Matchday Thread: Luton Town v Port Vale

[DIV3SOUTH]

Vale 1-0 Luton own goal

[bookworm]

This has to be the last chance saloon for Browny and co. What worries me further is that if we lose and he gets the bullet I have absolutely no faith whatsoever in Norman or any of his hoppos making a good choice for the next manager, we would only get someone good by luck rather than judgement. My preferred option would actually be for a miracle to happen and Clown, Organ and Welly to come good, then we could start referring to them as Micky, Chris and Ned. I'm just off to take my medication now.

I've just taken mine and all I can see is a 5 goal thrashing, luton will be smarting and we will be our usual dour depressing docile selves 6 defeats on the trot and looking at number 7 on Saturday.

[MBE]

Feel dirty for saying this but hope for a heavy Vale defeat to force Smurfs hand and sack Brown. Feeling ashamed to think that way but...

 

 

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[Warren]

I want PV to win at Luton and against Forrest Green. From that position I could accept we have not been attractive and we have been unlucky. The worst outcome is ambiguity, drawing or losing narrowly again with Smurf deciding to struggle on. This has to be the last chance saloon.

[Aussie Rules]

Whatever happens to Michael is in his hands, but of this I'm quite certain - never would I wish we get a goal thrashing, or lose by a single goal, just to be rid of him.

[southvale]

Dodgiest of the lot!

 

The one thing he did do was pick a manager.

and back him, and keep out of the playing side!!

[Erniemossrules]

and back him, and keep out of the playing side!!

 

The one and only decision Norman can do is bring in a recognised Experienced Manager. I don't care if he adds it to his so called loans because he is dreaming if he thinks someone will pay him good money for a club ready to drop out of the league.The only way he will get anything back is if he can appoint a Manager with a brain to save us and move up the league.

[jjvale_03]

I'm going, but it's the least I've looked forward to a game in years.

 

The thought of Brown trying to set his team up to be solid and scrape a narrow victory fills me with anger.

[TheSage]

I doff my hat to you sir and hope we can get a positive result.

 

But you make a good point. We are in the bottom tier and still appear to be setting out our stall to avoid losing, playing often with a lone striker and hoping that we might sneak something. The bottom tier! Not away in the Championship to WHU or WBA. It is appalling.

[Valenick]

Feel dirty for saying this but hope for a heavy Vale defeat to force Smurfs hand and sack Brown. Feeling ashamed to think that way but...

 

 

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Disgusting

[PV1973]

I doff my hat to you sir and hope we can get a positive result.

 

But you make a good point. We are in the bottom tier and still appear to be setting out our stall to avoid losing, playing often with a lone striker and hoping that we might sneak something. The bottom tier! Not away in the Championship to WHU or WBA. It is appalling.

With 4 centre halfs no less. Last time we got out of this league we had wingers getting crosses in for Pope, this season we're lumping long balls up to him with no width whatsoever and hoping somehting comes off him. Brown is making a rod for his own back.

[TheSage]

With 4 centre halfs no less. Last time we got out of this league we had wingers getting crosses in for Pope, this season we're lumping long balls up to him with no width whatsoever and hoping somehting comes off him. Brown is making a rod for his own back.

 

But why?

 

Brown and Morgan and Kelly - despite what many think - are not unintelligent amateurs. They've played about 1500 league games between them and worked under a stream of managers, some very good ones. It's a puzzle.

 

As you say we were told we'd play with wingers and 'feed the Pope' but it isn't happening. None of the wingers have impressed anyway, save for Harness' efforts, but they don't hug the touchline, they don't dribble to the byline and they don't get the ball across. The crosses are coming in from centre midfield from 50-60 yards and Pope has no chance. His tactics are completely baffling.

 

I like Gunning and Davis has again been badly done by but they are not full backs and don't overlap and get crosses into the box, as full backs should. We are effectively cutting off supply lines to the forward(s) and then wondering why we can't score.

 

There are no midfield runners into the box and beyond Pope. Worrall has a go but he isn't a scorer like Eagles or Dodds. Just like last season we are desperate for goals and don't have a midfielder who consistently breaks forward and shoots.

 

It's not rocket science is it? We must watch videos of all the games we play. The coaches can't be completely daft. But something just isn't right at all. There's no cohesion, no fluency to our play at all, just hoof and hope. It's dreadful stuff.

[Santa]

With 4 centre halfs no less. Last time we got out of this league we had wingers getting crosses in for Pope, this season we're lumping long balls up to him with no width whatsoever and hoping somehting comes off him. Brown is making a rod for his own back.

The last time we got promoted we played inverted wingers who popped up in central positions and weighed in with a decent chunk of goals and assists each. One out and out centre forward isn't a negative formation when it's played correctly like that.

 

Currently our wingers are neither one thing nor the other.

[PV1973]

But why?

 

Brown and Morgan and Kelly - despite what many think - are not unintelligent amateurs. They've played about 1500 league games between them and worked under a stream of managers, some very good ones. It's a puzzle.

 

As you say we were told we'd play with wingers and 'feed the Pope' but it isn't happening. None of the wingers have impressed anyway, save for Harness' efforts, but they don't hug the touchline, they don't dribble to the byline and they don't get the ball across. The crosses are coming in from centre midfield from 50-60 yards and Pope has no chance. His tactics are completely baffling.

 

I like Gunning and Davis has again been badly done by but they are not full backs and don't overlap and get crosses into the box, as full backs should. We are effectively cutting off supply lines to the forward(s) and then wondering why we can't score.

 

There are no midfield runners into the box and beyond Pope. Worrall has a go but he isn't a scorer like Eagles or Dodds. Just like last season we are desperate for goals and don't have a midfielder who consistently breaks forward and shoots.

 

It's not rocket science is it? We must watch videos of all the games we play. The coaches can't be completely daft. But something just isn't right at all. There's no cohesion, no fluency to our play at all, just hoof and hope. It's dreadful stuff.

I can see no other pattern to our play other than hit and hope.

 

I thought we'd be much more attacking with full backs that will go forward to join in with the wingers when they go narrow, with 2 holding midfielders who will sit in and keep things tight, but I have no idea what we are trying to achieve.

 

On the subject of full backs we've brought in Denton who looks to have some pace to threaten going forward, and clearly Wilson has been a good player at a higher level. But take them out (or any full back for that matter) and put in centre halfs and it kills the flow of the team, they aren't used to playing there positionally, shape wise or being on the ball and going forward with it.

[JOHNNYAITCH]

Disgusting

 

Cut him some slack....it just shows how bad things have got and how desperate some fans are to see change instigated. A win is great cos it's 3 points but if MB isn't the man then a win might just postpone what is needed until it's too late. I never want Vale to lose but I can sympathise with the motive behind the post being wanting what's right for Vale's future..short term pain for long term gain.