Constant, seemingly knee-jerk rotations led to disjointed performances in the first-half of last season – is Darren Moore doing the same thing again? Rob Fielding thinks so.
Rob Fielding writes…
Around Christmas time last season, Port Vale were in a right mess. It looked like Darren Moore didn’t know his best team, there were constant changes and poor results ensued.
We now know that Vale turned it around and that was due to some consistent selection and partnerships:
- Jesse Debrah, Nathan Smith and Connor Hall were the regular back three
- Rhys Walters partnered with Ryan Croasdale in the engineroom
- Lorent Tolaj and Jayden Stockley bonded as a pair upfront
However, look at the start of this season. It’s rinse and repeat from the start of 2024-25. In five League games, we’ve already had two goalkeepers, we’ve tried three different combinations in the back three, we’ve had five different starters in midfield and six players tried upfront.
It seems odd to me that so many changes are being made. Fair enough, things needed to alter after an awful 45 minutes at Rotherham but why six changes this weekend? It’s not like Vale had been thrashed on Tuesday – they’d been in charge until the final minutes. It’s not like anyone needs “resting” half a dozen games into the season. It all seems (and there’s that word again) knee-jerk.
The goalkeeping change puzzled me. If Vale have invested in a two-year deal for Marko Marosi doesn’t he need more than five games to prove himself before being dropped? For all of Joe Gauci’s attributes, he’s not our player so would it not be a preference to stick with the long-term player? I would have thought playing Marosi on Saturday and giving Gauci an outing in Tuesday’s cup game (to stake a claim) would have been a better choice.
As for the midfield. I didn’t understand why Ben Garrity, for want of a better word, was rushed back. It’s not like we are short of central midfield options. Garrity has been out for weeks and hasn’t had a pre-season – surely it would have been better to give him minutes from the bench rather than a start? Especially when that start meant last season’s player of the year, Ryan Croasdale dropping to the bench. It seems an incoherent, revolving doors policy and while Vale clearly need a goalscorer to replace Lorent Tolaj will any new arrival make a difference if the players around him have no chance to gel?
The other old chestnut from last season was square pegs in round holes and we’re getting it again this season. Last season’s bugbear was playing central strikers Paton and Tolaj out of position for the first-half of the campaign. This season it seems to be the mistaken belief that Ronan Curtis, a creator of chances, is a central striker.
I think Vale need to learn from the lessons of last season – and quick. This should be fairly simple… there’s three bolded words above – knee-jerk, rushed and square pegs in round holes. All should be avoided and Moore can do so by:
- Deciding on a formation (one with two upfront) and stick to it
- Picking his best three defenders for the back three
- Picking a consistent midfield (I’m a Walters and Croasdale fan but it doesn’t have to be them if Moore thinks Ojo and Shipley is a better combo)
- Not making knee-jerk selection issues which result in constant line-up changes every week
- This final one is trickier as it probably depends on injuries and transfers – but selecting a first-choice strike duo
This isn’t the time for outright panic but it is worrying. If Vale are to not undo all of last season’s good work they certainly need to learn the lessons of last season – and fast.
What do you think? Fair points or utter garbage? Share your thoughts and comment below.
Words of wisdom from Rob again? I believe so. But I believe the reason for lack of goals (only two goals in five games) is because yet again another window is closing without bringing in a proven goal scorer. Still time to add one to the squad? Hope so.
Croasdale & Ojo have worked well n manager obviously has his favourites no room not even on bench for Shorrock Paton etc remains mystery so let them go chop wage bill perhaps try get in a goal scorerer utv
Been poor recruitment again and too much dithering in the transfer window. Moore is clueless. You only have to listen to his boring after match interviews. Every interview is basically the same with a few words added from a dictionary. Hope I’m proved wrong but I with Rob constant changing the team unless through injury or suspension isn’t helping. You do this through pre season or the cup games. Not for league games. A balanced consistent team and formation is best for the players chosen. Hope Carol sees this and has a word with the clown in charge.
Sounds about right and yes worrying has similar aspects to the first half of last season think if we have attacking fullbacks needs to be four at the back teams seem to find space in a vale back three and think moore and co need a out and out target man as soon as
I’m Not human, I have got a Large Head & Big Eyes, & 3 fingers. I am a Vale Supporter from ‘ Out There ‘. The Team I support when ‘ Out There ‘, Plays my favourite formation : G – Two – Three – Five
11 (Dickie Cunliffe)
6
3 10
shirt numbers = G 5 9 The formation played by the Vales ‘ IRON CURTAIN ‘ 1953/1954
2 8
4
7 (Colin Askey)
You are saying basically what I’ve been saying since Dopey Darren walked through the door. A big problem we have is no matter how bad it gets I don’t see the Shanahans acting because Carol seems to get a big buzz out of having Dopey Darren as her manager. We basically have a good midfield for this level if favouritism doesn’t come into it, we also have some good attacking wing backs and if a settled back three or four could be found that just leaves a decision on a goalkeeper, and most important the front line. We must stop this constant barrage of high balls being lumped in there, it’s predictable and easy to defend against unless you’ve got a centre forward who’s going to wins everything. Sadly as you’ve guessed I have no confidence in Dopey Darren being able to achieve this.
Excellent article Rob. Agree with all the points you make. I would also add that we don’t seem to have learned from all the training injuries we picked up last year.
The truth is we have not had a striker who can score goals across a season since Pope. Tolaj was highly talented but his return in league 2 was not incredible. The solution was actually Tolaj plus a decent target man. Not get rid of Tolaj and just bring in the target man. I like Faal, but the best possible partnership in terms of potential was him with Tolaj.
I see Plymouth played Tolaj as a loan striker on Saturday. More fool them, as I think that’s a daft idea.
Totally agree with all the above but the powers that be don’t read or listen to the majority already I’m considering not bothering as the lack of ambition is obvious Plymouth are no bigger than vale yet why not try to keep tolaj and build around him with a constant team selection we need a settled side and at least one forward
Sorry I have little sympathy for Mr Moore, pre season has been wasted get shut of him ASAP.I can not watch the drivel served up in the second half.150 years and we end up with Mr Moore.I don’t like to knock any player at the Vale but Moore leads me to it , Wane is not for this division and if he keeps playing Garrity when injured he will end up finished as a player, we do not need all the medical staff at Vale and Garrity proves it.
Make a offer for nathen low
Agree with most of this apart from one point – that we need to have two up front. We should play our best players and try to play them in their best positions. The problem last season was trying to shoehorn Tolaj, Paton and Stockley into a front 3 but none of those three are available right now for different reasons.
Curtis is not a central striker, but he is still one the better forwards in the squad right now. At the moment we are struggling for any central strikers that are good enough let alone two! Until we get a suitable replacement for Tolaj, our best option might be to play with a front 3, with Faal as a lone central striker and two wide forwards.
I agree with what you’re said let’s hope you’re wrong again and we finish second again. Let’s remember it’s where we finish at the end of the season that counts. Selling our best goal scorer has not helped and is mind boggling. Darren will either come up trumps again or with selling Tolag at least we are league two ready.
I made a comment about constantly changing the team, and got berated for it, how can players get used to playing together, if there is constant changes. The last 20 minutes against Stevenage being a classic example, why so many subs. Prefered players , is down to the manager, but dreadful performance allowing, pick a consistent team. As for strikers , well it’s obvious, we have no quality Stockly is ok, but he is not going to be fit on a regular basis, it’s too late in the window to find anyone decent, do I fear for us, because as it has been for several seasons, we ain’t going to score enough, so I fear we are in for a lot of narrow defeats.
Let’s face it, this manager has no real experience and long term grounding as a manager or tactician, clock is ticking now five minutes to midnight.
I commented last season about DMs chopping and changing in the first half of the season aka Brian Horton the tactical genius that got us relegated I cannot understand the selections even allowing for injuries and suspensions why did we make signings that looked to improve us in a higher league for them to either sit on tj bench or not even in the squad? The transfer fee f Tolaji beggers belief and says it all 60 years after f heartache continues. Please Carol listen to the fans either sign Nathan Low or get rid of the Problem
You can complain about Darren Moore’s constantly changing of the team until you are blue in the face but unfortunately he doesn’t seem to know how to pick a consistent team to win a game at this next level. Promotion seems to have been won last season in spite of him and not because of him, although to be fair to him he did bring a few decent players into the club. He seems a very stubborn man who feels that one day he might just fall on the right selection. Prepare for a few more changes at Reading next Saturday.
I agree with the points Rob has made. I might add that on Tuesday night against Stevenage we lost the plot and game with the substitutions. Curtis alongside Toljai gave us a high press on the Stevenage rear guard which they did not like. Once this partnership was unlocked with substitutions the game was lost as Stevenage took advantage. On Saturday that high press wasn’t there with Wane & Faal as they can’t cover the ground with the same speed as Toljai & Curtiss. You just have to look at Toljai’s brilliant vision and speed to reach Shipley’s hard pass to round the keeper and score which is part of the fast high press we so sadly need. I feel sorry for Faal giving the ball away for Doncaster to score but if I had been manager I would have left him on the field to redeem his mistake not substituted him. The Vale’s basic passing was woeful on Saturday in both halves and this has to improve otherwise the writing is already on the wall ! Cheers Andy
You should apply for the managers job, next time it is on the market, you are more qualified to do the job than a bloke who makes his living at it, in your opinion that is. The comments you make, would be valid, only if you had access to all the information the manager has. People should have their opinion, but all you are doing is feeding the bottom of the barrel Vale so called supporters we have.