Matchday Thread: Chesterfield v Port Vale

[colin]

Davis at right back? He was truly dreadful there against Leeds.

 

Maybe 3-5-2 is the way to go.

 

Davis was dreadful against leeds, but wilson was dreadful against wycombe... What's worse being dreadful against a league 2 team or a championship team?

[valefan16]

Have we missed the physicality of Mad Gav? Least he puts it about a bit!

[valeparklife]

I must admit I was expecting ugly, in your face football this season. Believed Brown would fill the team full of players ready to run through brick walls for him. Seems I was wrong.

 

I really don't think this squad is that bad, as I didnt like last seasons was either. I really believe its on the manager - his tactics and organisation.

 

Exactly! This season, I expected to lose games but if we did then I expected every player to come off the pitch knackered from running themselves into the ground trying to get a win.

 

These pathetic limp defeats are a disgrace.

[For Us All]

I like the way you talk, are you on the pure stuff or is it watered down?

 

Just stating facts.

[valiant steve]

Dreadful game between two poor sides. We looked ok for the first 20 minutes in terms of possession and had lots of corners and several set pieces but, other than Smith, looked unlikely to score. The quality of the final ball or cross was poor and Popey got no service. Then Chesterfield got into the game and scored by cutting straight through us from the back to the front with three straight passes. The lad with the assist collected the ball, ran straight towards goal unchallenged, then played a pass in behind Smith for their lad to make a simple diagonal run and slot it into the far corner past Hornby. Kay was out of position, I don't know where Reeves was and the lad with the assist ran away from Tonge with ease. After that we had Pope up front and four at the back and then some other players on the pitch running about a bit having no impact on the game whatsoever. Midfield is shocking but I don't know if it's the personell or the lack of any clear formation or tactics that is the problem. I suspect it's a bit of both. We are desperate to replace Grant but we haven't. As usual, we've gone for quantities of poor players over quality, just as we have with Anwicks numerous replacements!

[jasmart02]

Too passive,too lightweight, too easy to play against. i will settle for 3rd from bottom now.

[valiant steve]

Poor formation, poor tactics. No evidence of any reaction whatsoever in the second half following the half time team talk! Oh dear.

I try not to post straight after a defeat as, let's face it, few of us are objective or rational following a defeat.

BUT this was a limp performance from a poor a side against a side who looked even worse than us. Chesterfield will not get a more comfortable afternoon this season and, like us, will struggle.

Our club needs change from the top down.

[PV1973]

Just shows that when you're on top that you have to take the chances or half chances that come your way and we didn't. The lad that scored their first missed a very similar sitter earlier in the game. But other than that I thought we controlled that initial half hour.

 

Kay was out of position

Kay wasn't out of position, the big forward he was with held him so he couldn't turn and get back in. A very clever piece of forward play.

 

The disappointing thing about that first goal was how easy they were in behind our midfield and on to the back 4. For the second could the keeper have parried it wider? I need to see it back again. But they took the chances and what I didn't like to see was our lack of urgency when 2 goals down. I can only think of ADFs effort second half.

 

Whitfield played well with a lot of energy and for that first half hour the formation suited us with his energy and drive. I know brown got stick for that change but he put in a real shift but I thought he made a lot of pointless runs too chasing the ball so it's no wonder he was knackered. But from those first subs putting reeves on the right was a killer imo. He isn't a right sided player and it killed any momentum on that side.

[Class personified]

I thought in comparison to last week this was a far better performance. Having said that Chesterfield is no Wycombe quality wise. The first goal was frightening as we simply had no midfield at all. I equally think Smith is being found out when playing a big hurly burly centre forward. Reeves out of his depth today. Why was Turner playing on the wing? Pope won everything in the air but nobody around to feed off him. Enough said about Wilson. Our left back distribution is poor. Impressed with Whitfield and thought Tonge on the ball was composed and is better than Pugh. Can't have both in the side. Better with ADF on the pitch we had more energy. As for Sinnott let's make sure we all give him a very warm welcome in the return leg. He is a bass drinker of the highest order.

[Jacko51]

Chesterfield have won only three of their last 22 league games. That's how bad they are. Two of those three wins have been against the Vale. That's how bad we are. That's all I have to say.

[valiant_593]

I've just read that he took Whitfield off as he was looking tired. Fair enough. However I've just seen that we played a friendly on Tuesday and picked first team players!?! Why on earth would you do that in the football season? Why play first team players in a friendly so they can't even complete 90 minutes.

[valeparklife]

Chesterfield have won only three of their last 22 league games. That's how bad they are. Two of those three wins have been against the Vale. That's how bad we are. That's all I have to say.

 

Wow.

 

It doesn't matter who the players/managers are, we will always be the Port Vale Benevolent Society. Sick of it.

[Bucknall Rob]

Another abject performance against a poor Chesterfield side. For 20 minutes we played ok without ever really threatening a goal. After Chesterfield scored, heads just dropped and we were a shambles.

 

The keeper while not being at fault for the goals looks shaky, the full backs were all over the place, some awful distribution from them. Smith and Kay got caught numerous times, Smith looks a shadow of the player he was last season. Midfield or lack of it is particularly worrying, Tonge played ok but Reeves for me is clearly not good enough, why does DeFreitas constantly get made a scapegoat every time we lose a game, same last season. Harness frustrates me, might beat a player but then fails to get a shot or a cross in and at the end of the game you think he has offered nothing. Whitfield did alright but again we have Turner out of position on the wing, felt sorry for him, he has scored twice in two games so the tactical genius puts him out of position. Pope is left to feed off scraps again, we all know he can't play on his own but Brown continues to play this way.

 

The manager has had long enough now, people go on about how many new players we have brought in but you have pre season to get players ready. It is normal nowadays for teams to bring in 10 - 12 players in the summer, look at most teams in our leagues and they will have made similar amount of signings to us. Swindon have virtually a new team, they don't need 10 games to gel.

 

I can take losing but it is the manner of the way that we are losing, hammered by Leeds reserves, take away last 2 minutes of the Wycombe game and that would have been an hammering and then today nothing there to excite us.

[philpvfc]

Seasons going pretty well how I expected and I don't think it will get any better. Avoiding relegation is our number 1 target unless amazingly Smurf decides to sell up to a better owner.

[Beza]

Another abject performance against a poor Chesterfield side. For 20 minutes we played ok without ever really threatening a goal. After Chesterfield scored, heads just dropped and we were a shambles.

 

The keeper while not being at fault for the goals looks shaky, the full backs were all over the place, some awful distribution from them. Smith and Kay got caught numerous times, Smith looks a shadow of the player he was last season. Midfield or lack of it is particularly worrying, Tonge played ok but Reeves for me is clearly not good enough, why does DeFreitas constantly get made a scapegoat every time we lose a game, same last season. Harness frustrates me, might beat a player but then fails to get a shot or a cross in and at the end of the game you think he has offered nothing. Whitfield did alright but again we have Turner out of position on the wing, felt sorry for him, he has scored twice in two games so the tactical genius puts him out of position. Pope is left to feed off scraps again, we all know he can't play on his own but Brown continues to play this way.

I

The manager has had long enough now, people go on about how many new players we have brought in but you have pre season to get players ready. It is normal nowadays for teams to bring in 10 - 12 players in the summer, look at most teams in our leagues and they will have made similar amount of signings to us. Swindon have virtually a new team, they don't need 10 games to gel.

 

I can take losing but it is the manner of the way that we are losing, hammered by Leeds reserves, take away last 2 minutes of the Wycombe game and that would have been an hammering and then today nothing there to excite us.

 

Top post other than I thought

 

Whitfield was a class act in the opening 25 mins.