Four thoughts after Port Vale’s draw with Forest Green Rovers
A new beginning or Askey 2.0? Rob Fielding takes a look at the away draw against Forest Green Rovers.
Agree or disagree? Post a comment at the end of the article.
Captaincy the making of Conlon?
Tom Conlon’s recent form has been top class. He looked a more than decent player again in the draw at Forest Green Rovers. It remains to be seen how long Danny Pugh’s reign will last but the appointment of Conlon as captain was a good one and has a potentially long lasting effect. Conlon has a little bit of everything – he can score from a dead ball situation, he has the odd trick and he can put in a lung busting performance. Devante Rodney aside (and more of him very soon) Conlon is arguably Vale’s most important player at the moment.
Rodney continues to develop
Should he play in the centre or on the flank? Well, wherever you play him, Devante Rodney is Port Vale’s main goal threat at the moment and even when he barely features in a game he’s still capable of an individual moment of quality. He looks to be well on course to hit double figures this season. The Valiants look to have a rough diamond on their hands and I wonder what he will be like when he adds consistency and experience to his skills of power and pace? It’s a pity about Tom Pope’s injury because the experienced forward would be a great person for Rodney to learn from on the pitch. Over the years the likes of Andy Jones (from Ally Brown) and Darren Beckford (from Ron Futcher) have moved on apace with an experienced mentor beside them. I hope Rodney is bending Pope’s ear even while he’s not able to play.
New boys clearly need more time
Credit to both Jake Taylor and Kurtis Guthrie for putting in a shift but it’s clear both need more time on the training ground and during games to get used to their team mates and gain match fitness. With Vale’s wing dominated attacking, it will be interesting to see how Guthrie in particular looks in a few weeks time when he’s used to the movements of the likes of David Worrall, Alex Hurst and David Amoo. But for now, it’s too early to judge.
Jury still out on Danny Pugh
A decent point but after a promising start against Grimsby where he rang the changes and altered the formation, this one was more difficult to judge Danny Pugh on. Is there that much difference between Pugh and Askey? His two signings this week were both long-time John Askey signings. His formation was the trademark John Askey 4-3-3. The performance with chances at a premium and scares at the back was also Askey-esque.
However, there are mitigating circumstances. Pugh’s hardly had a chance to ring the changes and if Vale hadn’t been hit with injuries would he have reverted to that 4-3-3 or was it forced upon him?
It’s tricky to tell, but the caretaker is at least unbeaten in the League so far. With doubts over whether this season will even finish, it makes sense for the Valiants to give Pugh some time but he does have to make his case irresistible and not just a moderate improvement. I appreciate that’s harsh on a managerial newcomer but for all the time and money which the Shanahans have put into the club, Vale need to pushing at the top not subject to more of the same lower-mid table middling. To do that, Pugh has to show he has the skillset to be a different manager than John Askey not just Askey 2.0
Agree or disagree? Post a comment at the end of the article.
Fred
17th January 2021 @ 10:55 am
Too early to judge Pugh so far. Needs to be 5/6 games before we have an idea. Rodney looks a real prospect though
Rob
17th January 2021 @ 1:15 pm
Conlon`s improvement since he came here is encouraging, he has gone from having 1 good game in 4 to being consistently decent.
If Hurst, Rodney and Guthrie can make the same improvement they will have a very bright future in the game.
Big game next week against Walsall, get a win and I reckon we can start to look upward not down as we were a couple of weeks ago.
Keith Dawson
17th January 2021 @ 2:24 pm
I was disappointed to see that Rodney started as our lone striker, this is not a position that he can fill, add to this that fact he was being supported by Amoo, not great. To be fair there was nothing in the game, it was good to see Taylor back in a Vale shirt combined with Conlon there is room for optimism. FGR were really no better than Vale but sadly we felt the need to give them a goal, Hurst fouled his opponent for no apparent reason, the ball was whipped in and last touch came off Rodney and into the net it went, that was his only attempt on goal in the first half, sadly we hadn’t turned around so I awarded that as an own goal. Second half commenced and the same pattern followed, then enter Guthrie, Rodney moved wide left to facilitate. At last we had a target man and we began to win the aerial battle, moment of in of inspiration from Rodney, FGR allowed him time and space and he produced a fine strike from just outside the box which cannoned in from the inside of the post. Vale then showed some grit has FGR came at us. As the final whistle blew we all but shouted “great point” and it was. So let’s see what we can do next week against Walsall, we should have most of the squad available so for goodness sake, 2 up top from the start and let’s get 3 points and climb that table.
Phil Yeomans
17th January 2021 @ 3:56 pm
The radio commentary from BBC Gloucester stated a number of times that Rodney was isolated up front I know Danny was limited with injuries but I hope the 4-4-2 doesn’t become a 4-5-1. Pleasing result against a side in the top three. The next few games will give a clearer picture both in results and the formation played.