Page to Northampton

[PV1973]

yes , but when mettle was needed for the bigger games when in touching distance of the play offs or facing a so called bigger team away we were found wanting!

I don't think you know what he brought to the club or the players.

[Paul6754]

What's the situation with Paul Bodin, I'm guessing he will join RP at Northampton.

[valeblue]

So he must be rubbish then because of a few bad results. The players speak highly of him and he has helped them improve no doubt about it.

 

didn't say he was rubbish did I mouth , just don't think it helped us much when it mattered.

[Paul6754]

Vantavale, I agree but it all depends on who comes in and how long it takes, money talks.

[Bea Smith]

For crying out loud dont start blaming the fans because the manager was offered a 3 year contract, possibly better pay and bigger budget and he jumped at it.

 

Why not ? Smurf reads and posts on OVF and didn't pay him enough or want to keep him enough. There are about 7 or 8 hardline anti-RP people on here who have undermined RP consistently, and another couple like REP who choose to praise him only when Vale win and 6 months ago were slating him all the time.

Those people DO influence Smurf, even if he denies it - and I expect this will be a banned opinion as you too have been less than supportive of him. Yes, anyone is entitled to their opinion (except me it seems when my posts are removed, only ever by one admin person) - but don't weep crocodile tears after or try to pretend that what you write does not have implications.

 

If we get someone who is a disaster it will be a lot to do with those few people who have made life more difficult than it should have been for RP who probably has been waiting for a chance to get away from them and their non-support.

I too am very sorry that we have lost John Harbim, has it occurred to anyone that not only Bodin but also Michael Brown may also end up at Northampton the way things are going ?

[PV1973]

didn't say he was rubbish did I mouth , just don't think it helped us much when it mattered.

But every game mattered, irrespective of who they were playing. Every one on one session with the players, every plan he put together for them, every talk he gave, it all mattered and all helped.

 

Of course its up to the players to take that on board, personally I think they did in the main and yes they did come up short at the end of the season. But not as far short as we feared at the beginning of the season.

 

Hes well respected within the club and in the other sports hes been involved in and hes thought highly enough of to be going with Page to his next job. Thats says it all.

[Trampilot]

Sad he's gone. Generally thought the performances, especially at home, were an improvement. Team attitude was better. Obviously some errors made, but he's a young manager. Thought the handling of the press was pants. "I've had no contact" bs. I wonder if he knew when he did the retained list? In most professions, high profile positions have 3-6 months of gardening leave. Funny how that NEVER applies in football isn't it!

 

Who to replace? Personally I don't think it matters given Smurf's intent to wind the club down until he can sell it. If its Dean Glover then I'll have to find something else to do on Saturdays.

[melv]

wont miss Harbin , club psychologist??? yea , that helped against Burton , Bradford , Blades away and that no show at Scunthorpe!!

 

You said this for a wind up yea????

[Bert Llewellyn]

Shocked RP has gone to Northampton and very bad timing for the Vale. Cool head needed Smurf, no one is irreplaceable, I'd like to see someone who's got a good track record at this level, someone with a name like Nigel Adkins or similar who'll persuade the like of AJLS to stay and pair him with Michael Brown if that is what Browny wants. Touchy time ahead for the Vale.

 

Hope page doesn't take the likes of AJLS with him.

 

Well there's a first "cool head" and Smurf mentioned in the same sentence!

[Yukon]

To be fair, one way of reducing the budget is shipping out the entire coaching staff...

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

It put my mortgage on Andoh and AJ signing for them now

 

We all know your bets are worth nowt! ;)

 

Exciting times ahead from my perspective if we get the right manager in. We need someone dynamic and less chummy with the players.

 

Here's hoping we can now withdraw contract offers to a number of players for the new man to start again.

 

My choices would be Brown, Coleman, Atkins and if it was one of the latter two with Brown as assistant.

 

We are behind where we were 2 years ago so hopefully we can now look to progress.

[ginge]

Not Colin, please.

 

Colin who?

 

 

Im not sure brown has the experience yet. He may need some time being assistant to gain some experience. However if we're after a cheap option then smurf may go down that route. Id like to see adkins but I can't see that happening.

[Rampant Zebra]

Neil Warnock is sometimes called Colin. It is an anagram....

[Vital Spark]

Very disappointed that we're stuck with Pages retained list, especially after his emails rallying the fans to support him and the team. Mixed emotions in terms of losing Page and we're unaware of what's happened behind the scenes, but I'm sure that Page, just like the rest of the staff at VP are working under very challenging and frustrating conditions. One thing I know for a fact is I've had a belly full of this club and sadly I couldnt give a stuff what happens to it any more.

[Jacko51]

Don't the contract offers have to stay on the table for 28 days before they can be withdrawn?