Fleetwood 1 Port Vale 0 - Post Match Comments

[Little_Al]

Disappointed with penalty decision - McGivern was pulling him back at first and the guy went down about 3 seconds after - ref was in perfect position and decided it wasn't a foul so how can the linesman be making that decision!

The referee decided it was a penalty. He was the only one who could decide.

[philpvfc]

The referee decided it was a penalty. He was the only one who could decide.

 

It was the linesman who gave it. After looking at the incident again on the highlights I think it was a penalty. 2 stupid mistakes cost us 3 points.

[soothsayer]

Wouldn't call Gannon a manager!! Imo as soon as Page as been installed as manager the players will go off the boil and we'll be back to square one.Let's get an experienced manager in there's plenty out there.

Experience is no guarantee of success. Some Managers have made a career out of being unsuccessful.

RP was given until the end of October and that's right, a results based decision then needs to be made. 1 win, 1 draw, 1 defeat isn't too bad although we really need to win a couple of our next three home games.

[onestepatatime]

Got back from Blacky last night so not really looked what people have to say about game.

 

My thoughts were that Fleetwood were there for the taking and we have thrown 3 points away due to a petulant prima donna letting his mates down. Slew offers us nothing and does not link up with Pope in any way, either reading the game or anticipation. I agree with lots of comments at the ground that Slew is a mistake and how on earth he commanded a £1,000,000 tag once is beyond belief.

 

As a team we are definitely shaping up much better and have been more solid in defence following Page's take over. What we now have to do, quickly, is find a forward who can play off/with Tom so Marshall can be allowed to roam the wing and cause his damage there. The present lot in our squad simply are not good enough up front.

 

On grounds like Fleetwood and their meagre fans and atmoshere we must dominate from the start and get 3 points tied up. Frankly I felt they were poor opposition and come the end of the season I think they will be nearer the bottom than us.

 

Probably true that all fans everywhere bemoan their luck with poor decisions/officials/run of the ball but we seem to be in the midst presently of all those rolled into each game. Luck and a change of fortune however are round the corner. The lads are showing that they want to succeed and gel together and I honestly feel that it is going to see us attain points in the games to come to put us back where we belong and where we will finish, mid table.

 

We have no divine right to expect promotion or play offs,yet, but we need to keep the faith and back the Club. It will be right, in the end. Optimism from us fans will rub off on the squad and we will get back on the upward track. Saturday was a chance lost due to one individual changing the game/tactics. Had we have had 11 players for the full match we would have been singing their praises now for a good away win. End Slew's loan with us, get in a decent forward and march on!

[Eddie Hitler]

Had we have had 11 players for the full match we would have been singing their praises now for a good away win. End Slew's loan with us, get in a decent forward and march on!

 

I thought that we played better with 10 men.

[onestepatatime]

I thought that we played better with 10 men.

 

Don't disagree with that, just that if we had 11 men on the pitch, Slew not being one of them, we would have got 3 points comfortably.

[Eddie Hitler]

Don't disagree with that, just that if we had 11 men on the pitch, Slew not being one of them, we would have got 3 points comfortably.

 

I thought that Dicko and Lines only upped their game when they got wound-up after sending-off.

 

First half was *****.

[Tenement Funster]

With 11 I thought we were poor. Didn't use the flanks and that's a shame as Dodds was getting the space. I did feel as good a game as he was having though that if at some point we'd have been able to switch Marshall to that side he'd have done more though. Dodds isn't the kind of player that's going to run at people and I think we needed to try that against their left back.

 

Slew was awful before getting sent off so to do that just rubbed it in. He looked very lacklustre and that's a shame as up until Saturday I thought he had potential. Time to try Dodds up there with Pope for me and try Byron out wide. Moore hasn't been brilliant up to yet but I feel with Dodds in the hole that will help to both support Pope more and help out that midfield which just doesn't quite work with Lines and O'Connor (but is improving).

 

Once down to ten we played well but was hard to believe we wouldn't make an error. It was a penalty as once you get goal side of a defender if there is contact, however minor, then you've got a good case for a penalty. What was more annoying though was the amount of contact made was minimal and the ref didn't seem to keen to give those kind of decisions elsewhere on the pitch so when the liner flags you've got to be a bit suspicious.

 

Neal - 9 - An outstanding double save and an easy MOTM

Yates - 7 - Defensively did well but his delivery was very poor on the most part.

Dickinson - 7 - Similar to Yates really, had a lot of space at times going forward but didn't make the most of it.

McGivern - 7 - Can't knock him too much but he does seem to be at the centre of our mistakes a lot.

Duffy - 7 - Composed and organising at the back. Just lacks a bit of strength or pace at times.

Dodds - 7 - Worked hard, good vision but his drifting doesn't help the shape of the team going forward even if it does defensively.

Marshall - 7 - Tried hard but not given the ball to feet enough. Tracked back well.

O'Connor - 6 - Quiet first half but his legs helped us out no end second half.

Lines - 6 - Similar to O'Connor. Had he played like he did in the second half in the first we may have been out of sight.

Pope - 5 - No service often for Pope equals no performance. Missed some crucial chances though.

Slew - 3 - We were better with ten men... says it all.

 

Birchall - 6 - Missed a golden chance but livened us up a bit.

Williamson - 5 - No impact.

[onestepatatime]

I thought that Dicko and Lines only upped their game when they got wound-up after sending-off.

 

First half was *****.

 

We showed them much too much respect from the off. We need/have to win these matches. Page obviously wanted to keep them quiet for first 20 minutes but frankly I thought they offered very little. Think the idea was to go in half time all square and then "have a go at them" but due to Slew's childish attitude we had to re-think. With 10 men we did actually look like a side together and should have nicked it at the death...what was Birchall doing/thinking of? Easier to score than guide his header wide with a gaping net right infront of him!

[Alan Baker]

After 3 Games with Page, not sure how I feel things have changed.

 

Better defensively, for sure and good that Neal back to his best.

 

Still think that Page has got the job in all but name and three winnable home games to come could mean that he has to get the job in some fans' view.

[Santa]

I can see him getting the job until the end of the season unless a real stand out candidate applies and doesn't demand too much money. Any of the other candidates that have been linked would be a gamble.

[Shropshire_Valiant]

Certainly a point if not 3 we could/should have had, but as the old adage goes 'when you're down there things don't go for you'.

We missed 2 sitters(Pope first half and Birchall at the end) and Pope also hit the bar with the other head 2nd half which was a tad unlucky.

 

As others have said Fleetwood were ordinary at best and there for the taking. Slew stupidity gave them a lift and meant we had to play the remainder of the match in a more defensive capacity and invite pressure. Despite this I think Fleetwood really only had the point blank efforts that Neal saved aside from the actual penalty incident. Which shows how ordinary and boring they are as a team.

 

The penalty I have to say I wouldn't have been surprised if the ref had given it outright, however to actually physically wave it away and then go with the linesman when he was in as good as if not a better position is frustrating and poor officiating(show some bottle man!). There was a very similar incident near the start of the game when Marshall leaned on their man in the box on the right and neither the ref or linesman seemed to bat an eyelid. Again I wouldn't have been surprised had this been given(in the modern game) but it would have been soft and the way footballers go down these days as soon as they set foot in the box looking for it is criminal in itself but there we are!

The main point is the officiating wreaks of inconsistency but I suppose we ought to be used to that!

 

Disappointing result but not the performance we're showing a lot more fight and defending better but the longer we get stuck in that bottom 4 it becomes harder to get out and things in some games will undoubtedly go against us!

[Rudge's Flat Cap]

Be lucky get 4k next week. Nearly 1/4 of the season already gone and we've already lost 6 games out 11.. I hope to god Page doesn't get the job. We need an experienced manager asap imho..

 

Did you go to the Fleetwood match? All the negative posts on here knocking Page and the team seem to be from those who didn't.

 

We were away to a good side and were on top until Slew let everybody down. Then we fought hard with ten men, even creating the best chances on the counter attack, only to be let down again by somebody else, this being the referree more than the linesman because the ***** was better placed and shook his head to the penalty first of all. Linesmen are they to support the ref, i.e. Assistant Referees. They are not there to overule a decision that the referre has alread seen, when better placed, and waved away. Disgusting.

 

Vale, under Page, have looked a good side in all three games. They know they're going to have to work hard to firstly find form, and then consistent good results, but all the signs are there. Keep up the good work Rob Page.

[Shropshire_Valiant]

I'd agree with all that RFC I just don't see Fleetwood as a very good side at all(certainly not in the footballing sense). OK their position in the league is decent but the last few times I've watched them(3 playoff games on the box at the end of last season and Saturday) they employed the same boring one dimensional tactics and have somehow sneaked three 1-0 wins and a goalless draw from the four games.

Whatever they're doing it somehow seems to work. They must be able to play with some flair as 3 goals against Bristol would suggest but jeez I couldn't watch that fair every week!