Matthew Tipton says he has no doubt David Jeffrey will turn Portadown's fortunes around soon despite a winless start to the season. The former Portadown manager backed Jeffrey to implement his style and deliver results in time.
Tipton worked under Jeffrey at Linfield and managed Portadown from 2018 to 2022, guiding them to the Championship title in 2020. He believes Jeffrey is the right person to lead the club forward but acknowledges modern football rarely gives managers time.
"Things take time in football – the problem is nobody has time anymore," said Tipton. "Davy is trying to implement his own style of play on the team, on the club, that'll take time."
He added that Jeffrey knows how to turn the team around and just needs a little luck and time. Portadown have lost their opening four Premiership matches and suffered a Mid Ulster Cup defeat to Glenavon, leaving them pointless early in the campaign.
The Shamrock Park side have conceded eight league goals, more than all but bottom side Bangor. Tipton noted the team are missing chances and making defensive errors that are being punished.
"One week, that's not going to happen, and with a bit of luck, he'll turn it around...hopefully for Davy and the team, that's Saturday at Cliftonville," Tipton said.
Portadown signed several players from outside Northern Ireland this summer, including Liam Jessop, Rhys Breen, Mikey Hewitt, Jamie Barry, Matty Carson, Dominic Martins and Finn Flangan. Tipton said this approach offers value as players look to rebuild their careers.
He compared the strategy to Crusaders, who have benefited from signing Scottish duo Fraser Bryden and Adam Brooks. Tipton insisted a big name does not guarantee success in football.
"Your name doesn't get you anything in football, it's what you do on a Saturday...being a big-name team or club doesn't guarantee anything," he said. "It's really competitive this year, as it has been for the last few years."
Portadown will look to end their winless run when they visit Cliftonville this Saturday as they aim to build on Jeffrey's message. Check our fixtures for the full schedule and see how the squad is shaping up on our squad page.
