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Also, I liked seeing the huddle at the end before the players came over to the Paddock. As with DC deliberately including his entire backroom staff including the kitman in his manager of the month award photos, the team spirit he promotes is paying dividends.

I know it's a game of opinions, but anybody slating Tom Pett hasn't been watching the same games as me. He's pivotal to our midfield, great touch, vision and workrate, top player

Yeah, but Phil is making a very fair point that while no one is actively waiting for Wilson to fluff something, unfortunately there's a few about who just can't let it go regarding Covolan and are poised ready for him to make a mistake. I'm not saying you are but it's all over that daft facebook group, and was aired on P&G yesterday. That's just how it is though. We were only 17 odd minutes into this 46 game season when the anti Clarke/Flitcroft abuse started at Northampton remember. I remember it well because I was stood in front of three muppets at it for about 80 minutes of the game, it does your head in listening to that constant negative drivel. DC has said in a few interviews now that he's a good manager up until he loses two games and then he's crap and he's right, some of us are too fickle. Won 7/8 in a row last season, won 6 out of the last 8 this season, there's a few around who need to hold their hands up instead of disappearing to try to save face. Again not you.

I don't get this criticism by some of Pett. He's doing the 'Joyce role', and a lot more effectively than Joyce ever did, plus he can actually pass a ball. Yet Joyce was lauded on here. Baffling

Politic's first touch for his goal. Oh my god. Port Vale 3-1 Barrow | Video | Watch TV Show | Sky Sports WWW.SKYSPORTS.COM

? Pett has been excellent this season. He’s worked every season he’s played as a CM in this league so no idea where your going with that one.

Weird game today. Looked comfortable enough first half but struggled to create and then got done by a free kick, the only real shot of the half. Thought the similar formations cancelled each other out. DC changed it and then they couldn't cope with us. Full credit to DC. Special shouts out to both Wilson, who I thought was superb today, particularly after Proctor went off, and Garrity, who covered every blade of grass. Deserved win today. UTV

As someone who was critical of Clarke's appointment, and his big man interviews, I have to say his interviews this season have been far more honest and constructive and easier on the ear. I have gone from being critical of the appointment to being a big fan, didn't stop me pointing out at half time today we were pedestrian and would never score from a deflection because we don't shoot. The subs worked great, but what is most impressive is the crowd ... it's not only getting bigger but the feel good factor has promotion written all over it. What's even more promising is once out of this league the quality of football being played, particularly James Wilson, will stand us in great stead in a higher league.

I will say it again........we wont go down

Folk kept asking this at the start of the season. The answer appears to be “everyone”. We now have 9 different league scorers and only two teams have scored more than us.

I stand by the view that you back your Number 1 if you're winning games. Engaging in a 'will he, won't he' battle for the gloves benefits no one, especially when neither keeper is massively experienced. Just engenders real nerves that the slightest mishap means they're out of the team for weeks, and fans will latch onto their preferred keeper and accentuate any mistakes the other one makes. Some on here have already firmly planted their flag in the Covolan camp (me), whilst others are concocting nicknames for Aiden Stone in readiness for his anointed accession. People were calling for Covolan to be dropped after he returned from his Northampton suspension. At this stage, he's only arguably cost us the Northampton game and possibly a point at Sutton. We're third in the table and dropping him will probably undermine confidence further. If Stone was locked and loaded to be good/reliable I'd be all for it, but right now he's as much of a risk as Lucas. Whilst we're winning and winning well (6 in 8), don't roll the dice with your goalkeepers. As I've said; Lucas is clearly on notice from DC, and that's entirely fair. Up to the Rochdale game we had the second best defence in the league, so the view that he's been a perpetual calamity is wide of the mark. He has to start getting the basics right but I don't think an immediate dropping after a mistake in the midst of an outstanding run of team form is the best course of action.

Not bad for a nasty bugger is it?

Also sometimes goal keepers make mistakes scott brown made numerous mistakes last season that i think people are forgetting- if covolan gives us 3 clean sheets for every mistake he makes id be very happy as clean sheets will get us promoted

Covolan is an easy target, and has been since the 2 unfortunate red cards! The first, in the friendly, never should have been and I'm not convinced about the second one, either? But people are forgetting the number of clean sheets we had; nor the good - and crucial - saves he has made - he's just an easy target especially for the Saint Scott brigade!

Thought Smithy had another good game today. I'll get me coat.

Come on people. He is out on lone so just leave the lad alone.

There's a difference between constructive criticism and analysis, over knee jerk reaction and putting the offender in the stocks to have tomatoes pelted at him [emoji534][emoji23]

Ex Vale Mcgoldrick scores against Stoke

How anyone can be critical of Smith just now is beyond me. Of the 3 current CB's he's by far the best out and out defender, despite not maybe being the tallest of the 3. Jones and Cass don't even come close in this regard. What those 2 players have, as we've seen, is more ability with the ball, Jones has a great pass on him whilst Cass carries the ball really well and can cross. So what I think we have is a great blend with those 3 players and I don't think it's fair, on current form to be critical of any of them. That said, non of the 3 have the raw power and size of Legge, who must also be one of the best headers of a ball in this division. Clarke recognised in his post match interview that it was a game that needed a Legge or Martin, but neither were available sadly. We've seen some big teams already this season but Sutton looked the biggest. Not sure if this will be a continuing trend or if we've played all the big sides now, either way we've mainly held our own and if that continues we'll be in a good place.

Just weird that every defeat is met with deep, reactionary analysis to work out what the causes are, when in reality football teams lose games for often random, uncontrollable reasons. We're never going to achieve the level of control that, say, Man City have, who minimise the risk of losing games by overwhelmingly retaining possession in safe areas and shoot only when the chance of scoring is good. Even with these tactics and the most expensive squad ever, they still lose games via chance and fluke. Football is a low-scoring game and chance plays a large part in goals (around 50% of goals in football are a result of random influence). Saturday was emotionally tough and an absolute travesty of a result, but it doesn't warrant the level of scrutiny and analysis, and subsequent change, that people are calling for. We have a good evidence base that we're a good side, but we're also a League 2 team capable of poor twenty minutes every week. We're missing our two aerially dominant defenders and, as a consequence of a deflection and a fluke own goal, were made to pay for not clearing our lines well enough. If we'd got regularly pulled apart I'd be concerned, but we don't.

Well, moving away from the keeper situation, I do think the strength of the bench has really been to the fore in recent games. That's two matches where we've been able to bring players off the bench to clearly influence the game. Against Orient it was Politic and Amoo - on Saturday it was Politic and Benning.

Just looking at other fixtures in league 2 tonight and there are some interesting fixtures: Harrogate (2nd) v Tranmere (4th) Leyton Orient (7th) v Forest Green (1st) Sutton United (5th) v Swindon (6th) So obviously, teams in and around us will be dropping points tonight. Three points for Vale tonight could take us up to second and keep a couple of those teams around a few points behind.

Can anyone help ? I keep going to matches and coming out with this really weird feeling I had a look on google and it says things like happy and optomistic under the symptoms its creeping me out anybody else getting it ?

The thing that covolan doesnt get enough praise for is his ability to come and claim crosses, what some of you short sighted people dont see the impact of this is massive. Look how many goals we conceded with brown in goal with a header from about 5 yards out as he was glued to his goal line. So when covolan comes and claims things this is quickly forgotten when in fact in previous seasons these would of been goal scoring opportunities for the opposition. Yes he made a error for the goal but look where we are in the league. People on here are just desperate for someone to moan at we won 3:1 its not cost us the game. I cant imagine its even a question in clarkes mind about dropping him at the moment

Anyone seeing Cov on football focus will want him to succeed. So far I would say, okay. Not great but not bad and most of the poor goals have other factors. Like the unnecessary free kick and poor wall yesterday. I'd certainly stick with him. When he arrived I wonder if he felt he had an el loco persona to live up to? Thankfully that has gone, he's looked calm recently.

Happy clappers 😂😂😂 yes we’re happy RZ we’re 3rd in the table

Straight at him, cov pushed it into the corner. No debate that it’s his error me for me, even DC said so. It’s fair to criticise an error like that surely? DC has said he has to do much better. Personally I think he does need to improve, the last 3 games we have conceded 3 goals I would expect him to save. If we can criticise Wilson every time he misses a chance it’s only fair to criticise the keeper when he lets one straight at him in.

I agree…but…he’s not beyond criticism. He should have saved it. And no point blaming the wall. The wall was protecting the other side of the goal.

This Covolan debate is getting ridiculous. Every time we concede a goal it's the same thing, even to the point where Stone has somehow gotten the moniker of 'steady Stone', despite keeping only 1 clean sheet. Teams concede goals, not just goalkeepers. Get off the guys back ffs.

If proctor is out id like to see us go 433 or 4321. Covalon gibbons. Smith. Jones. Benning. Conlon. Pett. Garrity Worrall. Wilson. politic

To the few slagging off the goalie ! What about the defensive wall! very poor took there eye of the ball , should we have had a player lying down? We defend as a team the wall did not do there job.

Thought today was a really interesting game, and a good battle between two quality managers. Cooper set them up to match/nullify us and they did that very well first half, cutting off the diagonal from Jones to Worrall, stifling him and Gibbo. Nothing in it, lots of decent build-up play from both sides without a decent final ball, proper arm wrestle. DC responded, perfect substitutions, 4-2-3-1 to press them in the right areas and allow us to dominate possession for 15 mins and turn it around. Countered by Cooper throwing Zanzala on and going three up top to force us to revert to 3 at the back, which DC did but quickly bringing Martin on for Gibbo who was just about doing enough against Zanzala, but was too much of a risk to leave it like that. Great tussle, we just had too much quality, especially Wilson (my days, when he was juggling the ball down the left, what touch that lad has) and Pett (always available, always head up and on the half-turn, class). Shout out to Garrity too for his energy, how much ground did that man cover? Great to find a way to win without Proctor, who had been pivotal to our best attacking play so far this season, and chuffed to see Benning (who we know is good enough) have his best game for us. Such a shame his first effort didn't go in, what a goal it would have been. Happy, happy day finished at the Hopwater Cellar in Castle. You love to see it. UTV!

I think this is part of the problem… judging him as “likeable” or not based on the 3 mins he gives to the press every few days, rather than how he treats people (players, reporters, supporters, staff behind the scenes all day every day) seems like a particularly poor way of judging someone’s character.

Come on Doha that cant be right surely.....RZ told us he was a bully and how poor his man management was....we can ask him when he errrmmm next appears

Did anybody else notice Clarkey giving Gibbo a big kiss on the cheek at the end of the game.....don't think Gibbo knew what to do! 😂 Cracked me up!

Trying to not get ahead of myself but <ovf censored> me i think were a class above this level when we start playing. Yes there is going to be blips we cant be on it every game of the season but i really think something special is building

Totally agree… conducts the midfield

I think we need a systematic and existential analysis of what's going on. Root and branch. This spell of poor form simply cannot be allowed to continue. 11 changes minimum, ideally 13-14. Only look at the last game; the other games offer no insight. Violent u-turns on a weekly basis is the way forward for me. If we don't win this week, it's time to consider liquidation. Don't even think about 4 of the goals we've conceded in the last two weeks being OGs and deflections, and another being from a fraudulent free-kick, and that football is a fairly random game with many variables you can't account for. Drop them all. Shut down the Matrix. Vale Vale.

That's the point I'm making - Vale fans react to good stuff, but don't encourage it if its not happening. They won't make noise before Vale do anything good, and if Vale are bad, it's complete and utter silence, and sometimes outright indignation at misplaced passes, grown men absolutely howling. We started slow tonight and the fans matched it. Just think we could create a better atmosphere even if the team is not playing well. It's going to happen this year and it's weird to sit in complete silence when the team is 3rd in the table and on a great run. Mansfield are on a 12 game winless run, 90/92, 1-0 down, and still made more noise than us with 30 youths. I've noticed similar in away games we've taken a good following to before. Not sure why but we don't often create very good away atmospheres anymore.

733

I don’t think we’ll be docked points, that’d be a really bad night.

Where do you get your spice mate?

In previous years we seem to have developed the appalling habit of becoming the Port Vale Benevolent Society and giving struggling teams the benefit of three points just when they need them. It always seemed to happen just when we were picking up so just hoping that DC has toughened us up mentally for tonight. If Harrogate slip up, we stand to go second and ready for an assault on top place. So come on Vale, time to ditch Mr Nice Guys and put these away!

Covalan 6 The goal he maybe should have saved but it went in ,other than that he did everything else pretty OK to me . Cass 5 struggled today usually passing is immense off it today but was always positive when received the ball . Gibbons 6 not one of his better games found it hard get into the game first half second half we were on top and he did have one lung bursting run which was excellent . Smith 7 nothing do really but what he did have do he did well . Jones 7 a quiet one today but is quality is there for all to see . Worrall 7.6 second half very good ,first half was getting in OK positions but not quite putting the right ball in . Involved in second and third goals and was a constant menace second half . Pett 8 did the lad give the ball away No in a answer his accurate passing was a feature of today he kept it simple and is a very good player .His ball to Politic excellent and his ball to Worrall for third goal highly impressive a very good cog in all things Vale . Conlon 6 a OK performance from the lad but at times wasteful and not at the moment anywhere near his best in my opinion but no doubt about it has it in him to do great things . Garrity 7.4 never stops constantly making runs creating space for others his work rates superb really like him and uses the ball well when he gets it . Proctor 6 thought he was doing OK in terms of general play first half in fact I'd say he was Vale most likely first half but what do I know ,subbed at half time . Wilson 8.5 really gave a very good account of himself especially second half he held the ball up he was positive and he had a go at goal OK straight at keeper but on another day it flies in . When Vale played at the level where we upped it 2nd half Wilsons class shone along with in fairness most of the team. Subs Politic 9 my man of the match you do not score goals like that and not be deserving of at some point a whole game it was a pleasure to see such a goal like that and was worth the admission fee alone ,magnificent . Martin 7 come on did very well made sure there was no repeat of last week's jitters. Benning 8.9 looked like a man on a mission his goal was excellently taken also ,he added freshness ,a will to win,charging down that left hand side he was also most worthy of his goal also . Crowd 6.5 need to do better,get behind the team at all times ,at times way too quiet and I constantly had a man behind me moaning about the lack of atmosphere and sadly he was right we have to step up too Dc 8 what can you say a tactical masterclass The good times are coming back time to start spreading the word . UTV

And a point blank one at Swindon at a key moment in the game.

He made an absolute worldie away at Stevenage tipping it on the post. Anyone who saw that save will agree it was exceptional.

Dont count us out of this,he isn't signing the contract their and his manager slated him publicly for it...he loves it here and the management,so we will see but he would cost a fee and we would happily pay one

Pett does a lot of screening in front of the back 4 which allows Conlon to roam and play further forward. He's a solid anchor in the midfield which will always look unspectacular. Solid player for me very rarely gives the ball away.

Brilliant comeback! Weren't at it first half but Clarke made the right changes and deserves credit.