Warren

I'm OK with that. What I'm not OK with is pointless passing it round at the back posing no threat. In the Charlton game we posed plenty of threat. It was mistakes on the ball at the back that cost us 2 goals. That was a game we should have won.

Exactly, and I'm OK with that. But I'm serious when I say I was close to stopping coming for the remainder of the season in late 2023 and likely not to renew my season ticket for 2024/25. The top teams offer multiple threats in the way they play even if predominantly possession based. They have also grasped it must be entertaining!

Yes, good points. But to play that way PV must have central defenders who are good enough on the ball. Take it under pressure, don't give it away, pass accurately.

I learned a lot watching Arsenal v Crystal Palace first half. Arsenal targeting the right sided centre back. Identified him as not good enough. The press is leaving him on the ball. But also both goals have come from corners where he doesn't mark well enough and gets run on by the centre half and beaten in the air. So it's not rocket science. We have weaknesses at PV and the opposition will analyse and find them. Where I have a problem is that we had the same single boring failing way of playing pretty much the whole off 2023. And have only recently started to do something about it causing us to start scoring again.

I'm OK with possession based football. But if you only have one repeated way of playing it will get marked up and we just go across the pitch. Watching Arsenal, they are good enough to play daring football out from the back. And it has to be daring or the opposition just stand there watching the ball being passed across the back. But if we are daring we are not good enough. So the answer must be a mix of playing out from the back but with a target man up front. The opposition must respect the target man and need to modify their press.

Watching BT. An Arsenal fan said Arsenal are just having a blip and will go on to win the PL and CL.

I think injuries and medicals are a difficult one for the club when it comes to public relations. For example, the fans want to know how long Garrity will be out for. But it would be a clear breach of duty of confidentiality to him to publish his medical notes - taking an extreme perspective. What is said in the public domain must be acceptable to the club and the player. I was a bit disturbed when Jesse Debrah went off injured. For me he didn't look fit to start the game and that seemed obvious. So what was going on?

Uche scored a goal and won player of the match v Charlton. So he looked very fit to me. But if you have vulnerability it can be the type that just explodes in a moment. Then you are out for months needing significant medical treatment. Or worse, it's career ending.

Summarising what I posted before. Played 6, won 0, lost 3, drawn 3. Sacked. Banned for 4 games for conduct offences. Time in charge 29 days. Mitigation!! Deeney says he was sacked before his ban was announced. Deeney scored 4 goals in 16 games. That includes a hat-trick v Notts County!

We are prepared to take more risk. I think a medical is likely a medical. But once presented with the facts management decides whether to accept the risk or not.

I deliberately focused on Akinfenwa once when I saw him. He did have good mobility! It was at one reasonable pace but he was up and down the pitch involved in attacking and defending. For a footballer, Akinfenwa was very strong with a rugby player body shape. He scored a lot of goals in the penalty box using that and was able to be far more mobile than that mode of rugby player. I don't see Uche as at his level - yet? If he adds more goals? Uche does have reasonable mobility once he gets moving. It is disjointed for Crosby to make the statement he did about Uche. Then a day later a move looks to be happening. Or is it? The position seems to be Uche will leave if he can get a longer contract on higher pay. Well there is a surprise - I'd do that! It doesn't look like Port Vale want to over commit. I get that in the sense that Baylee Dipepa needs the opportunity to come through. Also Loft - if we get him fully fit and up to speed - could be as good as Uche in the big forward role. He needs to step up and show that. At a club of our size, budget management is very important. To climb the tree we can't do it by facing up to say Derby on budget. To close the gap requires bringing players through, playing them for a couple of years and receiving transfer fees when they are successful.

Exactly. I've wanted to leave many an employer / contracted service. But you have to do your best work anyway. Except people who have sufficient power to force a move.

Deeney will find it easy to complete his 4 game touchline ban now. If he came to Vale he'd certainly bring some fighting spirit on and off the pitch.

Uche has got a dribble if he gets turned. It comes from his strength.

Troy Deeney has been sacked as manager of Forest Green after 29 days. Won 0, drew 3, lost 3. A club unravelling at the speed of light.

Actually I'm just superb at it. Especially fraud investigation.

Sky report Cheltenham striker Will Goodwin has moved to Oxford for £400k.

Crosby went through what I regard as a deeply mistaken phase of playing two unfit strikers giving each 60 / 30 etc. So numbers are inflated.

Uche was man of the match v Charlton. He has come back to the club after a period of not playing and has worked up to speed. Having invested in him to get to this stage I'm keen he stays at least to the end of the season. Whether he can be kept on longer must surely depend on wage expectations. I'm not keen on us going after the holy grail of the prolific striker. For example, Stockton pretended to be in that category and Burton soon found out that actually he's ..mmmm

Going to Australia! Wiki.

I think Wycombe are in or trying to complete a phase of rebuilding. They are now several years on from having an L1 promotion squad.

I see Uche as important. That's because as a target man he enables us to play forward that way. Not just through a pile of passes going sideways and backwards. Plus of course he's a presence in both boxes. He's played for some good clubs and, although not prolific as a goal scorer, that says he's widely valued as the type of player he is. I don't know the financials of course. But I'm up for getting him signed up on a reasonably lengthy contract rather than let him leave.

If Charlton and Wycombe are interested in Uche, it makes geographical sense as he was born in Harrow and previously played for Wycombe. I suspect both clubs can pay higher wages than us. I have never quite worked out how Wycombe can do that. They have been in L1 / L2 this century with one season in the Championship. Would I be concerned if we lost Uche. Yes, and especially to a L1 rival. Has he thought about Australia?

I guess that is the issue with signing him on a short term contract. He quickly enters the last 6 months of it.

The Uche perspective only goes so far. Middlesbrough's centre halves thought he was very handleable.