Aspin is taking Vale in right direction but he is no miracle worker

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OVF editor Rob Fielding says some fans have unrealistic expectations of the Port Vale manager. Rob Fielding writes… It somewhat bemuses me that a manager who has revitalised a beaten unit on the pitch and taken it to relative League Two safety is being criticised by some fans for not having solved every position in […]

 

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[newchapel valiant]

Spot on Rob.

[SuperValiant1876]

Not many people are criticising Aspin at all. It's just the odd idiot from Leek or people who still love V2001, no one of any relevance is saying anything negative about Aspo.

[mr.hobblesworth]

Playing devil's advocate for a moment...

 

He hasn't taken us to safety yet as there's still almost half a season to go. He's taken an established League One club half a dozen places up League Two whilst struggling to beat some quite poor sides. I loved Neil as a player and really want him and Rudgie to succeed but I think all this 'In Aspin We Trust' stuff is a bit daft. I don't actually think the squad Brown assembled was too bad (with a couple of exceptions) - after all, it was largely Brown players that beat Luton - it's just his management was so dire that those players looked Sunday league at best. I actually think we should be higher in the league.

 

*dons helmet*

[PV1973]

We're not an established league one club anymore. Previous appointments and transfer policies have seen to that, Apsin has taken over a struggling league two side that is rebuilding and essentially starting again. I think we have a half decent squad, even if its a little unbalanced, but we are exactly where we deserve to be and in a way I hope our players never adopt a similar attitude of we're too good for this league because we are not too good for it and anyone can beat anyone.

[Seamus O'Wye]

"He's taken an established League One club half a dozen places up League Two whilst struggling to beat some quite poor sides" (mr,hobblesworth)

 

... established league one club? Vale? I wish.

Nothing like one of those when Aspin took over.

[SuperValiant1876]

"He's taken an established League One club half a dozen places up League Two whilst struggling to beat some quite poor sides" (mr,hobblesworth)

 

... established league one club? Vale? I wish.

Nothing like one of those when Aspin took over.

 

I'm confused to how a team in the relegation places of the basement division can be described as an established league 1 club.

[smithie]

We WERE an established League One team until Bonkers Bruno and Misguided Michael steered us to League 2.

[onestepatatime]

We all know who Rob is "getting at" in his post. The vast majority of us know what a decent job Aspin is doing and will do if allowed to get on with it. However I and many others do express opinions that criticise certain players performances. That's what expectant fans do. There are some players, we know, who are not up to the positions they hold but that is NOT to say we criticise the manager for their performances.

 

There is a difference between saying a player has a bad game and needs to be replaced from saying the manager is at fault.

[SourceOfTheTrent]

Playing devil's advocate for a moment...

 

He hasn't taken us to safety yet as there's still almost half a season to go. He's taken an established League One club half a dozen places up League Two whilst struggling to beat some quite poor sides. I loved Neil as a player and really want him and Rudgie to succeed but I think all this 'In Aspin We Trust' stuff is a bit daft. I don't actually think the squad Brown assembled was too bad (with a couple of exceptions) - after all, it was largely Brown players that beat Luton - it's just his management was so dire that those players looked Sunday league at best. I actually think we should be higher in the league.

 

*dons helmet*

 

Sorry, Mr. H, but for once I can't agree with you. Before Aspo came we were looking a certainty for non-league and he's turned it around with virtually the same players Brown recruited, however, that doesn't mean the squad he took on are decent but it does show, as you say, Brown was a poor manager (particularly tactically). I said on Aspo's appointment I'll see staying up this season as a monumental achievement - I think things were that bad - and our run of results over Christmas gave a false impression even though the points gained are invaluable. the last few games have shown our deeper vulnerability, especially FGR and Yeovil, and there's a long way to go for safety yet. Personally, I have a lot of faith in what Aspo's doing but I also worry that the necessary financial backing isn't forthcoming because we haven't yet recruited any players of experience and proven ability. Aspo's a proven manager of over 600 games experience who, I think, will cut it in the football league but only if he can bring in players of the required ability and that is all down to finances. I've said this before but I think if we're to be sure of survival and then climbing back up the league it'll require the big blue blob in the white hat to organise some readies.

[valeparklife]

Playing devil's advocate for a moment...

 

He hasn't taken us to safety yet as there's still almost half a season to go. He's taken an established League One club half a dozen places up League Two whilst struggling to beat some quite poor sides. I loved Neil as a player and really want him and Rudgie to succeed but I think all this 'In Aspin We Trust' stuff is a bit daft. I don't actually think the squad Brown assembled was too bad (with a couple of exceptions) - after all, it was largely Brown players that beat Luton - it's just his management was so dire that those players looked Sunday league at best. I actually think we should be higher in the league.

 

*dons helmet*

 

Brown and Norman's biggest mistake was the size of the squad. Doesn't give us much room to manoeuvre in the transfer market!

 

I'm sure if you spoke to Aspin and offered him a clean slate, he would only keep 4-5 of this squad.

 

Realistically, we aren't going to get a player that's doing well for his team unless we pay money. Or if you're stupid enough to sign players on 6 month contracts.

[Seamus O'Wye]

I'm confused to how a team in the relegation places of the basement division can be described as an established league 1 club.

 

So was I !! And I still can't understand how Mr Hobblesworth thinks we are, unless, of course, he is on a wind up.

[mr.hobblesworth]

I'm not on a wind up and I don't think I explained myself properly. All I meant was that we are a big club for this division and that I don't feel particularly chuffed to be 18th in the table, even if we're doing much better than under Brown. Again, I'm not on a wind-up, I'm not slating Aspin and I want him to do well. He's hopefully learning on the job and will get better at it. However, surely you're allowed to question how well he's doing? We're still (usually) playing with 1 up top (although Pope isn't half as isolated as he was earlier in the season), the football is often dour, he persists with the hapless Pugh and still doesn't seem to know what his best side is. Again, hopefully he's learning and some of these can be explained away by the fact he's having to use another manager's players.

[CambridgeDon]

The only thing that Aspo needs to achieve for his first season in charge to be successful is to survive. It doesn't matter if it's by a single point or even goal difference, that's all that matters. For me, given the mess he inherited, that will be a very, very fine achievement.

 

This season's problems have been long in the making. That is how good clubs are ruined - by the cumulative long-term effect of poor strategy from the top and poor management at team level, both of which we've had in spades. So even if, God forbid, we are relegated I won't be blaming Aspin one little bit.

 

So let's hope he can do it. We need to get behind him, support the team and grit our teeth that the ups and downs we'll go through over the next few months will end in success. Then, next season, as Aspo, Rudge and co get to work, we will see their real value - and then there's only one direction we'll be heading in.

[mr.hobblesworth]

The only thing that Aspo needs to achieve for his first season in charge to be successful is to survive.

 

Y'see, I disagree. I think that's where I'm going to be disagreeing with most on here.