Retained list?.

[StaffordValeFan]

Gotta feel a bit sorry for Robbo - no worse than 4-5 others in the retained list.

 

For a man with a blank canvas, able to release players, including ones on contracts, this looks very underwhelming.

[Conrad]

So when Page said" its not my squad" what he really meant is " its the squad I want"

 

It's his squad now, but it's the same squad as last season.

[Smugsy]

This post will get a lot of thumbs down but here goes. There was never going to be a mass clear out. We're a small club who don't have the finances to attract ten better players in an off season. We have to creep and go. Finances dictate that. I thought at the end of the season we needed to improve the spine of the team with a new centre half, a younger Michael Brown and a new goalscorer (like they grow on trees!) the priority. In an ideal world Yates, Birchall and Williamson would be released but if a centre half is brought in Viselli goes to right back and Yates is a back up, Birchall is a useful player away from home although I don't want to see him play at Vale Park very often and Williamson................well, I can't defend that one. I know there a lot of ifs there but we need bodies and if their contracts allow the better players to stay and a few better players to come in, so be it.

 

Prepares for abuse.

[onestepatatime]

Disappointed by offering Williamson and birchall deals, both stealing a living. Fingers crossed they are crap deals so they find somewhere else.

 

Don't bet on it! We all know these are 2 of his favourites and it was obvious he was going to offer them contracts. They will realise that no one elsewhere will they get such a cushy number.

 

Afraid that Page has again showed he's predictable and perhaps a little frightened of making important decisions. same old, same old. My fear is that many, many Valiants will have seen through Page now and will not be attending matches unless he fails and Vale slide slowly down the League. Can't blame them after all the "talk" he was going to shake things up. Once more we read things he says but in reality he is an inexperienced, floundering manager with a view simply to attempt to stay in division 1. No ambition!

 

Thought Smurf suggested he had until end of September and if things had not improved by then matters would be sorted? Looks likely we will now be seeing action at Vale Park early October. I have paid for my season ticket and will be a supporter always but I sincerely believe now that we are going to struggle to shift tickets to watch the same squad in general flounder.

[MattW]

So when Page said" its not my squad" what he really meant is " its the squad I want"

 

Correct what a clown I'm really annoyed. Birchall yates Williamson lloyd Smith boot should all gave been gone.

 

With 5 youth players offered deals our squad is almost full.

 

Play off push? No chance.

 

Wait till Pope O'connor and Marshall turn down deals. Were in big trouble then.

[brookersleftboot]

Remember those that were saying to the critics, judge page on his own squad?? well it seems that we were jusging him on his own choice of players after all as hes offering contracts to most of them. They werent good enough last season so why on earth does page think they will be good enough after the summer??

 

Does he really think that a few coaches will change everything? Smurf you have done lots of decent work at pvfc, but you crucially have made mistake after mistake on the one thing that influences attendances...the on field product. Im yet to find a fan that says "yes i cant wait to watch these same players again next season!"...

 

Appointing page is like havi g the spawn of Sinnott & Gannon in charge. Page has the spin & talk of spinnott but the lunacy of gannon......hopefully smurf will keep to his word & be "Ruthless" in september because if tue core of this lot are resigned then i really cant see anything other than a struggle.

 

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over n over & expect a different result....well we have the same personnel year on year....same defensive errors year on year.

 

Utterly disgusted.

[Conrad]

What I don't understand is we only release 1 who has been a member of the first team squad, we are told the budget is a reduced one, yet he still wants to bring in another 4 or 5 players. Add to that the 5 who have been promoted from the youth team and we'll have a bigger squad than Chelsea.

 

Unless of course the contacts that have been offered are derisory contracts that they know won't be accepted.

[Arthur]

That's poor from page. Players like Williamson and Birchall will get us nowhere. I'm confused as why Lloyd has ended up with a deal. He's done absolutely nothing with the 1st team, yet we offer him something.

 

Really disappointed with that.

 

With them type of players, we need a miracle to be anywhere near the playoffs. It O'conner and Marshall turn down their deals then we will be well and truly in the ****

[The French Connection]

What I don't understand is we only release 1 who has been a member of the first team squad, we are told the budget is a reduced one, yet he still wants to bring in another 4 or 5 players. Add to that the 5 who have been promoted from the youth team and we'll have a bigger squad than Chelsea.

 

Unless of course the contacts that have been offered are derisory contracts that they know won't be accepted.

 

He could be expecting a number of players to turn down their

deals. Also, if Pope, O'Connor and Marshall say 'No' that will free up a budget to sign some more.

 

Got to say I'm slightly puzzled and disappointed by the retained list. He won't have much time to get it right if Smurf is true to his word about the end of September. Of course, if it all goes pear-shaped we could face a mirror image of the season just finished. Let's pray for a good start!

[ValeYouth04]

I am absolutely gutted, players like Williamson and Birchall should not be playing league one football.

[Guppy 4 England]

Its like waiting for Christmas then waking up to find out you have been burgled .

[Conrad]

He could be expecting a number of players to turn down their

deals. Also, if Pope, O'Connor and Marshall say 'No' that will free up a budget to sign some more.

 

Got to say I'm slightly puzzled and disappointed by the retained list. He won't have much time to get it right if Smurf is true to his word about the end of September. Of course, if it all goes pear-shaped we could face a mirror image of the season just finished. Let's pray for a good start!

 

Maybe he knows the gas might offer a fee for Lines, suppose that would add to the budget, can't see us getting a fee for anyone else, except Pope maybe.

 

Ps should have said o Conneor and Marshall we may get a fee for.

[onestepatatime]

I'm trying to find some good out of Page's retained list....... still trying!

 

I have sat on the fence concerning Page, after my initial feeling that he was the safe, cheap option for Smurf.

 

Nothing about his attitude at games gave me any enthusiasm for the man but I slowly, like others, felt he "may" be OK when he had time to compose his "own" squad and realise that the Vale fans were not at all understanding his decisions/tactics or selections. Time after time the phrase "when he gets his own squad" appeared in the press, posts and twitter etc,etc. We were all brainwashed into believing that the squad was totally Mickey's even though had been his number 2 for ages and must have had some input into players. Well, Page has proven beyond doubt now that he is Mickey reincarnated, and that is the Mickey of the dark era leaving up to his demise at Vale.

 

How can fans now believe anything that Page says to the press? He has actually only released one player in effect and offered contracts to many that we all know are blatantly not good enough for Vale to stay in Division 1 next year, let alone improve!!

 

I am dumfounded especially when we are asked to accept that perhaps Pope, O'Connor and Marshall may venture elsewhere? If that happens I can forecast doom and gloom of a proportion that even us hardened fans haven't seen for many a year!

 

There is time yet for matters to change, I tell myself in the hope of better things to come. But am I being sucked into Page's senseless, unacceptable world? As I repeat I am a Valiant and always will be but for me now to seriously question my allegiance to a poor Team must suggest that any floaters or casual Vale fans on hearing the retained list will decide enough is enough and we will be down to the bare bones of crowds of 2,500 or maybe a little more UNTIL Page fails completely? Smurf what have you done?

[davo80]

What a joke

[vale@rocks]

Totally bemused and shocked. Page must realise how supporters feel. He also knows the attributes of his players. I was certain to get a new season ticket now I have major doubts. Instead of taking our club forward he appears to be taking us to oblivion.