Five thoughts after Port Vale’s poor loss to Leyton Orient
What to do now? Rob Fielding says there are plenty of important questions which need to be addressed after yet another poor defeat for Port Vale.
Agree or disagree? Use the orange buttons to post your comments on this article.
What to do now?
This was a result that prompts all sorts of questions… What to do to solve the problems in the last third? What to do to solve the defensive blunders? What formation should start? Which players should start? Even what to do with manager John Askey? Should the club keep confidence with him or make a change? It’s fair to say that Port Vale are in a right mess right now. Yes, they may need a lucky break but five straight defeats isn’t due to bad luck. For me, the formation is too rigid and teams have started to work Vale out. Combine that with players out of form and a general lack of confidence that a bad run creates then it’s going to be tough. Fingers crossed the Valiants can turn it round soon.
‘Keystone Cops’ defending
Vale’s defence has been the subject of scrutiny in recent weeks but it looked to have hit a new low on Saturday. There was awful defending for the first, even worse defending for the second and then a costly switch off in concentration for the third. Vale do not score many goals but if they didn’t find the target they could normally rely on the defence keeping things tight. Now that isn’t happening, Vale have problems at both ends of the pitch and games that the side could have scraped draws from are instead ending as defeats.
Monty has earned himself a start upfront
Probably the only positive from Saturday was the form of sub Cristian Montano. When David Amoo was injured early on, Vale must have been cursing as he’d been the focus of the early play. However, Montano did a decent job with some direct running at the defence and an excellent goal. Some may want him as full-back but his goal threat can offer assistance to a goal-shy frontline. Monty has averaged a goal every seven games – a record better than centre forward Theo Robinson has managed in the League this season.
Rodney not a centre forward yet
Devante Rodney is only 22 and will undoubtedly learn with experience. However, his central role on Saturday showed his current deficiencies playing in the middle. He has pace and power but his decision making and shooting can be awry. On Wednesday he scored a good goal from a wide position and that could be his best position now – the problem is that Vale have plenty of widemen but haven’t settled on a central forward. If Rodney is ruled out of that fight it leaves just veteran Tom Pope, injury-prone Mark Cullen and summer signing Theo Robinson as options.
Summer signings haven’t moved Vale on
I’ll admit, I thought that Vale had done decent business in the summer. But right now, it’s starting to unravel. I’m prepared to be patient when a player moves clubs but it’s seventeen games in and none have had an impact. Dino Visser is a quality back-up keeper but David Fitzpatrick hasn’t made the left-back slot his own. Danny Whitehead hasn’t had much of an impact through poor form and injury. Upfront, Theo Robinson hasn’t really clicked while Devante Rodney looks a work in progress, something Vale cannot afford during this crisis. After a bright start, loanee Mitch Clark’s surging runs have dried up while perhaps the most intriguing is Harry McKirdy who despite looking bright on occasions couldn’t even made the squad on Saturday. The lack of impact from the new men means Vale are effectively relying on last season’s squad minus dynamic loanee Jake Taylor.
geoff ainsworth
29th November 2020 @ 11:51 am
I agree with nearly all that Rob has said. i e we still have a problem re the left back position which John cured last season by putting either Monty there or Brisely and our defence was more watertight for it for the rest of last season. He has again tried the same player at left back that he started with last season and the defence started to creak again. I again have questions re Joyce’s defending when for their first goal he was marking their scorer just outside our penalty area and he just stood still and watched him run into our penalty area & stood and watched him head it in. Schoolboy defending for their 2nd goal leads of muddleheaded panicking and for their 3rd goal again nobody thinking quickly enough to clear the danger and as Rob says of the summer signings there are only 2 (3 including the reserve goalie) that are worth keeping.
Reggie
29th November 2020 @ 6:15 pm
Watched for the last 4 weeks a season ticket holder not good enough at the min too many silly mistakes we lost 1 at home all last season
R walters.
29th November 2020 @ 7:22 pm
442? At home got to be .
Phil Yeomans
29th November 2020 @ 7:43 pm
I also agree with Rob’s comments the new signings have not improved the starting 11 Pope may well be regarded as the veteran but he is miles ahead of others and should start, the 4-3-3 is being dealt with by very mediocre opposition when Gibbons is available he should come in with Clarke switched to left back. Adopt a 4-4-2 formation so we can have two up top to give the opposing centre backs something to think about. Finally time spent on the training ground working on the positional play of the back four particularly Smith dropping off Legge and the need to concentrate for 90mins (or maybe 96)
David Barratt
30th November 2020 @ 11:46 am
This Orient supporter says that we were lucky. You were VERY unlucky. It will get better for you I am sure.
David Gater
30th November 2020 @ 11:47 am
The Vale’s current poor run started with the FA Cup loss to non-league King’s Lynn and this may well have had a sub conscious negative effect on player confidence. The back room staff should consider how to get the squad to put this behind them. On paper it’s a good squad and one win and a draw will get them moving again in the right direction. The manager has done very well upto this point, and even the most illustrious teams/managers get these bad runs from time to time. The club should give him the chance to bring it all round. This current run will end – the Vale often seem to play better against the higher placed teams.
Howard Dexter
30th November 2020 @ 5:07 pm
Think I’d go with 3 centre backs with Monty & Clarke wing backs. Got try something to stop the goals against! H.
Pete Morgan
30th November 2020 @ 8:47 pm
I agree with Rob’s general argument but why not move Smith to right back, switch Clarke to left back with Brisley or Crooks alongside Legge in the back four? Midfield of Worralll, Oyeleke, Joyce, Conlon and Montano with Pope upfront it would need Worrall and Montano to get forward to support Pope but Cullen, Rodney or Robinson could come on to relieve Pope. Askey has done a good job until the last couple of weeks and deserves more time to turn things around.