Port Vale next manager: Three-time League One promotion winner installed as favourite for job
Port Vale are searching for a new manager after they sacked Darren Moore on Sunday.
League One’s bottom club were trounced 5-0 away at Huddersfield Town on Boxing Day, and that was deemed as the final straw by the hierarchy at Vale Park.
Moore has been under pressure for several weeks at Port Vale as their return to the third tier simply hasn’t gone to plan.
The former Sheffield Wednesday boss led the Burslem outfit to automatic promotion from League Two last season, but they have won just three league games since the start of the season.
The last of those victories came at the end of September, and they are now on the hunt for a new boss after finally losing patience with Moore.
Darren Ferguson early favourite to take over at Port Vale
Darren Ferguson has been out of work since Peterborough United showed him the door at the end of October, but that could be about to change following Vale’s decision to end Moore’s tenure.
The son of Sir Alex Ferguson, the 53-year-old has taken charge of the Cambridgeshire outfit on four separate occasions and even managed them as high up in the pyramid as the Championship.
He has been briefly linked with the Barrow job in recent weeks, but his name has now emerged as the early favourite to take the reins at Port Vale.
One major bookie has installed Ferguson as the 6/4 favourite to take Moore’s old job, as he currently leads the way from several familiar faces in League One.
| Manager | Odds |
| Darren Ferguson | 6/4 |
| Jon Brady | 5/1 |
| Matt Bloomfield | 6/1 |
| Mark Kennedy | 8/1 |
| Liam Manning | 10/1 |
Ex-Northampton Town boss Jon Brady is deemed to be the second favourite for the position at odds of 5/1, while recently departed Luton Town chief Matt Bloomfield follows at 6/1.
Mark Kennedy and Liam Manning are also viewed as likely candidates, and are priced at 8/1 and 10/1 respectively.
Darren Ferguson’s record makes him ideal candidate for 2026-27
Port Vale have been way off the pace in League One this season, and that has left them in what is surely an irreparable position at the 21-game mark of the campaign.
The Valiants currently find themselves at rock bottom of the third tier, and they are already a staggering 10 points from safety, with the gap to 20th-placed Plymouth Argyle surely already insurmountable.
| Club | Games | W | D | L | Win % |
| Peterborough United | 675 | 303 | 126 | 246 | 44.88% |
| Doncaster Rovers | 145 | 58 | 35 | 52 | 40% |
| Preston North End | 49 | 13 | 11 | 25 | 26.53% |
However, with their current situation likely unsalvageable for any manager, Ferguson would be the ideal option to step into the dugout, given the aims for the following season.
Nothing but promotion would be acceptable in the fourth tier for the Midlands outfit, and the Scot is an expert at delivering that.
He led Peterborough to promotion from League One three times earlier in his career, and he has also achieved the same feat twice at League Two level, throw in three EFL Trophy triumphs, and he is undoubtedly one of the most decorated EFL managers of his generation.
Both he and Vale are currently at a low-point in their recent histories, but that could make it the perfect partnership in the coming years.