[Reading (A) match thread - 20th Feb]

This isn't overly pretty, much appears a bit better than the dirge we've come to expect.  At least it's a game of football.

[Reading (A) match thread - 20th Feb]

3 hours ago, JoeB2 said:

I of a firm belief that we should make cult heroes out of inadequate grafters.

Lofty will end his tenure here with cult hero status. Going to make it my personal mission.

After the start he's had, I'd love nothing more that to see that happen.  You gotta feel for the lad.  Fair play to him at the moment for his efforts and I'm glad it's being recognised.

I can moan with the best of them, and it was me that threw my chips at Gannon at Accrington, but I've never really been one for barracking individuals unless in exceptional circumstances.

[David Flitcroft Out]

Our playing budget this season is ranked higher than the bottom 4.  We are under performing and should not be bouncing around the relegation spots for the second year running based on finance.

[David Flitcroft Out]

3 hours ago, worldsendvalefan said:

Very true, which again proves that Flitcroft is not very good at his job

I was just trying to explain why these types of players are not as abundant as they once were. I was not trying to give Flitcroft an excuse. Because I don't think he has one. He thought he could bring in another Arblaster or Devine. Well he couldn't and it has left us high and dry.

Sent from my SM-A528B using onevalefan mobile app
 

We won't bring in another player like those for the next decade.  How long is it since we signed players that had that kind of impact?  It's not a sensible strategy to hang our hat on.

[January Transfers and Rumours]

Agreed.  We need to avoid dropping out of this leage at any cost.  Now is not the time for that to be disrupted.  It is however, entirely appropriate to loudly voice our concerns at the mismanagement of the club right now.

[January Transfers and Rumours]

6 minutes ago, robf said:

Not sure if Wickham even wants to stay in the game after a fair while out. Even if he did he may take weeks to get up to speed like Uche did. If Madine doesn't opt for Blackpool or also doesn't call it a day then he too may take some weeks to be anywhere near. Vale need someone who can come in and play from day one.

Dwight Gayle is presumably match fit but would his expected wages be way beyond our budget?

In my view the experienced free agent options are very few and far between and it seems very unlikely we would get anyone unless.... there's some more free agents in those lucrative Australian, New Zealand, Scandinavian markets that our DoF says are so good...

 

What's Chris Killen up to?

[January Transfers and Rumours]

9 minutes ago, Warren said:

If Flitcroft left PV tomorrow. He'd point to being behind a promotion, establishing a young player structure that has brought many players through to the first team and resulted in many players being sold on to big clubs and having a team establish itself in L1. His reputation is at risk if relegation occurs. I don't think it will, but I think the manager Crosby keeps going across the cliff edge too often. The club is massively in a better place than the Smurthwaite years and Flitcroft has been important in that.

If we get relegated we will have endured similar on the pitch performance, with ground facilities for the fans worse than under his tenure.  Add to that we owe the Shanahans double what Smurthwaite left for.

So far, the only tangible improvements are crowds are up and the Lorne Street corporate side has undergone extensive revamping.

Football wise, we've barely moved.  And that's a sad indictment when you consider Smurthwaite was bleeding us, but the Shanahans are not.  They need to strongly reconsider their areas of investment.  

Port Vale FC is a football club first and foremost.  Not secondary.  <ovf censored> primary.  People purchase tickets to see the product on the pitch.  And right now that is terrible, and is becoming increasingly neglected.

[January Transfers and Rumours]

53 minutes ago, JoeB2 said:

Not having functioning toilets in two stands, whilst talking about a Vale Park Campus and making a pop star the club president is perhaps the most indicative state of what’s going wrong.

All fur coat and no knickers.

[January Transfers and Rumours]

Did he really <ovf censored> say that?

[January Transfers and Rumours]

38 minutes ago, leedsvaliant said:

I think some of the long-term strategy stuff is important. Whilst I couldn't care less if there was no food served, no entertainment, no comfort for when I take a pee, unfortunately it is a massive part of attending for some people. Most people on here would watch Vale in an old cow shed but such is the competition to get people's money off them these days, the match day has to be an experience. My daughter would have hated attending during the Bill Bratt/Smurthwaite days, where literally zero thought was put into the match day experience. There simply had to be some expenditure in the infrastructure of the club. Unfortunately, infrastructure and the football team need to be spent on side by side and I just don't think Carol or the club have the finances to do both to be instantly successful. If it were my business, I would be looking for someone to sponsor the ground, looking for a sponsor of the shirt other than synectics, I'd be looking to beg Donaldson and other very wealthy Vale fans to become shareholders. It's a real bottomless pit and Synectics do not turnover huge amounts of money. Unfortunately, football fans are short termist and if we lose some of the playoff bounce we'll never see these fans again.

What I think has also got people's goat is the community stuff, which while admirable, is not the sole job of a football club. There's got to be engagement with the local community because it gets other local businesses involved (and spending money) and all businesses should have some focus on social responsibility. But it shouldn't be the overriding focus of the club. The focus is the football team...end of. Any of the nice bells and whistles should come once the club has become a success on the pitch. Once you get to the Championship and Premier league, you have the money and resource to plough into these things.

Carol seems like a nice person. I met her before she became owner and she is a genuine person. But sometimes you can't help but think that her focus is on changing the world for the better rather than focusing on getting a successful football club.

She's done a fantastic job on some things and the ground and pitch is unrecognisable compared to 10 years ago. I just think someone needs to refocus her on the purpose of a football club. We're not a charity.

EXACTLY THIS!!!!!

[James Antony Wilson.]

Steve McPhee is often overlooked in the annals of history of past Vale players.  He was bloody sensational and, for a midget, one of the best headers of the ball I've ever seen!  Take note Loft!

[Crosby In]

1 hour ago, smithie said:

We're not going down. The current bottom 4 are. 

Let's see what January brings, first!!

[Blackpool (H) match thread - 29th Dec]

1 hour ago, Devine intervention said:

I agree but if left early you be so angry still as you wouldn't have seen what was I agree was a tremendous second half .

I just want folk in  them seats gamely enjoying the teams efforts .

If we lose 500 fans it's 500 too many just read in 10 years we have lost 425 games after watching our defensive efforts over that time I'm hardly surprised .

We need better for sure more Debrahs is the way forwards .

UTV 

Aye, just read that.  The only team to have lost more games this century is Crewe.