Posh 3 Vale 1 - Post Match Comments

[TylerB]

With the likes of Lines, O'Connor and Brown in midfield we should have one of the strongest midfields in the league, but the reality is that our midfield is often cut off with long, hopeful balls over the top. With the players we have in the side we should be a passing team that likes to get in on the deck. That doesn't mean that you can't mix it up a bit at times, but in general the football on show is hit and hope stuff and the buck has to stop with the manager. You can get away with this football in League Two but in this league against better teams with better footballers you're going to get found wanting more often than not.

 

The defence is as bad as I can remember and although McGivern has done alright so far the rest are simply below par. The worst decision Adams could have made was to make Dickinson captain. Sure, he shouts a lot but it also means that despite being one of the weak links in the side at left-back he's going to be in the team every week unless injured or suspended.

[Boslem Boy]

'Factually incorrect and unnecessary'.

Sorry for posting my opinion in a forum - and how was it factually incorrect? He did miss two sitters and be does get bullied.

 

Don't get me wrong, I like Pope and am grateful for his goals for the vale.

But he's a league 2 striker, possibly lower league 1 at best. He does get bullied on the ball. Watch him. He tries to wrestle their defender off it and they give it him back and he can't handle it, gets knocked off the ball and them just complains to the ref.

 

He's slow which is another downside although he can't help that.

In recent games he has had a shocking touch - his control has been awful. He's tried to chest it down countless times but the bull has gone too far away from him and he's lost it.

 

I wasn't saying he's awful.

I know that he scores goals.

But he needs to stop getting bullied, and try and take chances when they come.

One of Vale's problems is that they don't take their chances, whereas most opposition teams make theirs count.

 

And also, to say that I 'obviously know nothing about football' just because I slated pope is just childish - everybody is entitled to their opinion, and I respect yours that pope is good.

 

Your post is factually incorrect because you state he gets bullied on the ball. How has Pope managed to score 60 goals if he is being bullied whilst he has got the ball? He has scored quite a few goals with his head as he has been challenged by his marker. He has also held his marker off when holding the ball up or running at goal. A remarkable feat when you consider that he is being bullied.

 

Your post is unnecessary because you have single out one person, when in fact management and the team have to take responsibility for the recent slump.

 

On those 2 points alone it would seem you know nothing about football.

 

The post above is full of contradictory comments! You state that "He does get bullied on the ball. watch him." Your next sentence continues "He tries to wrestle their defenders off it." I don't know if your talking about every instance that Pope has the ball or just one incident but your statement does confuse me. If Pope is being bullied on the ball why would he have to wrestle their defenders off it? He has the ball! AND if Pope is being bullied whilst he's on the ball why would he want/attempt to get the ball back anyway? That would lead to him being bullied again!

 

You also state that you "like Pope" but you also say that he has a "Shocking touch" is "Slow" he "Misses sitters" and "He gets knocked off the ball" as well as that he's "POSSIBLY lower league 1 at best."

 

I dread to think what you would say about Pope if you didn't like him!

 

My opinion about you knowing nothing about football is based on your contradictory comments and your misguided & unnecessary criticism of Pope. My comments are based on the facts that you have provided and not that of a childish rant.

[Wrexham Valiant]

The move bit would make all the different whatever formation we played. Every team we play has more time on the ball and more space. Like you say, its not rocket science, just the basics.

 

Yep and we get found out and made it to look like a rubbish side!

[Boslem Boy]

Not in the slightest you were defending him refusing to have him responsible for failings in the team, I'm pointing out everyone at this level has failings.

 

I've just watched the County and Chesterfueld games and he does indeed, as the other poster points out, miss easy chances, get bullied a little and definitely moans.

 

Still apparently no-one else knows anything about football ;)

 

Like I've already stated, for a player who gets bullied, Pope has achieved a remarkable feat in scoring 60 goals in 3 & a bit seasons especially when he misses so many "easy chances."

 

If you look up you will just see my comment again flying over your head. I am defending Pope over his entire Vale career and not over a 4 game slump or the 2 GAMES you mention.

 

Could you also point out where I have written that I am refusing to hold Pope "responsible for failings in the team" because I don't remember writing that. In fact in another post I have said that management and the players have to take responsibility for the slump!

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

Like I've already stated, for a player who gets bullied, Pope has achieved a remarkable feat in scoring 60 goals in 3 & a bit seasons especially when he misses so many "easy chances."

 

If you look up you will just see my comment again flying over your head. I am defending Pope over his entire Vale career and not over a 4 game slump or the 2 GAMES you mention.

 

Could you also point out where I have written that I am refusing to hold Pope "responsible for failings in the team" because I don't remember writing that. In fact in another post I have said that management and the players have to take responsibility for the slump!

 

The other poster makes the point about Pope in specific games, you then defend against those comments.

 

You are right in that everyone aside from Marshall is failing this season so far and it's up to all the players and the management to one rise to their potential, summer holidays are over :)

[Boslem Boy]

The other poster makes the point about Pope in specific games, you then defend against those comments.

 

You are right in that everyone aside from Marshall is failing this season so far and it's up to all the players and the management to one rise to their potential, summer holidays are over :)

 

You must be getting neck ache from keep looking up because you've missed my point again and it's gone right over your head for the umpteenth time.

 

Jay pointed out Popes failings in ONE GAME. If you bother to re read my post (111) in paragraph 2, I defend Pope against those comments for what he has done/achieved over his entire Vale career.

 

It cannot be right to judge a player on that one game, never mind about the bullying bad touch slow etc. To criticise just one player for our slump is ridiculous bordering on stupid.

 

Sorry REM but somewhere along the way you've lost sight or got confused with the point I was trying to make.

[Valiant Haze]

 

Forgetting tactics and formation for a minute. Watch the highlights link and the likes of Hanson, Shearer, Caragher & Neville would be going nuts.

 

Pause the play on each goal, it's individual players switching off that's cost us, incidentally not the defenders..

 

Goal 1 - Marshall is in dreamland. Instead of marking his man, he's for some reason watching the player taking the throw in. Jennings indicates with his arm for him to pick up the player, maybe he'll have to shout next time.

 

Goal 2 - Slew loses is man and is also in dreamland as Vassell in left unmarked in oceans of space to head home.

 

Goal 3 - Dodds is wandering around looking half hearted in this passage of play and in the end hands their player a clear strike on goal.

 

All 3 avoidable, and none coming from players that we all instantly assume to be at fault. Half hearted

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

You must be getting neck ache from keep looking up because you've missed my point again and it's gone right over your head for the umpteenth time.

 

Jay pointed out Popes failings in ONE GAME. If you bother to re read my post (111) in paragraph 2, I defend Pope against those comments for what he has done/achieved over his entire Vale career.

 

It cannot be right to judge a player on that one game, never mind about the bullying bad touch slow etc. To criticise just one player for our slump is ridiculous bordering on stupid.

 

Sorry REM but somewhere along the way you've lost sight or got confused with the point I was trying to make.

 

Well that's two of us then...whoosh! ;)

 

He is right about that game though.

 

I agree to slate one player or manager for 3 league defeats is crazy given what he has achieved in his career, have you seen the Adams threads for example?

[old sage]

'Feed the Pope and he will score.'

That isn't strictly true.

Last week against Chesterfield in the last 10 minutes two great crosses were put into him and he had two sitters - he put both headers absolutely miles wide.

Pope gets bullied on the ball and needs to learn to handle it instead of complaining all of the time.

How many goals has he scored in the last two years ? eeeeerm let me think oh yes 54 get real he isn't going to convert every chance but the figure says he hasn't done badly!!!!

[old sage]

Pope is not beyond criticism and this Feed the Pope mantra is beginning to get on my ****.

Tell me when we get another striker with comparable scoring figures. Until then I would keep quiet.

[SourceOfTheTrent]

 

Forgetting tactics and formation for a minute. Watch the highlights link and the likes of Hanson, Shearer, Caragher & Neville would be going nuts.

 

Pause the play on each goal, it's individual players switching off that's cost us, incidentally not the defenders..

 

Goal 1 - Marshall is in dreamland. Instead of marking his man, he's for some reason watching the player taking the throw in. Jennings indicates with his arm for him to pick up the player, maybe he'll have to shout next time.

 

Goal 2 - Slew loses is man and is also in dreamland as Vassell in left unmarked in oceans of space to head home.

 

Goal 3 - Dodds is wandering around looking half hearted in this passage of play and in the end hands their player a clear strike on goal.

 

All 3 avoidable, and none coming from players that we all instantly assume to be at fault. Half hearted

 

YOU BEAT ME TO IT!

 

The only thing I'd debate about your post is I think for the first one Brown (17) should have closed down the guy who hit the ball straight from the throw. Given the number of individual errors costing us goals it's worrying that a player of his experience and quality is joining in with the culture of sloppiness!

 

As for the third, Dodds and to some degree Neal, oh dear! I wonder if Dodds actually considers why he isn't a regular choice for the team? Has he ever thought doing things like that is why his career has gone nowhere? He really is wasting his talent through poor application, will he ever wake up?

[old sage]

If it's Adams' fault that Marshall isn't playing as your ideal wingman, then in to be fair... why was Myrie Williams not spared from your blame..

There is no comparison between Marshall and JMW because one works his socks off the other one never did and was often very idle.

[NellyTheValiant]

Just got in from the game and I thought we played very well. There was little "hoof ball", certainly in the first half where we passed it around well. Michael Brown seemed to shore up the defence and despite the leaked goals, only. 1 was down to defensive errors. Robertson and McGivern looked good. I would say this is our current strongest possible line up. I think we need to keep this defensive line and it will work. Veseli made a few good runs and can help to inject some pace in getting the ball forward.

 

Our best player was Mark Marshall who looked fantastic and really caused them trouble. The big let downs were our star players doing poorly. Pope was totally ineffective and seemed to expect chances to fall to him, while Moore was good in the first half but lost the ball too often as he tired in the 2nd. McConnor was also poor considering his reputation and came off injured at half time.

 

Overall it wasn't bad and we can still do very well this season.

 

Note read the entire thread but I agree with much of this but would add, that all the goals were down to defensive errors, including bad keeping for the 3rd.

 

The 1st no one picked up the midfielder from a throw allowing him all the time and space to measure his dripping drive over Neal. Good finish but I could've done that with the time and space he had. 2nd goal everyone lost their markers, free header that I could've scored given the time and space they had. 3rd goal allowed the bloke to come inside and smashed it through Neal who looked to react late.

 

Veseli, a really odd one, I don't think that I've ever seen a full back pick up his man, wait for support from another Vale player and then run off into the box to await the cross. It's almost like he's delegating defending to anyone else who cares to try. It's little wonder that Taylor won their MOTM, I could've done what he did given that amount of freedom. The best bit of his game was when he inadvertently ended up on the left and made a decent forward run and laid the ball off. Dickinson had another poor game, out of position, he on the back foot before he's even started. Bombing forward leaving loads of space behind him.

 

Marshall, without doubt our best player, Robertson and McGivern played okay although I'm not sure if either lost their man for the 2nd.

 

Tough game against a decent, big side, didn't overrun us but we didn't do enough.

 

Wanted also to add that defensive errors will happen if you change personnel and formations as players tend to be concentrating on who they're supposed to be picking up and where they're supposed to be rather than it just coming naturally.

[Valiant Haze]

YOU BEAT ME TO IT!

 

The only thing I'd debate about your post is I think for the first one Brown (17) should have closed down the guy who hit the ball straight from the throw. Given the number of individual errors costing us goals it's worrying that a player of his experience and quality is joining in with the culture of sloppiness!

 

As for the third, Dodds and to some degree Neal, oh dear! I wonder if Dodds actually considers why he isn't a regular choice for the team? Has he ever thought doing things like that is why his career has gone nowhere? He really is wasting his talent through poor application, will he ever wake up?

Alarming isn't it.

 

No 15 may be Brown's man, but only Adams etc will know that, but looking at the players responses it's Marshall's.

 

As for that 3rd, indeed. I'm sorry Louis, look at it!

 

If it's that clear to us where the goals stem from, then i'm pretty sure their ears will be ringing from MA's vocals!

 

Unacceptable

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

There is no comparison between Marshall and JMW because one works his socks off the other one never did and was often very idle.

 

And one scored and created tonnes of goals!

 

Would have been a dream to have them both :)