smithie

February 27

I reckon they'll open a $ynectics $olutions $uite to rival the RW Suite.

February 27

22 minutes ago, bobbymanc said:

Imagine if they got another 3 points due to a mass pitch invasion before the end of the season? Might be worth Carol putting on 10 free coaches from VP to one of their home games in March....

Some of our fans would want oysters and champagne on-board and an overnight stay before even considering it.

February 27

Just now, Packmoor_vale said:

Suprised in walters not involved tonight

Looks like DM not interested in playing the port vale kids

He's probably staying in with Leon Constantine and going through his contract options.

February 27

4 minutes ago, Rampant Zebra said:

Without any deductions Reading would be on 42 points so the 38 point total is after 4 points deducted.

But before the 2-point deduction surely?

February 27

4 hours ago, saintvaliant said:

Whilst the SCMP rules theoretically limit spending, the definition of relevant turnover includes provision for cash and equity injections.

As such an owner can inject cash or equity, subject to the SCMP rules, and “inflate” the relevant turnover figure to fund higher player salaries. In the instance of cash, the rules require a guarantee that the amount injected is not repayable.

It is undoubtedly how some clubs in recent years have been able to compete way beyond their natural resource base.

This kind of stuff gives me a headache just reading it!

February 27

30 minutes ago, Emile said:

What targets would you have set DF last summer? My thoughts

Stay within budget for season

Bring in players that have potential sell on value

Develop X3 youth team players into first teamers

Build squad capable of avoiding a relegation battle

I think they are realistic goals that can be put at the foot of the DOFs door. He isn't responsible for actual results on the pitch as he can blame the manager to some extent.

If those were his goals, I think he has achieved every one of them minus the relegation squad. Although, if Moore gets a few wins we might even get there.

i hope those aims are in reverse order. Avoiding relegation has to be number 1 every season.

February 26

2 hours ago, blackdog said:

Smith has been mucked about by the style of football Flitcroft seemed hell bent on introducing, in my opinion he's been hung out, he's an out and out defender nothing flash just hard and rugged, he's not a ball playing centre half.

The criticism of Saturdays mistake is probably justified but if the referee had been as pedantic as he was all game he would have moved the free kick further back and closer to the touchline where the foul took place, he would also have booked Taylor for kicking the ball away.

Not defending the lad but he should have enough credit in the bank, his confidence must be shot trying to play like Paolo Maldini, if we are intent on blame the management are just as culpable not playing to his strengths.

It really shouldn't be beyond an experienced professional footballer to pass the ball a short distance with his foot.

February 26

5 minutes ago, 1 said:

We need at least 8 points from the Fleetwood and Shrewsbury games

8 points from two games would be an excellent return.

February 26

1 hour ago, MBE said:

I really feel for her to be honest. She's ploughed literally millions into the club, heart and soul, entrusted Flitcroft with the football side and she's been badly let down by his mismanagement.

I keep coming back to it but the senior players he has signed ( except Garrity) have been a disgrace to the profession. The players and the families have been well looked after by Carol and this is the thanks she has had.

She has been let down but I felt from the outset that she had unrealistic optimism for growing the attendances. Although it was great to see the enthusiasm and ambition, history shows we've struggled to break the 7-8k barrier even when an established Div 2 (ie Championship) side.

Without ridiculous levels of spending, we were always going to (and probably needed to) stabilise in the third tier. What she maybe didn't twig was that there's no great appetite for mid-table football season in, season out.

I feel sorry for her, but I'm sure she's got her exit route in mind. We're here for life.

February 26

1 hour ago, smithie said:

I don't think that's true.

He'll get time and rightly so, but he was number one on a list of one target for the job. It's inexplicable that the club interviewed only one person.

As for Carol telling the people at the post-match gathering that she'd just been upstairs telling Darren's wife how grateful she was to DM for joining the club....well, I'm speechless.

I'd love to have been there when the contract was awarded.

DM; I'd like a minimum two-year deal

CS & DF; We were thinking 3 years

DM; If we're saying 3, we might as well say 4

CS & DF; What the hell, let's say 5

DM; Could I be cheeky and ask for 5 and a half?

CS & DF; Does that include cliches and mangled English?

DM; Yes Carol, Yes Dave. In fact can I call you two Clickers?

CS & DF; That aligns with our values perfectly.

DM; Great - see you tomorrow.

Mobile phone records show that Darren's next Google search was "Bentley dealerships, Stoke on Trent".

February 26

3 minutes ago, MBE said:

The confidence is absolutely shot, players are hiding from the ball its really obvious to see however 1 result changes that.

It HAS TO BE TOMORROW or we will be down.

Now is not the time to throw the towel in.

Agreed, although Burton play Carlisle at home and that's far from ideal.

I felt Saturday was the last chance saloon. Now I'm thinking the bouncers kicked us out but they've let us back in for one more drink.

February 26

2 hours ago, MBE said:

All good however the plan gets blown up because this years playing budget has been squandered on poor senior pros and not addressing glaring needs in a squad for 2 transfer windows.

Look at the potential of L1 next season and the revenue opportunities . Stoke,Sheffield Wed,Stockport,Crewe,Wrexham.

Bare minimum 1 million financial black hole which will have very serious consequences for all of your points and probably some job losses.

Honestly, if I was Carol I would be in front of the players and lay on the line exactly what relegation would mean for her and our club.

Would it work, would they give a hoot?

I don't know but I doubt I'd be able to contain my frustration at the state of things currently.

Unfortunately, it seems she's more likely to thank them profusely for coming to play for us.

I wonder if her emotional demeanour on Saturday was triggered by the shouts from the terraces at full-time. Heaven knows where her head is at right now.

February 26

15 minutes ago, chickensteve said:

Whilst most of us wanted Darren Moore as manager

I don't think that's true.

He'll get time and rightly so, but he was number one on a list of one target for the job. It's inexplicable that the club interviewed only one person.

As for Carol telling the people at the post-match gathering that she'd just been upstairs telling Darren's wife how grateful she was to DM for joining the club....well, I'm speechless.

February 26

I wonder if John Rudge would describe the squad as "phenomenal".

I wonder if you asked any manager in that division to name a phenomenal side, how many would say "Port Vale".

I wonder if you asked fans of any team in that division to name a phenomenal side, how many would say "Port Vale".

In its own way, Carol saying the players are phenomenal is one of the most worrying things she's ever said.

February 25

2 minutes ago, Paul6754 said:

If Carol thought the Vale weren't failing but going well football wise why was she emotional and looked gutted. The reason is that the people she's entrusted with the football/playing side of the club, mainly Flitcroft, have failed her and I anticipate she will pick her time and place to do the necessary.

The business she's built suggests she's astute and knows the score, don't underestimate her, she's not the issue.

The majority, if not all, of owners of football clubs in the UK are not "football professors" and rely on football people to run the that side of the business for them, just look at what's going on by the incinerator.

Maybe, but there's a lot that's got to happen to make the journey from referring to bullet-proof "Flickers" in reverential terms to firing him anytime soon.

February 25

Is it true this has been designated a "Bring an enemy" fixture?

February 25

15 minutes ago, Wrex said:

Based on what? Three games to Nathan Smith's 388?

Despite his goal, Smith was overshadowed by Lopata at Cheltenham. Not only that but Lopata has shown more leadership and organisational ability than anyone else at the back.

February 25

I wonder how many people who were bought along by a ST holder as a friend yesterday are still on speaking terms with them.

February 25

1 hour ago, Hoppers said:

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣They really cant win can they - you lot 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Three games in WTF 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

It's not too surprising that selections are being questioned because we're running out of time and we don't have any margin for error. For me Lopata is the first name on the team sheet in defence, and I'm astonished that any manager of any length of tenure would think any different. He's head and shoulders above any other option there.

February 25

My first alarm bell with regard to Carol's detachment from Vale fans and our fan culture was when said that a certain player got booed every time he came on. The player in question was David Amoo, she genuinely thought people shouting Amooooo was booing.

February 25

46 minutes ago, Santa said:

The worry for me is that Moore could well turn out to be a disastrous appointment and were too busy blaming the players and the poor recruitment to notice it. A bit like the free pass that Michael Brown got.

Carol can't believe he came to little Port Vale. Little Port Vale with XL contracts.

February 25

16 minutes ago, PV1973 said:

It’s a shocking mistake. Unprofessional? Negligent? I don’t think so, it’s a game of football where the unpredictable can happen. An horrendous mistake in a poor season for him.

If Smith was asked to explain what he was attempting to do,what do you think he would say? Pass to the other Vale player when there's a Lincoln player there to stop him doing that? So why do it? Was he trying to hit the ball against their player to bring the ref's attention to him not being away from the ball?

I'm sorry but either of those is negligent - moreso in an absolutely crucial game.

February 25

1 minute ago, JoeB2 said:

Cheltenham will be fine. They’re just a decent side these days.

Charlton have a much easier run of fixtures with an objectively decent manager. Their forward line alone features May, Ladapo, and Aneke - with Leaburn back before the end of the season.

Shrews need 12 points from 12 games and have just beaten Reading away - a cracking result.

We have to go from 3 wins in 26 to 6 wins in 15. It isn’t happening. We haven’t scored a goal that wasn’t a penalty or a OG for 8 games. Moore has to reverse 13 months of us being atrocious with no training ground time. It’s akin to putting the sinking Titanic in reverse.

Make your peace that we’re down. I got very angry at full-time yesterday as, again, I’d allowed myself to get whipped up into believing we’d turn it around. The players needed to understand that we expect more fight, as a bare minimum.

There’s no point. Carol is putting her fingers in her ears and listening to the new kit man’s wife over us. It is League 2 next season, with Stoke, Crewe, Burton, Derby in League 1. Revenue drop of a million a year before we consider the derbys.

It’s time for me to start softly disengaging till the start of next season. I’ll still go, and get my ST as usual, but I’m that gutted by it all that it’s genuinely not good for me to get emotionally involved. 31 defeats in 54 take its toll.

I think that very, very sadly you speak for many diehards.

February 25

1 hour ago, 1 said:

These things happen when everything is going against us.

I think saying it "happened" is too lenient. I could go and watch Sunday morning football in my local park and wouldn't see such a shockingly unprofessional action as that from Smith.

A day on from the game and l still can't see what he was thinking. His negligence punctured the atmosphere and meant we'd have to come from behind to win yet again. I don't recall us doing that all season.

February 25

15 minutes ago, Vtid said:

The yak deserves a run back in the side 👍🏻 he’s sat out a bit now after some poor performances. Only right others get the same treatment

When he's not fancied by an interim or permanent manager you've got to think he's out of the picture for the foreseeable.

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