Matchday Thread: Port Vale v Fleetwood Town

[Michael]

You really think we are "bad"?

 

Off the top of my head....Scunthorpe and Millwall - excellent performsnces.

Charlton - played off the park, but we nicked a point. It happens to ALL teams in ALL leagues in ALL countries!

Coventry - first home defeat which came in October - not too shabby to go that long without defeat at home.

Oxford - 2 down, got a point, both eams going for it. A really entertaining match.

Stevenage - poor, but we got through and are a £25-30k better off.

Fleetwood - came from behind AGAIN and this time got all 3 points. Another entertaining

match with Fleetwood trying to wi it and Grant going berserk.

 

I don't know how long you've been going but we've had far,far worse teams than this and far less interesting times than these.

 

Smith, Streete, Jones and Thomas would walk into most teams in this league.

 

I understand what your saying and I agree with most of what you say but although we have had worse teams in the past this team we have now according to Smurf has been put together to play football not just to try and hoof it to Pope but this team is awful to watch and by some miracle picks up points against terrible teams who come to VP and destroy us for 88 minutes but can't find the net. Did u go Bolton and Sheff Utd away? I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing both we should have been 6 down by the break!

[stupers]

Since the start of October it's been poor, there's no doubt about it. The results prior to that were masking some of the issues that clearly have, mainly over our passing, attacking movement and defensive cover from midfield. Some of the passing is woeful, we give the ball away far too easily at times and in positions that are dangerous. Movement going forward is a worry. We're slow going forward and the quick counter that we seemed to have in our locker in August has disappeared. Defensively, it feels like we give away a hell of a lot of good chances to the opposition. I thought I counted 6 or 7 last ditch tackles or blocks we had to make on Saturday. Compare that to the other end and we looked 2nd best. We didn't really get going until we scored. There's a lack of confidence in the team and it spreads to the stands. The team don't look like they think they're going to win. The body language is awful. My belief is there is an issue with between the players and a member of the coaching staff which is creating a difficult atmosphere within the squad.

 

Finally, it's probably just me but I think Regino Cicilia is actually a decent player. Unlike most it seems, I'm not expecting him to win every header because he's 6'5". He needs to work on his challenging for the ball, but if you watch when he does win one, we usually retain possession because he's got it to another one of our players. His first touch and control is very good as well. I think he's got the potential to be a very good addition to the squad, and not just for the 'nuisance' factor he appears to bring with him. I don't really understand the crowd reaction to him.

[valiant_593]

I understand what your saying and I agree with most of what you say but although we have had worse teams in the past this team we have now according to Smurf has been put together to play football not just to try and hoof it to Pope but this team is awful to watch and by some miracle picks up points against terrible teams who come to VP and destroy us for 88 minutes but can't find the net. Did u go Bolton and Sheff Utd away? I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing both we should have been 6 down by the break!

 

Ah that's it then. You don't go the games but somehow know or think these teams are terrible? Considering fleetwood we're mid table and scored in every match this season I'd say they weren't that bad! Face it vale are a better side than people give credit for.

[IanW]

Finally, it's probably just me but I think Regino Cicilia is actually a decent player. Unlike most it seems, I'm not expecting him to win every header because he's 6'5". He needs to work on his challenging for the ball, but if you watch when he does win one, we usually retain possession because he's got it to another one of our players. His first touch and control is very good as well. I think he's got the potential to be a very good addition to the squad, and not just for the 'nuisance' factor he appears to bring with him. I don't really understand the crowd reaction to him.

 

You're not alone in these thoughts don't worry. The problem is, because he's tall everyone just see's a head on a stick. His ball retention with feet is actually pretty good and more often than not finds a team mate.

[t.punchard]

not a fantastic game to watch but we've come out of it with a win, cicilia coming on changed the game before that we didn't have a striker on who could compete with fleetwoods central defenders, Nathan smith and remi streete were superb today we really need to get streete on a the same contract as smith, alex jones had a quiet game but like all good strikers popped up with the winner,we will need to play better against Charlton to get a result but it is a winnable game to stay around the top 6 we have got to put a run of 4 or 5 games together without losing or else we will up and down the league like a yo-yo

[Fosse69]

You're not alone in these thoughts don't worry. The problem is, because he's tall everyone just see's a head on a stick. His ball retention with feet is actually pretty good and more often than not finds a team mate.

Maybe he appears ungainly, but it is as you say what he does with his feet that counts, he certainly disrupts the opposition.

[stupers]

You're not alone in these thoughts don't worry. The problem is, because he's tall everyone just see's a head on a stick. His ball retention with feet is actually pretty good and more often than not finds a team mate.

 

I will say, that his play reminds me of a young Peter Crouch. He was much maligned in his early career for his aerial ability. But was still awkward for defenders to deal with, and had a good control of the ball.

[Trampilot]

Well that's 3 games I've started to travel too and only got to one! (This time a blend of poor weather, road delays and receiving some sad news over the phone)

 

Good result despite not playing well it seems. Glad Cicilla got on scoresheet again. I had a feeling he might be a booboy target. Thing is being tall isn't always a given for being good in the air. You need a lot of leg muscle to get the height, so the taller and bigger you are the more muscle you need. That means more weight, potentially less agility and speed. Not seen him to make a judgement but its true generally speaking.

[SFBT]

You're not alone in these thoughts don't worry. The problem is, because he's tall everyone just see's a head on a stick. His ball retention with feet is actually pretty good and more often than not finds a team mate.

 

Cult hero in the making

[Heatwave]

I've thought for a while that Reg deserves a run in the side. Let's see.

[Regal Beagle]

 

Finally, it's probably just me but I think Regino Cicilia is actually a decent player. Unlike most it seems, I'm not expecting him to win every header because he's 6'5". He needs to work on his challenging for the ball, but if you watch when he does win one, we usually retain possession because he's got it to another one of our players. His first touch and control is very good as well. I think he's got the potential to be a very good addition to the squad, and not just for the 'nuisance' factor he appears to bring with him. I don't really understand the crowd reaction to him.

 

It's not just you and than god you, and Ianw have posted because I thought I was going crazy.

 

But for a few bad misses early on in the season (we won both games regardless) and a couple of anonymous games, I don't think he's put much of a foot wrong.

 

I think Bruno and/or the rest of the team have to take some of the blame, because we spend an hour playing roulette by trying to pass to Patterson with his back to goal, then we take him off, put Cecilia on and start launching balls in the air, he's not that player so why do it? He's absolutely proven to me that he is comfortable with his back to goal and the ball played into his feet. And he's changed two games when I honestly believed both games were out of reach.

 

I don't think he'd start ahead of Forrester for me, but it's been criminal that he hasn't played more in the last 4-5 weeks.