Rob Fielding says one lesson from an otherwise meaningless Football League Trophy game was that Funso Ojo can prove to be a point of difference in midfield.
Rob Fielding writes…
Ojo ran the show on Tuesday. Not only did he provide two assists but he also created several opportunities (notably two for the misfiring Mo Faal) as well. In a Port Vale midfield replete with defensive minded players, Ojo offers a point of difference…
I remember before the Football League Trophy game on Tuesday night that someone posted that he doubted we would learn anything from the group stages tie against Fleetwood.
I beg to differ. I think there were several things. Firstly, lumping three forwards together in a front three and just hoping they would gel is not the answer (playing two as a pair consistently and allowed them to gel is). Secondly, some of the squad players are doing little to force their way into the starting eleven regularly. However, thirdly and most importantly it showed that two Vale players possess a point of difference and should get more opportunities.
The first of those is George Hall. Whether a starter or a sub, the pacy forward scares the opposition with his turn of speed, he possesses good skill and can score goals. After his injuries earlier this season, perhaps it’s wise to use Hall as a bench option but however he is used, he should be. His pace and close control are skills his midfield teammates don’t possess.
Now for someone else with skills his teammates don’t possess in Funso Ojo. Ojo ran the show on Tuesday. Not only did he provide two assists but he also created several opportunities (notably two for the misfiring Mo Faal) as well. In a Port Vale midfield replete with defensive minded players, Ojo offers a point of difference.
One of the criticisms of Vale’s attacking play recently has been the dearth of chances created from the midfield. Vale too often rely on the wingbacks and that obviously allows the opposition to close down the flanks and stop Vale’s creativity. However, play Ojo in the middle and it immediately gives the opponents something else to think about.
We all know Darren Moore is a big fan of rotation but in my view, if he wants to try and get the club out of the rut they are in, he could do a lot worse than start picking Funso consistently in the central midfield.
What do you think? Post a comment below.
Totally agree
I fully agree with these comments, however, I don’t think these were a new revelation learnt during the Fleetwood game. The qualities of Ojo and Hall have been obvious for a while as has Vale’s total reliance of wing backs. Why can everyone except the manager see this.
Ojo is always reliable and can’t really understand y he went out on Loan last season, under-rated and under-used in my Opinion. And I also argee about G.Hall want little i/we have seen I like alot .
Marco, there where some rumours about attitude issues, could be ojo and Moore not seeing eye to eye. And Ojo not being used or being in the bench. With the opportunity to play a league higher on loan, I wouldn’t blame him for accepting the loan option last season
Been saying for weeks now Ojo & Shorrock should have been on every team sheet Shorrock foolishly loaned out Ojo probably back with the stiffs . Hate to say this about.avale player but George Byers (nice bloke nice hair cut ) but in going Vale Park since 1952 i cannot recall a worse player to don a Vale shirt manager & coaching hinges recruitment staff need to take a long hard look at their involvement in the debacle anyway. UTV
Unfortunately it’s yhe same old story with names of Ojo, Walters, G. Hall etc. not involved. I commented months ago that the squad looked good enough to hold a mid table place but without stating the obvious which has been constantly mentioned we find ourselves in a relegation battle. I personally would like to see a 4-4-2 formation with the strongest players given time to form partnerships. The next two matches will tell us a lot .
Think Vale have probably used their goals scored quota for the next month. Yet again Vale got off to a sluggish start and Fleetwood should have added at least another goal to their tally in the first half and they were clearly the better team.
At half time Moore made a couple of substitutions and some how Vale managed to score a couple of goals. This was the only time that Vale had the lead in the match Fleetwood scored two more goals both virtually identical coming from Fleetwoods left wing back helped by Vales poor defending. Vale did manage to score another goal but overall I would say Fleetwood were the better side they worked together as a team. Vale on the other hand looked like a team of individuals and struggled to work together.
The only Vale player who looked like he should be in Vales starting line up was Ojo but I doubt whether he will be in the starting lineup for Saturday. I don’t know what’s happened to Stockley but he is clearly at the bottom of the pecking order with Waine. Curtis looks more and more unhappy with the positions he is being asked to play in. Why Byers continues to be a first choice in midfield is difficult to understand and his abysmal penalty miss just about sums up his contribution to the team. Why John made the starting lineup when he revealed on Saturday that he was recovering from tonsillitis and couldn’t last the full 90 minutes is unbelievable when Moore continually stresses the importance of looking after his players and not rushing them back.
I don’t think Vale will get more than 2 points from the next two home games.
Moore comes over as a nice guy but rigidly sticking with the same formation tactics and player rotation is clearly not working. The poor attendance at last night’s match and comments made by home supporters shows that the previous good relationship between supporters, the Club the manager and team is quickly unraveling day by day.
The best that can happen now is a mutual agreement between the owners and manager to part company for the good of Port Vale the football club.
Common sense as always.
A lot of players have been treated in a mystifying way this season. Enough to suggest there are some serious ‘HR issues going on behind the scenes (Shipley, Ojo, Shorrock frozen out. Faal, Brown, and others given far more opportunity than performances warrant)
I think DMs stock is so low now that he needs to swallow his pride, and pick players that can turn it around, regardless of whether they are his personal favourites or not.
A team of Gauci, Humphreys Debrah Heneghan, Garrity Ojo Walters Byers Johnson, Cole Hall should have enough to upset Wycombe.
Subs to come on include John, Shipley Croasdale Paton and headley
Got Garrity at RWB, and Hall as second striker, which may be a bit experimental, but the side has pace skill and know how.
For me it should be 4 4 2. Gauci a shoe in , John ,Humphries, Heneghan and Johnson, midfield of G Hall , Walters, Ojo and Headley with Brown and Cole up top. However when Mr Moore sits down and shakes the balls in the bag and picks a number we will see. Perhaps to mix it up he could ss I think somebody said on here before blindfold himself, spin around several times and then throw darts at a board…hit the number and you play. For me I would place the players names onthe floor and let my dog pick the number of who he thinks should play by licking the number. Whatever the clown decides to play Saturday is a must win against a current high scoring team ..failure to win should be terminal for Mr Moore!
Ojo’s midfield positioning, movement and creative passing can be a joy to watch. He’s a smooth operator, comfortable at League 1 level, who’s capable of unlocking opposition defences because he has the vision to do so. At 34 there’s still plenty left in the tank, and starting games for this Vale team should be a formality. His early season form was a stand out, belatedly on view again against Fleetwood. To select the pedestrian Byers ahead of Ojo is a mystery, a very strange decision. Ojo creatively helps the team’s forward momentum, whereas Byers slows it down with sideways & backwards passing.
Can’t fault your analysis