Dr Delgado

I think it’s a really cheap and unfair angle to attack him on. Phil Bowers can sometimes be a little frustrating but there’s no doubting where his heart lies and I welcome his partisan approach to covering Vale. After all, we need all the biased publicity we can get, let’s face it if Vale, Stoke & Crewe all play on a Saturday you can pretty much guarantee Stoke will get 85% of air the time on Praise & Grumble. We get no Sentinel coverage and rarely feature in the tabloids unless it concerns some tenuous Robbie Williams nonsense. Simon Humphrey’s sometimes does the Vale commentary for radio Stoke, he is a Vale fan but a little les emotionally charged. It’s local radio we’re never going to get a John Motson or Alan Green.

Who would say he’s racist?

Thanks for that

Any 21st century managerial structures you could quote?

Whilst I don’t believe we have the most talented bunch of players, I can’t help but think that the unrest and decision making behind the scenes has probably affected performances on the pitch. If every person in the stands knew we needed a striker and a wing back then surely every member of the playing staff did too. The lack of decent signings can only show a lack of ambition and as such must affect the players. I strongly suspect that everyone within the club thought Flitcroft was a <ovf censored> apart from Carol. If Ojo was capable of pelting up almost the whole length of the pitch to score at Charlton, he can do it again on Saturday. There are other players who have been under performing and need to play with belief and desire. Whilst Carol’s image has been slightly tarnished, I do believe she can take us to better places although goodwill tend to have a shelf life.

He’s 80. Get real.

I think this sums up where we are at. I think Flitcroft has been rather shrewd and cunning with regard to his relationships with the club officials and with Carol in particular. During his tenure it would appear that all personnel who were close to Carol were forced to fall on their sword at some point or other. I think Flitcroft wanted to be the sole conduit between Carol and the rest of the club, Garlick went, Speed went, not to mention two managers. I suspect that according to Flitcroft all failings associated with the club are the fault of everyone else and not him. Fortunately he wasn’t fooling us, I bet if he had the chance he would try to convince Carol to sack the fans. He should definitely have been sacked on February 1st.

Great news

Seems like people have really devoted a lot of time and effort to the apathy thread.

You’re picking the team Saturday

I’m reaching a point whereby I’m thinking that there is no one person in an official capacity at the club whose judgement I trust. (I don’t include John Rudge as his position is honorary) I am at a loss as to what Carol and Flitcroft thought would happen when we didn’t get our ESSENTIAL January targets? Did they think we would just magic results? Did they think that the players we had already got would suddenly turn into world beaters? I liken Moore’s position to a top chef being presented with bacon, ice cream, custard powder, garlic, cottage cheese, bread crumbs, peanut butter, luncheon meat, beef jerky, a lemon, a tin of Andrews Liver Salts and a kumquat, and then being told to make a proper dinner. I would question Moore’s judgement for thinking he could actually do something with what is in effect a strikerless team and a sieve like defence. If somebody thinks they can make anything palatable with the ingredients listed then can I suggest you give Mrs Shanahan a call.

Other than getting a fee for Bent, I can’t remember him doing much for Vale, likewise Peter Beadle doesn’t really stick in the memory especially seeing as he was a striker. Rudge was a good manager in an era that suited both him and the chairman, there was far more wheeling and dealing for clubs back then, I suspect Belly made a reasonable amount of money off the back of some of those transfer fees we received. Unfortunately nostalgia doesn’t change where we are today. I do have some sympathy for our chairwoman, we bemoan a lack of communication from the club but then when she does speak it gets analysed and derided to the point of ridicule. I disagree with one or two decisions she has made however there is nothing to suggest that she is out to fleece the club. If only she could see that by keeping Flitcroft in post, is like allowing a pantomime baddie to remain on stage way beyond their welcome. It will 100,000,000% end in tears. Whether she likes it or not, eventually the fans will get what they want, it really depends on how much suffering she would want to witness our DOF endure. I’ve said it before, this is going to get really messy.

I'd love to see your evidence to counter act my argument. At Least he got the players in. Carol out. There’s no argument you rose tinted buffoon. This is the man who threatened to bankrupt the club I love. Have you no memory? Can’t you remember him saying he would bankrupt the club, destroy Port Vale. There’s a massive difference between a woeful season and having no club. That man was the dirtiest, greediest, most disingenuous person ever to turn left up Hamil Road. Are you for real?……..counteract your argument my arse.

No it wasn’t, I’d love to see your evidence for such a stupid claim.

It’s a fact, that those who know best for a football club, are the fans. The fans spot the rot, spot ego trips, spot the greed, the shysters, the benevolent, the altruists, the naive and the deluded. Carol is certainly benevolent, possibly an egotist and definitely deluded. An old cliche states, “if you love somebody, set them free”, It would appear that Carol has a genuine love for Flitcroft, if this love is genuine (I’m not talking romance or owt daft) then she needs to understand the maelstrom heading his way. We the fans, know what the root cause of this dire situation is, unfortunately our chairwoman is not properly aligned to our thought process. I’m not so sure that Mrs Shanahan realises what she is about to put Mr Flitcroft through. I fear it’s about to get very messy, ”SET HIM FREE”!

Just checking and hoping one of you eagle eyed Valiants can confirm this. Have I seen a Vale player actually meg an opponent in that first half. I think that’s what I saw, I did didn’t I? Did I ?

I couldn’t disagree with your observations and maybe it’s time for more pressure to be put on the FA & Football League from the rest of football, we have clearly allowed the bigger clubs to monopolise the game. I’m under no illusions that money controls everything but it did make a difference when fans reacted to the European Super League.

What has happened to professional football? When I first started to watch Vale in the early 70’s there was the same number of clubs in the professional leagues, thus meaning the same number of centre forwards existed then as they do now. During these times we have always been able to pick up journeymen strikers who would stay with us for about a year or two and move on to ply their trade at another club before they hung up their boots. The likes of (in no particular order) Ally Brown, Ron Futcher, Jimmy Greenhough, Bernie Slaven, Brett Angel, Bernie Wright, Ron Futcher, Ernie Moss, Lee Hughes and I’m sure the list could be longer. Maybe these type of players have been locked away in a secure cupboard with all the white crumbly dog turds never to be seen in Burslem again. I just cannot see this type of player putting on a Vale shirt whilst Flitcroft has his grip on power, his position really threatens a fan’s relationship with the club. All the decent prospects we have will be sold on before they can become our heroes thus diluting the player-fan bond. I really do not want us to be a Crewe type of club, a stepping stone for players on their way to bigger and better things. There might be some money and sustainability in this model but zero identity or connection with the fans.

The trouble here is that Flitcroft has created a job so unique to him self that Carol will be thinking how she could possibly replace him. The mumbojumbo that comes out of his mouth is mesmerising, the fact is no one else could do his job because he has created it in his image. He doesn’t care about us fans, in fact he only has to carry on and impress one person, that being Carol. There is no other person in the club she could turn to, certainly not Rudgie, nearing 80, for any football club advice. I was amused by his almost Kremlinesque interview, with the media lad reiterating how busy Flitcroft is etc. Campus, football services, latitudinal progression, foo foo dust.

Our only hope this season is to rid the club of this shadow skulking chancer. Sometimes it can be hard to admit we are wrong however that is what Carol has to do to move the club forward. If and only if, Flitcroft is relieved of his duties ASAP, do we have a chance of surviving in this league. The so called “system” needs to be abandoned in order to allow a new manager to take over and do whatever is necessary for us to survive. Unfortunately without the likes of Garlick whose counsel does she seek? I think Rudgie is so out of touch these days, although I’m sure he would help to the best of his abilities. We’re in a bit of a situation.

Vale fans! I’m not questioning the altruistic endeavours of Carol and the community wide work. I'm talking about looking after Vale fans, you know, the ones that made the club.

It’s quite interesting to read the opinions with regard to Bratt, Smurthwaite et al. It makes me laugh really, people were seduced by Smurthwaite’s knitted scarf believing him to be a fan, I wonder where that scarf is now? Perhaps resting in the bottom of a dog crate. If Bratt was such a committed Vale fan why haven’t we seen him at Vale Park since his calamitous exit? And finally, I was never convinced by the antics of Mo Chauhdry and his involvement in the Black n Gold period, turning up at Vale Park pretending to be a fan. I’m pleased we have our current owners, we seem relatively stable from a financial point of view, however financial stability doesn’t get me off my seat on a Saturday afternoon. I’ve been patient whilst we have implemented this new playing style with questionable results. I’m just getting a little bit concerned with regard to a disconnect between the running of the club, the players and the fans. The Paddock toilet fiasco highlights this, it is inexcusable for facilities to be out of action for so long. Last season on a number of occasions the tea bar had run out of food prior to half time. I take my 13 year old lad, if he wants to get a half time pie, he has to take my credit card with him, cashless was a crap decision. We might be a club that looks after its players and their families but are we a club that looks after it’s own, the real fans who have been turning up for an untold number of years?

But the player’s families have been made to feel ever so welcome.

What is the point of being a fan of any club without the hope of progress, the odd promotion push, a good cup run, the scalp of a bigger & higher placed team. I am a Vale fan, I was before Carol owned the club, or before Robbie Williams was making his annual gesture visits. It is frustrating when the ambition, hope and progress would appear to be avoiding relegation from league 1. Make no mistake, whilst knowing what our lane is, a Port Vale fan’s hope’s and dreams are no different to that of a Chelsea of Man City fan. I’m a little bit concerned that we are becoming a play thing for other clubs, as soon as Spurs & Sheff U realised how good their players are they have snatched them back. Likewise the lad from Liverpool whose name I can’t be arsed to learn, he’s probably been sent to us with a bus load of baggage, he was clearly a big issue in Scotland. Evidently Carol and her family have done untold good with their investment. I am grateful for that but has she taken us as far as WE want her to? If we are to be a club that is stocked with developing youngsters and loan players the fan base will dwindle. Aiming to finish 14th in league 1 isn’t my idea of supporting a football team even if it is solvent. We need players who are committed to our club, real signings who we can identify with and who are prepared to put their bodies on the line. If any of our loan signings do well we will never see them again. Im not sure Carol realises how important it is for at least half of the team to have a true connection with the fans, we love them and at the very least they have got to pretend to love us. I am prepared to offer a degree of patience and hope my pessimism is unfounded. Knowing Vale fans as I do, there certainly isn’t a groundswell of patience and understanding emanating from the terraces, in fact a couple of defeats down the line and I can envisage a few more “Super Ted’s” invading the pitch. Will someone please cheer me up and tell me that it isn’t as bad as I think.

Ever since the first real transfer window Darrell Clarke had and we pretty much brought in a whole promotion squad, I have had to seriously manage my expectations. Most transfer windows have come and gone with me feeling seriously underwhelmed. At this point anything we bring in will be a boon to my mental health.