Vote: should Vale sign Ben Whitfield permanently in the summer?

[News Feed]

Loanee Ben Whitfield has had an up and down season with the Valiants. On his day the youngster can be a match winner but has been inconsistent. So should Vale make a permanent bid for the 21 year-old? Pros Whitfield is out of contract at the end of the season and in January Neil Aspin […]

 

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[Valiant62]

Surprised at the number of yeses. I a deffinite unsure.

[old sage]

I think that we should try and keep him at Port vale but not at all costs because he is a talent but not the finished article at the moment.

I just hope that it is our manager who makes the decision and not our all so knowledgeable owner!

[Fosse69]

Depends what Aspin/Rudge think of him against other signing options, balancing the squad between immediate needs and development potential. Thinking about it development is our game apart from a good cup run. Flashes of promise, but what effect did that injury have? Maybe getting over it now with a preference for a drier pitch, maybe would have more appearances in a team not so cautious in a relegation battle? Interesting few months ahead, we hope.

[PV1973]

Theres a few factors involved.

 

Bournemouth may want to keep him and loan him to a higher placed club.

 

If they wanted him to go then his wages would be out of our reach unless he was willing to take a big pay cut. Thats if there was no other interest from clubs higher up / able to offer more money.

 

He's shown what he can do in bits and bobs since he re-signed in Jan, but hes been nowhere as influential as we know he can be. Having said that hes still a young player. I'd be happy if we signed him.

[Hagrid]

People seem far more unforgiving of his inconsistency than other youngsters we have (Gibbons, Smith etc).

 

Without his contributions in December and his goal v Chesterfield we'd be relegated. He's a direct, hardworking player who can play anywhere behind the striker. If he's keen and we can afford it I'd be delighted if we get him permanently.

[PVFC764]

This would be a good signing if he was played in the right place. However, can't see it happening as Smurf wont stump up the money wanted by agent or wages.

 

Like others have said - consistency - he has learnt the hard way not to mess with Aspin and came on and produced the goods.

[PV1973]

People seem far more unforgiving of his inconsistency than other youngsters we have (Gibbons, Smith etc).

 

Without his contributions in December and his goal v Chesterfield we'd be relegated. He's a direct, hardworking player who can play anywhere behind the striker. If he's keen and we can afford it I'd be delighted if we get him permanently.

Because IMO the players mentioned there Smith and Gibbons have been much more consistent and reliable than Whitfield has been. Neither of them have been as bad as the hysteria would suggest on social media and here. Gibbons dip in form has been defined by some awful distribution at times. We’ve all seen he can do better than that and thankfully he seems to be showing that again. Even in some games where things weren’t going right he was still offering something in terms of not being taken to the cleaners by a winger and also still trying to get forward. I’d also say that since Jan when he was brought on to change a game that’s he made much more of a consistently positive impact on the side that Whitfield had in the same period. Smith has had some games where hes looked like a football is something hes never seen before and sometimes positonally hes left the defence exposed by dropping too deep, but I think consistency wise there haven’t been many forwards who got the better of him. Some have, but overall not many IMO. But in the main what those 2 players may lack in technical ability means their games have to be defined by hard work and application.

 

With Whitfield like you rightly say we saw in December and also in the spell before he got injured at Exeter what hes capable of. He’s potentially a game changing player, we need those in the squad, but I don’t think we’ve seen enough of that when hes played since he signed his extension here. Maybe that was down to him playing left wing sometimes? I don't know. Some games have just passed him by at times too and he’s ended up being subbed at half time. Maybe that was down to our tactics? But for me at other times hes come on and looked like a player just playing for himself. Yet other times hes come and made a positive impact, like Chestefield which was his best game in ages. Thats why fans were calling for him to be added because we know what he can give the team, clearly the management were looking for more from him than just the promise of what he was doing before. Also whats been going on off the field that Aspin seemed to hint at? Because that didn't help him one bit. But seeing as he has the ability to change a game he would be a welcome addition and I'd love him to sign if we could get him, but he should be played in his best position which I think is in that free role behind a striker.

[jjvale_03]

I'm in the unsure camp because despite liking the player and what he brings, I wouldn;t like us to break the bank or make him one of our top earners given he's only shown his (considerable) ability in dribs and drabs. Against Luton he looked like a Championship player, but in other matches he's looked like a lost child. You've also got to wonder why Aspin has used him so sparingly.

[CambridgeDon]

Because IMO the players mentioned there Smith and Gibbons have been much more consistent and reliable than Whitfield has been. Neither of them have been as bad as the hysteria would suggest on social media and here. Gibbons dip in form has been defined by some awful distribution at times. We’ve all seen he can do better than that and thankfully he seems to be showing that again. Even in some games where things weren’t going right he was still offering something in terms of not being taken to the cleaners by a winger and also still trying to get forward. I’d also say that since Jan when he was brought on to change a game that’s he made much more of a consistently positive impact on the side that Whitfield had in the same period. Smith has had some games where hes looked like a football is something hes never seen before and sometimes positonally hes left the defence exposed by dropping too deep, but I think consistency wise there haven’t been many forwards who got the better of him. Some have, but overall not many IMO. But in the main what those 2 players may lack in technical ability means their games have to be defined by hard work and application.

 

With Whitfield like you rightly say we saw in December and also in the spell before he got injured at Exeter what hes capable of. He’s potentially a game changing player, we need those in the squad, but I don’t think we’ve seen enough of that when hes played since he signed his extension here. Maybe that was down to him playing left wing sometimes? I don't know. Some games have just passed him by at times too and he’s ended up being subbed at half time. Maybe that was down to our tactics? But for me at other times hes come on and looked like a player just playing for himself. Yet other times hes come and made a positive impact, like Chestefield which was his best game in ages. Thats why fans were calling for him to be added because we know what he can give the team, clearly the management were looking for more from him than just the promise of what he was doing before. Also whats been going on off the field that Aspin seemed to hint at? Because that didn't help him one bit. But seeing as he has the ability to change a game he would be a welcome addition and I'd love him to sign if we could get him, but he should be played in his best position which I think is in that free role behind a striker.

 

Very thoughtful post. You're right about game changing players and Whitfield is one of them. If he's not starting, I always look to see if he's on the bench because you know if we need a goal, he is one of the few who could do it. Personally, I think Aspo has a dilemma in regard to Whitfield and Hannant: both play well in midfield behind the striker (I remember reading Aspo's comments that this was Hannant's best position) but both can't play there. So, if we have both, he has to decide who plays in a secondary role. At the moment, Hannant is ahead in the selection stakes largely because he is more consistent and, again from Aspo's comments, Whitfield seems to lack that bit of discipline. Nevertheless, Ben is a fine player and I'd definitely sign him. Perhaps Aspo's dilemma may be solved by Norman refusing to shell out a fee, or Bournemouth keeping him or loaning him out to a higher division club but that wouldn't help us too much. Goalscoring midfield players are like goaldust and Ben definitely has the makings. I really hope we see him next season.

[Trampilot]

I do wonder with some of the exciting players we've had on loan and then subsequently missed out on such as Jones and Knott and then how they have been snapped up for greater riches and then stagnate. I guess it could be agents trying maximise their own and their clients money but not the career.

 

Would this be a good escape for us not to keep them or was it a bad decision by them to leave Vale? All I gamble.

 

For me, if agreeable, I'd love to have Whitfield here permanently. He's the sort of player that breeds positivity - something we all need at Vale. Not everything he does comes off but he unsettles the opposition. In a sense he plays how Williamson should have played. Slightly deeper and running at the defence - something every armchair football pundit knows a defence hates.

[LancyTony]

He's a 21-year old playing in a horrible League against horrible teams - of course he might be a bit inconsistent, especially after coming back from injury. But, we know what he can do when on form, and what he brings to the team; he knows the setup and management and coaches...and he's 21!!! Lots of time for improvement in his game and attitude, and if we can afford him and Bournemouth will let him go I think we should sign him - it's one fewer "chancer" to gamble on.

[ELDERBEZZA]

Would he want to move up here from the south coast ?If so ,yes,as he has the potential to become a very good player.

[Santa]

You have to wonder whether Aspin fancies him that much based on how few games he's started second half of the season.

[PV1973]

Very thoughtful post. You're right about game changing players and Whitfield is one of them. If he's not starting, I always look to see if he's on the bench because you know if we need a goal, he is one of the few who could do it. Personally, I think Aspo has a dilemma in regard to Whitfield and Hannant: both play well in midfield behind the striker (I remember reading Aspo's comments that this was Hannant's best position) but both can't play there. So, if we have both, he has to decide who plays in a secondary role. At the moment, Hannant is ahead in the selection stakes largely because he is more consistent and, again from Aspo's comments, Whitfield seems to lack that bit of discipline. Nevertheless, Ben is a fine player and I'd definitely sign him. Perhaps Aspo's dilemma may be solved by Norman refusing to shell out a fee, or Bournemouth keeping him or loaning him out to a higher division club but that wouldn't help us too much. Goalscoring midfield players are like goaldust and Ben definitely has the makings. I really hope we see him next season.

Wasn’t it Newport at home when we played Kay and Pugh centre mid, Gibbons wide right, Hannant number ten and Worrall wide left and it was a total and utter negative tactical disaster?

 

Anyway, before Hannant came to the club we were playing with Harness and Whitfield. Hannant soon displaced them and I think it’s because Hannant is a different sort of player to Whitfield and Harness, I think he’s more of a workhorse player with a bit of everything to his game. Tenacious, nippy, can head, tackle, use both feet but arguably without quite the game hanging ability of say a Whitfield. But you know that Hannant is someone who the manager who can rely on to give 100% every game, a steady 6 & 7 every week and I think in our situation that’s why Aspin was more cautious, trusting players who he knew would give that effort and as a result sacrifice some element of flair to the side. In the end its seen us safe, but every side needs a Whitfield type player who can change a game.