Port Vale in turmoil ahead of Leeds clash

Port Vale manager Lee Sinnott has decided to ring the changes ahead of his sides visit to Elland Road to face promotion-chasing Leeds United on Tuesday night. With the Valiants languishing at the foot of the League One table and having being held at home by non-league Chasetown in the FA Cup, Sinnott, former boss of Farsley Celtic, believes drastic measures are required to arrest their alarming slump.

Vale have lost nine of their previous twelve league games and their perilous position is not lost on the 42 year old. 'I have been here four weeks and it needs action', he said. 'I am going to strip it down as much as I can do. I'll just throw a hand grenade in there and see what happens and take things from there. I have selected a squad of sixteen to play at Leeds and I might select a completely different squad to play at Gillingham.'

Sinnott has installed Luke Rodgers as captain ahead of the game at the expense of George Pilkington. 'I have got to shake things up and that is a way of shaking things up,' he added. 'It's a bit hard on George, but it's a course of action I have got to take. I will expect the squad of sixteen to show the characteristics I am looking for'.

'If you have got no bottle, if you are not prepared to work hard, if you are not prepared to stand toe to toe, not just with eleven Leeds United players, but with 30,000 Yorkshire people behind them, then you are not the player for me.' Sinnott's opposite number Dennis Wise will be looking for a similar response from his own side after they suffered a shock defeat at Cheltenham Town in their last outing.