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

[Angel of Burslem]

Problem with that team is that Duffy ain't a right back and isn't very good there... At all, other than that it's a decent 11.

 

He's played right-back for most of his career although I accept he's better at centre-back. Just trying to give a more solid look to that area than a Yates/ Moore or Veseli/Moore combo.

[Bycarsbill]

Can't see anything other than a comfortable home win��

 

Can you please let me know what happy pills you're on--I want some!!

[George is here]

We need to build confidence to get back on the ladder to victories. When confidence is very low, then small steps to start to climb again is the way forward. The priority first steps is to stop conceeding early goals so we stay in the game. Frankly even now I would be happy for 0-0- on Saturday as a start. Keeping a clean sheet for 45 minutes has to be our first achievement. Yes if we can get one or two with none conceeded.... brilliant. But we need to keep the ball out of the onion bag for as long as we can.

 

If we can get to half-time without conceeding, we then build on that and go again and look to improve our next awful record of never having won a 2nd half this season. We probably will end up conceeding a goal given how bad defensively we are but if we can keep it to one, we can win the game whereas if we conceed 2 or 3, then we are in big trouble.

 

Scoring first in the game would also be a big help at the moment!

[bar1]

We need to build confidence to get back on the ladder to victories. When confidence is very low, then small steps to start to climb again is the way forward. The priority first steps is to stop conceeding early goals so we stay in the game. Frankly even now I would be happy for 0-0- on Saturday as a start. Keeping a clean sheet for 45 minutes has to be our first achievement. Yes if we can get one or two with none conceeded.... brilliant. But we need to keep the ball out of the onion bag for as long as we can.

 

If we can get to half-time without conceeding, we then build on that and go again and look to improve our next awful record of never having won a 2nd half this season. We probably will end up conceeding a goal given how bad defensively we are but if we can keep it to one, we can win the game whereas if we conceed 2 or 3, then we are in big trouble.

 

Scoring first in the game would also be a big help at the moment!

 

i can see your point but we are even worse 2nd half..haven't we lost all bar one this season? we gave ourselves a chance against chesterfield by equalising just before the break and then went and conceded straight from the kick off.

[George is here]

Picking a team for Saturday is very difficult.

 

Firstly, do you go with wholesale changes again or keep what you mostly had. You cannot keep making 3/4/5, etc changes each game. There is no continuity for the players and it adds to the problems. Therefore I would want Adams to this last time make the changes to go with his best 11 no matter what the number of changes but to then stick with it come what may.

 

As to the team itself, well there are few plusses to picking anyone at the moment so in a reversal of that, everyone you could argue could have a case to play. Myself, I would go with experience and keep it as simple as possible. I would go with a team and formation designed initially to stop conceeding at least for the first 45 mins to give us the best chance of victory. I would go with a 4-2-3-1 or 4-5-1 formation although the personnel would be different depending upon which formation you went with. So I would plump for 4-2-3-1 with the team as :-

 

Neal

 

Yates

Robinson

McGivern

Dickinson

 

Brown

Jennings/Lines

 

Moore

O'Connor

Marshall

 

Pope

[George is here]

i can see your point but we are even worse 2nd half..haven't we lost all bar one this season? we gave ourselves a chance against chesterfield by equalising just before the break and then went and conceded straight from the kick off.

 

As stated in my message, small steps. Get to half-time without conceeding first and then as in the thread, we look to tackle our next major problem, winning a 2nd half. We have so many issues at the moment hence we have lost the last six games. We just have to tackle one at a time.

[PV1993]

Neal

 

Veseli

Duffy

Robertson

Mcgivern

 

Brown

Birchall

 

Moore

Oconnor

Marshall

 

Slew

 

Feel it has to be time to try this team. Birchall to me is not a winger and looks more suited in winning the ball and keeping it in the middle with Brown, should help the defence out, not seen enough of Jennings to convince me he is the answer in that particular role. Oconnor with a more free role behind Slew, who looks in form, whilst Popey looks bang out of form and needs a rest. No place for Lines as he dosent want to be there, his performances have been shameful recently. No place for Dicko as he isnt good enough and costs us goals. Robbo has to play because of his height, and Moore and Marshall should always be starting at home.

 

This looks a good side to me, as long as the back 4 stay tight and the full backs don't push on. One of our problems has been Dicko and Vesseli wondering forward when they are not comfortable doing so and are not very good at it, leaving us very exposed on the counter. If Moore and Marshall need support then helping them should be the job of O'Connor in the free role.

 

My only thing would be Pope instead of Slew. Yes Pope's been out of form and slew has scored a few, but I'm not sure how good Slew is in the air, and this formation really requires someone who can get on the end of crosses. That being said, Slew is in form and is worth his place.

[carigulous]

Start of the season ....... who's going???? Surely a hint of optimism:D

[Beza]

Rob Page Black&White Army, new era 3 points please.

[carigulous]

My brother in law is a barnsley fan ................. come on vale :)

[Birches Head Fred]

Mr. Page is starting with a clean sheet, personnel-wise and tactically the team selection and tactics are his and his alone. His first priority must surely to keep the goals conceded column down to a minimum, the less goals we concede, the fewer goals we require to pick up points.

Sounds easy, looks difficult.

 

The players need to believe in themselves and start afresh as if it's the first game of the season.

 

Personally I would like to see a team which has the ability to change tactics/formation whilst the game is on-going if need be to accommodate the opposition and game state.

I would like to see variations at corners, set pieces etc. - a little ingenuity and something 'different'. Play from the back and keep the ball on the floor, use the vast expanses of Vale Park and pass our way through Barnsley.

 

Of course Barnsley are not simply going to roll over and hand us the points but if the team show passion, commitment, play to their strengths and apply themselves in the right manner then with the vocal Vale support behind them then 3 points is easily within reach.

 

Team :

 

..........................Neal........................

.......Duffy....Robertson....McGivern.......

Moore..O'Connor..Brown..Lines..Marshall

...............Pope..............Slew..............

 

Give Brown the Captains' armband, keep Moore and Marshall up on the half-way line for any set-pieces Barnsley get. Play from the back and use width and pace with both Moore and Marshall hugging the touch-lines to pull Barnsley defence apart.

 

Vale 2, Barnsley 0......

[Paul6754]

Team :

 

..........................Neal........................

.......Duffy....Robertson....McGivern.......

Moore..O'Connor..Brown..Lines..Marshall

...............Pope..............Slew..............

 

Vale 2, Barnsley 0......

 

I like that formation although given the circumstance at the moment I would be tempted to play Yates or Veseli as RWB and Dicko at LWB and let Marshall play alongside or just behind Pope or Slew in an effort to not concede and to nullify Hourihane. One of Pope or Slew together with Moore on the bench. If we concede early on we could implode.

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

Team :

 

..........................Neal........................

.......Duffy....Robertson....McGivern.......

Moore..O'Connor..Brown..Lines..Marshall

...............Pope..............Slew..............

 

That's the formation I suggested a few days ago as I said it gave us an extra centre half, defensive midfielder and a partner for Pope which are key elements at the moment.

 

The only two things I would change are the personnel slightly and put McGivern left wing back and Marshall right wing back, looking at the goals we are conceding Dicko shouldn't be in the side at the moment and I don't thing both wing backs should be out and out wingers.

[Desperate Dan]

GK: Johnson,

 

RB: Yates

RCB: Duffy

LCB: Robertson

LB: Dickinson ©

 

CDM: Brown

CAM: O'Connor

 

RM: Moore

LM: Marshall

 

ST: Slew

ST: Williamson

 

:)

[sheffield61]

Sides more often than not win the first game after a manager's departure........As much as I want that I'm sure Micky Adams would see the irony!........:(