Match Thread - Port Vale v Crawley Town

[mickyferns]

I'm committed to going this one as already me and the boy tickets for Lorne Street and he's excited about going so don't let me down Vale need at least a goal for him cheer in his first ever league match. Personally I expect us to get beat comfortably the way things are but it's a funny old game u never know.

[nickkidsgrove]

Great response Clinton. Passion, it’s a thing of the past. No player except popey and doddys are there for you or me. They drift in take a wage and then they are hoping to be paid off. Lack of commitment,pride and passion. About sums the last 4 years. If I was that bad at my job , my manager would have kicked me into touch. It’s about time a few players stepped up and grew a pair. I’m 49 but I’m sure I could show more passion than at least half of that team, give me a call Aspo. I’ll show them wasters passion.

[davehartshill]

Brown

 

Rawlinson

Legge

Smith

 

Gibbons

Manny

Joyce

Hannant

Monty

 

Pope/Barnett

Miller

 

Keep the ball on the ground, get it wide then get it into the box.

 

I don’t think Aspin will pick this team or formation, though. I half expect him to play Rawlinson at right back again.

[john1952]

davehartshill at last somebody who drops worrall

[Rudge's Flat Cap]

Montano is so far out of sorts. He doesn't look like a footballer at the moment, let alone a left back. We desperately need an actual left back and this has to be a priority in the loan market.

 

I understand we like 4-4-2 but are our midfielders good enough? I think Aspin will persevere with it to play both Pope and Miller but I think a 4-2-3-1 might suit the types of players we have. We're lacking out and out wingers.

 

Brown

 

Gibbons, Rawlinson, Smith, Montano (unless loan signing)

 

Manny Joyce

 

Worrall, Dodds, Hannant

 

Miller/Pope

[Erniemossrules]

After Tuesday night Rawlinson and. Legge should be the centre backs.Smith needs resting to show that he isn’t guaranteed a place and needs to be consistent to keep his place.Worrall should also be on the bench and Kanu given a chance as he looked tricky on Tuesday and a better bet than Worrall. Gibbons should be back at right back as he can’t have any blame for Tuesday as he wasn’t on the pitch and was definitely missed.

[TylerB]

Pope is obviously a miss but him not being available is not at all the reason why our defense has been absolutely woeful in the last two games. That's down to the players and the manager that picks them.

 

I'm all for giving the bloke more time, but for me the jury is still very much out on Aspin as a capable league manager.

[TheSage]

I don't envy the management team at all but in the main they are their players now and their team.

Aspin mentioned at the end of last week I think that we'd got a couple of injury issues so maybe Joyce fell into that category, along with Pope, and that's why he sat out Tuesday. Who knows? Kay did ok so might keep his place.

 

I tend to agree with Earnie! Silly as it might sound I think it's worth considering Monty at left wing and putting someone else at left back (Pugh?) depending on who plays on the right for Crawley. We haven't replaced Gunning.

 

Most of all we need Pope back. As we create so little and play so many high balls he's half the team, as he proved last season. So if we persist with two defensive minded central midfield players who don't run past Pope and Miller and get into the box and score the odd goal we need two better wingers. Kanu and Monty would be my picks but it means yet again tinkering with the team which I don't like.

 

Who was that left back we let go in pre-season?

[PV1973]

I don't envy the management team at all but in the main they are their players now and their team.

Aspin mentioned at the end of last week I think that we'd got a couple of injury issues so maybe Joyce fell into that category, along with Pope, and that's why he sat out Tuesday. Who knows? Kay did ok so might keep his place.

 

I tend to agree with Earnie! Silly as it might sound I think it's worth considering Monty at left wing and putting someone else at left back (Pugh?) depending on who plays on the right for Crawley. We haven't replaced Gunning.

 

Most of all we need Pope back. As we create so little and play so many high balls he's half the team, as he proved last season. So if we persist with two defensive minded central midfield players who don't run past Pope and Miller and get into the box and score the odd goal we need two better wingers. Kanu and Monty would be my picks but it means yet again tinkering with the team which I don't like.

 

Who was that left back we let go in pre-season?

Joyce was fit, he doesn't have an injury.

 

Supposedly the official line for not signing that left back was that he couldn't play wing back, whether thats the full story is another thing.

 

I know Monty has had a bad couple of games but I don't think he should be dropped. Yet again it would mean another change and another back 4, If they did drop him who do we put there? Its either Vassell, Pugh or Gibbons then in that role, Gibbons did well there at the back end of last season but he'd be playing out of position. Vassell is a centre half and again is out of position, (unless Aspin wants to go totally Pulis and have 4 centre halves making up his entire defence). The other option is to go to a back 3, Lincoln proved the other night that can be both attacking and compact in defense with hard work and application from the players. But that comes with hard work on the training ground with constant shape work, not just trying it in the odd game now and again.

 

I'd like to see us sticking with the back 4 that we expected at the start of the season (Gibbons - 2 of Rawlinson Legg or Smith - Monty). But Aspin seems to have a preference to using at least one centre half as a full as he did through most of last season. So I'd expect to see him keep Rawlinson in there at full back.

 

Which leads in to Worrall really, I think he plays better with our full back getting around him instead of being expected to do it all on his own when we have a centre half behind him. I also thought he did well in pre season as part of the front 3 when he had more of a free role.

 

I just don't see us being free flowing when we play with 2 holding midifelders though, they need to be dynamic to offer options to defenders with the ball. Otherwise we're going to see a lot of long balls up to Pope in the hope he can hold them up.

[Emile]

3 5 2 for me

 

Legge

Rawlinson

Smith

 

Monty

Gibbons

 

Joyce

Mannny

Kay

 

Miller

Quigley - deserves a start as a target man

[WalterJ]

Montano is so far out of sorts. He doesn't look like a footballer at the moment, let alone a left back. We desperately need an actual left back and this has to be a priority in the loan market.

 

I understand we like 4-4-2 but are our midfielders good enough? I think Aspin will persevere with it to play both Pope and Miller but I think a 4-2-3-1 might suit the types of players we have. We're lacking out and out wingers.

 

Brown

 

Gibbons, Rawlinson, Smith, Montano (unless loan signing)

 

Manny Joyce

 

Worrall, Dodds, Hannant

 

Miller/Pope

 

Am I nuts or might it be worth playing Montano up front with Miller. He has good heading skills and can turn with pace. Kinda oddball but feel sure he could upset defences? I know this leaves the Pope on the bench for a bit. Smith should be dropped he hasn’t had a good game in a year or so. In this league we need to use what pace and skill we have in areas that hurt teams. Hannant not looking so good either after a fair start.

[bycars bootboy]

Am I nuts or might it be worth playing Montano up front with Miller. He has good heading skills and can turn with pace. Kinda oddball but feel sure he could upset defences? I know this leaves the Pope on the bench for a bit. Smith should be dropped he hasn’t had a good game in a year or so. In this league we need to use what pace and skill we have in areas that hurt teams. Hannant not looking so good either after a fair start.

Yes Walter,your nuts.

[bycars bootboy]

Pope is obviously a miss but him not being available is not at all the reason why our defense has been absolutely woeful in the last two games. That's down to the players and the manager that picks them.

 

I'm all for giving the bloke more time, but for me the jury is still very much out on Aspin as a capable league manager.

 

I'm sure that after 2 league games Aspo would thank you for giving him more time.

[valiant_593]

Yes Walter,your nuts.

 

Makes more sense then playing him at centre half which aspin did in pre season....

[PV1973]

Seeing as we're at home I don't see why we don't go back to the team that started the first game. Although arguably the centre half pairing could be up for grabs.

 

Makes more sense then playing him at centre half which aspin did in pre season....

That was a bonkers idea.