leedsvaliant

It's funny how we all differ on opinions. I thought he was dreadful in our promotion season and people mistook the fact that he could play the odd crossfield ball as actually being good. I was aghast that we extended his contract. This season, when fit, has shown him up to be what he is....a non league player.

I've been watching from the late 80s. They're definitely not the worst side we have had, not even close (remember Ross Davidson and Neil Mackenzie as our midfield?) . But in terms of heart and fight, they are comfortably the worst. We need to turn that losing, soft mentality around very quickly.

I just wonder whether Moore thinks that Uche might be a point of difference as a 4th choice striker? He's going to be up against poorer defenders who might struggle with his physicality and a good option to throw on if needed. If he had any ability at all with the ball he'd be a hell of a player. I also worry that his fitness levels as a professional athlete are pathetic. He's blowing out of his arse after 45 minutes. I can see some sense in keeping him though, so long as he gets an absolute beasting in pre season and Lee Bradbury (a good striker in his day) gets to work on his decision making and using his attributes to the best way.

We really do have some absolute brain dead morons as fans, particularly on social media. Saying things like 'so we're going with the same squad? That's me not getting a season ticket '. Clearly this list is as it stands today, with the possible exception of keeping Uche as a 4th striker. Negotiations will be going on behind the scenes to offload some of the contracted players or come to a settlement to offload those who have no real future. We'll also obviously bring in fresh faces. So that list will change a lot by the time August comes around. Some people really do lack critical thinking skills. I'm actually quite upbeat. We didn't get blown away too many times by the best sides in league 1. Narrow defeat to Portsmouth, Bolton, Peterborough, Barnsley and Derby at home, plus draws with Lincoln, Stevenage and a win at Oxford. There are halves of football where we've looked quite good. We just had a very soft underbelly, some players with a lack of real effort and a very poor forward line. 4 or 5 decent signings in the right places could make us into a competitive team at a lower level. This is a significant step down in terms of standard, as shown when we've played league 2 teams this season. People are rightly fearful that we're going to be rubbish again, but this is a level lower, where poor league 1 players will look better. Get rid of a few of the losers, bring in a couple of leaders and concentrate the bulk of the budget on 2 decent strikers and all of a sudden things look more positive.

It goes to show how terrible our season has been when we finished 7 points behind them. I thought they were dreadful, particularly first half. Really poor up front and their passing was dreadful. If we'd had anything about us, we would have won that game comfortably. We've played a few teams like that this season, who have been awful....it's just that we've been worse. As bad a 3rd division as I can remember, which makes our pitiful effort even more galling.

What the <ovf censored> is Smith taking goal kicks and knocking it to Ripley. They're trying to draw the opposition out but you need to be really good at passing for this to be effective.

Everyone feels like that, especially after a poor season. Give it 3 weeks of shopping with the wife or doing something with the kids and you'll be desperate to get back to a Saturday in Burslem.

I'm holding out some hope that surely Moore would not have taken the job without certain promises. He will surely have been told he will be backed irrelevant of league. I can see us having a pretty competitive budget. I know Flitcroft was a bull*****, but he mentioned that we'd put in some big money offers for players. The money is there but it has to be spent wisely.

I loved Popey as a player but he's thick as mince. You wouldn't want him in any area of responsibility.

I was told in pretty good authority that he's getting paid £250,000 per year. So not far off £5k per week. He needs to start earning it pretty quickly.

Whilst he has yet to convince me, it seems that the issues are more deep rooted at both clubs. Huddersfield seem to have had their day in the sun and league 1 is perhaps their natural level of old. They've also only won 3 more in a similar amount of games, so it's not like the new manager has transformed them. I anticipated that Moore would do much better than he has, but most of our goals are lack of concentration and in some cases, effort. You can't legislate for that really.

Anybody still in on the Reading love in? Although we've been dreadful and deservedly relegated, this game was the catalyst for our downfall in my opinion. At the time we were initially meant to play them, we were in reasonable form and they weren't. We still had Devine and had started the game well, having a goal disallowed. We then had the game the week after postponed and so any momentum built up in December was vanquished. When we played the replayed game, we were in a right old state and they had picked up some form. This is a team that signed some very decent league 1 standard players but then failed to pay them. A couple of which we were believed to have been after. Why was this allowed? I'm sure all their fans will be delighted that they've stayed up but for me they should have been punished more severely. But like everything with this club, we meekly surrendered.

We know Smith can do a job in league 2 but I think it might be best for all parties if he left. He's not going to get any better. He's a decent defender but an awful footballer and I sometimes wonder whether he's been a hindrance over these past few years. Wouldn't be a disaster if he stayed. Ojo was really good in the first 3 months of the season but that's the only 3 months he has been any good. Flattered to deceive last year and his attitude stinks at times. Thinks he's better than he is. Iacovitti might be ok as back up. Has a mistake in him and sometimes looks like a pub player but ok for the bench. Ripley is good enough. He's not as good as he thinks he is and his failure to control his box considering his size is frustrating. I never wanted Clarke back but then he looked a real threat for a couple of games. Just never fit and I question his desire to really be fit. Bit of a loose cannon. Sang is awful in a defensive positions. He should never have been played there as you can tell it's just not his position. There looks to be a footballer in there but I just can't tell. Get him off corners though, they're awful. Grant has been a huge disappointment. Where was this decent player that Plymouth fans said we were getting? He has the odd decent half but then turns into a complete duffer. Doesn't look like he has the fight to make a difference. Ryan Loft. Potentially the worst technical footballer we've ever had. I have a far better touch than him and I'm nowhere near pro football. Yes, he tries hard but we need to get rid of him. Potentially in the top 3 worst ever players I've seen for Vale. An absolute joke of a signing. Wilson hasn't contributed at all in league 1 really. He's technically good but he doesn't do it anywhere near enough or is injured. Debra looks like a non league player to me. I don't see the potential. Clumsy, positionally poor....he's not for me. Uche might be a good wild card. He has the occasional stinker, where he literally looks like he has no legs. But he could cause carnage for certain defences in league 2. Garrity and Chislett it goes without saying are too good for league 2. They'll both be gone if they have any sense. A friend of mine (not a Vale fan) said that he remembers a lad called Baylee that played against his lad in a school team. He said that everyone applauded him off the pitch because he was so good. He's shown with his 2 recent goals what he is capable of. I reckon we've got a real future star on our hands. Lowe is what he is. A decent pro but well past his best. It was a desperate signing I thought. Seems like a nice bloke though. Massey has been another disappointment. He has the occasional game where I think 'where has this guy been?' . Then the next week he's awful. Another one that goes through the motions a lot. I'm not sure whether his heart has ever really been in it. The young lads have all done ok. Shorrock was superb against Blackpool but has looked like a child in other games. What we have to remember is that some players who've looked poor in league 1 might be very good in league 2. I didn't think the gap was that wide when we first came up but it is.

Yep. Most overrated player in league 1. Got the turning circle of a tanker, which would make him the fastest player in our defence. We haven't got that gutsy performance in us that lots of teams down at the bottom have in them at this time of the season. If we keep it to 3-0 we have done well. Bolton are pretty unlikely for one of the auto spots now, but they'll still outplay us without putting in too much effort. I'd quite like them to miss out though for 4 fold: 1) They think they're an absolutely huge team but without the Premier League years I doubt they'd be getting the crowds they are now. 2) When they near enough got promoted at our place they sang 'we'll never play you again'. But then did about 2 years later. 3) I lived in a halls of residence with a Bolton fan at University and he was a complete chump. Put me off ever since. 4) Ian Evatt is the most dislikeable, arrogant so and so. Apart from that I think they're great!

He's not good enough mate. He may have had a purple patch last season but I've seen enough of him to think that he'll be lucky to have a career in non league.

Whilst I totally agree with you, unfortunately there will always be floating fans who will usually only go when the team is doing well. These are the people we need to attend regularly if we want to incrementally increase our fan base. They need to have reason to spend their hard earned with the club....the club can't just rely on the blind loyalty of the hardcore support.

Feel like it needs some imagination from a marketing perspective. When Mike Aldridge was commercial manager a few years ago, when we were really crap, the Target 5000 thing really worked. I know Mike and he now owns his own very successful business, so clearly has solid business ideas. Do we have a marketing director or work with an agency? It just feels like the whole marketing of the club is quite haphazard and ad hoc rather than joined up thinking. I just think freezing prices is a bit lazy and isn't really going to entice people after this season.

I don't want a single statement when we sign someone in the summer to say anything along the lines of 'he's a lovely lad'. We need some horrible gits who are willing to call players out if they are not doing it. We need someone sitting on the referee, constantly in their ear. We're too cosy, too pampered. These players need to earn any treats that are bestowed upon them. This is their job, not a holiday camp. Earn the money before anything else, like we all have to. I'm pretty confident Moore will have identified this.

I think we both agree that she's made unnecessary mistakes which will have cost her serious money. She needs to learn from them...quickly.

I used to work for a guy who did give people a chance, particularly sales people. And he was also pretty friendly with some of them. But he wasn't afraid to get rid of them if they weren't performing for his business. Unfortunately, to be successful, you have to be ruthless at times. Even if you personally like the people.

I don't think I suggested that she's less of a supporter than anyone else. I was responding to the fact that she's some sort of lifelong fan, she isn't. She's from South Staffordshire isn't she? Hardly Burslem born and bred. Let's not pretend she's a born Vale fan. She might be just as committed but let's not rewrite history. I totally agree that she has basically thrown away money and we're going to be back where we started. She desperately needs to learn where she went wrong because I don't think she can afford to throw away another 10 million.

Even when we got promoted, our team was so nice. Remember the Bristol Rovers game, where their captain virtually refereed the game? It feels like we value nice people over winners. The best teams we have played this season have, without fail, had someone who is horrible, winds the opposition up and is in the refs ear constantly. It's a side I don't like but if you can't beat em, join em!

I think she is a fan but she's pretty new in relative terms. I sat on a table with her and her mate a few years ago when the company i worked for sponsored a game. She had only just started attending games and I think part of it was from a networking point. She's a nice lady and I genuinely believe that she has the best of intentions. But let's not pretend she's a lifelong supporter. I think she's trying to run the club like a corporate business. They're so different. I still don't think she gets that.

I'm struggling to see the misogyny in my post to be honest. I'm simply suggesting that she might enjoy the prestige of being one of the few female owners in football a little too much. That's no reflection on her as a person, or as a woman. In fact, I think it's great that we have a female owner. Jeez, why does everyone try and find offense in everything these days?

Mmmm....I'm simply suggesting that there are not many females in authority in the football world. I think she is certainly playing on it. No misogyny.