My best Port Vale XI: Ross opts for “for the best team that would win matches”

This is the ninth in a new series where OVF is asking fans to name a team of their best-ever Port Vale players in a 4-4-2 formation. Here’s a best-ever eleven courtesy of Ross.

About me

I’m Ross and I’ve been a Vale fan since I can remember. My grandad wouldn’t take me to matches until I was five, which means I started in the 72/73 season.

I’m currently restricted in the number of live matches I can attend as I work in The Middle East and South East Asia. So I’m very much someone who benefits from PVTV and before that iFollow. It does mean I’ve watched some recent games in rather strange circumstances, for instance the Luton game was interrupted by a few missiles attacks on Doha airport and there have been a couple of alerts during games I’ve watched in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

My favourite live game was either the Spurs FA Cup win of the Bristol Rovers victory to get into the second tier for the first time in ages. My best away game was Brighton away in 1994.

My choices

Apologies to younger fans but I’ve gone for the best team that would win matches that I’ve seen play for the club. In recent times only Sam Morsy has really gone on to play much football in the top three tiers. Over a career players tend to get to their right level and I’d be confident that at their best my sixteen would be a comfortable Championship side. There have been some good lower league player in the three promotions post John Rudge but not many players Championship sides and above would have been watching with serious intent. I’ve also gone for the best players over favourites. Players like Phil Sproson contributed more due to ongoing loyalty and longevity at the club than, say, Gardner. My favourites side would probably have four changes to it.

The best keeper I’ve seen was Neville Southall but I’d not going to include loan signings. Jim Arnold joined us from Everton shortly after and had a fantastic season. He wasn’t spectacular but was more Clemence compared to Shilton in that his positioning was so good he didn’t need to pull off wonder saves. Goodlad ran him close but Arnold would be first choice.

As for the full-backs – at right-back Simon Mills who would also be in may top ten central midfield players. He was signed due to a long-term injury to Ray Walker and moved to right back because he was too good not to play. At left-back I’ve opted for Darren Hughes because his pace got the back four out of all kinds of problems. Tankard was a very close second.

For centre-halves – Anthony Gardner wasn’t here long enough to be my favourite but I’m picking the best side I can and he went on to play very briefly for England. Aspin was my favourite due to his loyalty and longevity at the club but he was not in the same league for ability. Alongside him I’d pick Dean Glover, mainly because he was left footed and complemented Gardner so well. Phil Sproson would be a close second.

The right wings is a position full of very good players, Ainsworth and McCarthy in particular. However, Mark Chamberlain was playing for England six months after leaving the club and would have had many more caps if he didn’t go on to have hamstring problems. For his first 18 months at Stoke he made top tier left backs look like the fourth tier ones he terrorised in his final season at Vale. He is by some distance the best attacking player I’ve seen at the club, although he was from a period of regular sub 3,000 crowds so I get why he isn’t in other teams (or more shockingly for me the Hall of Fame). On the left wing, Steve Guppy is by some distance the best I’ve seen. He got a solitary England cap as a wingback.

In central midfield my all time favourites is Ray Walker but he doesn’t make my team. Brian Horton went on to captain two teams in the top flight. He was not only skilful but he was also as tough tackling as Tommy McLaren. Alongside him is Robbie Earle. It was a tough call with Ian Taylor but Robbie scored goals in the fourth, third, second and top tiers whilst Taylor never scored double figures in any but the 3rd. Robbie was very close to England selection and transferred to Jamaica after that didn’t materialise. For me he would have played for England if he was at a club bigger than Wimbledon.

The front two is by some distance the toughest to call. We’ve had a few who were top-end Championship quality but not many who have gone beyond that. I guess Lee Mills played a handful of games at that level but not as a regular. Beckford had longer, although I thought he was good enough to have had more impact. My starting point is Martin Foyle as he could do a bit of everything. He could lead the line and he could run the channels. If you use Foyle as the centre forward then Naylor comes into the equation. If he is running the channels then Andy Jones, Darren Beckford and Steve Brooker are all potentials. I’m going to go for Beckford as not only was he good in the air he also had decent pace. So Foyle and Beckford as my front two but really only just.

A note on my subs. I’ve opted for Walker over Taylor as Horton could play as a holding midfielder or a more attacking one. Naylor’s selection is very tough on Brooker and Jones.

The line-up

My sub choices

Goodlad, Aspin, Tankard, Walker, Naylor

The overall best eleven