Hitcher

This is the worst type of relegation where it is based on mismanagement, malaise and overconfidence. If we were promoted as scrappy underdogs, had a much smaller budget and we fought hard but narrowly went down, you could accept it. The problem is we are left with a team of losers on lg1 contracts, who have nothing about them. The only players I want to keep will go, and I don't blame them. Garrity and Chislett both deserve a decent move to a mid table league one team. Aside from all that the only thing that gives me hope for next season is our youth team. Seems like we are beginning to get that pipeline of players and most I've seen have been decent. Also the plant, Shorrock, Lomax crop etc will all be a year older and hopefully a bit more physical.

Can anyone remember that mid season interview where they basically said they expected grant to have a season of double figure assists? He's been by far the biggest disappointment for me.

I think this might be the reason why we had a change of plan in last season's January transfer window. Also I remember carol saying that they had to spend an extra £1-2m earlier than expected as we got promoted a year earlier than hoped for. Maybe this is one of the reasons for the latest figures. Be interesting to see where we land next year. We've had 2-3 youth players sold for supposed decent figures. I guess if you can do that most years and they all have add ons then that is one way of becoming more sustainable.

Plant is good. Appreciate he got completely rinsed by the leagues best winger and leagues best left back last night, but also in many instances won the ball and actually got some decent crosses in when he had the chance. Apart from that garrity volley, the only other bits of quality in the entire game from us came from plant. We all dream of a team full of Garrity's but my second dream would be a team full of Plants.

There's a guy my brother and I refer to as 'mad bar steward' who has a bottomless pit of rage inside him. No idea how he does it but the guy always turns it up to 11. Could be the same guy

Peterborough could have played that weird skip head mascot thing they had in goal and they still would have won. Such a bleak performance. If I was one of our players I'd almost be less bothered by the 3-0 then the manner in which we got completely dominated. Its classic vale to spend so much of the first half admittedly doing 'the plan' only to screw it up in the last 30 seconds of the half. Anyway it's gone now. Just hope the players can get over it, and actually try and play football on Saturday. Would be tempted to start Dipepa as seems to be our only forward in a bit of form. Again loft tries hard but silly to so blatantly do a shirt pull in our box for their penalty. Uche is like an angry trampoline.

Your right. My memory is addled. Think we then went on a 6 game winning streak after that which is probably what I remember.

I like Moore and think he is a good manager. At the same time he did break a record for longest run without a win for a new port vale manager. In recent times I can only compare it to when we were at the bottom of L2 when DC came in and it felt like almost instantly we were more solid defensively and competitive. My recollection of Moores early games was that we were much more experimental, changed formations often, played a lot of players etc. You could argue that's part of the journey and the result is our current uptick in form. However points on the board earlier would have given us more breathing space to figure this out with less riding on it.

We are kind of playing the back to basics football that I expected a bit earlier in his tenure. As you say, credit to Moore for recent games, but also a shame it took so long to figure this out. I feel he underestimated how bad we were when he came in.

This is tenous, but Stevenage winning is good for us as keeps them in the playoff hunt with Burton and Cheltenham still in their final fixtures.

It is an odd one that's for sure. Why Manchester United youngster Dan Gore is not playing for Port Vale on loan - Manchester Evening News WWW.MANCHESTEREVENINGNEWS.CO.UK This article is a month old but seems to suggest he's been at vale. If that's the case, if we do see him then maybe he will be committed to the cause. Skimming back through a number of Mike Baggers articles the last two DM updates on gore have basically said that they are waiting on the medical team to provide an update. It reads like we will know more in this Thursdays presser.

If you look at Rovers twitter it looks like they have sold out and fans atleast are up for it. Also Matty Taylor desperately needs a performance. Rovers have gone 6 games without scoring and his stock is quite low with the fans.

January was so poor wasn't it... The Williams thing was a miss step --> Vales fault Lopata I actually quite like, but not a massive upgrade on any of our other CBs and unfortunately injured --> Not Vales fault Think we were hoping for Morecambe Weir but has been underwhelming in a Connor grant way --> Possibly Vales fault, maybe his Blackpool loan was a sign. Mighten not really given a run and then injured -> Not Vales fault but struck me like the 2nd politic loan where we recognised we were short and got an attacking player to sign, with little plan on how he fits team Will we ever know what's happening with Gore? He possibly is injured but I can't help wondering if there is a hint of the Williams situation in there. We've had a change of manager and DOF sacking --> Not entirely Vales fault but also it is a bit. Finally even if he does get fitness back he will have no connection to team having been at utd. Would you want to give him a role in last few games? Also I know Conlon wouldn't have been the answer long term league 1, but you would have guaranteed committed performances. Could have been another body in the mix to avoid putting lowe in midfield. Anyway such an important game tonight. If Carlisle can atleast draw with Cheltenham that will be great.

I agree with all of that. He's been lumped about all over midfield recently. He should have scored atleast 4 since Moore arrived though. Most of those could have been in that first half at Cheltenham. He seems to be one of those players if he has too much time it goes wrong, but if he hits on instinct it goes for him.

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.