BlytheValiant

Compared to 2021-22 we were individually weaker in most positions. Garrity had a reasonable season this year, but Smith & Wilson went backwards. Ripley is a better keeper than Stone, but that’s a low bar compared to our historical excellence in this position. Apart from Ripley, Devine, Arblaster & Chislett, I can’t think of anyone else brought in over the past two seasons who would get near the team that played at Wembley 2 years ago.

Those who think that League 2 is a pushover and we will return as champions are deluded. The top half of that league are teams who are pushing for League 1 and historically finish mid-table on being promoted. Our retained list is almost entirely the shower of 💩 that only won 24 points in the last seven months of the season including gutless defeats against teams that went down with us (Fleetwood, Carlisle, Cheltenham away) and teams that had nothing to play for (Exeter, Wycombe). By the end of the season under Moore we were the worst side in League 1 by a country mile, and our results against the teams around us prove it. I can give you perspective from watching Vale from the 1980’s just how bad this team are, they are undoubtedly the worst Vale team I have ever watched. Without substantial restructuring of the squad, and possibly a new manager, we will also struggle in league 2. Look at the National League Tables: Oldham, Rochdale, Southend, York , Darlington, Scunthorpe, Chester, Yeovil if you think it can’t happen to us. For the first time in my life I really fear that we will be getting another aeronautical visit from the neighbours this time next year.

Exactly, he is consistently targeted by opposition managers. This however is partly the fault of our system which is set up for a team which dominates possession in the oppositions half. However, it does not easily allow players to cover for each other when defending, which has been the majority of our play this season. When you have 3 centre-backs basically marking one or even no central strikers it is bound to leave gaps that runners from midfield and full-backs can exploit to create an extra man in wide areas. Sang is perhaps unlucky to be playing in this position, but he is no full-back, and it seems that word got around League 1 coaches that piling men forward on the left was the simplest way to break Vale down defensively.

Sang is a serial ball watcher whose lack of pace and defensive awareness has cost a goal a game over recent weeks. Opposition managers target him every week as the weakest link in our defence. His only contribution in the other half seems to be to lob a sort of cross field chip from just past the halfway line down the centre halves throat. Sang is in my opinion one of our worst performers of the season. The fact that he replaced Dave Worral says it all about Flitcroft’s transfer policy.

We always looked vulnerable at the back in our promotion season too. It’s just too easy to play against unless you are predominately playing in the oppositions half.

Yet again yesterday the weakness of the right side of our defence was brutally exposed on two occasions. The first goal Tom Sang had two yards on his man, got caught ball watching and never looked like catching him after Loft gave it away in midfield . The second he was at least level and got left for dead. Debra as right sided defender was MIA and provided no cover for the first goal. I’m not sure who should have been covering for the second. Sang must have cost us a dozen goals this year. A serial ball-watcher, he can’t tackle or head, is a predictable crosser, and simply too slow and lacking athleticism for his position. Debra looks positionally naive and has the distribution of a three-legged camel. Both are non-leaguers the season after next. I just hope it’s not with Vale.

Well done Baylee….I’ve probably been walking my dogs on Blythe rec a few years ago whilst he was playing with the proverbial jumpers for goalposts. May this be another stepping stone to him developing into a terrific number 9 for Vale for many years to come.

Sang is not a defender should never be playing right back. Have a look at Shrewsbury's first goal last week and see who was ball-watching, lost his man, and cost us a sloppy goal yet again. If we play a back 4 Smith should play there. Whoever told him he was a centre-back did his career a huge disservice, he would make a decent right back in a back 4.

And watches the ball and loses his man at vital moments…Orient’s goal at home, Shrewsbury’s first goal on Saturday. Other teams know he’s not a defender in a million years and ruthlessly target him (fleetwood).

As illustrated by no-one except Chiz congratulating DiPepa on his first professional goal on Saturday. With a couple of exceptions they’re just going through the motions to pick up a pay packet.

We’ve all heard tales of a manager “losing the dressing room”. Is DM the first manager since Brian Clough at Leeds in the 1970s to never gain the dressing room. ”take all your medals and throw them in that skip, because you won them by cheating!”

That team got 49 points and could have stayed up on the last day of the season. This lot won’t get 40 points and have given up already.

The two or three months when Gannon was in charge for some reason has stuck in my mind as the worst Vale team I’ve watched (since the mid 1980s). However when I look at the stats 2010-11 wasn’t all that bad as we had a good start under Micky Adam’s, so perhaps it was just the deterioration in performance under Gannon and the ownership turmoil that I made me feel so down about the team at the time? Although we are a division higher, since Moore took over this past month has been without doubt the worst team I have watched. However, I took a complete year off after the Ribeiro/Brown debacle and never saw the Neil Aspin managed team that finished 20th in league 2 in 2018.

We are a considerably worse team under DM than even the matches which led to AC being fired. Ahhh well only another 5 years 5 months to go….

No skill, no game plan and hardly deserved to score….but enough about Shrewsbury. Port Vale were several leagues below even their low standard.