Player contracts

[Danish Valiant]

He's been in the team so much this season because the alternatives are Middleton, young kids like Calveley who aren't ready yet, and Pugh. There are no other options besides Hannant, who has had to do a job on the left so that Monty could go to left back.

 

It's unfair to accuse Aspin when his hands are tied. We'll see a few more Hannant-like midfielders next year and him and Pugh may not get much game time at all.

 

The most annoying thing about Pugh and Tongue is that Aspin wants to trim his squad down and they're stopping this. They'll probaby be on a fair wage too.

 

I agree to an extend.

But why doesn't Aspin say out loud, what everyone in the stadium can see: we let in goals, which has lost us games, because we are simply outrun in midfield and the players playing there, by his choice, don't have the legs, to track back in speed, after the 75th minute!

He is not afraid to speak out about all other parts of the field; goalkeepers, defenders, attackers. Insinuating specifik players. But somehow, Tonge, Pugh and Kay are protected beyond all rationality! He even said this week, that they don't get the praise they deserve from the supporters.

And it is that one single point, that really baffles me again and again!

[Hagrid]

Knops seems to be back kicking a ball.

 

Happy for him as he was a decent player and seemed to actually care. Would be nice to see him get a 1 year 'prove your fitness' contract just to see if he's got anything to offer, but unfortunately doubt Aspo would do it.

[JRC]

Knops seems to be back kicking a ball.

 

Happy for him as he was a decent player and seemed to actually care. Would be nice to see him get a 1 year 'prove your fitness' contract just to see if he's got anything to offer, but unfortunately doubt Aspo would do it.

 

Partly depends on what the player wants, but I agree.

[SourceOfTheTrent]

Knops seems to be back kicking a ball.

 

Happy for him as he was a decent player and seemed to actually care. Would be nice to see him get a 1 year 'prove your fitness' contract just to see if he's got anything to offer, but unfortunately doubt Aspo would do it.

 

The best signing of the Bruno debacle, with De Freitas next. None of the others were up to much. If Knopps gets his fitness back he could be an asset for Aspo but that's something only he can judge.

[Rampant Zebra]

Nice guy, always says hello but realistically what does he offer that hundreds of other players based in the UK and with English football experience don't? He is 30 now and has only played 29 games in the UK.

[Hagrid]

Nice guy, always says hello but realistically what does he offer that hundreds of other players based in the UK and with English football experience don't? He is 30 now and has only played 29 games in the UK.

 

Might be a cheap option, left-footed and did a decent job in the division above at LB, which we could with some depth for. Also a bit different from the 'head it, kick it' defenders we have on the books (nothing wrong with them mind).

 

I think Aspin will take a similar view to you; I remember when Kjell starting jogging again and being out on the training pitch he told the press he hadn't spoken to Aspin at all, which is a little strange. You'd think a simple text saying "best of luck with your rehab, the clubs here for you" would be standard for a manager and a long-term injured player.

[Rampant Zebra]

Taking the cheap option hasn't really worked recently...

[Paul6754]

I'd take some of them any day over the current crop. 49 league 1 points is some achievement for players not good enough for the conference.

 

Even Bruno didn't pick the overseas players most of the time or pick them regularly prefering to start with Rob Page's players. Only decent player acquired under Bruno's reign was Alex Jones.

 

Brown bought in Eagles, Popey, Kay, Anderson, Tonge (under rated by vale fans), Pugh, Whitfield and Harness, no doubt he made a mistake with the goal keeping position and didn't add enough creativity although he did try and re-sign Eagles. Every manager makes mistakes but Bruno was a total disaster and responsible along with Smurf for where we find ourselves today.

[Danish Valiant]

Even Bruno didn't pick the overseas players most of the time or pick them regularly prefering to start with Rob Page's players. Only decent player acquired under Bruno's reign was Alex Jones.

 

Brown bought in Eagles, Popey, Kay, Anderson, Tonge (under rated by vale fans), Pugh, Whitfield and Harness, no doubt he made a mistake with the goal keeping position and didn't add enough creativity although he did try and re-sign Eagles. Every manager makes mistakes but Bruno was a total disaster and responsible along with Smurf for where we find ourselves today.

 

I think the blame isn't to be pointed at any one person.

The less consistency you have on the managerial side, the less consistency you have on the playing side!

 

We are on our 12th manager setup in 10 years. (7 pre Smurf era, 5 in Smurf era...) So how on earth anyone can wonder how it's gone down hill, I don't know.

 

Every manager have signed a ton of players, then he get's sacked and the new manager has new ideas and rate the players differently. That's why we have such a huge turnover in players every 6 months.

 

I hope to the core of my very being, that Aspin is the one! And that Smurf will fund him to the full extend he is capable of!

 

Then I truly believe, good things are in the horizon for Port Vale!!!

[Paul6754]

I think the blame isn't to be pointed at any one person.

The less consistency you have on the managerial side, the less consistency you have on the playing side!

 

We are on our 12th manager setup in 10 years. (7 pre Smurf era, 5 in Smurf era...) So how on earth anyone can wonder how it's gone down hill, I don't know.

 

Every manager have signed a ton of players, then he get's sacked and the new manager has new ideas and rate the players differently. That's why we have such a huge turnover in players every 6 months.

 

I hope to the core of my very being, that Aspin is the one! And that Smurf will fund him to the full extend he is capable of!

 

Then I truly believe, good things are in the horizon for Port Vale!!!

 

I agree with the point about managerial consistency brings about stability on the playing side and have posted the same previously. I hold my breath at what's going to happen in summer 2018 but hope/trust Rudge and Aspin can get it right but it's gonna need financial backing.

 

We haven't had a capable manager since at least 2007 (Hence the number of changes) until Micky Adams came along and stabilized the playing side of the club and built a squad of players capable of holding their own in Lge 1, Rob Page carried on Adam's work. IMHO the antics of Smurf and the work of Ribeiro during the summer of 2016 were pivotal in destroying the playing fabric of PVFC and undoing the work of Adams and Page.

 

Two men, Smurf and Ribeiro were responsible, Ribeiro being the manager. Michael Brown and subsequently Aspo/Rudge have been trying to repair the damage ever since and it still continues.

[Walka003]

I hope Kjell gets another bite at the cherry. A 6 month deal with an option. He looked decent at league 1 level!

[valeparklife]

I hope Kjell gets another bite at the cherry. A 6 month deal with an option. He looked decent at league 1 level!

 

I agree. The least we should do is give him the chance to prove himself. Just hope it isn't like the Enoch Andoh injury that finished him!

 

Also, giving Knops a deal would send a message out to other players in the football world that we are a club that looks after it's players. We need to repair the massive damage that Norman has done when he decided to give our 1st team 60% pay cuts which I still feel is holding us back when it comes to signings.

[valiant_593]

Even Bruno didn't pick the overseas players most of the time or pick them regularly prefering to start with Rob Page's players. Only decent player acquired under Bruno's reign was Alex Jones.

 

Brown bought in Eagles, Popey, Kay, Anderson, Tonge (under rated by vale fans), Pugh, Whitfield and Harness, no doubt he made a mistake with the goal keeping position and didn't add enough creativity although he did try and re-sign Eagles. Every manager makes mistakes but Bruno was a total disaster and responsible along with Smurf for where we find ourselves today.

 

Brown is more responsible that Bruno. Both garbage but brown took us to the next level. My opinion of course. I'm happy now we seem to have someone who knows what he wants and hopefully will keep what decent players we have for next season. If we can keep the likes of, smith, howkins, gibbons, montano, Hannant, Kay, pope, Worrall and Whitfield and maybe hornby I think we will have a decent season next year.

[Rampant Zebra]

Didn't Brown sign a lot of those players you want to keep?

[Erniemossrules]

Didn't Brown sign a lot of those players you want to keep?

 

Yes including a load of unproven kids and geriatrics that we are still lumbered with.