Warren

What's wrong with Vale Park? It just needs a facelift. A sustained return to Championship level is not likely to happen and there are about 8k core PV supporters. I am happy to do enough to become a consistently sustainable L1 team. With a lot more care, we could have just achieved that modest ambition.

Uche gets stuck in. But the physicality issue is there, you're right. It particularly showed up against stronger teams such as Middlesbrough. Thinking about it Clark got seriously injured when he got stuck in and the opponent fell on top of him. I saw that one close up. It was one of the tragedies of last season. The young lads deserve their chance to show they are ready for men's football game after game including the get stuck in bit. We are missing a total thug - e.g. Dennis Wise, Stuart Pearce. They also had considerable skill as well. Pearce's tackle on Pat Nevin at Goodison Park still remains the worst tackle I've every seen including the one on Talbot at Vale Park.

The retained list is on the website. Not unexpected. At L2 level this is a competitive squad as we have seen when playing L2 teams last season. Good idea to play players in their best positions - such as Sang. But with young players coming through that is pretty much a full squad. So my question is what trading is likely to occur as we all know where the weaknesses are even if the intrinsic squad is not too bad.

I think coming up with ideas to progress Port Vale is always commendable. This has some credibility, but I'm not a multi party person myself. My view of the Man Utd situation is that they're going to continue to fail - relatively - on the pitch. They may successfully rebuild Old Trafford and all it's surrounding campus. Things have been thrown in the air by Liverpool changing manager, but they have a stable owner. So do Man City, Arsenal, Newcastle, Aston Villa and maybe Chelsea. I can see how Man Utd can pop up to challenge for 4th next season. But I think Man Utd are doomed for another decade at least before they get close to the title. They need pretty much a whole squad transformation. My tip for next season. Watch Jayden Danns come through as a striker at Liverpool and save them £150 million.

I thought Rhys Walters looked ready to play at L1 level as I watched him along side Ojo. We have a good core of players who will be very competitive at L2 if we sort out the defence and find a good striker - one based on the revolutionary concept that a striker should score 15 - 40 goals a season. At his most productive Loft managed 12 in 50 at Scunthorpe.

I think the forum coming up is important in clarifying broadly what the club is going to do next. The core support of the club is obvious from the seasons in L1. For me the club needs to park stuff that can be parked that is not related to the development of the team now / in future and concentrate financially on a return to L1 straight away. I always appreciate that I don't have a proper insight on the finances nor what the owners want to invest.

I think Mitch Clark is a far better player than Gibson for said right back position. He's had a bad injury twice, but should otherwise stay fitter. For me Gibson was a stand crosser, Clark isn't.

Crawley disposed Wozza in the L2 playoffs on the last day.

Although Sheffield Utd are now relegated they still have somethings to strive for. More than a hundred goals conceded in a season and the worst number of goals conceded in the history of the Premier League. Currently on 97 goals conceded. Swindon conceded 100 in 1993/4 and so the record is within range. Their attack has been nearly OK. There is a lesson for Port Vale here, correct at least one end of the pitch. 46 nil nil results would have been enough to stay up.

I failed to notice the early kick off!

Arblaster.

Arblaster looked heartbroken during Wilder's post march lecture.

I think we must strive with everything we have to retain Garrity and Chilslett. If that means offering them higher paid extended contracts so be it - obviously to a point. Some core players need to be retained and built around. If we throw everything in the air the risk of failure increases significantly in trying to find equivalent replacements. I don't think Ojo will leave and hope he doesn't subject to fitness concerns. We need him as the holding midfield player who can run a game at L2 level. Ojo I presume is on a reasonable contract he will struggle to improve upon, but also he could start getting into his post playing career if he fancies coaching. I would like to see Uche stay - as big clumsy players go, he's actually quite good but needs to add goals. Suppose the forwards starting next season were Chislett, Garrity, Dipepe and the striker Uche. That would be pretty formidable at L2 level provided Uche scores more. This also allows the stretched finances to be deployed where they are more needed in sorting out the rear parts of the team.

I forgot about Chesterfield coming up. I like them and we have a great rivalry over the years. But I would expect them to reconfigure enough to challenge at the top of L2 next season. The tricks here are to retain our best players who are L1 standard, bring through our good young players who need to be retained and played, dispose of players who simply didn't cut it in 2023/24 and make some astute signings. I'm very conscious this is all easier said than done.

I'm hopeful that appointing Darren Moore is signalling funding the team well in 2024/5. That is now to fight for promotion. I'm concerned PV doesn't become mired like Tranmere Rovers has as a club funded enough to stay clear of the bottom of L2 but with no prospects of getting back to L1 without new ownership.

On the end of game boo them off stuff. I would say that the players are essentially not good enough overall, but a few are and can play at L1 level therefore being very good at L2 level. Players have got demoralised on occasions and that can appear like insufficient effort. Those players that are good enough and can contribute in future by being on the retained list should not be put off staying by a bad end of season scene. I hope the end of season is just the whimper it deserves.

I'm not going. I do hope PV can win this and there aren't any toxic post game scenes at end of season. I saw an example of defending as bad as Port Vale's last night. Block off Virgil Van Dyke, leave Dominic Calvert Lewin with a free straight run to the back post to head in unopposed. Even top teams can defend as badly as Port Vale!

It's no use crying over spilt milk. I think there are many intelligent supporters on here who would have exercised better judgement in signing players within budget the last two seasons. But I'm hopeful lessons have been learned after this game is over.

They are at home last game of the season. They'll want to please their 3700 fans. Evans took Stevenage up from L2 in his first year in charge. He wasn't able to keep them in the automatic positions or playoff positions ultimately. But they were top in the Autumn. With that fanbase, about 50% of Port Vale's he's done far better over two seasons. Hence he has been headhunted by Rotherham, a L1 / Championship yo yo team. I think Rotherham are broadly what Port Vale could aspire to become if well managed for a few seasons.

Indeed. The game was broadcast live on Sky. I don't accuse them of being slackers!

There is another interesting twist here. Stevenage, who play Cheltenham, can't reach the playoffs which they had been challenging to do for several months. But Steve Evans left the club after their challenge was over in order to take charge at Rotherham. Therefore Stevenage to me look more vulnerable than might be expected and Cheltenham - fire in bellies - may be able to take advantage.

Cambridge are not safe. They can be relegated on Saturday. See above.

Cambridge can be relegated if Port Vale win 1-0, Cheltenham win 1-0 at Stevenage and Burton win at Fleetwood. We must play the game seriously with Moore picking the best team he can. I recognise he should probably select players that are going to be retained. Therefore, injuries aside, this game is insightful for supporters ahead of the close season? I'm not coming, for family reasons.

If he is going to be retained, Dipepa needs to start regularly. I know we are unhappy with our strikers, and rightly so, but actually there is goals in Dipepa, Garrity and Chislett as forwards with another proven goal scorer at L1 / 2 being brought in as striker. So that leaves Wilson, Uche and Loft. If Uche could be got fully fit after a pre season I think he could be quite a force at L2 level. Wilson has to go because his contract is up and he's injury prone. Loft has another year, but surely a deal could be done to let him move elsewhere. What I'm proposing here doesn't break the bank. Then move back through the team. I think like Dipepa, Walters must play regularly and so too Plant and Shorrock. Ojo could be a classic older holding midfield player operating at L2 level. And then to the myriad of defenders we have. Oh God, I think the Exeter game was the final straw for me. Need a clear out. The trouble with clear outs is that it does cost. And attracting L1 defenders to a now L2 club won't be easy and has risk. I think it would help to stop playing wing backs and end up with 433. To me we will start off with a better team going forward and need to fix the back end most. I do think there is an issue with a lack of controlled aggression and physicality particularly defensively. I trust in Darren Moore.

There is a question mark. He was getting stuck in v Wycombe without a doubt. He may be someone who is a good player in a good team and gets frustrated when others around make mistakes / struggle. I look at L2 and I do think we could power out that division again next season. The tough clubs are getting promoted and hopefully MK Dons will go up. Then there is no one down there to fear provided PV runs itself well. I'm not saying it will be easy, but with three auto promotions and a play off position, we surely should be able to be seriously in contention. I suppose Crewe might still be around!