Pundit tips former Lincoln City and Cambridge United bosses for Port Vale job | OneFootball

Pundit Jobi McAnuff believes former Lincoln City manager Mark Kennedy or ex-Cambridge United boss Mark Bonner would be a good fit for Port Vale.

The Valiants are on the hunt for a new manager after the sacking of Andy Crosby on Monday.

After leading the club to safety in League One last season in his spell as caretaker following the shock sacking of Darrell Clarke, Crosby was handed the job on a full-time basis in May.

Vale made an excellent start to the season, and they sat as high as second in the table in mid-September, but a run of three wins in 20 league games saw the club slide towards the relegation zone, prompting the board into action.

Will Ryder, Matt Done and Danny Lloyd took caretaker charge for the 1-0 defeat to Leyton Orient at Vale Park on Tuesday night, and the trio will remain at the helm for the home game against sixth-placed Stevenage on Saturday.

The Valiants currently sit 21st in the table, two points from safety, but they have games in hand on many of those around them.

McAnuff backs Kennedy or Bonner for Port Vale job

McAnuff believes that either Kennedy or Bonner would be good appointments for Vale, but he questioned whether it would be the right move for former QPR manager Gareth Ainsworth.

"Mark Kennedy is up there, I think that would be a good fit for them," McAnuff said on the BBC's Football Daily podcast.

"Mark Bonner, for me, I think in terms of a manager who is used to working under very tight constraints.

"He did incredibly well at Cambridge, sometimes you just maybe get to the end of a cycle or a period at a football club, he was there throughout all the age groups.

"It might be a good one for someone like him to come in with that enthusiasm and understanding of the situation. "I think it has got to be someone that knows that you're not going to have everything you want, and someone who can make the best of the situation is going to be really important.

"They certainly stick out for me, I know Gareth Ainsworth has been linked with it, a club that is very special to him, but whether it is the right one for him at this stage of his career, I'm not quite sure to be honest."

Port Vale facing crucial managerial decision

It is difficult to disagree with McAnuff that Kennedy or Bonner would be good appointments for Vale.

Kennedy led Lincoln to an impressive 11th-placed finish in League One last season, and while his side made an inconsistent start to this campaign, he was unlucky to lose his job in October.

Bonner did an outstanding job at Cambridge, leading the club to promotion from League Two before securing survival in the third tier in the last two seasons, and he masterminded a 1-0 win over Premier League side Newcastle United at St James' Park in the FA Cup third round in January 2022.

The 38-year-old would have been disappointed to be sacked by the U's in November, but he showed plenty of potential during his time in charge at the Abbey Stadium, and he deserves another opportunity.

It is a big decision facing the Vale board, and with the club currently sitting in the relegation zone, they must get this appointment right.