Danish Valiant

No comments on the fact, that Conlon is back? I, for one, is very happy to see that!

Having read that a few times, I think that is indeed correct. I could be so simple to write, but hey, let's make it into legal mumbo jumbo...

Agard got sent off in the weekend, does the suspension carry over to the FA Cup?

So if the guy DOES have a bad game (like this one), we're not allowed to say it? Even the commentators said he had a real stinker, and they almost never single out a player. He had a decent finish at the start of the 2. half, but other than that, he had his worst game yet. I'm not on the 'why did we sign him' train, he's by no means my go to fall guy AT ALL. As long as he does well when he plays, I don't give a toss. But I'm sorry to say; he had an absolute stinker in this one, and it was clear for all to see!

A rise from 20 to 22 quid isn't even that bad. Bradford rises from 20 to 25 quid... And 25 quid to watch League 2, is nearing a joke. Their season tickets might be cheap, but their tickets on the day sure as hell aren't! 5 quid more will get you in to a Premier League fixture... I know ticket money is the backbone of almost every League 1 and 2 clubs budget, but it is a two etched sword. How many of these clubs are community clubs and pride themselves to be so. Many are placed in not especially rich areas, like Vale. Fair play the club gives out free tickets here and there, but why not lower the ticket prices all together, so these families have a fighting chance of having a chance to go on their own devices? As it is now, a family of 4 (2+2), will have to part with 64 quid just to get in. And then comes food and drinks on top. Why not slash prices to 15 for adults and 5 for kids and drop that absolutely STUPID extra charge, for tickets bought on the day? That is more than fair for everybody and will might even get more bums in seats!

To be fair, I do get his point. 4 tears up in the Prem, away fans can't be charged more than 30 quid, to go in stadiums that are like a 5 star hotel, compared to some of the grounds we pay 22-25 quid to get into. I know most Prem clubs doesn't even need the ticket money, but still; 5-8 quid over a 4 league span... That is a bit excessive!

I don't get all this constant talk about going 4-4-2, as Askey has said numerous times, that he prefers not to. The system he wants to play, is 4-3-3 and as he more than implied post match on Saturday "no matter how much people shout in his ears", just as it should be!

According to the EFL website, we must play 4 outfield players that started on Saturday. So that leaves 6+1 places up for changes. So my guess is, this will be no more than a reserves fixture...

All this talk about formations and 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 3-5-2 doesn't matter. It's how you set up within the system, that matters. 4-3-3 can be more defensive than a 5-3-2, and vice versa. It's all about how you impose the style you want, than about formation. All these numbers, has become such a fashion thing to talk about. If the formation was so important, every team should just line up the same way as Man City, and they would win every week. It's just like a few years ago, when all they cared about on tv, was possession. In my view, because it was easy to understand for every viewer and didn't take much thought for the pundits to discuss. But it's not important just having the ball, it's what you use it for when you have it. Barcelona often had over 80% possession in their matches. But over 60% of that possession, was in their own half. So they defended, by having the ball, passing it around until the perfect opening to break through came. But people didn't care about that because "wow, they had it over 80% of the time, they have such an attacking style". Every setup has it's pros and cons. 4-4-2 is just the easiest to coach and the easiest to act in as a player, because it's so basic. I don't really give a hoot what system we play, as long as we keep creating chances as we did in the first 4 matches. We can't keep missing so many chances as we have, some day we are bound to start hitting the net, instead of the concession stand! A Danish coach once said: "statistics are like a mini skirt. You can see a bit, but it hides what's most important"

Maybe Scotland has the same problem as we have here in Denmark. In that the quality of the players, don't match the price and the salary they require. Which has seen the Danish League, even the second best league, have an absolute s...load of players from the Baltics and Africa. They don't improve the Leagues at all, bar maybe a handful across the League, the rest are not better than the young Danish players, but are much much cheaper for the clubs. I can imagine, it's cheaper for the likes of Falkirk and Motherwell, to sign experienced League 2 players, that are cheap compared to young homegrown players, who are paid way ott at Celtic or Rangers, who they have to teach the mens game first, on top of the spending. Just a thought...

Agree with the first two. Joyce is that weird player, that you don't notice until he's not there. He's not flashy in any way, but he does his job and the manager seems to rate him. He actually grew on me last season as it went, and I can actually see what he brings to the team. As I said, he's not flashy as Manny or creative as Conlon, but he's that very important balance player, all teams need in midfield.

Agree once again! But that, right now, is down to our finances. To go of your list, I'd DEFFO let Montano go, when his contract runs out (next summer?). As you say, he's on a fair chunk and we can get better for the same amount! I my opinion, he's slightly better than Whitfield and add injury prone. He's obviously well liked at the club, given the cringeworthy way they all felt they had to come out and defend him, when he got injured in pre-season. But the fact is; we all miss Manny when he's injured. Montano, not so much...

Agree! We are never going to have a squad like Man City, where the players on the bench are a top PL team as well. But we have to turn the balance around. You can have a squad, where you put maybe 1 or 2 subs on, that are slightly worse than those they replace. The other better players, can carry that and the team not suffer. Our problem has been, for the last long long time, that we've had a team where 3 or 4 good players, had to carry the 7 or 8 others. And that doesn't work!

I think it's weird, that people are on here crying out for players not playing under several managers, are the solution to all our problems. I liked Miller as a player type, and he was a nice bloke when you met him and talked to him. But I can still see he didn't exactly burn wholes in the nets all over the League, and obviously had/has problems outside the pitch. Otherwise, he would had been snapped up by another club in the summer, instead of laying bricks now... The same with Whitfield. Never really fancied him, but he also only got the odd game here and there. He has an fine technical level, but has absolutely zero product of his work. He came on at Bury in the last game last season, and it was like playing with 10 men. He got pushed off the ball like he was a kid and looked no where near ready for League football. But some people like him, all though I'm not sure if it's for his footballing skills and what he added to the team, or because he was nice to their kid or their teen daughter fancied him and both parties liked to have their picture taken with him. I've seldom seen a player, having so many selfies taken with young girls, as him. Same with Hannant. I liked him as well, especially in the beginning, because he brought something to the team we didn't have at the time. Mainly running his socks off and looked like he actually cared. But the fact that he had the most crosses in the League, and only a very few assists or assist to the assist, shows that there clearly was something missing. Therefor, I didn't mind that the manager let him go. Another thing is, people moaning that we are only bringing in players, Askey knows from Macc. I wouldn't be surprised, if it's the same people, that moaned that the Fat One signed all our players, over the managers head, and signing "no names" the managers had never seen before. Maybe the new boys are not "big names" or the big profiles we'd all like to see in a Vale shirt. But now, the manager actually knows and trusts his players, and only signs players, they think fit into the clubs charter. And now that is a problem too? As long as we deliver and make progress on the pitch as well, he could be playing with 11 of his sons and nephews, and I still wouldn't give a flying f...! I just want Vale to do well and make progress on and off the pitch. We have our club back now, so why waste it on making signings we can't afford? They will come in due time, maybe not next season, but the season after. All it takes, is for us all to spend at the club, and the Shanahans to get as much sponsorships and other income, into the club as possible.

No need to discuss the line up really, as it will 99,9% be the same as Saturday. Only new worry is, if Worrall has a broken nose, will he be able to play with that? I know he played on yesterday, but now I assume it has been put back in place and needs healing. Either a facemask or sidelined I presume...