onevalefan.co.uk Present Past Specials About Forum
Jump to content
onevalefan.co.uk forum

Advert


Advert


Hot Rat

Members
  • Posts

    90
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Recent Profile Visitors

The recent visitors block is disabled and is not being shown to other users.

Hot Rat's Achievements

Proficient

Proficient (9/12)

  • Very Popular Rare
  • Collaborator
  • Dedicated
  • First Post
  • Reacting Well

Recent Badges

351

Reputation

  1. I take your point, but thought they did respond prior to the rams second goal. Second half I agree it was very poor but conceding on half time probably knocked any remaining stuffing into touch. And I paid good money too, including the extortionate cost of two pies.
  2. Agreed, while its obvious that the talents of Arblaster & Devine and their ability to raise the team performance papered over the absence of proven striker and LB, when we have had a full squad we were able to go on a run which was curtailed by international call-ups and injuries. Unfortunately we now not only have those positions unfilled but we have a squad so low on confidence some have lost belief, which was evident yesterday. I also get that DM has to change things around to try and find a solution but he has made substantial changes to squad and setup in the last 3 games. I'm not sure if injuries are playing a role in this but constant changes on the wings aren't the answer because whoever plays we cannot prevent the opposition peppering our box with crosses. We started ok on tuesday against Fleetwood until Adams half time sub & our triple sub so why not use the successful formula? I also don't think the teams confidence is is helped by the vocal admission of those loyal Vale fans singing "you're so s**t its only 3" or "we're going down & we don't care". Compare this with Cheltenham fans the week previously for example; ground full and despite going behind twice never gave up singing encouragement. As for those individuals at the back of the stand vandalising seats yesterday, they need to take a long look at themselves and their anger management. they're an embarrassment to their mothers and to Vale.
  3. Agreed. My take was that we were fairly comfortable and would have gone on to win that game until the treble subs. We completely and (based on the opinions of those around me sucking their teeth at the time so I wasn't alone) predictably lost all shape and invited their wingbacks to do what ours cannot. Their no. 5 Lawal in midfield read the game well and anticipated and won most of the second balls and had so much freedom to distribute, particularly after Ojo went off. Our biggest problem (besides the inability to stop crosses before they even become a danger), is anticipation. Not to single him out as others are as culpable, but I lose count of the times Loft is in the wrong position to either defend or to receive. Perhaps this is a confidence thing but its so frustrating to watch opportunities missed that could win games.
  4. They got away with a suspended 3pt penalty to be incurred if another pitch incursion took place. A deterrent rather than a punishment. Reading beat Derby after suspended points deduction for pitch invasion | Reading | The Guardian WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM Published almost simultaneously to Wrex - hot off the press!
  5. Off topic but as the subject of the Railway loo's forms the basis of much of yours and others complaint its worth pointing the following out; If some of my dates are awry please feel free to correct me. I believe there is a very good reason why they have not been immediately replaced; The roof issue which arose and rendered the facilities redundant occurred after the beginning of the season. The club would almost certainly then looked at remediating the existing facilities. I understand that this was done and the club stated that based on the initial survey it made more financial sense to replace with entirely new facilities. They would then have gone to tender and the designers would have required a sewer survey to establish flow volumes and where all the waste was going (its very unlikely that the club has historical as built surveys). This was reported by the club to have encountered an issue with the drains and explains why there are currently ongoing works in the car park. if the existing foul sewer to the Railway facilities needs replacing there is no way they will dig trenches across any access to the Railway stand during the ongoing season because the working area would present a number of access issues and for health & safety reasons be inaccessible to anyone but authorised construction workers. As a consequence nobody would be able to get to the Railway paddock or emergency exits between the Railway and Hamil stands. My season ticket is in the Railway Stand and the facilities are admittedly Victorian but have patience Joe they will hopefully be replaced at the end of the season.
  6. I said that immediately after they scored. Anticipation (or lack of) appears to be one of our fundamental issues in all aspects of our game management. I've thought so all season.
  7. They took a touch to move the ball to use the gap in the wall. I assumed the gap was to give Ripley some viewing advantage? I still cannot see a deliberate handball that lead to that free kick. 3rd goal was very poor to concede - these headless chicken moments cost us almost every game.
  8. Sadly, while there were about 100 stood I could count on one hand the number of times a song was heard. I haven't read the 200 posts to now but for what its worth here's my tenpennoth; I do not entirely blame the players for their performance. Clarke knows our system, knew it when they played us at home and we played the same formation which they countered by pressing us back into our half/final third for long periods. Our management should have anticipated this and had a counter tactic other than 5 at the back and a diminished midfield. They played with a very high tempo and worked very hard to close down any breaks we tried to make down either wing. I commented to our lad that I couldn't see them sustaining it for the second half too but sustain they did. We were playing so deep and so confined into our final third we had no chance of breaking other than by a long ball over the top which, because we were fortunate to have Ethan Chislett crossing some sublime balls, got us two goals. We only looked decent when Dipepa, Mighten and Walters came on and started fizzing balls around. I cannot understand why they were not bought on when we took the lead instead of 10 minutes from the whistle. At the point we took the lead, the delays caused by the subs plus the extra energy they introduced could have changed the games momentum and the result gone in in our favour. In summary we were out thought and as a consequence out played and our management did not have the nous to change it until it was too late. However, what was most depressing was the booing from some individuals at the whistle when the players came over to applaud the travelling support. I get that those who boo were disappointed, so was I, but its obvious that confidence is very low and they need a lift right now for the next game. Cheltenham went behind twice but their fans never gave up on them FFS and kept on singing. They might be the smallest ground in the league but it was full to bursting and full of positivity. Our fans should take note of that.
  9. I'd like to think there's a bit more pressure on DC to get a result at home against his old club and for the Robins to continue their recent upturn in form. However, if our players are motivated to impress DM and stake a claim for a 1st team role (or to not be discarded in may), we can get a result. A draw doesn't really help either team but Vale not losing is imperative. I haven't been to Whadden Road before so looking forward to the experience, but an away result would be something else at the moment! Based upon block size/block availability I estimate 750 tickets have been sold and about 60 remain so perhaps a few more will be made available today as the away end apparently holds 1100. Given our recent form this is fantastic support from super vale away. UTV!
  10. What a week! Rumours in abundance, reaction (over reaction) teeth gnashing & brow furrowing, recrimination, criminal accusations and at the finale, Dave Flitcroft, the prodigal director/unlikely wizard plucks the implausible new manager out of the hat! What on earth would we all do without the Vale, DF the Shanahans, OVF and in all probability each of us 2000th visit to this thread. All the best to Darren Moore & thank you Carol, Kevin & Dave the mage Flitcroft for giving us hope! Thanks also to RobF & Co for the opportunity to vent. Let's all get behind the boys, duff up Cheltenham on their turf then saunter back up the league.
  11. I agree, although I thought Weir made a much greater impression today than he has previously. Based on some tenacious tackles and link up play I think theres a decent player there that will come to fruition.
  12. I'm happy to be corrected if I'm wrong, but 10 lost 5 drawn and 4 won in all competitions. Not at all good admittedly. In mitigation, we had no striker on the pitch for the majority of those games, which is a reasonable quetion of the management. But still no reason to ask for the club to be put up for sale or question the motivation of the owner?
  13. No, it isn't just saturday, but injuries & international call-ups didn't help progress before christmas either. Personally I don't think the team is weaker, but injuries and lack of a settled side have certainly hindered progression. The point I was making remains valid though - to suggest the Shanahans sell up is a complete over-reaction.
  14. So despite the steady improvements, (pitch, team, matchday experience), promotion & introduction of premier league talent etc that Carol & Kevin have overseen and despite their 1million plus additional investment each of the last 5 years, you would still prefer the uncertainty of the club being put up for sale? In which case, there would be zero further investment until the club was sold and the risk of a new owner such as the likes of smurf waltzing through the door? Anyone with any business acumen would look at the clubs books, and unless they were an idiot, a devoted fan (like the Shanahans) or a gulf oil magnate with a desire to launder a load of dodgy cash, probably run a mile. Port Vale is located in one of the poorest cities in the UK where disposable income is limited. Our gates are the best they've been since the 1990's and the club still cant make a profit. We are blessed to have the current owners. I get that saturday was disappointing but we are without the midfield backbone of Garrity, Ojo, Blaster & Devine and it will take a while for the new lads to settle. To start shouting sell up is quite some over-reaction.
  15. I would imagine that they spent well into six figures on the pitch in the summer for starters.
×
×
  • Create New...