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Clayts

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Everything posted by Clayts

  1. Or maybe because today our squad got a bit littler?
  2. So happy for Lucas, great character, had his struggles with us, good to see him smiling again
  3. I'd like to see the addition of one ST and one LB, and I do mean an actual LB who has the pace to play LWB, rather than another converted LM/LW, to give more flexibility in the squad to switch to a back 4 if required. Ideally one of those would be permanent, more likely that would be the LB given the price of strikers in Jan, but you never know. Guinness-Walker would have been pretty much ideal. MF/AM is sorted for me, especially with Ojo on the brink of returning, Walters and Dipepa as back-up, and Planty and Garrity to come back. Happyish with DF too, think the main problem at the back has been the continual chopping and changing in the back 3 and DM due to injuries, (often in-game), leading to various breakdowns in communication and lack of understanding of who exactly does what (especially in transition). When Jones and Debrah are back, and with the Yak playing himself back to fitness, I think we'll be ok, then reassess in the summer.
  4. That was a bit of a tantric signing, hell of a build-up to it, pretty impressive result 👏
  5. Not sure about that, I heard he has family connections with Wolves. He's not going to Elland Rd though, he hates Leeds
  6. Whilst I agree about the effect on the lad, if it is his agent I can't help but admire the chutzpah of it. Trying to get him a pro contract, could say he's had interest from/discussions with Championship clubs, or someone relatively local and bigger like Derby or Forest, but no. We ask the agent 'who's enquired about him then?' and he says "errrm... Borussia Dortmund, Barca, a few prem teams, you know, the usual people I definitely regularly talk to as a big name agent for league one youth players". The cojones on it...
  7. Be just our luck if we agree to sign a cracking young player on loan from Utd and the next day he gets eaten by a lion... 🦁
  8. Excellent, looked really worrying when he was stretchered off a couple of weeks back
  9. Why is it underwhelming to have a promising youngster contracted until 2026? I'd say it's great news. Get Lomax and Shorrock signed up next!
  10. Doesn't it work both ways though? All of a sudden Bradford want him because he's done well at Swindon, but the fact they farmed him out on loan to L2 rivals Swindon in the first place suggests Alexander didn't have him in his plans, so tough luck mate.
  11. Yep, we want fewer players from L2 like Chislett and do more business like Burton and Lincoln did in the summer with Cole Stockton and Tyler Walker. We won't have been touting Uche around trying to flog him, but if a Charlton come in who obviously have £500k burning a hole in their pocket and can pay double the wages, (much higher income, richer owners, more success over last 25 years), offering us a fee for a player with only 6 month on their contract who will no doubt be more than happy to head back to London on double the wages after a brief sojourn in Burslem, then how do we stop that? Port Vale FC is not football, we do not control everything. I'm not doing us down with the 'little old Port Vale' bit, but the reality is we are a small cog in a much bigger machine, with Carol, DF, AC and everybody else at the club doing what they can to optimise our position, which has objectively improved over the last few years.
  12. Devine going is a bit gutting, especially after my lad got to walk onto the hallowed turf with him when he was mascot v Charlton (haven't had the heart to tell him yet 🥺). It's doubly annoying knowing it's a direct result of the gits down the road nicking Schumacher and Cundle from Plymouth. Still, been a real pleasure to have Alfie and Ollie with us for half a season, very best of luck to both of them in their no doubt bright futures
  13. It's not hindsight when it's planned and predicted to happen though, it's basic risk management. It may be unprecedented, but there were a very limited number of variables and possible scenarios/outcomes, that's why the EFL needed to quickly get together to discuss and plan beforehand, so they're not left winging it, adding greater uncertainty to the situation.
  14. The more I think about this situation, the more blame I put at the EFL's door. Not just in terms of allowing inappropriate ownership of yet another club to drag on across multiple seasons of missed payments, points deductions and all the turmoil and uncertainty that brings about, but the uncertainty that we're left with in the aftermath of this game. Given the knowledge of potential protests before the game, and the fact that this kind of action has been threatened before, why have the EFL not drawn up a plan and process for this scenario? First step, as soon as you hear about potential pitch invasion a few days before the match, ask the club what measures (security, police, etc.) they have in place to mitigate any potential security concerns, remove people from the pitch, etc. If they don't have (or can't afford to pay for) any counter-measures, then how can the game go ahead with home fans in attendance? Secondly, but still ahead of the game, could the EFL not convene an emergency meeting of whatever panel/executive they have to discuss what happens if the game goes ahead and is disrupted by protests as rumoured? Said panel could then discuss their proposals with both clubs and set out exactly what will happen in terms of: the cut-off point at which the game will be abandoned (was an hour this time, but was that an arbitrary decision by the officials?); whether or not the game can be concluded behind closed doors that night or next day (with any additional expenses incurred by PVFC to be met by Reading); any post-match sanctions (fine, including reimbursement for PVFC and fans, points deductions). We'd then know where we stand rather than having several days of conjecture about 3pts to Vale or replay. Even now there is absolutely nothing about the game or the subsequent process on the EFL website. All we really seem to know is via a quote from the Reading manager about a 'panel of experts' being convened at some point. Good luck finding experts at EFL HQ! For my money, the remaining game time has to be played, behind closed doors, at a time and venue that causes minimum disruption to PVFC. Remaining game time rather than replay to set precedent and stop the scenario mentioned by a few on here where fans invade to get a game replayed when losing. Can't be 3pts to Vale because that would be unfair to those around us in the table and would be subject to lengthy legal challenge if a team was relegated 2pts behind us. Also a minimum 3pt deduction for Reading so even if they win the rearranged game, they're no better off than if they'd lost, with a massive fine for the owner, compensation for Vale (club and fans) and remaining home games behind closed doors. If owner is unable to pay fine/compensation, that is another potential lever to revoke his permission to own or be a director of an EFL club. We can debate the rights and wrongs of actually getting the game abandoned and the inconvenience to our fans who travelled, but what's done is done. Suffice to say I have every sympathy with the Reading fans (especially those who have thanked the SVA and donated to the Rudge statue), and sincerely hope that the action on Saturday leads to a quicker resolution and change of ownership.
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