Match Thread - Port Vale v Crawley Town

[LancyTony]

I don’t think this is the much improved Vale team we need, but we should see midtable. Not much, but at least not non league.

 

Then it IS the much-improved Vale team we need!

[Heatwave]

So on that basis I assume you are saying we were better at Colchester with Dodds as we drew 0 - 0 with him for 50 minutes and lost 2- 0 in 40 minutes with Popey on!

 

Louis does some good and some bad, yet for many any contributions are conveniently ignored

 

I can't comment on the Colchester match as I didn't go. However, I did go today and I stand by what I said as it reflects what I saw.

[TheSage]

I thought the first half was very much like the Cambridge game, with very little in it. We shaded it (just) but they came back into it and almost equalised towards half time. I think everyone wanted the half time whistle so that we could regroup.

 

The key turning point was the injury to Oyeleke who was exceptional for half an hour and kept us going forward. Once he went off we looked a poorer team. Kay has no real pace and was static for much of the second half. We lacked energy and mobility in central midfield but they kept the ball well, to be fair. We had a few chances to break and grab a second but we've got no real pace up front and Miller was poor, often going offside. It looked as if they'd score but we defended as well as I've seen us for quite some time. The back four were superb and worked very hard to keep them out.

 

We're definitely short of a very quick player who can use his pace to get us up the pitch. Hopefully Conlon can be a big help as well because the likes of Kay and Tongue are just too slow now.

 

Delighted for Legge who has taken some stick, and for the young lad Clark who was excellent. The back four were so good that Brown had little to do.

Nice to see Pope back. We need him.

[sheffieldclayhead]

6 from 9 ain’t a bad start. No matter how bad / good we are we won. Yes we’ve lost in the league and been dumped out of a cup (which could be a blessing in disguise) by great margins but hopefully we are learning as a team getting stronger in defence.

[butt lane vale fan]

Have I just read that was the worst Vale victory in 47years. You ain't been many games then. Yeah we were crap, but I've only been going 36 years and have seen far worse victories. I suggest folks get a grip

[PV1973]

The subs were definitely the changing point of the game. Once Conlon is fit I’d imagine it would be him coming on as opposed to Kay who naturally is more defensive, couple that with Joyce and we got forced back.

 

But their formation is what we couldnt get to grips with. The back 3 had so much room to play and they were committing so many players forward who all seemed to have good movement and we couldn’t get out. We were crying out for a tactical change or something different to relieve the pressure but it didn’t happen. So credit to the team for weathering the possession and keeping them out, not just the defence (who all defended well) but also the players in front of them too.

 

However talking of subs, Quigley for Miller I wasn’t convinced by, as I don’t really think he adds a lot to the side. I’m pretty sure that as Quigley was caught offside yet again that Pope turned to the dugout and shouted something not too complimentary about him.

 

But as with last week at Colchester we were left wanting in being unable to change the formation to try and change the course of the game. It’s all well and good the management criticising the 2nd half performance but the players also need some help from them too, but maybe it shows the limitations of the options available on the bench.

 

But we hung on and it was a good win in the end. We can’t win everything by being free flowing and I think it’s ok to win ugly. That should give players some confidence after a couple of poor performances.

 

It’ll be interesting to see if Pope can play Tuesday, because it’s clear we don’t have anyone to replace him.

[Mattholl]

So on that basis I assume you are saying we were better at Colchester with Dodds as we drew 0 - 0 with him for 50 minutes and lost 2- 0 in 40 minutes with Popey on!

 

Louis does some good and some bad, yet for many any contributions are conveniently ignored

 

Humour me what is his contribution. You are piping on about it. From here it’s looks like 0 goals and 0 assists from 4 appearances. Not looking to take over the thread and I’m not replying with any arguement but when you harp on about his contribution being ignored I’m just wondering how you can accuse people of ignoring no goals and no assists.

[Fosse69]

6 from 9 ain’t a bad start. No matter how bad / good we are we won. Yes we’ve lost in the league and been dumped out of a cup (which could be a blessing in disguise) by great margins but hopefully we are learning as a team getting stronger in defence.

Confidence and cohesion come from winning, 3 defeats on the trot going into 2 away games would have been hard, so a very important win no matter how it came about.

[JRC]

The subs were definitely the changing point of the game. Once Conlon is fit I’d imagine it would be him coming on as opposed to Kay who naturally is more defensive, couple that with Joyce and we got forced back.

 

But their formation is what we couldnt get to grips with. The back 3 had so much room to play and they were committing so many players forward who all seemed to have good movement and we couldn’t get out. We were crying out for a tactical change or something different to relieve the pressure but it didn’t happen. So credit to the team for weathering the possession and keeping them out, not just the defence (who all defended well) but also the players in front of them too.

 

However talking of subs, Quigley for Miller I wasn’t convinced by, as I don’t really think he adds a lot to the side. I’m pretty sure that as Quigley was caught offside yet again that Pope turned to the dugout and shouted something not too complimentary about him.

 

But as with last week at Colchester we were left wanting in being unable to change the formation to try and change the course of the game. It’s all well and good the management criticising the 2nd half performance but the players also need some help from them too, but maybe it shows the limitations of the options available on the bench.

 

But we hung on and it was a good win in the end. We can’t win everything by being free flowing and I think it’s ok to win ugly. That should give players some confidence after a couple of poor performances.

 

It’ll be interesting to see if Pope can play Tuesday, because it’s clear we don’t have anyone to replace him.

 

I thought Quigley came on for Worrall?

 

Miller had more than his fair share of offside today. A couple unlucky but most were just lazy. Pope had a go at Miller several times as well.

[Paul6754]

I will take a less than optimum performance and 3 points any day over what happened last season where many times we matched the opposition and a goalkeeping, defensive error or fluky effort cost us dearly.

 

The old cliche of a good team wins when not playing its best is true but I wouldn't go that far just yet.

 

Bottom line, 6 pts from 9, another 44 needed.

[Mario]

Humour me what is his contribution. You are piping on about it. From here it’s looks like 0 goals and 0 assists from 4 appearances. Not looking to take over the thread and I’m not replying with any arguement but when you harp on about his contribution being ignored I’m just wondering how you can accuse people of ignoring no goals and no assists.

 

You weren't there so how can you comment on Dodds contribution,I'd stick to winding up folk on Faceache if I were you.

[PV1973]

I thought Quigley came on for Worrall?

 

Miller had more than his fair share of offside today. A couple unlucky but most were just lazy. Pope had a go at Miller several times as well.

Yes. I really meant position wise with putting him alongside Pope.

[mr.hobblesworth]

Miller had more than his fair share of offside today. A couple unlucky but most were just lazy. Pope had a go at Miller several times as well.

 

People were comparing Miller to Luke Rodgers after the Cambridge game. I guess he has more in common with him than we thought.

[Paul6754]

I thought Quigley came on for Worrall?

 

Miller had more than his fair share of offside today. A couple unlucky but most were just lazy. Pope had a go at Miller several times as well.

 

Vale need Miller to keep making those runs but as Birchall said on the commentary he needs to curve them sometimes, it only needs the defense to get it wrong once, also a player doing that makes the defense nervous.

 

However there were a couple of instances where the pass was delayed a split second, one involving Hannant, which resulted in the offside. It takes two to be in sync, something to work on on the training ground.

[CAVALIER]

Looking at the various sites, there appears to be a moaning shop over Worrall. Just leave the players alone and support them. His work rate is second to none. Never going to be the world’s best but he is ours so support him.