Matchday Thread: Port Vale v Notts County

[NellyTheValiant]

Proper full backs can overlap and support the wingers. They can exploit space when wingers go inside and play gets compressed in the middle of the park. You need players like that to do the things we don't do but should do to win games.

 

We don't engineer overloads. We don't stretch teams or lure them over one side before sucker punching them on the other.

 

It's extremely rare that you see a Vale player in a one on one situation or even get behind the back four. It's also extremely rare that you see a Vale side make a clearcut chance or engineer a meaningful shot on target.

 

This has been the case for the 18 months now, perhaps longer. I used to think it was Page that was boring but it's clear that the manager wasn't the variable here.

 

Exactly Santa, Denton and Wilson would have given us that, it's a must, especially at home. Picking up on Tylers point too about midfield, by playing attack minded 'specialist' full backs who can defend you also allow your CM's the space to get forward. They just need to have the nous to know when to go. Support for Pope is also important as it is he's a waste of a player, needs someone alongside him and IMHO that player isn't Turner certainly from the start of the game.

[SourceOfTheTrent]

My thoughts in the cold light of day. On a positive side the league is rubbish. I say that because it's clear early on that anyone can beat anyone and a couple of wins will fly you up this league. We have been a bit unlucky recently. Worrel's effort was almost perfect and the header was clearly over the line. I was in the Disabled Stand so I had as clear a view as any. But and it's a big but, Brown's selections are becoming bizarre. His insistence on playing Pope on his own up top simply does not work and his quote that he had plenty of support is just plain wrong. I don't have a problem with his four centre halves in the back four selection as long as there are two legitimate wide men in front of them who stay on the wing and who don't have to try to come inside and support the isolated front man. Trying to play 4-3-3 with the centre halves makes us far too narrow and easy to defend against.

I've always said that I'd judge Brown after 10 games but that patience is paper thin now because of his clear lack of tactical nous because you already know that in the next two games away we'll play our normal one up top, hit and hope tactics and I can't see anything over than two more defeats. We won't be adrift because of the nature of the league but then the Forest Green game becomes ridiculously important for a match in the middle of September. Lose than and even the lesser spotted Smurf will be forced to do something about Michael.

Whether the ball was over the line or not is incidental, that's an excellent summarising post.

 

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[werstayinup]

What is it now 4 or 5 games without a goal,surely that shows the tactics used aren't working

[Inny]

Yesterday was extremely frustrating and disappointing.

 

I was confused from the 1st minute re the formation. Why not keep it simple? If Brown thought Pope was supported yesterday he was sadly mistaken.

 

We have signed 5 wide men (including Worrall) this season and not one of them actually played out wide or put in a decent cross. The game was so narrow and did we actually put more than 3 forward passes together? Shocking.

 

Listening to his post match interview nearly made me crash the car. We were woeful as were Notts. The support he referred to for Pope was none existant. He needs players around him as he simple has no pace (as was seen in the second half).

 

Can we play a recognised system please without square pegs in round holes. The lack of recruitment up front and in the centre was clear to see. I did think Middleton was useful and Worrall was good. The rest were poor.

 

Brown's tactics (or lack of them) look like desperate already.

 

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[Mario]

Just a quick off the top my head thing, we have scored 8 goals in our last 14 league games,obviously not good enough and anyone thinking Barnett is the answer look his record up.....Woefull.

 

And if Barnett is fit (A rarity) is he going to partner Pope? The QE2 has a quicker turning circle.

[bobby]

Two quotes spring to mind...

Einstein: "insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result"

Mike Bassett: 4-4 ******* 2!!

 

This system is not working and Brown looks like he's digging his heels in to prove some sort of point. having sat through the last two home games I must say it's the worst I've seen any vale side perform for a very long time, 2 shots on target over 2 home games is not good enough especially given the quality of the teams we've played, in fact Ive been rather bored! The football is slow, lacks creativity and willingness to take chances, we just don't look like any sort of threat going forward but look like conceading every time the other teams get forward.

Get wingers on the wing to give us width, get a second forward up top, (someone with a bit of pace) and look at attacking teams and give them something to think about. Brown still doesn't know his best team and his tactics and selections show that.

I always felt brown deserved a chance and wanted him to succeed but I've now started to swing more towards a change in manager, browns comments about being 5 points of the play offs seemed like a guy trying to be desperately positive Knowing he's going have some difficult questions to answer Monday morning and can't wait see what he says after we pick up 0 points from the next two games!

[valiant_593]

Forgot about this but I got **** on here saying that allesandra would've been a much better signing than the likes of montano. And look who scored!

[Wrex]

Just a quick off the top my head thing, we have scored 8 goals in our last 14 league games,obviously not good enough and anyone thinking Barnett is the answer look his record up.....Woefull.

 

And if Barnett is fit (A rarity) is he going to partner Pope? The QE2 has a quicker turning circle.

 

To be fair his injury record isn't too bad, he's played nearly 500 games. Trouble is his scoring record is pretty poor, he is a ten goal a season target man, aka another Tom Pope. Pope has been doing the best he can in an isolated position with no decent service, and Brown will not play two strikers, not that playing Pope and Barnett up top together sounds like a great idea anyway.

 

So will Barnett being fit make any difference whatsoever? Would Pugh coming back transform us into world beaters? If Forrester were to come back would he score a hatful?

 

No. Brown cannot use injuries as an excuse. Unless the team magically "gels", the Bruno "luck" comes back or, shock horror! Brown changes his tactics, then we will continue to struggle all season long.

[Guest]

My marks out of 10 .

Lainton 5

Davis 4

Smith 5

Kay 4

Gunning 5

Harness 5

worrall 6

middleton 5

Montano 3

Pope 4

whitfield 3

5 home defeats in a row ,in 4 of them we havent scored yet the fans keep coming why i have no idea as they dont deserve a 1000 people through the gates at present.

4 centre halfs at the back 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

1 up front who is game and trying his best but is not superman .

A manager and players who have a losing mentality as thats proven what that 5 defeats in a row.

Players who seem very scared to go past players or join in .

Long ball rubbish and a tendency give the opposition all the easy chances score .

What a delight we have become NOT .

In all my years of watching Vale have i never seen such a load of timid ,un up for it lot as these .

Its every game is same old **** different week.

Notts County at home 4 centre halfs 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄,1 up front .

CLUELESS BROWN

[vale on toower]

Memo to Stobbs, When your OWN keeper is coming up for a last minute corner, it's better/polite to wait until he's in the area before taking said corner

[NellyTheValiant]

Memo to Stobbs, When your OWN keeper is coming up for a last minute corner, it's better/polite to wait until he's in the area before taking said corner

 

And try not to hand it to their keeper.

[darren1810]

Did Pope have a parachute attached to his back when he was clean through ? Embarrasing attempt to claim a penalty after he trod water for 10 yards.

[PV1973]

We have signed 5 wide men (including Worrall) this season and not one of them actually played out wide or put in a decent cross. The game was so narrow and did we actually put more than 3 forward passes together? Shocking.

Add to that the fact that by playing centre halfs as full backs who are not naturally inclined to be going forward and joining in when the wingers go narrow and so we end up with even less width.

 

I think playing centre halfs as full backs is a sure fire sign that your manager is shitscared of losing and wants to try and be defensiviely solid (negative). Thats isn't working though.

 

It looks to me that we've got 2 young and energetic full backs in Denton and Gibbons, plus Wilson who I hope comes good. But these players have been developed to not only be defenders but to be able to push on, overlap the winger and support the attack. You can still be defensively strong by playing a system with full backs joining in. Our surrent system is too easy to nulify, because oppositon will just allow our defenders to hoof it long and will then get enough bodies aorund Pope to mop it up.

[Valenick]

Yes we're bottom and I don't like it. But it's September and we're 5 games in. Acting after 5 games would be rash.

 

Spot on

[Valenick]

No sign of that troll Bea Smith since yesterday. Has she gone into hibernation.

 

Stop being a drama queen tossfool