Pope to Donnie?

[wwindsor]

Radio Stoke just reported that Tom Pope having talks this week with Doncaster.

[CAVALIER]

Could result in OConnor going too as its his neck of the woods? Hope not

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

Radio Stoke just reported that Tom Pope having talks this week with Doncaster.

 

Yorkshire folk love a moan so he will be right at home there!

 

Hope he stays but if he goes good luck to him and he'd leave with my blessing. Bit of a commute from Sneyd Green to Donnie though.

[old sage]

I take it that he wasn't too impressed with our offer then?. If we lose Tom I believe that it will have a major and adverse effect on the likelihood of O'Connor and Marshall extending their stay at Vale Park as it smacks of lack of ambition.

 

So much for Page's recent statement.

[jeff1966]

Would hate to see him go but it would free up some serious wonga for Pagey,if true good luck Popey -proper Vale lad.😏

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

I take it that he wasn't too impressed with our offer then?. If we lose Tom I believe that it will have a major and adverse effect on the likelihood of O'Connor and Marshall extending their stay at Vale Park as it smacks of lack of ambition.

 

So much for Page's recent statement.

 

I don't see why it would relate to O'Connor and Marshall do long as we offered them good money and longer terms as they have muted.

 

The key thing is we sign those two and if Pope does leave replace him with a more regular goal scorer.

 

Since his sensational season he has been on a gradual decline and maybe it is an opportunity for him to seek a new challenge and for us to progress with other players.

[old sage]

I don't see why it would relate to O'Connor and Marshall do long as we offered them good money and longer terms as they have muted.

 

The key thing is we sign those two and if Pope does leave replace him with a more regular goal scorer.

 

Since his sensational season he has been on a gradual decline and maybe it is an opportunity for him to seek a new challenge and for us to progress with other players.

Talk is cheap players with ambition will only stay with a club that shows a similar attitude. Your comments regarding Pope aren't worth a reply other than do you seriously believe Vale will stump up enough money to bring in a player who will contribute as much to the team like Tom does because there is more to Popey than just his goals

 

If you really think they will then you must be crazy REP

[TheSage]

I know you've got to be savvy with the budget and cut your cloth according to your needs. We very badly need a couple of defenders and have done for 2 years now but if the likes of Pope and O'Connor leave we'll struggle to replace them.

I still feel, personally, that we have to go the extra yard to try and keep these players even if it means letting a couple more squad players go, or bringing in a loan player instead of signing someone permanently, or only keeping 2 keepers and not 3, or whatever.

 

Whenever good players leave the team is weakened and no way will you attract fans through the gates if you continually let the very good ones walk out through the door. We've missed Loft this year, for example. You can't necessarily replace them. It isn't that simple. It always always has a negative impact on the team.

 

We are a small club. It happens. I know we don't have a bottomless pit of money and I'm expecting some of them to leave, as they do every season. But we all know that the team is short on quality and if the three of them leave it will make a huge hole in the team.

[Lady_Vale]

I don't see why it would relate to O'Connor and Marshall do long as we offered them good money and longer terms as they have muted.

 

The key thing is we sign those two and if Pope does leave replace him with a more regular goal scorer.

 

Since his sensational season he has been on a gradual decline and maybe it is an opportunity for him to seek a new challenge and for us to progress with other players.

 

No faith in Page replacing Pope with a regular scorer - he thinks Williamson is a 'quality player'.

 

Perhaps this is the rebuilding process Page refers to in his statement. Lose the better ones and have the challenge of replacing them on half the wages.

 

I don't know how Page would convince a quality player to join us....publically reducing the budget, only just avoiding relegation, possibly losing high profile players, dwindling gates. I bet they'll be queuing up.

[old sage]

If the likes of Tom are allowed to leave to join rival L1 clubs and are not replaced with good quality players what is the only real option to fans to show their displeasure?

I can only think of one and that is vote with their feet! I believe that many will!!

[carpetman123]

I dont think we should be too worried about Pope going we didnt really miss him when he was out injured and it lets us explore other ways of playing instead of hoof ball, we always have these discussions when top strikers leave the club but as shown over the years there is always a 'new kid on the block' who comes through

 

Ie Brooker, Constantine, McPhee, Richards, etc these were all good strikers and it just means we can change our style of play good luck to him if he goes and thanks for the memories

[TheSage]

When Brooker and McPhee left we certainly changed our style of play - and dropped like a stone.

Weren't we relegated the season after Constantine left?

Would we have survived the drop without Pope's contribution, his second half cameo against PNE or his goal at Yeovil?

 

I can't understand the logic that if we lose our better players the team will improve.

[old sage]

I dont think we should be too worried about Pope going we didnt really miss him when he was out injured and it lets us explore other ways of playing instead of hoof ball, we always have these discussions when top strikers leave the club but as shown over the years there is always a 'new kid on the block' who comes through

 

Ie Brooker, Constantine, McPhee, Richards, etc these were all good strikers and it just means we can change our style of play good luck to him if he goes and thanks for the memories

I fear you will regret this opinion John. One thing is clear don't rely on Willo to fill the huge hole that his leaving will leave on both the field, dressing room and lastly but very importantly on the terraces.

[valefan16]

Sideways move but clearly they are offering him the money we aren't which is a worry.

 

If he does I will be disappointed to lose a player who's done as much as he has for us in the past few years, that said since his injury he's struggled for form and I guess we will have to move on. Page must get his replacement right though and let's hope this isn't a sign that all our big players will be gone as offers are all a pay cut?

[Inny]

I hope Tom stays but check his scoring record. Take away one very good season for the Vale and his career is mediocre I'm afraid. Granted better then Ben Williamson. It appears the rebuilding exercise may be happening after all.