Tom Pope

[TheSage]

I think we all need to give the lad a bit more credit. He's in our top ten all time scorers list and although now he's perhaps past his very best he still gives 100% effort in each and every game and wears the Vale badge with pride.

We've all been disappointed with our results this season - to put it mildly - but I'm quite frankly staggered by the stick he's had on this website. It doesn't say a lot, I know, but he's been one of our better players all season long, with little or no support.

All this vitriolic criticism of him, moaning that he smokes too much, goes out too often, can't run, can't last 90 minutes, can't score goals any more, has lost his pace, shouldn't be in the team, is complete garbage but thankfully Aspin hasn't been listening to the voices of doom.

Despite having barely a chance in earlier games he's hit the wood-work twice and could easily be on 8 by now. He won't score a bucketful again I don't suppose but 15 would be nice. It's the other lads who are letting the team down, not him.

[Bea Smith]

Yes,a 9-iron.⛳

 

No - he doesn't like a lot of chocolate on his biscuit.

[Bea Smith]

Not any more Paul. Even those who think of themselves having great knowledge concerning tactics and management etc. are now realizing that Tom is the focal point upon which Vales immediate revival depends.

 

One or two of Tom's biggest 'fans' have been notably absent the last few days. Thye'll no doubt crawl out of their sewers again when he has 2 or 3 games without scoring.

[Paul6754]

Has Big Reg got a club yet?

 

Think there was a recent article on OVF that he'd got a club in Lithuania or Latvia who played in the Europa League qualification rounds.

[Tomo]

With the exception of promotion year- 31 goals League 33 All competitions.

League 34 total

All competitions 42.total.

Incredible it ain’t.Only 2 seasons so far Tom has reached double figures for Vale.

Not having a go,just stating hard facts.

 

To be picky, he's reached double figures in 3 seasons (consecutively), scoring 33, 16, 12 before leaving for Bury. I think all competitions should count, people removing them just to suit an argument better seems unfair on him.

 

If he'd played 100 games in the league, but another 100 in other competitions whilst scoring none, you could guarantee people would be using both sets of appearances as stats to support their opinion.

 

He's no Lewandowski for example, whose goals record I would describe as incredible, but he is a decent forward, & with a little more time here, will probably break into the all time top 10 scorers list.

[Tomo]

Also, slightly off topic but whilst looking at some of our top scorers, I noticed that in his first 5 seasons here, Pope scored 59 league goals. Martin Foyle actually only scored 57 in the same period! And in their 6th season, Tom has already surpassed him. He also has a better goal to game ratio (league or all comps).

 

Like Howjy, not suggesting anything (definitely not that Pope is a better player than Foyle at all, would be madness), but it's interesting the impression that using specific facts can give, whilst ignoring others (like the fact they played at completely different levels).

[valefan16]

Regardless of his poor scoring start (not entirely his fault) he had six league goals with just under 1/3 of the season gone, repeat that average he will get 19-20 goals this season... in the new system under Aspo being fed I can see him actually improving that average.

[Howjy04]

Because people have different views of things doesn’t mean they are right or wrong.Up until the last few games Tom has played like a drain,not just my opinion.In his own words he says some players need an arm around the shoulder others need a kick up the ar5e.Tom chose the latter for himself.I have it from a good source Tom has had a foot surgically removed.The blame for him not scoring was Brown?the reason for him scoring is Aspo?Long may he continue to score to get us out of this 5hite League.I asked the question earlier,what is Plan B if Tom gets crocked?i have a wallpaper ,of Tom and my grandson at a Vale Christmas party,on my phone ,which I have had for 4 years.That tells you what I think of Tom Pope.

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

Because people have different views of things doesn’t mean they are right or wrong.Up until the last few games Tom has played like a drain,not just my opinion.In his own words he says some players need an arm around the shoulder others need a kick up the ar5e.Tom chose the latter for himself.I have it from a good source Tom has had a foot surgically removed.The blame for him not scoring was Brown?the reason for him scoring is Aspo?Long may he continue to score to get us out of this 5hite League.I asked the question earlier,what is Plan B if Tom gets crocked?i have a wallpaper ,of Tom and my grandson at a Vale Christmas party,on my phone ,which I have had for 4 years.That tells you what I think of Tom Pope.

 

Spot on all this ‘hatred’ nonsense is people not being able to differentiate between critiquing performances which has always been the case. We all want Vale to win, that doesn’t detract from us giving our own justifiable opinions on the games we have seen.

 

Tom has transformed himself over recent games and it’s brilliant to see especially as he now looks fitter and is playing for a proper manager who is developing decent systems and game plans. All this is for the benefit of Port Vale.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using the onevalefan mobile app

[blackdog]

Spot on all this ‘hatred’ nonsense is people not being able to differentiate between critiquing performances which has always been the case. We all want Vale to win, that doesn’t detract from us giving our own justifiable opinions on the games we have seen.

 

Tom has transformed himself over recent games and it’s brilliant to see especially as he now looks fitter and is playing for a proper manager who is developing decent systems and game plans. All this is for the benefit of Port Vale.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using the onevalefan mobile app

 

Sound of backtracking there.........................You hammered Pope,who has admitted he struggled to play in a team with 4 centre halfs at the back and no support within a mile of him.

 

I dont think he's fitter he's just playing in a system that suits his style.

 

But you preferred to ignore the facts and instead unfairly criticise a Vale player who gives 100%.

 

You have also in an indirect way suggested that Aspin doesnt know what he's doing because in your world you wouldnt have Pope anywhere near the team.

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

Sound of backtracking there.........................You hammered Pope,who has admitted he struggled to play in a team with 4 centre halfs at the back and no support within a mile of him.

 

I dont think he's fitter he's just playing in a system that suits his style.

 

But you preferred to ignore the facts and instead unfairly criticise a Vale player who gives 100%.

 

You have also in an indirect way suggested that Aspin doesnt know what he's doing because in your world you wouldnt have Pope anywhere near the team.

 

Utter rubbish, even you can’t believe the nonsense you’ve typed above.

 

The fact is over recent games he like the team is transformed and as Howjy says that’s as much to do with his own change of attitude as it is to do with the new manager who has been a breath of fresh air.

 

Time to try and be optimistic my owd fruit.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using the onevalefan mobile app

[bogie boom years]

Feed the pope he will score

 

Sent from my SM-G901F using the onevalefan mobile app

[Jacko51]

Spot on all this ‘hatred’ nonsense is people not being able to differentiate between critiquing performances which has always been the case. We all want Vale to win' date=' that doesn’t detract from us giving our own justifiable opinions on the games we have seen.[/quote']

 

Good heavens, that’s a 180 degree turn. How many times did you call people who gave an honest critique of the owner’s performance and decisions “haters”? How many times did you say the haters will always hate?

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

Good heavens, that’s a 180 degree turn. How many times did you call people who gave an honest critique of the owner’s performance and decisions “haters”? How many times did you say the haters will always hate?

 

That’s because they don’t balance their argument, if they did like most of us rational posters have with Pope it would be a different matter. You have to be able to see the positives and the negatives in life.

 

The owner isn’t all evil and the Pope isn’t all....well....saintly

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using the onevalefan mobile app

[Jacko51]

That’s because they don’t balance their argument, if they did like most of us rational posters have with Pope it would be a different matter. You have to be able to see the positives and the negatives in life.

 

The owner isn’t all evil and the Pope isn’t all....well....saintly

 

 

Sorry, can’t reply properly - too busy laughing at the self delusion and hypocrisy.