Reserves v Wrexham 1pm today

[john1952]

why arent reserve games advertised more the day before would be nice not an hour before kick off

[philmpv]

Forrester is very good when he is fit enough to play. He was unlucky not to score twice against Bury.

 

It's the basic fitness issue though isn't it? I loved lee Matthews but accepted that he just couldn't play enough to be worth keeping. Hope forrester doesn't turn out the same way. Hopefully brown will manage him better than Bruno appeared to!

[Conrad]

That's more like it, whats that funny smell coming from Vale Park could it the scent of optimism.

 

No it's Santa,s deodorant.

[essex_valiant]

horray for optimism!!

 

It was an awful Wrexham side tbh, they are always much stronger in their games.

 

I'm looking for someone to attend a few of these games for me, nice few quid in it for them.

Drop me a PM if you are or know anyone interested.

 

UTV

[TylerB]

Good to see Foley back in the frame, he's an important player for us. I do think we now have a pretty strong side on paper potentially, with hopefully one or two more signings to come!

 

Alnwick (One of the best keepers in the league for me)

 

Purkiss (Not really a fan and can definitely be improved on)

Streete (One of the first names on the team-sheet)

Smith (As above)

Taylor (Can still do a job but can also be improved on)

 

Thomas (Very good player when fit at this level and still has a lot to offer)

Foley (When match fit he's an automatic starter for me)

Guy (Looks a very promising young player and one we should use as much as possible while we've got him)

Eagles (As long as his attitude is right we have a player here)

 

Forrester (Just needs a bit of luck and a run of games)

Walker (Like Guy seemes to have a lot of potential and also a good attitude)

 

Subs -

 

Boot, Knops, Kiko, De Frietas, Kelly, Hooper, Cicilia

 

I haven't included Grant simply because he doesn't want to be at the club and isn't as good as some people insists he is. I'd like to see a full-back with a bit of pace brought in as we're very slow in that position on both flanks. Another striker with experience would be nice too, but we're looking so much better now than we were just a month ago when we were having to play Cicilia on his own with Thomas supporting.

[Bea Smith]

Good to see Foley back in the frame, he's an important player for us. I do think we now have a pretty strong side on paper potentially, with hopefully one or two more signings to come!

 

Alnwick (One of the best keepers in the league for me)

 

Purkiss (Not really a fan and can definitely be improved on)

Streete (One of the first names on the team-sheet)

Smith (As above)

Taylor (Can still do a job but can also be improved on)

 

Thomas (Very good player when fit at this level and still has a lot to offer)

Foley (When match fit he's an automatic starter for me)

Guy (Looks a very promising young player and one we should use as much as possible while we've got him)

Eagles (As long as his attitude is right we have a player here)

 

Forrester (Just needs a bit of luck and a run of games)

Walker (Like Guy seemes to have a lot of potential and also a good attitude)

 

Subs -

 

Boot, Knops, Kiko, De Frietas, Kelly, Hooper, Cicilia

 

I haven't included Grant simply because he doesn't want to be at the club and isn't as good as some people insists he is. I'd like to see a full-back with a bit of pace brought in as we're very slow in that position on both flanks. Another striker with experience would be nice too, but we're looking so much better now than we were just a month ago when we were having to play Cicilia on his own with Thomas supporting.

 

 

 

Has Taylor gone ? He was only signed up until January, but I may have missed any renewal. If so, we need at least one full back.

Grant is the real problem - at some point we have to learn how to win games without him because we haven't done very often so far, but I agree with you that if he doesn't want to play, then it is difficult to feel happy in selecting him.

I would compromise by making him play for the next 8 or 9 games, hopefully building up enough points to ease any relegation fears, then address the situation. Mind you, in 8 games time he will be close on another ban anyway.

It isn't far short of a top 6 team if we got a good winger and another defender, but such is the tightnbess of this division that if we sell JA and either Streete or Smith it could be real problems very quickly.

[TylerB]

Has Taylor gone ? He was only signed up until January, but I may have missed any renewal. If so, we need at least one full back.

Grant is the real problem - at some point we have to learn how to win games without him because we haven't done very often so far, but I agree with you that if he doesn't want to play, then it is difficult to feel happy in selecting him.

I would compromise by making him play for the next 8 or 9 games, hopefully building up enough points to ease any relegation fears, then address the situation. Mind you, in 8 games time he will be close on another ban anyway.

It isn't far short of a top 6 team if we got a good winger and another defender, but such is the tightnbess of this division that if we sell JA and either Streete or Smith it could be real problems very quickly.

 

I guess he has, Taylor, but despite his experience his better days are certainly behind him and I don't think he's any improvement on Knops who has obviously played there a lot this season. A couple of decent full-backs should be a priority, or at least one.

 

I've never been struck on Grant. When he's good he's excellent, but he has had too many games this season where he's strolled through games, probably because the effort isn't their with him wanting out. Guy and Foley in the middle would provide bundles of energy, though as neither of them are defensive midfielders it would make sense to play an extra man in their like De Freitas or Amoros against the better sides away from home.

 

If Forrester can stay fit for a while, and it is a big if, then I think he and Walker will cause teams a lot of problems with their pace and running power.

[Emile]

Good to see Foley back in the frame, he's an important player for us. I do think we now have a pretty strong side on paper potentially, with hopefully one or two more signings to come!

 

Alnwick (One of the best keepers in the league for me)

 

Purkiss (Not really a fan and can definitely be improved on)

Streete (One of the first names on the team-sheet)

Smith (As above)

Taylor (Can still do a job but can also be improved on)

 

Thomas (Very good player when fit at this level and still has a lot to offer)

Foley (When match fit he's an automatic starter for me)

Guy (Looks a very promising young player and one we should use as much as possible while we've got him)

Eagles (As long as his attitude is right we have a player here)

 

Forrester (Just needs a bit of luck and a run of games)

Walker (Like Guy seemes to have a lot of potential and also a good attitude)

 

Subs -

 

Boot, Knops, Kiko, De Frietas, Kelly, Hooper, Cicilia

 

I haven't included Grant simply because he doesn't want to be at the club and isn't as good as some people insists he is. I'd like to see a full-back with a bit of pace brought in as we're very slow in that position on both flanks. Another striker with experience would be nice too, but we're looking so much better now than we were just a month ago when we were having to play Cicilia on his own with Thomas supporting.

That first 11 doesn't include any of the foreign lads we signed. Goodness me what a waste of money

 

Sent from my Moto G (4) using the onevalefan mobile app

[Bea Smith]

That first 11 doesn't include any of the foreign lads we signed. Goodness me what a waste of money

 

Sent from my Moto G (4) using the onevalefan mobile app

 

 

 

I suppose Smurf could argue it was his money to waste - an experiment that went badly wrong. What is a bit galling is that if Page or Brown hgad been given those resources at the start of the season, well,,, who knows.

 

I am of course making the assumption that the money actually WAS the chairman's own money, and not 'lent' to Vale in some form of complicated financial deal that could eventually see the club itself much worse off.

[TylerB]

That first 11 doesn't include any of the foreign lads we signed. Goodness me what a waste of money

 

Sent from my Moto G (4) using the onevalefan mobile app

 

True, but it was always going to be a massive gamble, one that we'd be lucky if just a handful of them actually paid off in the end. I do think De Freitas, Amoros, Cicilia and even Periera can be successes at the club in time though, as they've all shown glimpses of what they can offer, while Knops has done okay and isn't any worse or better than Dickinson for me. But it's true that most of them have been failures at the club, especially the Portuguese contingent.

[smithie]

True, but it was always going to be a massive gamble, one that we'd be lucky if just a handful of them actually paid off in the end. I do think De Freitas, Amoros, Cicilia and even Periera can be successes at the club in time though, as they've all shown glimpses of what they can offer, while Knops has done okay and isn't any worse or better than Dickinson for me. But it's true that most of them have been failures at the club, especially the Portuguese contingent.

 

That's because football in Portugal is far less physical than the thud-and-blunder of our English Third Division.