not have to labour on his own. He looked better with someone alongside him. I can’t help thinking that Connor will be best used as an impact sub next season, but I hope that I am wrong. Much of our decline in the second half of the season coincided with Connor’s absence. He was the engine that kept things ticking. That still leaves us lacking in pace up front.

Whilst the cupboard isn’t exactly bare, Clarke inherits a situation where it will take more than a trip to Aldi to fill the gaps.

Clarke is not a manager who relies on pace. He relies on everybody working together and knowing their place in the team. Tactical discipline, physical robustness and character seem to have a higher value for him. My concern is that, with the wrong players, this could result in the same stodgy, plodding approach we have seen over the last three or four seasons. However, it’s possible that, with the right signings, we could become a well-organised, well-oiled team that, through hard work and discipline, can work its way up the table, despite the lack of a huge budget. Darrell has had some success in the past in building teams for next to nothing.

In the coming weeks, with the retained list already confirmed, we will start to see the new squad taking shape. As always, the dream is that the new broom will sweep away the rubbish and leave us tidier and neater. In this respect, Darrell has a big challenge ahead of him, one which he says he is up for. Irrespective of the uncertainty around the club’s future ownership, we need to get behind him and hope that his tenure is long and successful. Welcome to Prenton Park, Darrell.