Hello Reds. It’s good to be back talking to you all via this column as we prepare to take on Port Vale in the FA Cup tomorrow. The work in training this week once again has been productive as we look to build on an unbeaten week of three games in seven days.

We faced some very tough teams all in different situations themselves and posing different threats, but we came away with seven points out of nine and a good platform to build on following the international break. The time on the training ground gave us a big chance to reset and refocus. I always expect the highest standards from my team, and having that gap between fixtures helped with that, as it allowed everyone involved in the set-up to get a new perspective on those standards, in terms of what we are trying to achieve, and how we are going to get there.

I felt that the entire squad took those lessons on board, and it’s been reflected in the results we’ve got since coming back from the international break.

It would have been nice to get three wins out of three, but seven points out of nine is a massive positive for us, and it will lift everyone at the club that we are building momentum at a really important time in the season.

This momentum will definitely be important on Saturday, as we travel to Vale Park, to take on one of my old clubs, Port Vale.

My two years there were full of very special memories for me, and it will be equally special to return there this weekend in the FA Cup first round.

There won’t be much room for sentimentality, however – the FA Cup is a big competition for me, and we’ll be looking to win.

I’ve been involved with a couple of decent cup runs over the years, dating back to my start in management, and it can’t be understated just how much of a lift they can provide a club.

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Hopefully, Saturday will produce more of the same.

This month has also seen me and my first team staff take on a whole different challenge, as we’ve been taking part in the Prostate United campaign, to raise awareness for prostate cancer.

As part of this, we’ve run 5km every day throughout the entirety of October.

It’s something which has really brought us all together – we’ve run the majority of days as a unit and while some of us may be faster than others, we all support each other along the way, which will be massive in terms of keeping spirits high and perspectives fresh, as we head what can often be a heavy winter fixture schedule.

All the best, Darrell.