Alex Jones

[PV1973]

How's he doing this season?

Thats not the point I'm making though is it. Theres no guarantee any player will do the business for you after they've signed, you can only go off what they've just done. Alex Jones got 1 goal in near enough every 2 games. AJLS scored near enough 1 in every 3 games for us and neither were given what they or their agents feel they were worth. So how can we hope to attract experienced strikers with a similar strike rate? Thats the point I'm making

 

AJ Leitch Smith mentioned on here too at 3k a week, does he look a good prospect now at 3k per week? his scoring record is very poor throughout his career so he just hit a purple patch with us for a few months.

Which is exactly what Alex Jones has done. Football is littered with players who have a good patch and secure a good move off the back of that patch. Its easy in hindsight to say that player is never worth X amount of £ and I completely agree we shouldn't be breaking the bank. But at some point we need to compete or get close to the going rate if we are to get someone with a good strike ratio. Thats is unless we suddenly stumble on a gem on the cheap.

[Emile]

We shouldnt be breaking the bank for a player who is still very much unproven. I don't wish Jones any harm, his goals have kept us afloat but theres no telling he will do the same at Bradford in the second part of the season.

 

Id like to see us go after a player such as Andy Williams at Donny, probably not possible but we really need proven right now. Whats Tom Pope up to these days?

[For Us All]

We shouldnt be breaking the bank for a player who is still very much unproven. I don't wish Jones any harm, his goals have kept us afloat but theres no telling he will do the same at Bradford in the second part of the season.

 

Id like to see us go after a player such as Andy Williams at Donny, probably not possible but we really need proven right now. Whats Tom Pope up to these days?

 

Popey's back playing for Bury after his injury at Peterborough.

[Emile]

Popey's back playing for Bury after his injury at Peterborough.

 

Glad to hear he's back playing, is he in their starting lineup or just backup? I think that boat sailed a long time but do think we need a hold up player to play alongside JJ or Reg. Forrester can be that guy when hes fit, but Im not sure thatll happen this seaon.

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

It's not often I agree with that pudding Baggley but he's bob on here;

http://m.stokesentinel.co.uk/port-vale-comment-alex-jones-deserves-thanks-not-criticism/story-30033167-detail/story.html

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

With all the directors loans we have had and a decent budget wasted on a overloaded squad on what if I remember correctly smurf said at beginning of the season it's as big as the first season in league 1how the **** have ended up with big reg as our main striker we will not get anyone who can finish like jones we have missed one here

Our club is in big trouble and I hate to say it but won't improve until smurf goes

 

How are we in big trouble, we are mid-table?

 

If a billionaire comes in I'd be saying cheerio but just getting rid of him to bring in someone with the same or less money makes no sense.

 

He just needs to choose his manager more wisely, the last two have spunked budgets and forgotten strikers are the key players to winning games.

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

Thats not the point I'm making though is it. Theres no guarantee any player will do the business for you after they've signed, you can only go off what they've just done. Alex Jones got 1 goal in near enough every 2 games. AJLS scored near enough 1 in every 3 games for us and neither were given what they or their agents feel they were worth. So how can we hope to attract experienced strikers with a similar strike rate? Thats the point I'm making

 

 

Which is exactly what Alex Jones has done. Football is littered with players who have a good patch and secure a good move off the back of that patch. Its easy in hindsight to say that player is never worth X amount of £ and I completely agree we shouldn't be breaking the bank. But at some point we need to compete or get close to the going rate if we are to get someone with a good strike ratio. Thats is unless we suddenly stumble on a gem on the cheap.

 

How do we compete with huge clubs like Bradford and others in this league financially?

[Erniemossrules]

Glad to hear he's back playing, is he in their starting lineup or just backup? I think that boat sailed a long time but do think we need a hold up player to play alongside JJ or Reg. Forrester can be that guy when hes fit, but Im not sure thatll happen this seaon.

We have seen that Popes goals have dried up at Bury so it makes sense that he went before we spent silly money trying to keep him.

Leitch Smith was greedy and again failed to keep up his goal tally when he left and can't get a game at Shrewsbury.

Marshall has struggl d after he left so there is no guarantee that Jones will carry the n scoring at Bradford City.

He may regret turning down the chance of having a permanent contract at Vale and going on loan to Bradford.

Any news on Andoh is he still training with the kids.

May be happy signing until the end of the season as clubs havnt been queuing up to sign him.

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

How's he doing this season?

 

Dreadfully, we dodged a budget paying him 3k a week! No wonder Shrews are where they are.

[Spunk Trumpet]

How do we compete with huge clubs like Bradford and others in this league financially?

 

We spend our money wisely. Sadly, we haven't and never seem to.

And smaller clubs like us to should be able to at least have some food at half time for the consumer to buy.

Sadly, we don't.

Our club, from a business perspective, on and off the pitch, stinks at the moment.

The basics aren't even in place.

 

No doubt this month and the summer months will see at least another ten new arrivals. All on pittance. All a gamble. In the one hope Norman can get his million pound plus player.

Not recognising that we could probably afford to make Alex Jones our permanent signing had we not got dross like Tavares, Mbamba, Perreira, Cicilia, Macintosh, Santos, De Freitas and many more on the books.

Not one of the mentioned players will ever go for more than a grand never mind a million.

Jones on the other hand, well, he will be the one got away but could have been easily captured.

 

I remember Norman on the radio in the summer. Doesn't want players who "chase the money"

That's all well and good. But I would prefer 20 quality players on decent money for the level, than 35-40 bang average players, if that, who will never take us to the next level.

I doubt Alex wanted stupid wages. Until Norman's mindset changes and he starts to spend his money wisely instead of in sheer hope, in the words of Bill Bratt..... We are where we are.

[toyahw]

He's a cheapskate who randomly thinks you can build a decent team on minimum wage and unearth a few rough diamonds along the way to get him some of his money back.

[darren1810]

We spend our money wisely. Sadly, we haven't and never seem to.

And smaller clubs like us to should be able to at least have some food at half time for the consumer to buy.

Sadly, we don't.

Our club, from a business perspective, on and off the pitch, stinks at the moment.

The basics aren't even in place.

 

No doubt this month and the summer months will see at least another ten new arrivals. All on pittance. All a gamble. In the one hope Norman can get his million pound plus player.

Not recognising that we could probably afford to make Alex Jones our permanent signing had we not got dross like Tavares, Mbamba, Perreira, Cicilia, Macintosh, Santos, De Freitas and many more on the books.

Not one of the mentioned players will ever go for more than a grand never mind a million.

Jones on the other hand, well, he will be the one got away but could have been easily captured.

 

I remember Norman on the radio in the summer. Doesn't want players who "chase the money"

That's all well and good. But I would prefer 20 quality players on decent money for the level, than 35-40 bang average players, if that, who will never take us to the next level.

I doubt Alex wanted stupid wages. Until Norman's mindset changes and he starts to spend his money wisely instead of in sheer hope, in the words of Bill Bratt..... We are where we are.

 

Well said ST, the last 2 seasons we have been crying out for a quality squad of 18 ish . Take the keeper situation, why have we got 5 keepers? i know 2 are on loan but good grief. Utilise the loan market if Alnwick was to get injured like Donny and Bury did with Neal last season.

I would never band about a figure that Vale players are on, but lets use 500 quid as a bench mark in League one??

McIntosh, Shalaj, Ferguson,Pereira, Mbamba, etc etc.

That is potentially 3 to 4 grand a week on wages on pure dross. Lets have 2 pure quality players on 1500 a week in our squad. Might break a wage structure but so what, Andy Williams was one who slipped the net and ended up at Donny, yes they went down and he didn,t do great , but you have to speculate to accumulate.

The clowns now suggesting Bogle, that horse bolted ages ago, i doubt we have over a million to buy him.

We need a greatly reduced squad with quality not quantity and due to abysmal retained lists by Page and dreadful signings by Bruno we are left with an absolute mish mash of garbage.

[Paul6754]

They have a duty to protect the best interests of the club. Simply put we can't compete financially with the big boys.

 

We can't compete financially over a number of players at the same time but we should be able to compete for one player and in a position where we deparately need some quality and goals.

 

The best interests of this club at the moment are to find one or two strikers (or a midfielder) who can score 15+ goals between them 'cause if Vale don't the chances are it's going to be Lge2 football next season.

 

Smurf didn't protect the best interests of the club when he appointed Bruno and let him sign 12 or so players of Conference standard, he needs to support Michael Brown financially now and put this wrong right. No one is talking spending huge sums of money and putting the financial future of the club in doubt.

[CAVALIER]

All led by Smurf, let's face it. Well, we haven't had an Exeter , so it's a success I suppose.

[Valenick]

couldnt agree more. Its always Smurfs fault... Realistically Bradford have a championship budget and we cant compete with that. You cant complain about a chairman not breaking his own bank account to sign a player for what could well be over the odds. He agreed a deal with Birmingham and not the agent and player too. We also need to bare in mind that we need two strikers, we cant use up the budget for two on one player. In my opinion i think Smurf has been very good this year, gave a new manager some backing with new players, it hasnt come off but he did his bit. I think a lot of managers would be happy that they could come in and bring in 7-10 players at the start of the season which is major backing at this level. Also bear in mind Jones has been good scored some good goals, but without the pens has he been that prolific? AJ Leitch Smith mentioned on here too at 3k a week, does he look a good prospect now at 3k per week? his scoring record is very poor throughout his career so he just hit a purple patch with us for a few months. I think really if you look at Smurfs calls on wages as a whole hes pretty much got it right, same with Andoh. Fans were raving saying he was being cheap, but I dont see clubs rushing in to get him on the books. Hes still witout a club and hasnt kicked a ball this year.

 

At last well said