Matchday Thread: Oxford United v Port Vale

[Birches Head Fred]

Just got home after the game and wished I had not bothered. Awful match, every single player looked out of their depth, even Smith was muscled out. The most shameful thing was we never, ever close to scoring. Oxford only had two clear cut chances but they took them both. Mehmet's fumble cost the first goal but our defenders should have cleared.

 

We play far too much stuff through Ryan Taylor as if he is some kind of playmaker, which he isn't and never has been. Cecilia is not physical enough, neither is Eagles and no players made much effort for header, happy to watch them sail over us. I have seen bad Vale performances but honestly this makes the Glover era look like a golden age. At least we had RICO.

 

The most stark point can be found in the back of the team programme. We have a whole 11 players registered in our first team above that of Oxford. What a shocking waste of resources.

 

I'm not sure what game you just got back from but I'm fairly sure it wasn't the same game I was at.

[rayzer]

Chris Maguire was named as there man of the match even though he only played about twenty minutes after coming on as sub. I was in their corporate hospitality room and the sponsors who voted for him only did so because they had a six year old lad with them and they allowed him to choose and he picked his favourite player. That said, most of the Oxford fans we talked to did say that the goalkeeper should have won it.

 

I thought that this was the best I have seen us play since Scunthorpe and deserved to get something out of the game. The Oxford commentator also spoke to me after the game and both he and the BBC guy thought that the goal which was given offside should have stood as neither of them could see anything wrong with it.

[Andyregs]

No, I'm not. I'm saying that we shouldn't want Norman out at any cost.

 

I dont think anyone has suggested any cost. Just that there were options out there.

[Warren]

The big zero again. I think we should bring in Own Goal up front for our next game. It is essential he plays well. Does best with hard low crosses from the left if Kiko is in at left back.

[PV1973]

If the keeper tips a shot onto the bar then a vale player heads in the rebound it can't be offside because it came off their keeper. The goal should have stood.

As others have said it was a much better performance today albeit half a dozen games too late and Turner did more in 45 mins than Hoopers done in the last 10 games.

Someone on one of the Facebook groups was saying the same thing last, but if the player who puts in the rebound is in an offside position when the header is put in on goal then the goal won't count whether the keeper touches it on to the post or not.

 

Hooper aside I thought the players put in a shift yesterday. You can't legislate for individual mistakes that cost goals like we saw yesterday, but when we struggle to convert chances then it's just heaping pressure on the defence.

[stupers]

Positives

 

They fought and tried their best. The effort was clearly there.

 

We created at least 5 really good chances (Hooper header before half time, Streete header clawed off the line, Turner offside goal - looked onside to me, Turner shot - great save, Foley - great save) and looked dangerous when we actually put some thought behind the balls forward.

 

Tanser also had his best game in a Vale shirt by a long way.

 

The fans. They're sticking with it. Norman doesn't deserve us.

 

Negatives

 

We're just not good enough. We just look 20% behind everyone we play. I'm sure a lot of that is confidence but some of the more experienced lads have dropped their heads and that's a massive concern. They can't drag the younger lads off the floor if they're on it themselves.

 

Mehmet is awful. Not just his shot-stopping (The goal was simple, and he mucked it up - summed up the season), but his kicking too. The fact we were left with him and Fasan for goalkeepers following Alnwick's departure is scandalous. Neither are fit enough to replace him. Add that the list of points dropped due to goalkeepers since the end of Jan. I can think of at least 3 games where the goalkeeper has had a direct outcome on the game (Northampton, Chesterfield, Oxford). It's shocking.

[Smugsy]

Fasan was dropped because of one bad performance at Northampton but I have far more confidence in him than Mehmet. The thing with the first goal yesterday was that I wasn't surprised by it. I've never seen a goalkeeper that I've had less confidence in and I'm never convinced that the most routine of stops will be made until they actually happen. I don't think he was particularly to blame with the Chesterfield goal but the first at Coventry, Sheffield's opener and of course yesterday's first could have been dealt with better and with our fragile confidence, the first goal in any game at the moment is absolutely vital.

 

We can talk long and hard about the Jak Alnwick clause and I guess his new contract wouldn't have been signed without it but with the departure of Warburton at Rangers, Alnwick hasn't played a single minute for Rangers so we should have gone back and at least tried to secure a loan deal. Could be the most expensive £250k in Vale's history.

[Santa]

Could be the most expensive £250k in Vale's history.

Who cares when there's a Tesla in the garage?