Match thread: Kidsgrove v Port Vale

[londonvale]

I saw Billy Whitehouse for Leeds in his only game and he was poor.He also Sat on the bench at a match i watched where guisley were chasing the match and were winless.Guiseley were awful at the time yet during a three month loan he only played once.if he signed think it would be for potential rather than first team regular

[NellyTheValiant]

That midfield worries me. A quality CM is a must if we have any aspirations to do well this season.

 

I agree, Pugh must surely be a back up CB. From the team listed above by TylerB I'd be looking for a minimum of 4 new players. Both CM's, RB and LB unless, Whitehouse can play in one of these roles.

[Tomo]

Disagree. His was on the footballing scrapheap and not only did we give him a deal, we kept playing him even when his fitness was poor and his performances average.

 

When he himself admits that he is properly enjoying his football again after a very difficult period in his life (http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/port-vale-s-chris-eagles-happy-in-football-again-after-tragedy/story-30152810-detail/story.html) I just struggle to see what his motive is for leaving.

 

Club took a chance, stuck with him to get his fitness up, guaranteed starting spot, adored by the fans (before this saga), and a club he knows he can start enjoying his football again.

 

The Foley situation is far different; the chances are, if we didn't take Eagles from the Stanley bench and persist with him in a starting role, he's staring non-league and a part-time personal trainer job in the face at the minute.

 

He's silly to think a spell on the bench at a lower-midtable League 1 team is going to be any better, all for the sake of around £200 extra a week and the prestige of playing in England third tier.

 

Not saying I expected a degree of loyalty, just think he's making a stupid move. The fact that, as Brown claims, he legitimately thinks Villa are going to give him a deal says it all about his view of himself.

 

Get what you're saying yeah, however motive for leaving (if he does get an offer) is another shot at L1 football & playing loads of clubs which in comparison to L2 are massive (Blackburn, Portsmouth, Wigan vs Newport, Crawley, Accy etc). In terms of loyalty as you mention, a few months here isn't going to amount to much, in addition to being at a club which has a lot of uncertainty surrounding it (plus relegation) possibly not being in his interest either. However, I do know that he's pretty much rolling in it though & money is not likely to be a major factor in the move.

 

Agree RE Villa if true, absolutely laughable considering who they're signing/what they're aiming for this season, & he probably wouldn't even make it into the reserves there. Won't get into better than a low/mid-table L1 side.

 

Think we're on the same page in that he could have made a real name for himself here with the fans if he'd stayed (don't think he will), would have been in our starting 11 easy & could do a decent job in L2.

[wotsyobeef]

Did we really take a chance on Eagles? We offered him a 6 month contract. Taking a chance would have been offering him an initial contract until the end of this coming season, however then if he had failed last season we would be stuck with him now. I don't think he owes us anything personally. When he did play he showed glimpses of class and ability but was equally frustrating when he bottled challenges and got pushed off the ball. If he signs great if not as long as we have someone on the wing who can get to crossing positions and put a ball in he won't be missed. Unfortunately as we have seen over recent seasons its easier said than done.

[stupers]

Disagree. His was on the footballing scrapheap and not only did we give him a deal, we kept playing him even when his fitness was poor and his performances average.

 

When he himself admits that he is properly enjoying his football again after a very difficult period in his life (http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/port-vale-s-chris-eagles-happy-in-football-again-after-tragedy/story-30152810-detail/story.html) I just struggle to see what his motive is for leaving.

 

Club took a chance, stuck with him to get his fitness up, guaranteed starting spot, adored by the fans (before this saga), and a club he knows he can start enjoying his football again.

 

The Foley situation is far different; the chances are, if we didn't take Eagles from the Stanley bench and persist with him in a starting role, he's staring non-league and a part-time personal trainer job in the face at the minute.

 

He's silly to think a spell on the bench at a lower-midtable League 1 team is going to be any better, all for the sake of around £200 extra a week and the prestige of playing in England third tier.

 

Not saying I expected a degree of loyalty, just think he's making a stupid move. The fact that, as Brown claims, he legitimately thinks Villa are going to give him a deal says it all about his view of himself.

 

I don't think Eagles plays for money (His Bolton deal set up him up for life, even after he was on £15k a week at United and also on good money at Burnley). I believe his main motivation to be to play at the highest level possible and to be adored by the people watching him play. Did you see him at the Walsall game? He was loving people chanting his name over and over again, it totally spurred him on to the winning goal and then he milked it big time!

 

Level of football and Adulation appear to prime motivators for Eagles. I think money is quite far down the list.

[Rampant Zebra]

Lucky really if we are to stand any chance of signing him!

[Tomo]

Again though (to be on topic), can anyone tell me what they thought of Pope? Seeing us tomorrow but still interested to know, he looks pretty in shape from recent pictures, a lot more than I thought he would.

[Rampant Zebra]

God to see him back, he looked fitter than he did last time I saw him in a Vale shirt. Scored a goal which is always good for a striker.

[Shropshire_Valiant]

I tend to agree with Hagrid re Eagles and said something similar on the signings thread before. Having been through what he has you'd have thought a bit of stability even if it's only 18 months at Vale would have been good for him, as said Vale having given him a chance and you could make the point without Vale he'd be looking at Conference football perhaps etc etc

However I do see the point that football is a short career and if you can play at a higher level for as long as you physically can then you'd be silly not to go for it at what 31 is he? he perhaps feels he only has a year or 2 left before perhaps his legs go a bit.

Best of luck to him whatever he decides.

[valiant_593]

If we want to go up this season we could do with eagles signing. Regardless of his loyalty he would be a class player for us in this league. I still think we need 4/5 starting 11 players the lb and rb position is starting to worry me but we do look much stronger attacking wise

[Tomo]

God to see him back, he looked fitter than he did last time I saw him in a Vale shirt. Scored a goal which is always good for a striker.

 

Did you go I assume? He look sharp then? Goal any good?

[Rampant Zebra]

Difficult to judge in a preseason game but he was getting around the pitch well enough and was keen to score.

 

Sent from my Moto G (5) using the onevalefan mobile app

[CambridgeDon]

Is he being lead by his Agent saying I can get you better than Vale? Just wish he would come out and say I am not signing and then Brown can go out and replace him. Same goes with Bikey as well.

 

I think it's not just his agent but also the company he keeps. Both Bruce and Terry will be telling him he's far better than L2 and he'll clearly want to play at the highest level he can. I think he'll only sign if he doesn't get another reasonable offer in L1. He's clarly hedging his bets.

[Hagrid]

You are right, who needs an extra £200 a week, why would you even bother asking for that little?

 

He came through at United and has spent large swathes of his career in the Championship, with 2 full seasons in the prem. I imagine at his peak with Bolton and Burnley in the Prem he was earning 10 grand a week, possibly more.

 

If a couple of hundred quid a week is the deciding factor in his decision, considering that he has admitted we'd given him a place to enjoy football and 3-4 difficult years, then he's made some catastrophic financial decisions.

[Tomo]

Got a family member working on his house at the moment, says they've been working on it a while (& somehow failed to mention it to any of us!), but according to him he must be absolutely loaded, no way he'd be bothered about money with the house etc he's got. Apparently puts a lot of the PL players' houses around Manchester to shame (apologies for mostly off-topic).