Matchday Thread: Northampton Town v Port Vale

[PV1973]

After Staurdays performance I don't think we should change the starting 11. Obviously we have a question mark over Foley, if hes not fit then who do we bring in? Tavares? Reeves?

[Rampant Zebra]

I think I would prefer Reeves, he looked good on Saturday and is a bit more up to speed with the English game than Paulo.

[Conrad]

I think I would prefer Reeves, he looked good on Saturday and is a bit more up to speed with the English game than Paulo.

 

Think I would prefer Reeves, and he can only get better with games under his belt.

[bar1]

LETS DREAM, 5 wins on the trot,starting tonight,every win the confidence and belief grows,fans and players alike, lets keep believing.The return of super Vale away.

 

We can still make the Play offs yet - 12 wins will get us 74 points ;)

[Samwelo]

I would liken Tavares to start and Reeves to come on in the second half again.

[Emile]

Fasan

 

Purkiss

Knopps

Smith

Kiko

 

Shodipo

Pugh / Reeves

Guy

Hooper

 

Eagles

 

Forrester

 

Reeves is ahead of Amaros currently due to fitness. Thats a pretty young midfield but if Thomas, Pugh and Foley are all injured I dont think we have much chance.

[Rampant Zebra]

I would liken Tavares to start and Reeves to come on in the second half again.

 

I take it you weren't at the reserve game last Wednesday. Tavaes didn't exactly shine in that and went off after 45 minutes. We are really clutching at straws if we are hoping for him to have a positive effect on a first team game.

[Samwelo]

I take it you weren't at the reserve game last Wednesday. Tavaes didn't exactly shine in that and went off after 45 minutes. We are really clutching at straws if we are hoping for him to have a positive effect on a first team game.

 

No I wasn't at the reserve game. Did he play in the middle or at centre back (which he did the week before I think)? He was taken of after 45 as he had some role to play with the first team I imagine.

[PV1973]

He was taken of after 45 as he had some role to play with the first team I imagine.

Yes I'd imagine thats why he was taken off too, and it proved to be right as he was in the squad for the Swindon game.

[bycarspete]

We can still make the Play offs yet - 12 wins will get us 74 points ;)

 

YES WHY NOT, thinking a dream a bit to far, there again Iam planning to win that euro tonight

[valiant_593]

I would liken Tavares to start and Reeves to come on in the second half again.

 

And me don't think reeves is ready to play 90 mins yet. Tavares for 50/60 then reeves. We don't need to rush a young lad in after just two sub appearances.

[valiant_593]

I take it you weren't at the reserve game last Wednesday. Tavaes didn't exactly shine in that and went off after 45 minutes. We are really clutching at straws if we are hoping for him to have a positive effect on a first team game.

 

Well we won a lot of games with him in the side earlier in the season. And to be fair to him and they others they've probably had enough of being played at centre half for the reserves and training with the youth team. He ain't great but he does try. Imo he should play Saturday if foley is injured and bring reeves on, he's only made two sub appearances and shouldn't start yet imo. He was also subbed as others have said as he was in the squad against Swindon.

[werstayinup]

Well we won a lot of games with him in the side earlier in the season. And to be fair to him and they others they've probably had enough of being played at centre half for the reserves and training with the youth team. He ain't great but he does try. Imo he should play Saturday if foley is injured and bring reeves on, he's only made two sub appearances and shouldn't start yet imo. He was also subbed as others have said as he was in the squad against Swindon.

 

We may have won games with him in the team but imo he was the worst Vale player in those games,so for me i would like to Reeves given a go in a full game if Pugh and Foley are out

[PV1993]

We may have won games with him in the team but imo he was the worst Vale player in those games,so for me i would like to Reeves given a go in a full game if Pugh and Foley are out

 

Tavares debate:

 

At the start of the season he looked great: a real good, classy addition to the squad. It came apparent by winter however that the players just weren't fit enough - the result of a poor preseason with no emphasis on fitness, which is a basic requirement of English football due to its intensity.

 

This affected the English players. For example look at Ben Purkiss - He was quality last season but he just doesn't look right this time around, and - with him being an older player - he really needed to keep his fitness levels up to continue playing. Furthermore, constant injuries to players like JT and Foley again underline that fitness was/is an issue.

 

Therefore, if the English players didn't get a good enough preseason, then what chance did the foreign players have? They've come from playing once a week at most to sometimes having 3 matches. I do think some of these players have the ability to play English football but they needed a good preseason to get them to the right energy levels to be able to apply themselves. They didn't and they have struggled after a decent start.

 

I really hope we can see [some of] them again next season after a proper, rigorous work out. Knops, Kiko, Tavares, Amoros, De Freitas and Cecilia for me are all decent players.

 

Fingers crossed that's once we've maintained our L1 status.

[valiant_593]

We may have won games with him in the team but imo he was the worst Vale player in those games,so for me i would like to Reeves given a go in a full game if Pugh and Foley are out

 

I don't think he was the worst. He wasn't great but he didn't hide, at least he always wanted the ball and put a shift in. As you say he wasn't great but we did win games. I personally wouldn't play reeves 90 after two small sub appearances and the fact he's naturally a defender.