Shrewsbury after Dodds

[melv]

Smurf needs to do something positive to reassure the players and do it quick before the better players decide to go elsewhere.Players will soon be getting nervous,their agents will already be doing their bit.(wether they believe what he say's if he say's anything at all is another matter)

 

This has the potential to get messy and costly for the club.

[For Us All]

Cross-reference this story with Pope's article and it's clear we're going to lose senior players.

 

Whilst I'm worried about the quality we can bring in on such (allegedly) low wages, I'd be just as worried about the commitment to the cause of players who stay on much-cut pay.

 

Salop is commutable for Dodds so I think he'll go.

 

These are potentially worrying times!!

 

I'm afraid it's all about cutting your cloth.

[mr.hobblesworth]

Smurf needs to make sure the budget is sustainable and if that means losing players, unfortunately, so be it. I'm sure he'll still be topping it up here and there but there's no way we can keep on losing 80k a month.

[The Kalamazoo Kid]

Dont know where he lives but Shrewsbury's not far from here.

 

Trentham, I think - or at least he used to. A very easy journey to Shrewsbury.

[butt lane vale fan]

Wow that's really passion!!I hope too that Smurf does reconsider and build bridges with fans.We really need to pull together as we don't want to end up back in L2 or even worse!!!!Get a grip and sort it Norman,please!!!!!!!!!

 

Mate I get on with Smurf and think he has done one hell of a lot of good things, however what is currently happening to us. First we lose Pope, fair dos I can handle losing one player who we had got the best out of. However we then lose Page to a club no bigger than us and now talk of Dodds going Shrewsbury.

Add to this the fact the background team struggle to get a budget to market Season Tickets. The fact Smurf does everything he can to wind the Media up, instead of using it to good effect to build bridges. The fact the catering is as bad as ever. The fact you go into the Paddock and can't even hear the bloody tannoy system and the fact the pr out of the club is nothing short of abysmal.

Fans keep saying we have to live within FFP rules, well how the hell do these other sides get around it. Please don't give me this crap your happy little Port Vale can't compete with a side averaging 2500 anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I fully appreciate everything Smurf has done and the money he has put in, but for gods sake Norman, we were a couple of players short of a play off side this season, so why the hell are you throwing all your God damm toys out the Pram.

Yes I appreciate he can't keep throwing tons of money in, but again, I'm asking for us to compete with sides the same size of us and to show some ambition. I'm not bloody asking for the same budget as Sheffield United. And has he ever thought a Championship Port Vale will get him a far bigger return on his investment, than a League 2 Port Vale which is where we will end up once all his bloody toys have been thrown out if he continues on this pattern of self destruct.

Smurf, thanks for everything you have done, but please look at what is happening and what you are doing. Do you really think the current path your taking will help boost attendances. At the end of the Day I haven't got a problem with you being our chairman I fact I like your passion, however there comes a time where the club is bigger than the man. So either put up and show some ambition and give us a budget that competes, again we were only 2 players short of the play offs last season. However if you can't do that either bring some help and investment in along side yourself. Or please sell the club to a party with the means to take us forward.

[Class personified]

It will be sad if Doddsie goes as he always gives a 100%. However if the player is not committed to the club then so be it.

[Mellor!]

I don't think anyone can say that Doddsy isn't committed to the club. Look at all the **** he's stayed with us through, protests, not getting paid, administration and 3 seasons of Smurthwaite. If he does go, I can't blame him. Vale is my and a lot of other people's life and I'm really undecided about renewing my season ticket, and I'm sure there are 100's just like me. So if the die hards are on the verge, I don't hold much hope for the players.

[mr.hobblesworth]

Mate I get on with Smurf and think he has done one hell of a lot of good things, however what is currently happening to us. First we lose Pope, fair dos I can handle losing one player who we had got the best out of. However we then lose Page to a club no bigger than us and now talk of Dodds going Shrewsbury.

Add to this the fact the background team struggle to get a budget to market Season Tickets. The fact Smurf does everything he can to wind the Media up, instead of using it to good effect to build bridges. The fact the catering is as bad as ever. The fact you go into the Paddock and can't even hear the bloody tannoy system and the fact the pr out of the club is nothing short of abysmal.

Fans keep saying we have to live within FFP rules, well how the hell do these other sides get around it. Please don't give me this crap your happy little Port Vale can't compete with a side averaging 2500 anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I fully appreciate everything Smurf has done and the money he has put in, but for gods sake Norman, we were a couple of players short of a play off side this season, so why the hell are you throwing all your God damm toys out the Pram.

Yes I appreciate he can't keep throwing tons of money in, but again, I'm asking for us to compete with sides the same size of us and to show some ambition. I'm not bloody asking for the same budget as Sheffield United. And has he ever thought a Championship Port Vale will get him a far bigger return on his investment, than a League 2 Port Vale which is where we will end up once all his bloody toys have been thrown out if he continues on this pattern of self destruct.

Smurf, thanks for everything you have done, but please look at what is happening and what you are doing. Do you really think the current path your taking will help boost attendances. At the end of the Day I haven't got a problem with you being our chairman I fact I like your passion, however there comes a time where the club is bigger than the man. So either put up and show some ambition and give us a budget that competes, again we were only 2 players short of the play offs last season. However if you can't do that either bring some help and investment in along side yourself. Or please sell the club to a party with the means to take us forward.

 

Really good post. All I would add is, IMO, once we bring the players' wages down to an acceptable level we will be able to show more ambition. It's difficult because no-one on here really knows what the players are paid and what other clubs' budgets are. But, if what we've heard is true, we're unable to splash out because Norman is already spending 80k a month on subsidising the current squad. Bring those wages down to an acceptable level and, yeah, maybe he will be able to spend a little extra and bring us something special. However, until the current players are taking the going rate, that sounds unlikely.

[werstayinup]

Come on Carpetman,do you have anything to say on losing a manager to a smaller club and now players possibly going to smaller clubs??

 

If he isn't going to fund a push then he really needs to sell

[old sage]

Smurf needs to make sure the budget is sustainable and if that means losing players, unfortunately, so be it. I'm sure he'll still be topping it up here and there but there's no way we can keep on losing 80k a month.

If he cuts the budget he will probably lose a lot more in the long run. The truth is I'm pretty sure is that the owner bought a very expensive toy which he can't or won't afford to maintain.

[old sage]

I don't think anyone can say that Doddsy isn't committed to the club. Look at all the **** he's stayed with us through, protests, not getting paid, administration and 3 seasons of Smurthwaite. If he does go, I can't blame him. Vale is my and a lot of other people's life and I'm really undecided about renewing my season ticket, and I'm sure there are 100's just like me. So if the die hards are on the verge, I don't hold much hope for the players.

It's worrying times when die hard fans like Mellor is thinking of not renewing his season ticket. I did say that I would re-new mine after a season long break but recent events are making me have second thoughts also and like Mell and a lot more Port Vale has been my only footballing love but our present owner is choking it to death I'm afraid.

[old sage]

It will be sad if Doddsie goes as he always gives a 100%. However if the player is not committed to the club then so be it.

It isn't Louis that isn't committed but that claim could perhaps be levelled against the owner who came in and made us all laugh:laugh: but of late he is making many of us feel more like crying.:cry:

[beasty77]

We need players like Dodds stay imho, and by all accounts he does want to stay. Smurf doesn't give a damn about Vale, hes constantly pushing people out the door whether they want go or not. None of the payers like Smurf, and tbh he does seem a right bas tard to work for.

[vale@rocks]

This seems to be a case of deserting a sinking ship. Said for a long time Mr Smurthwaite is the culprit. He knew what he was getting into when he purchased Port Vale and he knows what he is doing now. Any spiraling debts are going to increase until he gets a grip. Until then this situation will only get worse.

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

Blimey if this is true Owd will be in meltdown