"Fantastic appointment" needs Port Vale job as much as they need him: View | OneFootball

The search for Port Vale's new manager continues after the club parted ways with Andy Crosby earlier this week.

After the 50-year-old steered Vale to safety in 2022/23 following the sacking of Darrell Clarke, he was appointed as the permanent manager at Vale Park back in May.

However, one win in their last eight games leaves them 21st in League One, one point away from safety and with the teams around them picking up points, they need to appoint a new manager quickly to avoid relegation this term.

The latest on Port Vale's search for a new manager

While the search for a new manager is still in the early stages, many have touted Ainsworth as being a fantastic appointment for the Valiants, including Carlton Palmer, who spoke exclusively to Football League World earlier this week.

Will Ryder was put in interim charge of the club alongside Matt Done and Danny Lloyd, with the trios first game in charge ending up in a 1-0 defeat to Leyton Orient in midweek.

Despite unrest over the situation regarding the new manager, the club released a statement yesterday from owner Carol Shanahan, who updated fans on the search for their new head coach in ST6.

"We are interviewing potential new managers at the moment, and they are looking to see if this is the sort of club that they want to join," she said.

"When the new manager arrives he will need the backing of the supporters, the board and the team to give him the best chance of being a success - we will learn from this, and we will grow from it as a football club and as a community."

Gareth Ainsworth would be the perfect fit at Port Vale

The 50-year-old has been out of work since being sacked by Championship side Queens Park Rangers in October.

It was a disastrous eight-month spell for Ainsworth at Loftus Road, winning just five, drawing four and losing 19 of his 28 games in charge, departing with the club sitting in the relegation zone.

However, Ainsworth enjoyed a successful 10-year stint at Wycombe Wanderers prior to joining the R's last February, and his record in League One with the Chairboys was outstanding.

The 50-year-old led Wycombe to promotion to the Championship via the play-offs in the 2019-20 season, and he almost repeated the feat two years later, but his side lost to Sunderland in the play-off final.

It may not have worked out for Ainsworth at QPR, but his record in the third tier is unquestionable, and he could be the perfect fit for Vale.

They are a club that will likely have to punch above their weight to have success in League One and he is a specialist at getting the most out of squads on a shoestring budget.

Gareth Ainsworth may need Port Vale more than they need him

There is no doubt the managerial qualities that Ainsworth possesses, but his time at Loftus Road will have certainly lowered his stock in terms of clubs queuing up to replace their manager.

Since his departure from the R's, Ainsworth has very rarely been linked with jobs in and around the Championship.

And after a bitterly disappointing time in W12, he will be keen to prove that he is still a top manager, especially at a level at which he has achieved so much success.

In that sense, you do feel as though he may need Vale as much as they need him - if not more.

Ainsworth's experience of leading QPR to survival last season would be useful if he takes charge at Vale Park, and while he would be a risk, he could prove to be an incredibly shrewd appointment and one the fans would immediately get behind.