Match Thread : Barnet v Port Vale

[onestepatatime]

Aspin is one of the reasons the squad is seriously lacking. A good manager would not have seen us flirting with the bottom two. We only got a point at ******* Barnet because their keeper ****** up. The squad that Aspin inherited, with a decent manager, was definitely not a million miles away from mid table or even the play offs. His win % is worse than Ribeiro's.

 

I never said that he would have succeeded by keeping us up as I think a good manager would have easily surpassed that. I think a good manager would have also used the resources at his command - existing players, the budget used for new and loan players in January - far better than Aspin has. BUT... I am hoping he's learning on the job and just wants to get to the end of the season before overhauling the squad (again).

 

You may not have said Aspin would have succeeded if he kept us up, but the majority of Vale fans did when he was installed as manager. We all knew then as well as now that the budget Smurthwaite set for anyone to be manager must have been absolutely rock bottom.

 

Good to see you admit you hope Aspin's learning. Think we all realise Aspin has certainly learned the truth about his Chairman, if nothing else!

[mr.hobblesworth]

The point about Tonge and Pugh is that we are playing 2 holding midfielders in front of the back 4 whilst also playing 3 centre halfs (with one of those at right back), thats quite a defensive (some may say negative) formation.

 

Even when we played well back in Aspins early games we had Kay holding with Pugh alongside him.

 

So I agree to a degree on playing 2 aging holding midfielders, but who is going to play there if we drop one or both? I haven't seen enough of Middleton and Regis to form an opinion on them, whilst Reeves didn't do much to make an impact in the games he played in earlier on. For all we know we may have tried to get someone in on loan and they wouldn't come. So we'll have to struggle through til the end of the season and reassess it then.

 

One of the things that Gateshead fans flagged up when I asked them about NA (apart from his dour negative football) was that he had his favourites and was quick to ostracise those that he didn't rate (and once cast out there'd be no way back). I would like to have seen Reeves, Middleton or (the departed) AdF given a prolonged run in the side.

[mr.hobblesworth]

Good to see you admit you hope Aspin's learning.

 

Of course I hope he's learning, although there's precious little evidence of that so far unfortunately.

[onestepatatime]

Of course I hope he's learning, although there's precious little evidence of that so far unfortunately.

 

He's learning how to churn out points that we desperately need.

[pjg1876]

Personally, although we would have gained an extra point, I prefer it that we drew both the last two games than winning one and losing the other.

[mr.hobblesworth]

He's learning how to churn out points that we desperately need.

 

And then, next season when he's got the creative attacking players he'd like, we'll be playing free-flowing attacking exciting football? I wish I shared your optimism.

[Santa]

Probably not, presumably because Smurthwaite's a ******** who has made the club toxic.

That's a fair assessment.

 

I'm sure we could have got someone who didn't insist on playing Tonge and Pugh together in midfield behind a lone striker though.

The hand he's been dealt is Pugh, Tonge, Middleton, Regis and Reeves.

 

As much as I want to gouge out both my eyes with an old coathanger when I watch them pair anchor the centre of our midfield, I can understand that perhaps it's the least worst option we've got.

[onestepatatime]

And then, next season when he's got the creative attacking players he'd like, we'll be playing free-flowing attacking exciting football? I wish I shared your optimism.

 

Who knows? I never said Aspin would play free-flowing attacking football. I'm simply happy today that we are out of the immediate danger that most of us feared a few games ago. Time, as always , will reveal if Aspin is a good manager or not. To attempt to judge him at this point in time is folly in view of the obvious constraints our Owner has put on the Club. For us to be where we are now, as opposed to when Aspin was installed, I'd say I am happyish, as I expect most Valiants are too.

 

Correct and proper judgement will come once this season is over and we all see then what Vale intend doing(Smurthwaite and Aspin.)

[mr.hobblesworth]

The hand he's been dealt is Pugh, Tonge, Middleton, Regis and Reeves.

 

As much as I want to gouge out both my eyes with an old coathanger when I watch them pair anchor the centre of our midfield, I can understand that perhaps it's the least worst option we've got.

 

And ADF (although I'm going to shut up about him now) And possibly Whitfield.

[PV1973]

One of the things that Gateshead fans flagged up when I asked them about NA (apart from his dour negative football) was that he had his favourites and was quick to ostracise those that he didn't rate (and once cast out there'd be no way back). I would like to have seen Reeves, Middleton or (the departed) AdF given a prolonged run in the side.

Every manager will do that when he comes in to a job, I don't think Aspin is the exception to the rule.

 

We all have opinions that are different, thats football, and by virtue of them not playing its naturally sees some players elevated to a status that maybe is undeserved.

 

Can or could we have afforded to persevere with Reeves, Middleton or ADF when we desperately needed points? We'll never know. I can understand the manager going the way he has. Some players have come in to the side and taken their chance and some haven't. The harsh reality is that players have to do it and I'm not sure we could afford to wait to see if some players would be up to it or would come good eventually, such was our perilous position. Also we don't know what these players were doing in training either, were they doing enough?

 

Personally I wrote this season off long ago, we need to get a good pre-season under our belts and then errrr..... we go again.

 

And then, next season when he's got the creative attacking players he'd like, we'll be playing free-flowing attacking exciting football? I wish I shared your optimism.

Is the yardstick to judge Aspin when hes had a preseason, if we play free flowing football or not? Thats what turned a lot of people against Page and yet he had us comfortably mid-table in the league above. This league isn't about being pretty all of the time, its a real battle. I'm not ashamed to admit I want to see us winning over fancy football.

[SFBT]

Aspin is one of the reasons the squad is seriously lacking. A good manager would not have seen us flirting with the bottom two. We only got a point at ******* Barnet because their keeper ****** up. The squad that Aspin inherited, with a decent manager, was definitely not a million miles away from mid table or even the play offs. His win % is worse than Ribeiro's.

 

I never said that he would have succeeded by keeping us up as I think a good manager would have easily surpassed that. I think a good manager would have also used the resources at his command - existing players, the budget used for new and loan players in January - far better than Aspin has. BUT... I am hoping he's learning on the job and just wants to get to the end of the season before overhauling the squad (again).

 

I have to disagree with your view of the squad.

I think it is a poor one, even at this level.

As I've said many times before, we are stocked with old and young players; very few in their prime.

 

It strikes me that we are shopping in the bargain basement for two reasons at least.

1. Restricted budget

2. Anyone who is half decent wouldn't come to a club in such a mess with an obnoxious oaf of a chairman

Therefore, only 'mates', low standard players and untried loanees will come.

It really isn't rocket science.

The club is a toxic disaster area.

[Hagrid]

That's a fair assessment.

 

 

The hand he's been dealt is Pugh, Tonge, Middleton, Regis and Reeves.

 

As much as I want to gouge out both my eyes with an old coathanger when I watch them pair anchor the centre of our midfield, I can understand that perhaps it's the least worst option we've got.

 

Hannant too. My biggest qualm at the minute is Hannant, to me, is better centrally, and is out on the left, where he works hard but is ineffective as he has to cut back onto his right.

 

I get that his workrate is important on that side as we have Montano at left back but surely Whitfield on the left (regardless of how out of form he is) and Hannant next to Pugh in the middle would be a better option.

[Hagrid]

Is it OK to want Aspin to carry on as manager whilst accepting the past 11 games have been unequivocally diabolical, and in that time Aspo has made, at best, some questionable calls?

[SourceOfTheTrent]

It was a typical bottom of the basement clash between two sides lacking in quality but overall I thought we were the better side, especially in the second half when there was some decent passing and we got the all moved out wide and used the space on the pitch, trouble is, again, there was no quality in the box to have efforts on target and put the ball away.

 

I think we'll stay up now because we've kept teams down there with us and games are running out, a win or two and a couple of draws from our remaining games will do and for a start we've got to see Stevenage as very winnable.

 

For me criticism of Aspin at this stage is highly unfair. He inherited a woeful and imbalanced squad that were bottom of the league and was promised by Augustus Gloop he would be backed in January but, surprise, surprise, he wasn't and ended up with a squad that had actually been weakend by the loss of Gunning and Anderson. The signings made were from Poundland or were, sensibly, ones for the future. Add to that injuries and it's easy to see why we are where we are. Pep Guadiola wouldn't do any better with the players we have and could possibly do even worse as his style of play would require the players to do things they aren't capable of. Much as we are weak with two ageing players in midfield I don't think the alternatives such as Reeves and Middleton are as good, neither of them have shown anything when they've played to make me think otherwise. Regis was a 'chancer' when we signed him and it looks like he has some off-field issues that may kill his career, he hasn't cracked it anywhere he's been, he could be another Gary Roberts or Ryan Burge.

The core problem, as we all know, is the owner who has created an almighty mess through his own actions but doesn't want to put any more money in to rectify the situation. With a charity shop budget we'll struggle no matter who the manager is but in Aspin we have a manager familiar with the non-league scene who will probably get us the best players we can from those available on our budget, in other words he'll have to be a John Coleman type. Until the club is sold or Smurthwaite has a personality transplant life will continue to be very difficult. I'll judge Aspin, who's proved himself in over 600 games with multiple promotions, or any other proven manager, once they're working without one arm tied behind their back.

[mr.hobblesworth]

Is it OK to want Aspin to carry on as manager whilst accepting the past 11 games have been unequivocally diabolical, and in that time Aspo has made, at best, some questionable calls?

 

Definitely. I'm in that camp. I just hope next season sees a change in the way we play.