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Weirdly quiet response to the podcast, which I personally found very illuminating. Really sad to hear how the abuse has affected DF and also his family. Nobody deserves that just from trying to do their job.

This is an interesting interview with DMs usual assistant manager. It indicates he isn’t as wedded to 352 as we think. He says that they played 5 or 6 different formations at the start of their Wednesday journey as they adapted in games and figured out what was best for the players they had… which was the 352 they settled on. At Doncaster he played 4231. That said, I think our squad has been recruited for 352 so I reckon that’s what he will go for. Personally I think the 4231 would suit us at the moment Ripley Lowe Lopata Debra Grant Ojo Gore Chiz Weir Mighten Wilson

Just listening to the Flitcroft podcast. Interesting listen so far explaining why a striker didn't come in in January. I am glad that he has come out to give his side of the coin and explain the reasons why. He does say if you ever want to chat to him to go to reception and ask for him. Though not sure how successful you'd be with that?

Michael Smith and Mark Biereth are two of them. Good listen, Flickers is great. Super David Flitcroft!

Sorry, Wilson. I was in the chemist collecting my prescription!

I tried to start a new thread called Dave Flitcroft In ( Podcast) but failed miserably and put it in the Tickets and Travel Section. Great listen. An explanations of what's happening is exactly what I have wanted and he explained very well and openly dispelling a few myths and urban legends. I thought Dan did an excellent interviewing DF, really representing the fans with his questions rather than a corporate approach. On the abuse I haven't heard or seen anything out than Dave Flitcroft get out of the club which I peronsally don't think abuse but I wasn't at Fleetwood so no idea how personal it got top there.

I don't think we've got an option to be picky anyway. We're in the bottom 4. We need players in. You could argue Haaland wouldn't score in our team some games. But if and it's a big if ...then Gayle would be a good addition. Only a few weeks ago he was still on the bench at Lard. Imagine a conversation with the new manager and they decided to part ways.

It doesn’t matter. Stoke has been a graveyard for players for years. He’s not 1st or the last player to be <ovf censored> for the <ovf censored>. We have no options up front and he will contribute immediately. That’s what we need. I’m confident he’s going to be a better option than Loft.

Scored goals in the prem and championship. He should be above this level. Also at this point in the season and our only option being players without a club, I cant think of many who would also be close to match fitness and not need 2 months to get up to speed. No brainer for me and could make a huge difference to how out season goes Ron now on. Its got to be better than relying on a 16 year old who just isnt ready yet, and hoping they can score the goals to keep us in this league because Wilson cant play a full 90.

Flitcroft, fair enough on the player recruitment side and clearly, for whatever reason, the Crosby appointment didn’t work out. On the flip side, you have to give him credit for the appointment of Clarke, and with it promotion, or are you ignoring that? I’m not a fan of Flickers but I’ll back Carol’s judgement for a while longer. If we’re relegated then the inquest can be held at that point. Up ‘til then the team need support from the stands. You seem to have an agenda against the owners. I think you’re way out of touch with the vast majority of our fans on that score. It’s easy to come on here spouting drivel so why not make your point, stand outside the main entrance at the next home game and protest away to your hearts content.

What an illuminating podcast. As one of the biggest moaners about our style of play, which is determined by Flitcroft, it would be hypocritical of me to just go about face afterlistening to one podcast. What I will say is the podcast was very well done. He was asked to face up to some harsh intelligent questioning and he answered them with honesty, clarity and integrity. I am again enthused that the Port Vale team from Carol down is in a very good place for our medium and long term future. I just pray that Darren Moore can lift our first team to mid-table safety. An interesting comment in the Podcast is that a number of our injured players aren't too far away from returning. I suggest any poster who has doubts should listen to the podcast and even take up his invitation to talk with him. You may find it enlightening and uplifting.

Not in mine. He hasn't played for months and will be weeks away from playing, if he's even interested in doing so. Look at how long Uche took to get fit. We need a player who can play straight away, who is match fit. Wickham's last game was nine months ago - Gayles' was five weeks ago.

Don't tell us your prescription is viagara, to help you with your dementia

Wish we had Jack Wilkinson now, 39 goals in 80 games, including 21 in 34 in our last season as Champions 1959

Paul Wilkinson. He’s only 59!

Who's Wilkinson? Have I missed a signing?! [emoji16]

It's pretty clear the manager did have some say and the priority was a centreforward. The problem was we failed to get the deal over the line in the final hours of the window. If we'd signed a decent centreforward I think it would have been a good window. Sadly it seem we failed in the final hour.

Here here. time for some on here to get behind the club. Critisim for the joy of making a point. Wow are’nt some clever.

I was in the Lorne Street for the home game and I never heard anything other than singing get out. Not nice to hear for him and his family but it's part of football and why he gets paid the big bucks to be a big boy. I've not seen anything online either other than the expletive Off but obviously doesn't mean it's not happened. Not saying this is the case here but in this day and age I do wonder at times what the threshold is for abuse.

At a higher level at a side that is a literal graveyard for strikers. DF messed up Jan and previous windows / appointments in my opinion. But at this stage we can’t really hope for any better. We’re at least giving it a good go even if too late. Personally though I think Gayle is an unreal signing for a club sitting 4th bottom in league 1

Yeah take them down 😂

The feedback I’ve read says DM is a pragmatist and plays a style/formation that fits the players he has available. Hopefully that’s the case with us though I’m struggling to think what formation does suit the players we currently have fit and available. Happy that’s his job not mine.

Emile, surely we wouldn’t appoint someone because of the formation that they play. We need to be more fluid and not so rigid, depending on who we play. We need to make the opposition think about what formation we’re going to play during the game, not days beforehand. Isn’t that the whole idea of not releasing the team until just before the game. I hope DM is his own man and plays different formations to our strengths. I was in a private message the other day with someone on here, so they can take the credit for this question. We spent nothing in the transfer window, but then we’ve suddenly found the money to appoint DM his backroom staff and we’ll still need a forward and possibly other players.

Dementia?!!!!

MBE, thank you very interesting and enlightening. It details the all complications and just how protracted it can be to sign a player.With this knowledge it must be very frustrating for a football club when it takes so long to identify a player and then to get the deal done. It could take a whole window from start to finish, just to bring a player into a club. This makes me ask the question as our season was falling apart, why was AC allowed to continue as our manager after the beginning of December.? The manager must have some say in who he would like to come into the club, it can’t just be the decision of the DoF.

Considering the interest in him I find it odd Gayle has not got another club yet 2 weeks after his contract was terminated. I can’t see how we could afford his wages but I was thinking that about the manager…..

As the window panned out Gibbo would have been a good signing. However, given the choice of a good centreforward or Gibbo the former was clearly the spot to spend money on. Being optimistic if Moore really did his research before taking the job it's pretty clear we are desperate for a centreforward. That probably means there is some kind of plan to bring someone in which has a reasonable probability of happening. I really can't see him being here to add a relegation to his CV. The obvious one Dwight Gayle who probably had his best season playing under Moore.

There is a great video behind the scenes documenting GIbbo’s loan signing at Cambridge Utd. I can’t believe we weren’t interested in him. Type of character we are missing.

If we have to mend and make do, I'd quite like a front three of Mighten, Wilson and Chislett. Mighten's played on the left before. With Loft, Dipepa and possibly Plant (who doesn't appear too far away) as bench options (and we'd possibly have to swop in Loft for Wilson from time to time if his body can't cope with two games a week). Then hopefully Uche and possibly Ben Garrity also available for the final weeks. I'd also consider bringing on a defender in the closing stages and throwing big Jesse upfront if we're chasing. It's not great, it's not ideal, but it may be OK for us to win enough games with the above...

He also says that he never interferes with tactics or formations… and you can ask DC and AC and if they say otherwise it’s not true.

Youi posted this while I was writing mine - totally agree.

TBF, and this will sound horrible, if his family are reading stuff on things like football forums and social media, they need their heads looking at. I've seen a lot of (IMO justified) anger and the odd numpty getting a bit personal, but they should just stay away from online stuff. Again, sounds unkind, but they sound a bit thin-skinned. Also, whilst it was interesting to hear DF's long list of excuses/ reasons why we didn't get the layers we needed, I wish he'd been asked how so many other clubs managed to strengthen. Was also interested to hear (if I heard correctly) that "the data" states we are over-performing in comparison to our budget. Something is quite wrong if our budget is bottom 3.

For me, one of the things that went wrong with AC was, that we relied on so many young players learning their trade, with a new manager doing the same. You need to have experience somewhere in the mix. He made as many, if not more, bad decisions during games as the players, and has cost us as many points as the players.

Doesn't really mesh with the image they were portraying of him being the busiest man at the football club does it? But yeah, it's part of the job description to waffle on talking a load of <ovf censored>, so we'll let him off for that one. His sales pitch likely helped us to bring Devine, Arblaster and Darren Moore to the club. So you can't lay into him too much for talking a good game when results on the pitch are poor. He's also the man tasked with putting Carol's "Championship ready" vision into action and he has done a lot of genuinely good stuff, even if a lot of it is behind the scenes that we don't see. His explanation of what went wrong in the January transfer window. Well that's how it goes sometimes. It's good to hear an explanation at least. Fact is the striker situation is a shambles, but I'm sure the recruitment team worked as hard as any other manager / sporting director in the country. We failed, but hey, maybe if we'd have got that ex-Championship or top six PL2 striker and he hit a few goals then we wouldn't be sitting here with Darren Moore on a five year contract.

Arguing that he played one full game this season doesnt take away from my point that we desperately need a striker. I think Wilson is a great player, but relying on just him is not a great plan to stay in the division. When was the last time Conor Wickham played? Ive tried googling it and the only thing i can find suggests it was last may? If thats the case then hes as good as retired from football?

If it's just to the end of the season I have no issue with it, personally. Better to try something than nothing.

Probably do well if he came down a division

You can't just have someone sitting in the next door room, just in case your first choice deal falls through. Once it's down to the last couple of hours either the deal works out or you do a Wrexham or Bristol Rovers.

JRC, surely we should have been active and not just relying on one person. Especially with our form.

Love your optimism [emoji1303]

Stood by the razor blade shelf?

Wilson, sorry, mind on chemist prescription.

Absolutely. Going to be one heck of a baptism of fire for him with our lack of firepower.

Well put it this way. DM needs to get more output from what we have.

We had an awful set of attacking players with Garrity and Uche fit. Only Garrity and Chislett offer goal threats. The rest are very airy fairy.

This wouldn't load so I went on Cambridges website and watched the wrong video! Silly me...I stand corrected MBE. Am I allowed to say that these days without offending someone!!

We weren't He's not here Move on

I see Darren Moore's brother works in Finnish football. I wonder if he can advise on whether there are any free agent strikers from places like there?

Darren Moore unbeaten since he took over.

Think we should move our mid week games to Thursdays- we haven’t lost on a Thursday for ages 😉