Sat 20th Sept 2014, Port Vale v Barnsley, pre match, match itself.

[Fosse69]

How can we look forward to this game? Something needs to change.

[paulvaliant]

They will play 6"1 Devante Cole (son of Andy) and he will score from a set piece.

[sandyford_valiant]

They will play 6"1 Devante Cole (son of Andy) and he will score from a set piece.

 

They could re-sign Chris Shuker and he would score from a set piece too.

[valeblue]

3-0 Barnsley!

[valiant_593]

4-1 Barnsley. We score right at the end to put to bed another miserable display. Marshall with the goal. Adams to leave after the game.

[fuzzyvalefan]

Oh crap, forgot I had to go and watch that ***** again on Saturday.

[Trentham Lakes Valiant]

I'm warming to the idea of decorating the wife's craft room (NOT a euphemism)

[andy jones]

You are sounding just like the Crewe fans on P&G last Friday before the match and how wrong were they.

 

Barnsley are no Bristol City.

[Trentham Lakes Valiant]

You are sounding just like the Crewe fans on P&G last Friday before the match and how wrong were they.

 

Barnsley are no Bristol City.

 

We are no Port Vale

[andy jones]

We were a few weeks ago with the same players and will be again soon enough as long as we get defenders to realise it's not Christmas every week.

[Trentham Lakes Valiant]

We were a few weeks ago with the same players and will be again soon enough as long as we get defenders to realise it's not Christmas every week.

 

'we' don't have to get defenders to do anything. That's the manager's job. One that he's not particularly good at.

[andy jones]

That's the strange thing when he first came to the club he was brilliant at it.

[Andyregs]

That's the strange thing when he first came to the club he was brilliant at it.

 

He was a semi competent league 2 dinosaur manager who got lucky with tom pope.

You say how well we started. Basically you mean one game against Doncaster. The writing was on the wall during the other performances (I presume you are not talking about beating Hartlepool).

[Wrexham Valiant]

Shoot me down for suggesting it, but he needs to go 5 at the back....

 

Yates

Duffy

Robertson

Mcgivern

Dicko

 

We need to stop conceding and focus has to be on defence IMO from now for the next 4/5 games to attempt to stop the rot!

The midfield has to then consist of Brown with Lines/O' Connor or both of them with the former dropping deeper to cover and offering an outlet for the defence to pass the ball out rather than lumping it all the time and putting us undr pressure all the damn time!

For me Id go Slew and Marshall up front, I love popey but if he's not there it forces us to keep the ball and he may even benefit from rest!

 

Also Id give the armband to Neal, dicko doesn't need the added pressure and needs to focus on his game not leading this load of dross at the moment!

 

Massive change is needed asap!

[onestepatatime]

Time for a reality check, me thinks!

 

In current form we have to acknowledge that the following, under normal Micky rules, would not be selected due to their inept/uncaring performances-

 

Yates, Veseli, Duffy, Dickinson, Lines, O'Connor, Pope, Williamson, Daniel, Birchall, Moore. Maybe some of you would even add to those!

 

Due to the amount of poor showings by the aforementioned we would have a squad decimated to say the least. Whether these are not up to scratch/couldn't care less/having a confidence crisis/not being coached incorrectly is open to debate, but the point I'm trying to make is that someone is responsible for all the above.

 

We can level criticism at some players for apparently not trying. We can ask questions of some of them having the ability to be capable of forwarding Vale's future. We can accept that some are simply out of form, as all players form dip occasionally.We can criticise management for actually getting some of these into the Vale. We can assume some are not happy with their colleagues. We can assume some are not happy with the manager for consistently swapping the team around. All of these are relevant and form a part of why we find ourselves in the mess we are now.

 

Then comes the burning question...What to do about it?

 

All Valiant armchair critics will have their ideas. All fans who attend matches, both home and away will have their ideas. All are entitled to their say. But at the end of the day only one man will actually make a decision about our future and that is Norman. He does not select the Team. He does not take training sessions. He is the Owner. He is the ultimate man in charge and has obviously so far pinned his faith in Micky and the players Micky wanted to bring to Vale Park. Norman is not(although some would argue about his sanity) daft. His money is draining away and he wanted to build a Club that was successful and made him money in the long term. Of that there can be no doubt. He will decide when and how this current malaise is to stop.

 

If we, as fans, are fed up and disgusted with the present situation then surely Norman is that multiplied by xxxxx?

 

Norman will not pick the team for Saturday so as much as we rant and rave about who we feel would play better then we must go along with what Micky decides. Ultimately, and more importantly now, Micky's future is at stake at Vale so if he "gets it wrong" Saturday then there can be no more hope for him. We have to stomach whatever fare is offered Saturday and time will tell us what that does for Vale's remaining season. We need to back the Team, even if we are boiling mad or find the Team is still wanting against a side honestly we ought to beat at home. We are the one constant at Vale, albeit that constant is dwindling in numbers! Hopefully we hardy Valiants can stick together and will continue to attend as basically we all will follow our favourites in bad and good times. Players/owners/management are temporary and always will be. KTF.