Our pair of Vale fans were really not impressed with Saturday’s performance. Here’s their take on the heavy defeat at Barrow.
In this fans panel we selected two Vale fans to discuss the latest game. If you want to be considered for the fans panel please contact us
This week’s panel
- Craig from Fegg Hayes
- Jean from Oakhill
Questions and Answers
A poor result – what did you think of the match?
Craig: I was expecting it to probably be the most difficult game so far and so it proved. The first-half was pretty even with few chances for either side. They were well organised in and out of possession and made it difficult for us to gain any control of the game. Once we went behind it was going to be difficult although had the effort from Garrity gone in it could have been different.
The second goal was a killer as from that point on we lost the plot. Chasing the game left us wide open at the back and even the substitutions had little effect. Our individual errors and their clinical finishing probably gave an unfair scoreline in the end. However, we were well beaten.
Jean: So we have let in seven goals so far this season and all of them against Barrow! I couldn’t believe what I saw in the second-half yesterday. In the first 45 minutes not much had happened and we had the best chance with Garrity’s header which their keeper tipped over. They then scored after 55 minutes and it all started to go wrong. Garrity missed the sort of chance which a number of us in the stands could have put away and then Moore made some strange substitutions.
Surely he should have brought Stockley on to play with Paton not to replace him? And two of our players most likely to create something – Curtis and Chislett – were replaced by Byers and Benicio, both of whom are clearly short of match fitness. After that we struggled to string three passes together and fell apart at the back. Their subs on the other hand, produced three assists (Newby) and two goals (Aqua and Telford). Who knew Connor Hall was so vital in our defence!
How do Vale bounce back?
Craig: Possibly a change in formation/personnel is needed with Stockley/Tolaj partnering Paton up top to offer more support. I’m not sure how this is achieved in terms of who makes way though? Hopefully, Connor Hall will be back on the left-hand side of the back three. The manager and players need to address the collapse that followed the second goal.
Jean: First of all, they need to sit through the video of that game and look at all the mistakes which were made and that includes Moore’s subs. Then Moore needs to insert a cattle prod before sending them out against Doncaster. That performance yesterday was completely unacceptable.
Which players did well/struggled?
Craig: I thought both Kyle John and Ben Heneghan stood out (especially in the first-half). Paton was ineffective yet a willing runner as was Curtis. Dipepa looked to be a little off the pace when he came on, albeit for a brief cameo.
Jean: It was hard to pick anyone who did really well. Henegan was probably the best of the bunch at the back but the midfield was pretty much overrun although Croasdale fought manfully. I thought Ripley really struggled as well.
Your hopes overall for the season?
Craig: My hopes are for a season in the top-half with the potential to reach play-offs/automatic promotion places as the season progresses.
Jean: After investing so heavily in the team Carol deserves at least a play-off spot but on yesterday’s performance that may be optimistic. We have the players capable of making the automatic places but not if they play with yesterday’s attitude.
Any other business?
Craig: Following relegation, the financial backing received by the manager has yielded some decent signings (on paper). This has been well received by the fans however in turn has created a higher level of expectation. Considering the influx of new players and the unavailability of some until now, it will be no great surprise if it takes a while for the team to gel. Whilst I understand the disappointment in the manner of the defeat at Barrow some fans need to be more realistic in their expectations, at least until we have played 10-12 games. In that time the manager needs to quickly work out his best eleven and devise a style if play/identity that works best. Otherwise it won’t take long for the natives to become restless.
Jean: Bowness was very nice on Friday afternoon. Sadly, that was the highlight of the weekend!
Agree or disagree? Post a comment below.
the players need to look at themselves after that performance awful !! defence stood round looking at each other !!! poor ripley .,… get a grip sort them out !!! not good vale keep the faith chaps but that wasrubbish ! early days UTFV
After splashing almost £600k and signing a completely new team Mr Moore decided the best way to beat Barrow was to play five defenders and one up front. Not surprisingly we saw two defences dominating the first half and no more than a couple of half chances to talk about. In the second half Mr Moore showed his tactical genius by taking off three of our most attacking minded players. This is the second time now (Tranmere) where opposing managers have totally out thought Mr Moore with second half substitutions. Mr Moore after signing all these attacking minded players for some reason has no faith or confidence in any of them being able to play for more than 60mins, so why has he signed them. Vale were lucky the whistle went when it did, if it could have easily been another 7-0 thrashing as Barrow threatened every time they had the ball towards the end. How do Vale strike back ? Get a new manager, we could not have got a worse one if they had put a blindfold on and stuck a pin in a list of names. We need to pick our better players, keep them on the pitch and make teams worry about us. Best player? Garrity who put everyone to shame purely on his effort and never say die attitude, and he was on the end of our two best opportunities. Who Struggled, that is a difficult one, but Dipepa although still very young, needs to decide if he wants to be a footballer, for me he is light years away from being one. Hopes for the season, a change in management which should have been made at the end of last season. Who would I want? Short term fix, Neil Warnock, he gets the best out of players and let’s others worry about his teams. Any other business? Here we go. In Carol Shanahan we have a good owner, but she is blindly backing and supporting Mr Moore because she dare not fall again after her similar unwavering backing of Mr Flitcroft. But Carol please give your head a shake this time and realise what’s going on. Now for Mr Matt Hancock our chief executive. Even though I believe the gentleman held a similar position at Burton Albion I was surprised to hear at a recent Question and answer session that although he’s been involved in football for a number of years, he’d never been to Salford and didn’t even know where Barrow was. One would have thought having a bit of knowledge and a tinsy winsy bit of interest in football a necessity to do this job. The gentleman admits the club lost £30,000 a year for the last three years by producing a match day programme, why did it take three years to realise this, and how do little Barrow manage to produce one without loosing money when we can’t . Are Barrow better run off the pitch as well as on it than us? As for booking fees for away games as well as the £5 charged for the season ticket card. Why are loyal Vale fans been penalised for the clubs laziness in not running its own ticketing survive. Bring back Ted and his shoe box !
Ian Mountford’s post may well be bang on. The jury is out on Darren Moore for me. As I’ve said before, last seasons debacle sticks in my mind, particularly with Burton and Cambridge escaping the drop and our fall to second bottom. It’s gone now (we move on) but surely the squad assembled here is done so to be highly competetive this season and next? I for one asked the question re programmes. Perhaps they could have been used to offer promotions within the club and advertised better for sale?
Our firepower is going to be our strength this season. let us pin teams back and give them something to worry about. Unfortunately DM seems to keep too much of our firepower in the holster rather than out on the pitch. Play 2 strikers , we have the forwards to make that system effective.
Very concerned now, went to Burton pte season and we were played off the park. Second time a Vale teM managed by Moore has conceded 4 goals in the 2nd half on about 4 months. Manager is clueless needsto go before We are staring National league in the face. His overall record now over 44 games is won 6, drew 18, lost 20 with us and Huddersfield…no where near good enough.
I know it’s early days,but I agree with Ian Mountford, we need a manager now Carol, Darren Moore is, tactically inept, Vale were completely out of this game after halftime, Barrow are no great shakes but are a few shakes better than Vale, how sorry I felt for Garrity, he tried and tried,.Carol get us a manager now, not at Christmas, get us a manager and give him a fighting chance, Moore will take us out of the league,he does not have clue were to play the players he purchased, now offer almost a new team, we have a left sided problem and a manager problem, I can not see Moore working this one out.
For crying out loud give the manager a chance it’s very early days with a new team yet to gel, let’s see where we are round about Christmas time people are panicking way to early.
Surely the board have a vital decision to make. Two more games and no improvement and a managerial change must occur. Darren Moore as well as being a defender in his playing days is more defensive than ever Gordon Lee was.
To Glyn Jackson, while I respect your view, Mr Moore has not just walk through the door. Last season both while at Huddersfield as well as at Port Vale, he proved to be with his record, possibly one of the worst managers in the history of the football league. One doesn’t expect the club to win every week, and in all fairness Vale were well on course for at least a point on Saturday. However not for the first time Mr Moore’s decision making on his substitutions was mind blowing. I never wanted Mr Moore in the first place but I was happy to give the chap a chance. But his record last season at the Vale was nothing short of disastrous, every team in league one finished the second half of the season better than us.
Re Ken from North Wales
With regard to Gordon Lee, he may have been over defensive, but he took us from being near the bottom of League 2 to near the top of League 1.
I would like to no which chairmans of the 2nd division agreed to let sky TV to put live matches on ? Were you one of them carol I just don’t get it okay you need money to run the club but 300grand for the season peanuts! Some premiership players are on more than that every week , take for example this Saturday 12,30 kick off fans that work in the morning to Pay bills will miss the game and I bet the local publicans are best not pleased either,some Doncaster will stay at home and watch the match in there local, massive mistake to all the chairmans that voted for it
The last time the Vale won a league Champion ship was 1958/59 season. This was the first season of the newly formed Division Four. The first two home games of that season were. 4-1 loss and a 3-1 loss. In front of bigger crowds than we have today but there weren’t supporters calling for the head of manager Norma Lowe. There are too many people today who think they know more than the manager, who has personal knowledge of his players ,more than the so called supporters. He has to have at least 10/12 games before opinion’s can be made.
I agree with Ian at least Gordon had a system and guys who fought for the shirt. Guys like Johnny James , Tommy Mac, John Brodie god rest their souls.Great servants and brave and run forever for the club.