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Beat Wigan on Saturday and we are P 41 Pts 42, with 3 wins from the last 4 games. That is staying up form. We all know about the run of poor performances before that, but I still get a strong sense of determination and belief from the players that they can and will stay up. So let's will them on to prove that this Saturday.

Six games left fella . Good post though . Was full of optimism myself after BR that was the most committed every player home performance for for me many a year . I think we have had players who have carried us these past 2 seasons ,but ultimately as of 7.08 thurs the 4th of April 2024 we are in the relegation area so ultimately as of today they haven't being good enough . The Northampton display made no sense to me . When 1 -0 down second half did we throw the kitchen sink at the opposition We're we brave Was losing not a option because if it wasn't a option then why apart from the Uche chance did we create diddly squat . Was it because the players once fell behind in the game , they mentally caved in because it hasn't just being happening this season it's being happening for many a season even when got promoted we wobbled ridiculously in home defeats, v Newport and Bristol Rovers and away at Walsall )ok different players mostly but same weak Vale mentality). Yet our away followers keep turning up 1500 odd already going Wigan maybe it be 1800 to 2000 by sat , 2500 be going Bolton I mean 736 racked up at Northampton expecting see another BR, performance the 2 goals scored by the cobblers you would have to question the desire and recovery running of the right sided player Sang twice, and surely Debrah should have just stepped across to deal with Pinnock the fact he ran through and scored was absolutely pathetic in terms of defensive structure . So the sands of time are running out on the Vale . Will always love them but we need players who can consistently reach the levels of the BR game . Too many times our players come off with no better than a 4 as a mark by there names It's pathetic. Bare minimum we need from all starting 11 is 6s all round . Can they be trusted put the level of performances in required I'd say No and I'm generally where Vales concerned the most positive of followers . Really hurt by overall how poor its being They have made a lot of Saturdays and most Tuesdays a very subdued after match bounce,no bounce most of time ,in fact until the BR game they had killed my love for them completely . Think last home game I went was Oxford and I'm a season ticket holder . I don't take too kindly too watching rubbish . Let's hope that in future seasons it becomes a very good watch and the players who generally since 1st Jan 2023 find other clubs to bring there clubs fans to there knees .

I think we'll pick up 7pts at most and lose out to Cheltenham to stay up, which shows how dreadful we've been this season as Cheltenham hadn't even scored a goal in the first 25% of the season never mind win a game. We've been massively let down with recruitment, and even players released that shouldn't have been.

I’ve never started a topic, but we need 11 points ( ask the great JR ) to stay in the league 1. 50 points is the holy grail. That means 4 wins in the last 7 games. Not possible, unless we gain the form of the start of the season. Slag me off, but my small light of hope had been rekindled after back to back wins. Now it’s gone, the half time substitutes at Northampton goes to show that we have overpaid players that have games played in there contracts. Conor grant has brought nothing to this club. Has a wide player he can’t cross, has a defender he can’t tackle. The same goes for Lionel ( Massey ) he’s now started playing better because his out of contract this summer (Thank the Lord ). Conclusion, I will attend the final 3 home games, which includes travelling back from business to see the Wycombe game and buy my season ticket for next year. I will always be there, my club will always be there. <ovf censored> players will come and go. Take the club to the grave!!!

I'm not sure I agree with this Cheltenham are out of form that people have been saying, they have had 15 points from the last 11 games, nearly 1.5 points a game. In the last 4, they had a bad result on Saturday against Exeter but had a couple of awful penalty decisions go against them, won away to a Fleetwood side who battered us for one a half games, got a point away to Barnsley and concded an 88th minute winner away to Oxford, they are battling like anything. In the next 4 they have Orient, Bristol Rovers and Burton, all for me very winnable, we have just taken 7 points from those games, none of those 3 looked any good,on top of that a game against Carlisle at home, I hope I am wrong but feel Cheltenham will get a good points tally. We have to gain 10 points minimum to have any hope I feel. I thought Cambridge were in the mix until those last 2 results, for me Saturday is huge and we have to get something, I do think Burton will go, they had nothing when we played then, think a shoot-out between us and Cheltenham for that one spot.

I think the biggest problem is Cheltenham have a far easier run in than us. And a game in hand. Cambridge although 6 points ahead of us could drop points then it would be be down to us to beat them by something like 3 goals on the last day. We don't score goals. Burton are poor and I think will go down. Can't see us doing it. I hope so much to be proved wrong though. Sent from my SM-A528B using onevalefan mobile app

It shows how bad we are when we’re relying on uchi to get us goals how did the owners let it come to this

It's a 3 horse race v 2 teams with worse form than us and very little to split us as far as points go. It may not happen, but don't understand where this, "not possible" line is coming from at the moment. We have to play 4 teams on the beach (I'm hoping Cambridge are one of them last game) where we have a good chance of getting 7 or 8 points from them. Personally think that will be enough. But that leaves Bolton, hoping they have one eye on rhe playoffs that game, and Peterborough which is always tough. 1 point from those 2 is a tall order, but not impossible, look at Carlisle they've taken 6 points from them away from home. It won't be easy, far from it, but it's not this miracle some are making out. We deserve to be in the position we're in now, but similarly, if we go down from this position, we'll also deserve to go as we've got a great chance. Would only have ourselves to blame.

I was right first time then ! 😂

Cheltenham play Burton and Carlisle within a week of each other. If Cheltenham beat them 2 then I think we’re done. Suddenly asking us to win 3 out of 6 is a tall order for a team who have struggled to win 3 since the turn of the year.

What's Uche done to deserve a start?

Vale did actually send a carrier pigeon to my house with any updates.

Just pointing out we've won five games in seven months. We've scored the third fewest goals away from home and our current group of four strikers have seven goals between them all season, and Wilson has four of those. We're doomed.

I think we can write off Posh and Bolton (hope to be wrong), but I think we will need another 7 or 8 points. So 2 wins and 2 draws. I cannot see us getting anything at Wigan, so that makes it even more tricky. Thankfully I gave up ages so if we stay up it is a massive bonus.

I still think he’s creating more than the other options. That isn’t great granted. But I don’t think now is the time to drop our 2nd top scorer / player with most assists. When the alternative is someone like Weir, Chislett for me has to start

To be fair to Sang and Grant they are not fullbacks or wingbacks, but neither is Plant . Suppose it demonstrates the mess DF created and Moore is having to sort .

I do get why people are so negative, but given the form of Burton and Cheltenham, I don't see why people think it's all over. We've got a massive chance of staying up. It's a 3 horse race for one survival spot, potentially 4 for 2 spots looking at Shrewsbury's run in.

If we go down its because we have been <ovf censored> for virtually all of the season, home & away

You don’t have to be “on” Twitter. You just have to read it. I never post on there but it is where I look for Vale news.

You say Massey ( Lionel I like to call him) is not a traditional winger. What is his best position? It’s not as a forward were he played as a lone striker. It’s not a wingback, he can’t tackle. But with nearly 400 league appearances he must be good somewhere. His and Grants underwhelming performances must be an underlying statement throughout the squad. These two are senior players, setting an example. Why oh why do they still earn a living playing football?

I wonder how many years it will be until we find out more about the backroom changes and how that affected the team. I know a lot of people are making links now, but I was a bit sceptical of it at first. Something seems very wrong if a DoF can have that sort of influence. Maybe it's just a case of DM gelling with the team and them starting to react to it. Or maybe it was DF all along. Grant's best days are behind him, and I always got the sense he's tried to ride on his past reputation a bit. He must be one of the higher paid in the squad and I don't think his performances reflect that. Massey isn't a traditional winger for me but can offer something on his best day and yet that seems very rare. Sang and Plant are more hungry, by comparison. We just need to find the players with the right mentality to play for the shirt. Something I think DF failed at, but I won't pretend it's easy for a recruitment team. Our player turnover is so high that we are going to get / keep more duds than get successes. Can add Wilson to that list as well. We need to try and get a stable team together, but then we are talking a few seasons for that to pan out.

Wigan's recent home form has been to draw 1-1 with Burton, win 1-0 against Blackpool, win 1-0 against Orient. That's not bad, but their recent propensity to only score once offers hope and Orient had Galbraith (not the economist) sent off on 42 mins. They were behind for a few mins v Burton. Against Blackpool they managed only 4 shots but the 1 on target went in. I am looking for daylight at midnight of course!

Carlisle's previous away game was a 3-1 win at Peterborough. I know Carlisle are bottom and relegated. But they are not hopeless and in their last few away games they lost 3-2 at Charlton, lost 1-0 at Shrewsbury and won 3-1 at Peterborough. They haven't been pushovers in these games and it makes them plausible at nervous Cheltenham.

I think 10 points from 6 games has a good chance of staying up. 9 of those points can come from home wins. That will equal last season's total when we finished 18th. Just at the minute Cambridge and Reading have matched our last three results preventing us gaining ground despite winning two games. Cambridge are at Blackpool and Reading at home to Lincoln. If we can win going to 42 points and they lose, then they come back within plausible reach. Cheltenham are at Orient and I hope that does for them as Orient are due a result after a run of tough games. Burton seem to be in freefall and we need to hope their parachute doesn't open. But it is all about us. We need to go to Wigan and win. We can do it if we keep the backdoor shut. Imagine Burton lose, Cheltenham lose and PV win. PV then 5th bottom 2 points above Burton with a game in hand. Cheltenham then 4 points behind and desperate to win their game in hand. It can change quickly, but we must do the business.

As is now customary, former Port Vale manager Andy Crosby has released a statement via the League Managers’ Association website. In it, Crosby thanks both the club and the fans. Crosby, who had had two interim spells as manager was appointed on a permanent basis in the summer but was sacked in January after a […] The post “A proud achievement” and “amazing support” – Andy Crosby on spell as Port Vale manager appeared first on onevalefan.co.uk. View the full article

We’ve also picked up 7 points from 15 and kept 3 clean sheets in 5 games. That sort of run extended over the last 6 will probably keep us up. Our underlying numbers have shot up over the last 5 games. I don’t think there’s much use looking at form from when Crosby was in charge or Moore had just arrived, or when Garrity was injured. The forwards might not score many but Garrity and Chislett have scored almost 20 combined. Dipepa has 2 in his last 4. Garrity is scoring again. Right now, we’re in the best form of the three teams fighting for 20th, with 3-4 fixtures against dead rubber teams and 3 of the last 4 at home. We just need to keep going as we’re going, whilst Cheltenham and Burton need to turn round 8-9 games of crap. It’s in the balance but it’s not a certainty at all.

All the teams are down there for a reason. It’s a mini league and the least worst out of us, Burton and Cheltenham will stay up.

I don’t think Cheltenham get more than 8 points, and even that would necessitate a massive reversal in form for them. I think they’ll do well to hit 6. Imo Burton are finished. 3 wins, or 2 wins and 3 draws, should do it. Exeter, Cambridge, and Wigan/Wycombe are the big ones. It’s completely doable.

Oh dear, how sad, nevermind.

No doubt this will go to the wire and all is very difficult to predict adding in the factor of teams already on the beach, or fighting for survival and relegation. We have a couple of tough away games that we need a point from Wigan or hopefully snatch a win, but if we base this on 1 point taken. Ideally next we could do with winning both or taking 4 point from the Exeter and Wycombe games, we could potentially win both but we have all been home games this season where the potential has not happend (both 2 point and 4 point scenarios shown below). So if we only get 2 points then the last game of the season we need to win and then goal difference could decide who goes. A big game for us would be Burton v Cheltenham ideally this needs to be a draw with either winning and us not getting the points we need beforehand could seal our fate (Burton still have +3 goals on us). Ideally we win at Wigan, beat Exeter and Wycombe at home and then rest easy on the 27th

We don't need another 12 points.

Totally agree, get the right players and you have success. You have to trust the manager and the recruiting team to get it right most of the time. Oh to have the money to buy a striker who can score on a regular basis. 🤣

I was thinking about that 4 times? Not good enough I'm sure we were in front at Lincoln, Cheltenham,Carlisle and Cambridge away...plus Fleetwood at home These days,if we go behind...its game over...

We’d be OK going a goal down if we played Charlton every week. Come backs from behind 4 times against them this season (Wycombe and Stevenage once each too 90 min & 90 min+ equalisers).

We need to finish above Burton and Cheltenham unless the wheels come off Cambridge dragging them back in .. I'm not even going attempt predicting how many points that will be because as Cambridge have shown recently one minute you can look doomed and the next comfortable - At the minute you wonder whether Burton or Shrewsbury will win another game whilst Cambridge look like they will win a few but it's never going be without twists and turns. We've just got keep chipping away.

I wasn’t replying to you about Clarke, I quoted another post not yours. So you think Chislett is deserving of a place despite not doing anything this year? I don’t. Shorrock is nowhere near ready yet IMO. Plant has had no impact.

We'll agree to disagree. Chislett is second top goalscorers and top in assists. In a poor team. Say no more I didn't mention Clark in my post I think Planty has done ok in an unfamiliar role,in his first full season. Much better than Grant or Sang. I'd go as far to say that Shorrock has had more impact than either of them.

He still has a good return though. He hasn’t been great and I agree re the free kicks but he’s the best of our choices at the moment. Shocker from Moore on Monday subbing him for weir.

Not a lot but loft was awful at Northampton. Would like to see Uche get 60 mins, personally I think he’s a better player than Loft.

So your mates have dumped Man Utd now there <ovf censored> and jumped on leek towns success 😳 You were on about Wigan not sending our tickets early enough and questioning that’s it’s vales fault not wether it’s entertaining or not I ordered 2 Wigan tickets online and will somehow have get down there before Saturday to collect them unless I sit on here all week questioning why vale park staff ain’t dropped them off at my house for me

Not a lot but more than Loft in the last game.

Stockport are going well, but I do take your point about signing the right type of player. Having said that Money seems to be working far better than the Process.

No idea about parking but there’s plenty pubs, Wigan Central has a decent selection of ales.

I like Chislett. He creates a lot of chances, 9 goals and 7 assists so far and generally passes forwards. Appreciate when times are tough he doesn't look like the hard grafting midfielder we find it easy to like. I do think he is a success especially on a free transfer. I could easily see a mid table league one team wanting him. Would half expect to see a team like Charlton go in for him.

Dipepa will likely leave for a big chunk o' dosh and this will give the money to sign a couple of goal scorers providing the daft player wage structure/ceiling still isn't in place. If we do go down I'd like to see most of the current squad stay and together with 4-6 quality additions would provide some continuity and quality for a quick return to Lge 1. Chopping and changing a dozen+ players a season is not the way forward.

Have you checked her lately?

50 seconds in, basically admitted to throwing a paddy when Crosby left and messaging him to say he scored the penalty for him. Goes someway to explain the utter dross he's been offering up on the pitch since.

That’s garbage geoff1.

Dan Gore ? Why would we possibly want him ? A disastrous loan. Whilst I realise he's been injured he was out of his depth v Pompey. And I've had my fill of injured players and sicknotes these last few seasons. A big no thanks to him rocking up in August having not played for 6 months.

I think as long as we keep fighting as we have done for the last 2 games even if we do go down at least it should give all concerned and fans a bit of confidence going into next season