Port Vale coach slams team after cup exit

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Port Vale coach Gary Brabin says the side have a “soft underbelly” after they were humbled 4-0 in the League Cup on Tuesday. Gary Brabin told the media: “We know the last two performances and results have certainly not been what we expected. We still think there is some goodRead More →

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[bycars rob]

Perhaps the team would also like to slam the coach and manager after sending out a crap side to play ridiculous long ball tactics.

[onestepatatime]

Soft underbelly? Well Valiants who have watched the majority of Vale games these past few seasons can certainly agree there!

 

Perhaps "prima donnas" can be levelled at some squad members who appear to have the attitude that they simply have to get into the Team and then relax?

 

It's a bit unfair to name names, yes but we all know that currently(and this is frankly alarming in such much that the management Team have brought in their "own" players)there are a number of players who do not deserve the shirt.

 

In goal we do appear to have a solid individual. He however needs protection infront of him and boy oh boy he is NOT getting that from Smith/Pegge/Rawlinson or any other so called defender.

 

We cannot defend, simple as that. How many times do fans have to scream at defenders backing off instead of making sure the attacker is aware of his presence? Our defence also cannot calmly pass a ball. How many times do we fans see players with the ball finding its way to their feet, panic and look like rabbits in headlights? The first inclination by most of our defence is to get rid of the ball as quickly as possible by square passing, backwards passing or mainly giving the ball to a colleague who already has an opponent in his back?

 

 

Midfield is seriously lacking in any brains or guile as to how to open an opponents defence. We look busy in that area but we do not possess players who can change a game or influence a game. Running around like a headless chicken will not do!

 

 

Now onto our forwards. No one can criticise Tom Pope for his efforts. Him aside though who else honestly has lit up our games? Miller maybe in the first game but even he cannot lead an attack on his own when Tom is injured. As for the rest of the bad bunch they try ( my patience!) but are inadequate. Admittedly they have to live on scraps as the service from midfield is almost non existent.

 

I'm Vale through and through but even I am frustrated and exasperated at the start to this season. I am being honest in my critique here of the present set up. I am not just moaning for the sake of it. I want Vale to be successful but it's increasingly difficult to see how things can improve when the management Team have to publicly attack the players, after just a handful of games!!

 

I think the majority of Valiants prayed for and wanted Aspin to be manager and believed his previous well documented "hard man, no nonsense" style would see us climb the Leagues. It's now time for him to grasp the situation before it runs away with him and show his mettle at dealing with the squad and showing on the field the attitude/skill/application needed to forward Vale's ambitions.

 

Rant over.

[PV1973]

The management are putting all the blame on the players but they deserve their criticism too. I feel sorry for defenders having to play with different people every week and be expected to keep a clean sheet whilst trying to build up their understanding and partnerships with another new defensive unit. It isn't going to happen like that at all, because they need time to gel. The managemnent should be taking the whole team to work on their shape and movement without the ball to ensure we are compact and solid.

 

I'd also defend the options they have when they get the ball, because they don't have many. I don't mind if we keep it by going sideways or back or even hit channel balls if necessary, but a lack of movement or options in front of them absolutely kills them at times.

 

Lets not pretend that other teams play with a defensive unit or Beckenabuers and Moores, they don't. Lincoln and Colchester were better organised as units and when their defenders had the ball they had options. Players in space, a big forward who could win it AND have enough players around him to pick up the second ball or willing runners in front of them in the channels.

 

But we need to cut out individual mistakes like Smiths last night for the 4th for example.

[Sandyford_Lion]

Soft underbelly? Well Valiants who have watched the majority of Vale games these past few seasons can certainly agree there!

 

Perhaps "prima donnas" can be levelled at some squad members who appear to have the attitude that they simply have to get into the Team and then relax?

 

It's a bit unfair to name names, yes but we all know that currently(and this is frankly alarming in such much that the management Team have brought in their "own" players)there are a number of players who do not deserve the shirt.

 

In goal we do appear to have a solid individual. He however needs protection infront of him and boy oh boy he is NOT getting that from Smith/Pegge/Rawlinson or any other so called defender.

 

We cannot defend, simple as that. How many times do fans have to scream at defenders backing off instead of making sure the attacker is aware of his presence? Our defence also cannot calmly pass a ball. How many times do we fans see players with the ball finding its way to their feet, panic and look like rabbits in headlights? The first inclination by most of our defence is to get rid of the ball as quickly as possible by square passing, backwards passing or mainly giving the ball to a colleague who already has an opponent in his back?

 

 

Midfield is seriously lacking in any brains or guile as to how to open an opponents defence. We look busy in that area but we do not possess players who can change a game or influence a game. Running around like a headless chicken will not do!

 

 

Now onto our forwards. No one can criticise Tom Pope for his efforts. Him aside though who else honestly has lit up our games? Miller maybe in the first game but even he cannot lead an attack on his own when Tom is injured. As for the rest of the bad bunch they try ( my patience!) but are inadequate. Admittedly they have to live on scraps as the service from midfield is almost non existent.

 

I'm Vale through and through but even I am frustrated and exasperated at the start to this season. I am being honest in my critique here of the present set up. I am not just moaning for the sake of it. I want Vale to be successful but it's increasingly difficult to see how things can improve when the management Team have to publicly attack the players, after just a handful of games!!

 

I think the majority of Valiants prayed for and wanted Aspin to be manager and believed his previous well documented "hard man, no nonsense" style would see us climb the Leagues. It's now time for him to grasp the situation before it runs away with him and show his mettle at dealing with the squad and showing on the field the attitude/skill/application needed to forward Vale's ambitions.

 

Rant over.

 

I too speak about the Vale from the heart and always try and give an honest opinion on players, style etc. Having watched the Vale for 40+ years

you always have faith in your own judgement and you express those feelings

to others and here on OVF also allows your opinions to be shared.

 

What I saw v's Cambridge, together with a terrific result :

 

Keeper - no issue

 

Centre backs - Certainly not demanding and looked uncertain for half the game

Smith, our local lad, needs to be rested. He has looked poor for most of last season and certainly for the 3 games this year.

He is just too small to be a positive, demanding center back and I believe opposition teams now know this. Certainly costs us plenty of goals.

 

Rawlinson and Legge again so far no physical presence shown.

If Legge is not in the team then I would want to no the reason why.

He was our experienced capture for the defence and should be our rock to build the defence on. If he isn't then the scouting team have been poor.

Wonder how he was recruited ?

 

Full backs - Gibbons, together with Worrall are so ineffective going forward

they have offered nothing so far. Defencively Gibbons finished the season on a poor run and I was amazed that Aspin did not try and replace him with a ' right back '. To put Rawlinson there again shows to me, who scouted him. ?

Don't feel as though Aspin has too much faith in Gibbons and yet we have no better replacement

Monty has to learn to defend. He will cost us goals and we all saw Colchester walk through the midfield but for the first goal it was Monty who just stuck a leg out instead of tackling before the player ran on at speed against the rest.

 

Vassell was with Aspin previously. Is he good enough or not. Doesn't seem to be in the picture so far

 

Center mid - Joyce and Manny looked good against Cambridge. Worked hard,

kept possession and decent distribution but I never felt like there was a killer ball in them. I also noticed that neither player ventured forward to within 30 yards of the opposition goal. There job is to sit back and protect the defence. This can be seen as good but puts all the pressure on the two front men and two wide men to score 50+ goals

Manny did similar last night, not a bad performance but nothing to create for the team.

 

Wide men - Worrall. Very poor. Cannot attempt to take on a full back.

Struggles to get the ball across and when he does doesn't always beat the front man. Very little creativity from him. So far no goal threat.

Is he being played out of position, because I don't see too much interest from him. Worrall and Gibbons are so in-effective its hard to watch.

Hannant. 100% trier but as was seen last year the final pass is lacking and goals will surely be a rare feature from him. No pace as a winger but at least he can team up with Monty who looks decent going forward and gets crosses in.

 

Forwards - Pope Nothing else to say other than hope he plays 46 league games and plays with his heart as always.

Miller. WOW Lets hope he keeps going and does score goals but I have my doubts.

 

When Pope was injured for Lincoln then surely Quigley should come in.

No we play Dodds in a 4 4 1 1 who then spends the first 30 mins running

sideways across the pitch to try and block Lincoln players from passing the ball. Miller is up front on his own and is so in-effective it hurts to watch

 

Kay had a decent game last night and now gives Aspin a problem.

Surely he cannot play Kay, Manny and Joyce, and why would you leave Joyce out after the first home game. He looked a decent footballer, yes without too much threat but the type of player we need. I see that again we have two players doing the job of one in protecting the defence.

 

Kanu, is he really going to be a threat and more importantly does Aspin believe he will.

He fails to come on at Colchester and then gets 10 mins last night

when we need goals scoring.

 

We seem to have recruited players and have already discarded them.

Again I would ask who is scouting and recruiting these players.

 

Have said previously Aspin has spent a big slice of his budget down the middle - Brown, Legge, Joyce, Miller. They wont have come cheap and we needed the strengthen with experience here. I don't believe there was much money left after this and Aspin has had to scrimp and save to get a number of players. Probably too many in number and not enough quality, that's how I see it at the moment.

 

Again have said previously I cannot see goals in this team / formation

and I stand by that. Having seen the first two home performances and listened

to the away game I cannot see our defence looking dominant and keeping clean sheets.

 

Over to you Neil but you have to improve it and fast