Post-match reaction from the Port Vale boss at Chelsea
Port Vale fans sing during the English FA Cup quarter final football match against Chelsea.(Image: Ben STANSALL / AFP via Getty Images)
Jon Brady sent out Port Vale to try to keep it tight for 20 minutes before seeing them concede inside 64 seconds to world champions Chelsea.
Vale were always huge underdogs in an FA Cup quarter-final at Stamford Bridge and, in the end, were beaten 7-0. But Brady hopes his staff and his players can find inspiration from the quality they came up against.
He said: “We set out a goal to try not to concede in the first 20 minutes and try to get some small wins but to concede in the first minute was really tough. We conceded three set pieces as well. I think their first goal was excellent, excellent play. I thought our structure out of possession was quite good overall to limit them to not a huge amount of open play chances.
“Overall, where we’re at and where they’re at… They’ve got Argentinian and Brazilian and Portuguese internationals at the top of their game, getting ready for the World Cup. They’ve just come back from international games and it shows the levels – and the inspiration.
“That’s got to be inspiring enough to my players and coaching staff to strive to be better every day. There are so many levels in the game and can we aspire to be better every day?”
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This was Vale’s first quarter-final since 1954 in a season that has been full of contrasts – and Brady hopes his squad has created fun memories to last a lifetime for 6,000 fans who made the trip to London.
He said: “The early goal was a kicker but we’ve had, for the first time in 72 years, we’ve reached the FA Cup quarter-finals and created a huge amount of history for the football club.
“To have a week like we did and beat Bristol City and then beat Sunderland when everyone thought we’d get hammered – what a week that was for the football club.
“We’ve created memories for a lifetime for a lot of our fans and to have 6,000 of then here today, cheering us on from the first whistle and even staying until the very end… we are hugely appreciative.”
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