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Gutless. Cowards. Pathetic. And I’m not just on about the shameful players on that pitch. If we win together and lose together then the whole club should hang their heads tonight. In my 44 years on this planet, I’ve never seen a worse 45 minutes on a football pitch. Disgusted. We deserve to go down. Carol needs to hang her head in shame with her decisions throughout the last 18 months. Those players, who go crying to her because some podcast is slating them, need to get some thick skin because as a collective they are absolutely pathetic. Bez on his podcast is right. Bottlejobs. The lot of them. That 2nd half was disgusting. Darren Moore. What the <ovf censored> have you said at half time?!!!!! I’ve had the mans back but that is criminal to defend a 2-0 lead. League 2 next season. 9 million in debt. Dogshit players. Signed a lad from the USA 2nd division for the remainder of the season who can’t get in the squad with 4 games to go! Seriously. If this was under Smurthwaite we would be raging! The buck stops at the top. The decisions that have been made have been nothing short of a disgrace. Owner. Manager. Coaching Staff. Players. Today. As representatives of Port Vale Football Club, you’re an absolute disgrace.

I’ll get my tin hat on for this one. It’s time she kopped the majority of blame here. She bought the club debt free. And as Vale fans we were overjoyed after the last crook. However the last 18 months have been shambolic. As fans I hear, yeah the academy are doing good. We will get millions for him and him. We have sold this lad to Man City for hundreds of thousands. Etc. Etc. Bearing in mind as supporters we don’t see that money. So isn’t it right to question why we are almost 10 million in debt when she bought it debt free? The bread and butter. The football. It’s garbage. With garbage footballers. Shes also had 4 managers now in her short tenure. And I dare say the latest one won’t last long. Shes divided a fanbase with her cringeworthy backing of a man who was intent on ruining Port Vale. David Flitcroft. And only sacked him after a group of fans had to give her head a wobble. The laughs and jokes and arrogance as Flitcroft announced that relegation wasn’t in his vocabulary. Followed by the cringe distraction of “El Presidente”. Probably for her and his ego. The Valiant Suite talk about how people she met 5 minutes ago told her our players are phenomenal and we won’t go down. She was very quick to go on radio and tv across the country when it went good. Then sunk back into her shell, apart from the most pathetic open letter I’ve ever read, when she more or less slagged off her fanbase. Those that loved her. In support for one crook. Sorry Carol. The time has come to break your silence. The last 18 months has been an absolute disaster. And the repercussions will carry on because that debt isn’t good, the players are garbage, the manager is looking like a dear in the headlights, and the fans are well and truly demoralized with the whole debacle. The buck stops at the top. Before any idiot says “Who do you want to buy us”, I’m not saying she should sell. My point is that her decisions, as owner of this football club, have got us into this financial mess and on the pitch it’s an absolute disgrace. The worst Vale team I’ve seen in 40 plus years. And if it was Smurthwaite at the helm, going through all of this, you’d all be raging. She needs to be accountable for her actions.

On 1st January we were 15th in the league with 29 points from 23 games. Exeter were 4th bottom with 23 points. We signed 5 players none of whom started today and none of whom are league one standard. Exeter signed 4 players and 2 of them scored 3 of their goals today. If anyone thinks our position is down to anything other than completely sh*** recruitment then they must be mad. Each transfer window we have rebuilt with polystyrene instead of bricks. And we seem to have spent a ludicrous amount of money in doing so. Moore makes mistakes but he has inherited a squad that is lacking in balance, bottle and balls. That's all.

The second half was absolutely horrendous. From the second the teams came out, with two changes made from their side, it was complete dominance for Exeter. Woods began to run things and we never had any concerted possession of the ball. Moore was completely outwitted by Caldwell. His subs were appalling. Weir up front with Dipepa at 2-1 left us with no outlet at all - if Uche had to go off, Loft was the sub. The lack of change between 2-1 and 2-4 was startling. Incredibly passive with no effort to take a hold on things. The lack of leadership within the squad was stark. The heads-down trudge at 2-2 spoke volumes. Not a single rallying cry. Only Chislett looked bothered as the game went on. The microcosm of the players mentality could be witnessed at the end, for the 100 daft enough to stay. Moore scarpered immediately. The players sort of milled around in the centre circle, bereft of leadership. Uche convinced them to go and clap the fans. They trudged round to silence and a few boos, and then Uche starting having a very aggressive debate with a fan. He had to be pulled away perhaps 5 times, returning time and again like a petulant child. Completely unedifying. This was coming. I gave up at Derby, then gave myself belief when Flitcroft went and we beat Burton. I wanted to get behind them again. Fundamentally this is a very, verypoor squad with a very poor character blend, lacking heart and courage in key moments. Letting 2 goal leads slip at Vale Park has killed us. We have to look at Moore, unfortunately. Yes, the squad is poor, but 2 wins from 15 with a pretty decent run of fixtures is awful and makes Crosby’s record look decent. He will go into League 2 with a poor record, an unconvinced fanbase, and a squad pretty similar to now - all damaged by a relegation, a poor relationship with fans, and dreadful runs of form - it must be 2 wins in nearly 25 now. I imagine relegation will be sealed at Bolton. Relegation to League 2 isn’t apocalyptic, and Carol will continue to pick up the tab to keep us existing - I hope. However, she needs to reflect on what has been an awful two years since promotion, a completely squandered opportunity. Decision-making has been poor, at best. It’s going to have to improve relatively soon or we’ll have bigger problems then losing 3M a year. We’ll all turn up against next year, but this feels particularly damaging - I think we all felt a new era had dawned at Wembley. Feels now like a brief distraction from more of the same.

Just got back home after driving back to Somerset. Haven't read the thread but I will give my opinion of what I saw today. First half well worth the 2 goal lead without playing particularly well but didn't have to because Exeter were toothless in attack and Vale were on the front foot. Second half started and alarm bells started to ring straight away. In their first attack Exeter almost scored but were only denied a goal by Ripley pulling off a fine reflex save. From the on it was very much one way traffic towards the Vale goal. Vale seemed to sit back and try to protect their lead with the almost inevitable consequence of conceeeding goals. We got battered second half with weakness at full back being exploited ruthlessly. Their keeper had nothing to do second half, Vale's only shot hitting the Hamil Rd stand roof And what genius tactical plan did the manager come up with. He took Uche off and replaced him with Jensen Weir. So up front we had no physical presence to occupy the Exeter central defenders. Today we witnessed the recruitment shortcomings of this season. Exeter playing poorly made substitutions that altered the course of the game and improved significantly. Vale had nobody on the bench that was capable of turning the game back in our favour. Relegation now beckons and it will be deserved on that performance and many others this season.

The hard truth about today as far as I'm concerned is we scored a deflected goal and their keeper had a mare for the second, they changed things around at half time and we didn't have a clue, not a scooby,it was obvious after 5 minutes of the 2nd half they would score but not 4. The substitutions were bizarre, surely Loft on for Uche, there again I didn't see Loft he was missing for the half time kick around and I couldn't see him on the bench, was he even there ? Weir on for Uche rendered our forward line redundant, if I had known that Dipeppa and Weir would have been our forward line during one of our most important games of the season I would have thought you were off your rocker. I feel as though we have given our place in the 1st division away cheaply, starting off 7 zip in August, building a side round loan players and injury ridden journeymen and no strikers then going on to playing with no passion or commitment is unforgivable for me, the decision to leave Crosby in position for so long was unforgivable and not having a proper recruitment process in place to replace him was also unforgivable. Next season will be no easier, we don't have a nucleus of a good side, to many of the current team are bottlers but are under contract next season, we had the basis of a solid 1st division side when we left Wembley 2 years ago, we are nowhere near that standard tonight.

4 0 second half capitulation against a team supposedly "on the beach". That was the most embarrassing 45 minutes I think I've ever seen from a Vale side. DMs substitutions were woeful. Exeter changed it at half time by going with wingers and DM didn't react. When he eventually started making subs, they were baffling! Awful manager. Yes, he was quickly down the tunnel at the end, leaving his players to it, to get the stick off the (very few of us) fans that stayed until the end. We need a better manager than DM. We need better players than the likes of Grant, Massey, Sang, Weir, Loft... We have looked certain for relegation for months now. There are ten teams that are awful, and we're amongst the worst four of them. Yet another Saturday night ruined! Shambolic, from 2 0 up at home. I'm seething. Uche played really well today. First player subbed off! Why???? Grant and Sang played the entire 90 minutes! Why???? Dogshite second half from both. Weir jogged about when he came on, hardly put a tackle in at all! Terrible, terrible 2nd second half!

Just more evidence of how shocking the recruitment has been when we can only bring on a midfielder who’s been poor so far on loan for a striker who’s shattered after 50 mins having to leave the only forward on the pitch being a 17 year old scholar. Whilst the other 2 strikers on the books are in the treatment room with less than 4 goals between them. Complete shambles

I think I disagree with every sentence. The club hasn't been killed. The atmosphere and feel good factor have been mind you. We'll still be in business next season, thanks to Carol. I don't think she is egotistical or patronising, but she has made mistakes - big ones, that are going to cost the club, and so her. I didn't have a problem with her open letter either, I thought it was front foot after all the stick she gets for being on the back foot. And she ate some humble pie when Flitcroft left after she said he was going nowhere. I don't get these "vanity project" comments - what sane person throws her personal wealth at a "vanity project" in the way Carol has done at great cost to herself? It would make no sense, and she is a shrewd business woman. And her losing a few million is like you losing £500? I don't see it. She has put heart and soul into the club, made mistakes, will pay for them from her own pocket, and try to get us back up if/when we do go down. Regular fans buying season tickets will too, but I think the comparison ends there. We're all angry, but personal attacks on Carol's character are out of order, in my view. I'm glad she's our chairwoman, and I hope she sticks around to see us promoted again.

This “load of crap” to get to a quarter final of a cup beat Fleetwood, just. Ripley pulled off a superb late save. Beat Crewe. Just. On penalties. Beat bottom of the entire league Sutton, just. A late Ojo wonder hit. Beat Mansfield. Just. And then waved the white flag against anyone half decent. Let’s not rewrite history. Andy Crosby was never a football manager and will never make a football manager.

Is anyone surprised that even loads of season ticket holders no longer give a fig what Vale do. Club is a total embarrassing shambles. Management and players need to hang their heads in shame. Absolute bottlers.

I've heard Moore's interview. Apparently the players aren't mentally strong enough. When our WBs are getting passed time after time,why not bring Shorrock and Plant on? When Uche was holding the ball up in the first half and he gets knackered,why replace him with a MF? We have been in front 5 times under Moore...won at Burton,won against Bristol,lost today,at Cheltenham and drew against Fleetwood. He is a really poor manager in my eyes...9 points out of 42 and our GD has gone from minus 15 to minus 30

I admire your ambition. As Darren correctly says, this slow motion car crash has been unfolding since last January for all to see. This disastrous relegation was so, so avoidable. That is why so many people are infuriated. This isn't a cyclical event. It isn't a product of the natural ebbs and flows of the football league. It's happened, unnecessarily, through sheer incompetence, negligence, and unchecked arrogance.

Yeah yeah yeah yeah whatever, what's more important is you should be thinking of all the money we saved by not signing any league standard strikers for 3 consecutive windows. That's the real success story here.

Ojo is nowhere near as good as he thinks he is. In contract until 2026. Thanks Flickers.

We are basically entirely dependent on Carol’s goodwill. Something for us to reflect on - I’ll definitely be keeping it in mind when I air my frustrations.

Ripley I think epitomises everything that is wrong on the playing side. Why does he have to get involved? This tippy tappy rubbish doesn't suit a side that has one of the worst defences in the league! Let them concentrate on defending rather than faffing about in their own area wondering whether to give it to smithy who is not renowned for his passing ability. Bloody 9.15 and I still haven't calmed down despite several pints! Sent from my CPH2195 using onevalefan mobile app

Folks if you’re thinking of binning your ST or Membership, DON’T. I’ve used mine this week to fill some small holes in a wall with poly filler. The flexibility is absolutely superb and leaves a fantastic finish. Just needs rubbing down with sandpaper and painting over. Definitely the best use I’ve had from the card this season

The more I think about this collapse today. Were it Pompey or Derby who came from 2 down to beat us I'd still be fuming but accepting that they are going for promotion. To actually do it against a mid table experimental team with nothing to play for is an achievement in itself. A laughing stock you've made us today . Shame on you.

The only positive memory I have of today, is at least Uche was up for the fight. He battled for everything and tried to get the crowd going. He is the only one who showed a character of a winner. He should be made captain, showed real leadership.

I'm of a train of thought that maybe we need to go back down. It feels we're completely under equipped for this division. We've had a succession of bang average teams come here, and as soon as they put any pressure on us, we crumble. The lack of time wasting, disrupting their flow, giving away cheap fouls, was really evident second half. We're too nice and accommodating. Any team that's done well this season has a couple of horribles who are constantly in the refs ear. Wednesday night showed us how far we are away. We need to get relegated, rip it up entirely and start again. What a complete waste all that winning on penalties against Swindon was. Mansfield will be replacing us next year and will be better prepared. Funny how things come full circle isn't it?

On the pattern emerging regarding his game management ability and substitutions, is anyone bothered by the above? Genuine question.

People are upset mate because this is of our own doing. This was so avoidable fans saw this coming months ago. Mismanaged from the very top has caused this demise. Didn't need a crystal ball in November to see what was possible.

Why? It's over mate. Stop torturing yourself.

What a muppet on P&G. Carol not your fault. Who the f..k is it then? She employed fraudcroft and allowed things to go on too long. A manager who should have been put out of his misery a couple of months earlier - no let to go on and then after the jan window shuts - sack him. Was this all to save money? Well if that is the case, it will cost you more now we are going down and next season no doubt out of the league. So who's fault is it? Carol is the owner, yes she bought the club and things looked good for a while, but she has taken her eyes off the playing side of the club and concentrated more on getting awards and believing the rubbish she has been fed. Fans are very grateful for what you did and were behind you. We are behind you, but the bank is running out of credits and will soon be empty. Then they wont be behind you anymore.

Ive never disliked a vale team more in all my life

I have credit to Moore for getting us out of the bottom 4 last week. I have repeatedly said we are worse under him. That defeat is solely down to him. It was clear he changed tactics and sat back against a team who came back from 2-0 in the week. I came away at 3-2 and that's me done for the season. He'll talk his usual drivel and I can't stand him as a manager. He set us up to fail in the second half. 2 wins in 14. Our GD has worsened by double since he arrived. And there's 5 more years of him

Lost probably 5000 away fans today with Stockport and Wrexham coming up. Wednesday look like going down now too. Harrogate Accrington Salford Crawley etc. Oh dear oh dear. We'll lose over a million quid with relegation.

Can't believe what I've just watched. Superb first half - possibly best I've seen them play all season. Yates and Bowers wondering why we hadn't played this well all season. Second half possibly the worst display I've seen ever at Vale Park. We deserve to go down on that performance. Totally guttless.

It wouldn’t surprise me to see us in this position again next season .

Stoke fans can attend their own relegation party

What name you coming back under in a few weeks pal? Sublime smudge 🤔

I don’t like to mention this but we’ve got far bigger problems than the combined shop and ticket office.

Ohhhhhh. I’ll break that down for you Patrick. Even if you aren’t Patrick, you’re pretty <ovf censored> delusional. 1. Financially bad? You’re damn right. Because in a league higher we have debts of 9 million quid even though Carol bought it not long ago, debt free!! 2. We have a good enough manager. Do we? These lads 4 days have made me question that. Not only did we throw in the towel before a ball was kicked against Peterborough but I’ve just witnessed the worst ever half of football I’ve ever seen at Vale park, having been 2 up, and in a huge relegation fight. Disgusting. 3. DOF. You want one. But you want Moore to have a good amount of control over recruitment? Seriously? Why waste a wage?! 4. The academy is coming along well. Whoopee do. What does that do for the first team apart from virtue signaling look at us?! Dipepa has stepped up. As for the rest. Nope. They aren’t good enough. Period. 5. AND FINALLY. Number <ovf censored> 5. Good <ovf censored> lord above youth. (If you are Patrick Shanahan then pack your bags and <ovf censored> off) Because here we go, let’s break down your absolute stupid statement. “I think the players we have are good enough for league 2”. Ok. I don’t. But that’s your opinion. But. Your next statement…. “If we want to get back up we need a very strong squad” Yes. I agree. And you finish with….. And this is the best bit…. ”The reason we failed in league 1 was because we didn’t build on the mediocre league 2 squad we had” Laughable. You’re an absolute clown. In a matter of a few seconds you state we have enough quality in the side for league 2 and then you say we haven’t built on our mediocre league 2 squad! I don’t know who you are. If you’re a normal fan then fair enough. You’re probably just a bit thick. But if you are actually Patrick Shanahan, like most claim, then pack up your pencils in your office you absolute dimwit and get out of our club. Because with that summary, you are absolutely <ovf censored> clueless and should be nowhere near a football club.

I think we signed him because it's the last time you will read Port Vale and Wynne in the same sentence this season. Stanley Stalemate,Gary Goalless and David Draw have also been signed

Think you will be disappointed mate. I firmly believe there are loads and loads of long standing fans that honestly have had enough. Find an alternative to waste your cash and time on. Enough is enough. Not a knee jerk reaction, just common sense coming to roost for a vast amount of Valiants.

I know what you are all going to say. I've said it to others myself but this team and everything about it is not what I fell in love with in the '89/90 season. I don't know if I've got the belief, the faith and even the love for them anymore. I don't even know why I've posted this because it just looks like a cry for help or attention but it feels like it will help me to get over the upset of today

Stop happy clapping fella In life if you fail you have to have it The players the owners the manager the lot deserve everything they get. They have brought shame on every Vale fan tonight hope they can sleep in there beds at night there a disgrace to the shirt .

Ah apparently we shouldn’t even bother trying in games like that. Stevenage 1-2 Burton Plymouth 1-0 Leicester Leeds 0-1 Blackburn Birmingham 3-0 Coventry Oxford 5-0 Peterborough Glad those sides struggling (Oxford aside obviously) didn’t have our mentality

You start by replacing Uche with like for like so loft not weir. Why on earth was he even playing weir up front he’s a midfielder & a poor one too. When they made their subs & started to boss the game we all knew a goal was coming. That is where a good manager earns his coin & reacts to it. So yes that is down tactics & in game management it’s not the first time he’s done it this is becoming a regular occurrence. Take nothing away from the players tho they lost their fight & as you said needed to show more character but they simply don’t have it in them

I don’t and aren’t suggesting I do. Just seems a bit of a coincidence to do it against Fleetwood, start that way against Peterborough and then with a much changed side do it again today. If it wasn’t his instructions, why stand around and let it happen? We could all see what was happening and going to happen.

Looks like coaches wives were wrong Carol

Exactly his tactics and player choices are totally unbelievable. To sit back and concede 4 in one half is totally diabolical. The Whole Club is on its Knees, 2 years wasted and even more in debt.

I wasn't there but surely we go for 3-0. Anytime I've been there you can see what happens when we sit off deeper and deeper. Why can't Moore ?

Carol admitted she took too long to sack Askey. Carol then takes too long to sanction Crosby’s sacking. Carol then takes too long to sack Flitcroft. There seems to be a pattern emerging here.

No, Crosby just went 3 months without a win. Shut the fook up about Crosby. He's very much to blame for all this too

You reap what you sow. Well beaten by Exeter City reserves. Firstly, the cheap option managerial appointment, without even interviewing a single candidate is absolutely staggering. Secondly, signing players released from mid table League Two sides and relegated League One sides. Another scandalous January transfer window (for the 3rd season in a row). Loaning random players in a panic then never playing them. And that's just the start and without mentioning Flitcroft. It's been obvious from preseason that we wouldn't stay up.

This is the latest in a series of "must win" games...

The minimum I expect today is for us to be bang up for it from the first second. Run your heart out, get in their faces, get the crowd behind you. We must play on the front foot and in their half. I don’t want to come out of that stadium after a half arsed performance where we’ve look scared and lacked concentration. Exeter might be better than us and have better quality but we have 100x more to play for. Make that show. We can not go a goal down. That’s the key.

There is a tiny proportion of the debt owed to Barclays. The vast, vast majority of the debt is owed to companies owned by the Shanahans (8.5m worth), interest free, which she’ll never recoup. Without these loans the club goes under. If we do go under, she loses the money she paid for the club (5m) and the money she’s loaned us since. It’s really hard to grasp why you’re so insistent on downplaying how grateful we should be to her.