Match Thread: Port Vale v Exeter City

[fuzzyvalefan]

U think he was excellent i thought he was horrendous .

 

Well given your ludicrous team selections on here and continual desire to drop Tom Pope, the player who without which we would be relegated, it’s apparent you watch a different game than most of us and I’ll take your opinions on Smith with a very large pinch of salt.

[pjg1876]

Smith is a shadow of the player he was last season. Whether that is because he had Street alongside him a lot last year whereas this season has been chop and change. Played in a poor Torquay side in 2015-16, relegated with Vale last season. All seems to be taking its toll as an ever present for almost two seasons.

[valiant steve]

Smith is rightly one of the first names on the team sheet. He has earned his place by performing at a decent level consistently week in, week out. He hasn't scored this season (or only scored one) and has found it difficult given the number of different players he's partnered at CB. When settled alongside Remie and big Tom Anderson he looked assured as he had an understanding with his CB partner and he reads the game well as a defender. There is a squad full of players who have done fa for us this season. Smith is not one of them.

[Fosse69]

Smith is a shadow of the player he was last season. Whether that is because he had Street alongside him a lot last year whereas this season has been chop and change. Played in a poor Torquay side in 2015-16, relegated with Vale last season. All seems to be taking its toll as an ever present for almost two seasons.

Certainly had many defensive combinations, lots of inexperienced players, goalkeepers beyond number, making communication and mutually understanding very difficult. Confidence must sag when spending his time in struggling clubs also, but still pulls his weight. Hopefully next season will not be so onerous.

[Jacko51]

Smith is a shadow of the player he was last season. Whether that is because he had Street alongside him a lot last year whereas this season has been chop and change. Played in a poor Torquay side in 2015-16, relegated with Vale last season. All seems to be taking its toll as an ever present for almost two seasons.

 

I think he's suffered a bit from second season syndrome this year but to suggest he is stealing a wage is crackers in my opinion. When we were at Forest Green early in January the ex Torquay boss Kevin Nicholson was in the stand near us. We asked him why he'd come to the game and he said he wanted to see Smithy who had been an absolute warrior for him at Torquay. Couldn't praise him enough - and that was despite being in a team that had conceded 76 goals in a poor National League season. How many goals has Jack Butland let in this season, yet he's in the England squad!

[Regal Beagle]

I think he's suffered a bit from second season syndrome this year but to suggest he is stealing a wage is crackers in my opinion. When we were at Forest Green early in January the ex Torquay boss Kevin Nicholson was in the stand near us. We asked him why he'd come to the game and he said he wanted to see Smithy who had been an absolute warrior for him at Torquay. Couldn't praise him enough - and that was despite being in a team that had conceded 76 goals in a poor National League season. How many goals has Jack Butland let in this season, yet he's in the England squad!

 

I agree, it can't be easy playing in a team with no left back, 5 different CB partners, 74 different goalkeepers and Tongue and Pugh protecting the back 4.

[darren1810]

I think he's suffered a bit from second season syndrome this year but to suggest he is stealing a wage is crackers in my opinion. When we were at Forest Green early in January the ex Torquay boss Kevin Nicholson was in the stand near us. We asked him why he'd come to the game and he said he wanted to see Smithy who had been an absolute warrior for him at Torquay. Couldn't praise him enough - and that was despite being in a team that had conceded 76 goals in a poor National League season. How many goals has Jack Butland let in this season, yet he's in the England squad!

 

Fair play for recognising him. If he had stood next to me with an ' i am Kevin Nicholson' placard i still wouldn't of had a clue !!

[darren1810]

After all our protestations about Barnet being so soon after Grimsby i wonder if Exeter kicked off about tonight?

They were at Morecambe on Saturday 289 miles and Vale tonight 202 miles.....just a thought

[PV1973]

Yes he wins his aerial duels but hardly being a threat in the opposition box this season has he .

 

And thats the reason why you think hes had a bad season, because he hasn't scored as many as last year. Try and watch the rest of the stuff the players do without the ball, I know that might be hard sometimes, but any players game is much more than what they do with the ball. Thats why invariably defenders don't get high scores usually, they only get noticed if they score, create or make a mistake.

 

And in a squad full of players who've under performed you've singled out for the worst abuse (stealing a wage, throwing games, don't want to play for us) the 2 players who've come from our academy, been with us a good number of years, with little experience of league football behind them and who've arguably been consistently good over and above other players in the team who've got a lot more experience and years in the game.

 

If the younger players in the squad develop as their promise so far indicates, then in ten years time players like Hannant Smith, Gibbons etc might not be here and may well have moved on to better things, they may well become stalwarts for us, who knows. But people like you will still be slagging them off and like groundhog day you'll be doing it with the current crop of young players we will have then too, proclaiming they're not good enough for Vale, how they're stealing a wage or don't want to play for us and other such rubbish. All the time getting excited by players coming in from other clubs from a higher level, never realising or understanding the players we have under our noses and how good they actually were or are.

 

Hannant, Smith, Gibbons & Pope. Players of the season for me so far. Consistent and reliable. 3 of those are the homegrown / local players who've virtually carried the team who you seem to have an irrational grudge against. They'll be the 4 we build around next season too.

[PV1973]

After all our protestations about Barnet being so soon after Grimsby i wonder if Exeter kicked off about tonight?

They were at Morecambe on Saturday 289 miles and Vale tonight 202 miles.....just a thought

They may as well have stayed up this way for some warm weather training before tonights game to save on the travelling.

[Realism]

I think Smith is an excellent player and has impressed me greatly in the matches I've seen.

 

The main problem is in front of the back line with Tonge and Pugh. The latter is anonymous in most matches and the former isn't much better. Having said that, Tonge woke up on Saturday when we were 2-0 down and played ok in my view.

[PV1973]

The question is will Apsin start tonight with the team that finished Saturdays game, the team that started it or maybe even a mixture of both?

 

Given his usually cautious approach I can't see him starting with the side that finished against Stevenage. I'll be pleasantly surprised if he does.

[Guest]

Why dont they try get a few more in drop the prices theres going be 3000 odd there if sat attendance is anything go by .

I expect a win to zero tonight Raglans being talking the talk on Port Vale news on facebook ,and if the last 30 mins on sat doesnt pick the team nothing will as being negative breeds negativity.

Folk around the club backstabbing hey .

Aspins a legend get to it players and if its any of the starting 11 then its you who will be slated after the game not Aspin as he doesnt kick the ball you do so kick it well .

Port Vale 4 Exeter 0

Montano howitzer Harness 2 and Forrester 1 .

UTV ill be there as always

[Jacko51]

Fair play for recognising him. If he had stood next to me with an ' i am Kevin Nicholson' placard i still wouldn't of had a clue !!

 

I didn't, my better half did. He's ace at faces!

[SFBT]

I read that Exeter were training on 3G pitches because of the snow.

The Vale Park quagmire will be a bit of shock for them.