Rory

We are like them! They've all been relegated from this tier of English football recently and have been bopping between the lower leagues as you'd expect. Lincoln have even been out of the football league entirely in recent years. Are we in a position where we want to replace the director of football every time we get relegated from the third tier now? If we want to be more like Northampton Town we'll be going through quite a few of them as they're up and down like Tower Bridge.

Yeah, I think the club have definitely contributed to raising fan expectations to daft levels.

No excuse not to have kicked on! We finished 18th last year, do you expect us to be a lot higher than that? How many years is it until you expect us to be in the Champions League? Expectation seems out of control which is probably partly be down to the club PR machine. Some of the stuff on here recently is bonkers.

I disagree. I used to be a moron, now I'm sensible. We can't expect to finish 14th in League One. It is a lot to ask to expect to overacheive year after year, we can hope for it but we can't expect it. When we're at this level, as things stand, we will have seasons where we struggle and some of those will end up with us relegated. It might happen this year, if it doesn't it will happen another year. That's football and that's Port Vale.

If everyone expects us to be soaring high in League One, as they seem to, then surely promotion from League Two has to be a banker?

That's football for you. I think we're better off without Smurthwaite, the club has come/is coming on leaps and bounds from those dark days. I would like us to finish higher up this league again, top half even, but I certainly don't expect it at the moment. Being in League One is achieving, I hope we can survive for at least another year and have another go at it. That day at Fleetwood was one of the lowest points of my life and that was a day that I was lucky to come through unscathed. I think it damaged me immeasurably. It felt to me like Port Vale was dying back then, whereas now our future is bright.I am also a more content with life generally which has an impact on how I view things. I have come to terms with the fact that I am a nobody, that I always will be, and that my life is completely pointless and I am so much happier for it.

It will be a disappointing season but I think we have expect that we're likely to be in and around the relegation mix in this league at the moment unless we overachieve, which is what we should be aspiring to do. Last season we did well. According to Matt Hancock in his Baggers interview our income streams put us below League One. The furore about us struggling in this league just seems a bit over the top, it is hardly outrageous. I think the club are doing a lot of good things and we'll hope to reap the rewards in the medium to long term. Things are getting better. There's a lot that's not perfect, we've made mistakes with recruitment (but I think it has been generally decent under the regime), I think we've now made a mistake with our new manager, and I think it's a mistake to not look at least look at a new ground and get away from the neverending money pit that is Vale Park. I think we just need to be a bit more realistic. The reaction is as though we're heading to non league, I could understand it a bit more if that were the case. I have tried to understand why people are quite so angry about our director of football but I just find it difficult. I'm sorry if I am a bad man for feeling this way but I can't help it.

They must be ready to kill their directors if our fans are anything to go by.

We have more of a chance of getting an Arblaster or Devine now that we're a sensible football club trying to do things properly. Improving and maintaining the pitch and facilities will help. We used to be a complete shambles of a football club owned/ran by con men but we're not in that place anymore. I really think we should have looked at getting a new ground though, there must have been a way.

Michael Smith and Mark Biereth are two of them. Good listen, Flickers is great. Super David Flitcroft!

Super David Flitcroft!

Why doesn't everyone take a step back, breathe, and re-evaluate.

I think people just have to understand the place that it's come from, Carol is clearly angry and frustrated with the fans. It must be soul destroying, I'd be amazed if she is really wants to carry on.

He'd stand a good chance with his record at Vale behind him.

I think she is fuming with the fans.

If Carol isn't looking to sell and get out of Port Vale I think she is absolutely puddled. Life is short, get out and enjoy the days you're blessed with on this earth instead of dealing with the nonsense.

Good statement and good leadership, exactly what was needed. Now, let's see who we get in to try and make the season a success. Good luck to you all down there. Up the Vale.

I find it really quite strange that people are saying that a Director should be taking the team. He should be spending his time finding the right bloke to take the team, not doing it himself.

Is it commonplace for Directors at football clubs to become the manager? It might be, but I can't think of one other than when Micky Adams became a fake director that time.

I do wonder if it is best if David Flitcroft looks for a new job. You'd imagine he would be able to bag himself another job easily enough off the back of his record at Port Vale and it just feels like this might be best for all parties, Vale fans have never taken to him and things seem to have reached the point of no return.

This is one of the maddest threads in the history of OVF I think.

Due his balance lol

We've got super Andy Crosby!

Yes, one of them can kick it properly.

Wise men say only fools rush in.