Match Thread - Forest Green Rovers v Port Vale

[Warren]

Good job we signed Scott Brown.

[Hagrid]

I sometimes wonder if I've been at the same game as many of the posters on here. And then I remember that most of them haven't been there so that explains it.

 

Firstly, I heard callers to Radio Stoke talking about how we had started slowly again today. No we didn't. We could quite easily have been in the lead before they scored after Conlon had a very good shot saved by the keeper's legs and Whitfield and Pope skewed the follow ups. Then Pope himself had a header wide. Yes the goal we conceded was poor but that was fifteen minutes into the game after we had had the better chances.

 

I said at half time that you could have put me in goal for Vale and it would still only have been 1-0 because I honsetly couldn't remember a single effort they had had on goal apart from that header.

 

We get a draw away at one of only tree unbeaten teams in our league who had just scored seven goals in their last two games and folk on here seem dissatisfied because we didn't play like Barcelona. FGR are a better team than they were last season yet we lost down there in January and were considerably more useless than we were today.

 

Aspin is not the best appointment we could have made but he's probably the only one who was prepared to come for the sort of salary on offer. Live with it because in contrast to FGR, we have an owner to has no emotional commitment to the club at all.

 

Jean, full respect for making the arduous journey to Forest Green, but the game was streamed on iFollow. You being there doesn't give you the more weighty opinion.

 

We had a good 20 minute spell either side of the penalty. I understand that they're an 'unbeaten team', but they've drawn 5 of their 7. They've won as many games as we have. People are making out their these great shakes in the league and that a draw is a 'good result', but they're as bad at beating teams as we are.

 

Once again, my concern is with the starting 11. It was nothing short of shambolic, a mess. Hannant and Conlon out of position, the continual omission of Gibbons and Kanu, withholding Miller until the 2nd half after the danger he posed last week.

 

With 10 men, you will agree, they could and should have won the game in the last 5 minutes. Brown made an excellent stop low down and they flashed chance after chance wide of the post. Against 10 men, against a team whose only league victories have come against the teams currently 21st and 24th in League 2.

 

Aspin needs to get a grip of his starting 11. If Gibbons was fit, then starting Hannant at left back (the player involved in 50% of our goals prior to today), is madness. Playing Conlon out of position on the wing, instead of putting Whitfield there and partnering Pope will Miller, is madness. If Monty getting injured leads to bedlam in the team selection, then he didn't address the squad depth adequately (how many central midfielders do we have now?).

 

I get that we, again, didn't play atrociously, but the results simply aren't coming. I blame Norm as much as anyone, but Aspin really isn't helping himself with these bizarre 'fling at the wall and see what sticks' approach to finding his best 11. Forest Green are not a great side. Gavin Gunning was pulling the strings in midfield. They've beaten 10 man Notts County and abject Grimbsy. We didn't test their keeper enough, and should have had enough about us to end the now 16 away game winless run.

[Hagrid]

Hannat is two footed so it doesn't make much difference which side he plays on. Watching him I think he's marginally better with his right.

 

Hannant is right footed. Thats what he takes his set pieces with. He often shows a tendency to drift inside/cut back.

[Hagrid]

What was the point in signing Vassell? If we're having to play Hannant at left back, instead of putting Clarke there as he played in our clean sheet victory against Crawley and putting Vassell at right back, is that another signing (Howe, Daniels, Kanu) which we've not done our scouting for and have quickly realised they're not up to scratch?

 

I'll say it once more; starting Hannant at left back, with Vassell on the bench and Gibbons not in the 18, is fairly indefensible.

[darren1810]

Firstly I want Smurf as far away from our club as possible, just thought I'd make that clear before my 2nd point.

 

Stop banging on about what a wonderful owner / chairman FGR have. They stayed up like ourselves by the skin of their teeth having been in the bottom 4 all season. He also smugly proclaimed League 2 was easier to get out of than the Conference.

They are to pocket a million quid from Doidge, let's see how much goes back into the team.

They are not some wonder club and have won 2 from 7 having drawn the rest, admittedly way better than us.

He is a smarmy arrogant git not some John Madjeski taking them to the Championship.

If he is such a caring wonderful guy why did he toy with their League existence last season instead of going for broke seeing as he is cash rich.

Just because Smurf is ruining our club doesn't make other chairmen Superman

[PV1973]

What was the point in signing Vassell? If we're having to play Hannant at left back, instead of putting Clarke there as he played in our clean sheet victory against Crawley and putting Vassell at right back, is that another signing (Howe, Daniels, Kanu) which we've not done our scouting for and have quickly realised they're not up to scratch?

 

I'll say it once more; starting Hannant at left back, with Vassell on the bench and Gibbons not in the 18, is fairly indefensible.

Clark looked to have a dead leg for much of the first half and I thought we were in danger of having to bring Vassell on at right back, which would have been another player out of position.

[mbycars]

GET OVER IT ITS NOT THE BUDGET. Our manager is not good enough

 

Bore off

[philpvfc]

Firstly I want Smurf as far away from our club as possible, just thought I'd make that clear before my 2nd point.

 

Stop banging on about what a wonderful owner / chairman FGR have. They stayed up like ourselves by the skin of their teeth having been in the bottom 4 all season. He also smugly proclaimed League 2 was easier to get out of than the Conference.

They are to pocket a million quid from Doidge, let's see how much goes back into the team.

They are not some wonder club and have won 2 from 7 having drawn the rest, admittedly way better than us.

He is a smarmy arrogant git not some John Madjeski taking them to the Championship.

If he is such a caring wonderful guy why did he toy with their League existence last season instead of going for broke seeing as he is cash rich.

Just because Smurf is ruining our club doesn't make other chairmen Superman

 

An owner of a club that has taken them in to the football league for the first time ever, built a new ground, taken them from average gates of less than 200 to over 2000, invested millions, built an infrastructure for a solid league club, bottom 2 at Christmas last season so invested more money to bring in players as to stay up, undefeated this season so looking very much like they have progressed.

 

And we have Smurf.

[Pops]

Ray Williams takes miserable pills before every game. It's a well known fact! If you listen to what he said at the end of the game he was much more positive about Vale.

 

Who told you that Jean.I must admit with you in goal I wouldn't need them.😉

[Jacko51]

Firstly I want Smurf as far away from our club as possible, just thought I'd make that clear before my 2nd point.

 

Stop banging on about what a wonderful owner / chairman FGR have. They stayed up like ourselves by the skin of their teeth having been in the bottom 4 all season. He also smugly proclaimed League 2 was easier to get out of than the Conference.

They are to pocket a million quid from Doidge, let's see how much goes back into the team.

They are not some wonder club and have won 2 from 7 having drawn the rest, admittedly way better than us.

He is a smarmy arrogant git not some John Madjeski taking them to the Championship.

If he is such a caring wonderful guy why did he toy with their League existence last season instead of going for broke seeing as he is cash rich.

Just because Smurf is ruining our club doesn't make other chairmen Superman

 

I wish folk on here would cut out the hyperbole. I have not been "banging on" about how "wonderful" Vince is. I have just been pointing out that he has done a far better job at FGR than Norman has at Vale.

 

If you contrast the development and progress of Forest Green while Vince has been the owner with the progress and development of Vale while Norman has been in charge I think you'll see a marked difference.

 

I don't like Vince as a person, but I can't argue with what he's done for that club, taking them from the bottom of the Conference to the top half of the the league above, doubling their crowds and tripling their turnover.

 

And with regard to last season, in the January window the club spent money to keep themselves in the league - Gavin Gunning, whom we couldn't afford, and a decent fee for Rueben Reed being the main incomings.

[Valiant62]

Playing people out of position? Well Hannant was fine as a stand in LB and I can see why the alternative of moving Clark over and playing Gibbons didn’t look that much better. We don’t have the luxury of equivalent quality cover in every position because a few players are off form. Changes were forced by injuries so arguably motm ie Manny ... do you not play him because he’s had a couple of injuries, do you not try out Conlon (who acquitted himself well) because he’s been injured (though I’ll credit the idea Hardcastle did enough v Newport to maybe keep his place)? Smith for Legge was a forced change.

Formations, this idea of a negative set up doesn’t hold water with me. First 15 mins Worral and Whitfield were closing down their defenders in their final third and we were getting loads of good possession in their half. Gifting a silly goal from a set piece is what changed the first half. For culprits look at the right side of defence and Joyce... not where many are saying the problems are.

Miller did well when he came on and I know he wants goals but he is inclined to shoot when someone else is in a better position and other forwards put more of a shift in when we haven’t got the ball. I don’t find it glaringly obvious that playing him in a 442 is a better way to start unless he ups his team game a bit.

All in all, I’m confident results will turn.

[philpvfc]

The reason Aspin feels the need to play players out of position is because we don’t sign players to play in a position. When was the last time we had a left back at the club who played left back for us? I can’t remember, must be over a year. And when did we have wingers playing on the wing? We sign hundreds of players but not for where we are weak.

 

How many players do we have in the squad? If they were all fit would Aspin play them all in the position they are best at?

[Valiant62]

Yeah, the players need to be flexible to play regularly, Hannant - you could play in goal and he’d still put in a 7/10 performance because he’s bright enough to understand and willing enough to adapt to different jobs.

Miller will give you 9/10 once a month and if he’s not scoring (which I know we need someone to do more of) you can end up carrying him a bit - he might improve on the team ethic side of things now he knows he isn’t an automatic starter. I’d give Millera run now but I think it’s far from glaringly obvious that he should have beeen starting the last few weeks.

Smith and Gibbons have been off form, it happens, but they need to work hard 5o get back in contention. It has been right to change that around.

[PV1973]

Playing people out of position? Well Hannant was fine as a stand in LB and I can see why the alternative of moving Clark over and playing Gibbons didn’t look that much better. We don’t have the luxury of equivalent quality cover in every position because a few players are off form. Changes were forced by injuries so arguably motm ie Manny ... do you not play him because he’s had a couple of injuries, do you not try out Conlon (who acquitted himself well) because he’s been injured (though I’ll credit the idea Hardcastle did enough v Newport to maybe keep his place)? Smith for Legge was a forced change.

Formations, this idea of a negative set up doesn’t hold water with me. First 15 mins Worral and Whitfield were closing down their defenders in their final third and we were getting loads of good possession in their half. Gifting a silly goal from a set piece is what changed the first half. For culprits look at the right side of defence and Joyce... not where many are saying the problems are.

Miller did well when he came on and I know he wants goals but he is inclined to shoot when someone else is in a better position and other forwards put more of a shift in when we haven’t got the ball. I don’t find it glaringly obvious that playing him in a 442 is a better way to start unless he ups his team game a bit.

All in all, I’m confident results will turn.

We’ve got 2 full backs fit and instead we move Hannant to play left back and shift a centre midfielder to left wing. Clark hasn’t let us down at left back this season, Gibbons hasn’t let us down at right back. We have players who can play in the positions, who are specialists in those positions and yet Aspin still moves people around. This isn’t a computer game, it’s not as easy as it may look making a player suddenly become a defender instead of an attacker. It’s a massive gamble to keep putting square pegs in round holes and we got away with it yesterday.

[Beza]

Interesting reading on FGR forum. One poster says Vale were the best team they have played at TNL and thinks Vale will kick on.