Match Thread: Port Vale v Morecambe

[Doha]

[SourceOfTheTrent]

I've been trying to analyse what's been wrong in the games since Notts County and to be honest there's all sorts going through my skull! This thread has lots of points I agree with but the bottom line is we don't have enough good players. It was another woeful game like watching paint dry.

Whilst I acknowledge we have to keep clean sheets I worry that if we concede we can't score. Our midfield is pedestrian and lacks quality, we have no left back and no width. When was the last time a Vale wide man skinned a full back and put a killer cross in? All our balls in the box are meat & drink for defenders and every opposition side knows if they put a couple of big defenders on Popey they nullify our attack because he IS our attack.

For me the biggest issue is in the owner's office, he said when Aspo was appointed that he'd be backed in January. Does anyone think that's happened? It seems to me there's an air of negativity in the team, lots of players must know they don't have much of a future at Vale and it shows.

Hopefully Aspo will find a balance in the side and performances will improve but I expect a slog to the end of the season and still dread the prospect of falling out of the league. Yet again we're in for a summer of major surgery but without proper financing there'll be no improvement. No manager in the world can build a successful league side with non-league free transfers a good proportion of proven league players are needed and you have to pay the going rate to get them.

Mr. Smurthwaite, as ever, is the key figure in the club's future. He needs to invest or sell, anything else and his stake in the club will go south with the club itself.

 

Sent from my [device_name] using the http://onevalefan mobile app

[Conrad]

I may be wrong but he looks like he’s carrying a knock.Lacking his normal pace and ability at the moment.The lad is a game changer.I’d either rest him for a couple of games or persist with him to get him back to his best.

I think Aspo is trying to nurse him back to his best by just giving him 45 mins in the last few games.

[Iron Curtain]

Norman Smurthwaites Port Vale ladies and gentlemen. where the only positive is a clean sheet against a struggling team missing numerous first teamers through injury and suspension... a clean sheet we only earned through a bit of luck and two outstanding saves.

 

Any promise to back Aspin is January was either a lie or more worryingly what norman thinks he has done!!

 

Reality is setting in... under a bacon of a man who knows nothing about the game and has said that the club must fund itself, Port Vale are going only one way!

[WalterJ]

So you think 46 points will be enough to keep us up,thats as optimistic as your 8 shots on target yesterday.

 

Try to use your brain a bit! If we win 4 then next to bottom will need to win 6 or 7. Being that all the bottom 7 will have to play one another it won’t happen. Chesterfield for instance need to win 19 points to get to 46 points and it’s taken them 31 matches to get 27 points. Despite our awful start to the season we have more than a point a match so on target for up to 50 points. Just sheer logistics. Most on this forum just want to do Vale down I try to see some good in the players. As to the match I thought allowing for the pitch we played well second half without that finishing touch, yes we need more support to Pope and in my view need Harness back, leave Pugh at full back as he did only get exposed one against Accrington and paid a price with Vale fans. Defence looked better for sure, agree about Jules but he has played so little. It’s time too that older Vale players stopped arguing with on another on the pitch and stopped having a go at the younger players. The younger players need support from everyone to bring them through.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using the onevalefan mobile app

[Bluedevil]

Not having a go but other than Jules who has been worse? Wilson maybe but i aren't convinced he is an Aspin signing as we were after him in August

 

Hannant ...... more to come from him and no worse than who we have

Howkins ...... we haven't seen him but positives off Mansfield fans who have

Howe ..... we haven't seen but positives off Lincoln and Eastleigh fans who have

Regis ....... I cant comment as not seen him but those who have say he was decent BUT sadly clear attitude problem

Raglan ....... was my motm yesterday

 

You forgot Angus, another one we've signed and not used! Bit of a pattern emerging with the signings.

[Jacko51]

You forgot Angus, another one we've signed and not used! Bit of a pattern emerging with the signings.

 

Aspin said Angus was signed for next season.

[PVTony]

Win four - plus? hope so. But Vale have not won in the last six games, having drawn three and losing three.

The Vale team have failed to beat three of the bottom six clubs in playing these last six games.

The form that we presently have is very worrying and winning four or more from the last fifteen games is not a cert bet.

Hope that Aspin can work some magic on the inexperienced young men and also on the old ones that are way past their best.

[Bluedevil]

Aspin said Angus was signed for next season.

 

What in the conference! The priority should have been players who can effect our status now, not next year.

[Jacko51]

What in the conference! The priority should have been players who can effect our status now, not next year.

 

I don’t see a problem with signing a lad for nowt now before someone else picks him up. Part of our problem at Vale is that we never think beyond today.

[Vital Spark]

I don’t see a problem with signing a lad for nowt now before someone else picks him up. Part of our problem at Vale is that we never think beyond today.

 

You’re right Aspin should have thought beyond today and signed a LB months ago.

 

We’d have crucified Brown for a situation like this but it looks like it’s okay to allow Aspin to keep muddling his way around the problem.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Beza]

Nothing to worry about norman said he'd do everything to make sure we don't get relegated and back aspin and bring some quality like Jules.

Smurf is a .

[endonbaz]

Not sure who was the worst, the referee or Jules. Both abysmal. How Jules stopped off more than 15 minutes is beyond me. Goodness only knows what attitude problem Regis has got if it is worse than Jules. Completely disinterested and out of his depth in one.

 

Does anybody actually research these players before signing them?

[Alkie]

agree that We need to change our style of play.Sick of saying it.Pandering to one players’ needs is not the way forward.Tom needs to be more flexible.When he’s double marked it’s too easy for teams.He needs to have a look at some Martin Foyle videos on how to create space by taking defenders away with him from the middle.Same old ,same old ,I’m afraid.

 

Agree with the need modify the attacking formation, but would say that Pope does make runs away from the play to create space for others. The trouble is that in previous games 'the others have been Montano and Harness who consequently squander the possession often as not. This week we put Forreter on for the second half but the Pope drifts wide and we lose the effect of two up top. Popey needs to have someone with him but then they both need to be narrower and let Worrell,Whittaker or Hannant feed them.[TWEET][/TWEET]

[WalterJ]

Win four - plus? hope so. But Vale have not won in the last six games, having drawn three and losing three.

The Vale team have failed to beat three of the bottom six clubs in playing these last six games.

The form that we presently have is very worrying and winning four or more from the last fifteen games is not a cert bet.

Hope that Aspin can work some magic on the inexperienced young men and also on the old ones that are way past their best.

 

We play better against better teams!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using the onevalefan mobile app