Match Thread - Forest Green Rovers v Port Vale

[onestepatatime]

The meagre away following today adds to my already growing belief that even hardened lifelong Valiants are becoming so disillusioned with the managers pathetic selections, tactics and boringly predictable style of play. Some will say they are happy at bringing home a point but my gut says the underlying current of apathy from Aspin is increasing and we fans deserve so much more. 7 games in and still there is not a lot to enthuse anyone attending Vale's games.

[Fosse69]

Would be nice if our first away win this year is at Crewe.

Will not be nice if it is not, go for it Vale

[PV1973]

I think that second half display and the fact we managed to get a point was in spite of the strange team choices and tactics, not by some canny management decisions and initial team selection.

 

When I posted at half time I thought we looked all over the place. The midfield especially. Conlon wasn’t disciplined in his position and hardly had a touch. Worrall was trying so hard that everything seemed to go wrong for him. Joyce and manny were having the ball played around them, but to be fair manny looked the pick of the midfield, he has to stay fit. Conlon and Hannant played like strangers. Worrall and Clark played like strangers too. The link up play down the wings was non existent. Whitfield was too far away from pope. Which to be fair to the players is no surprise when you consider it was another new formation and players playing out of position.

 

Second half things changed a lot. We got Whitfield closer to pope, we were getting the ball wide earlier and managing to get some crosses in (albeit without threatening too much from them). We pressed them better. But I think the biggest change was from FGR, they moved gunning out of a holding midfielder role and put him at centre half and I thought that really swung the game in our favour because first half he was dictating play and bossing it in there. Unbelievable stuff really and if I was a forest green fan I’d be saying we shot ourselves in the foot from being in total control first half to being on the back foot second half. The introduction of miller really changed things for us too, he was lively (a bit too greedy sometimes too) but what a difference he made. The dilemma now is does he start or is he an impact sub? Ridiculous from their defender for the peno, it didn’t look like miller would get to the ball. But nice to see us finally get a peno decision. Then the tackle from the same defender on Conlon was madness. But hey I’ll take that every day of the week. Ironically that red card came straight from a good chance for them and a great save from Brown who kept us in it today.

 

We have to be concerned though about how we’re starting games and the goals we’re giving away. But I go back to my earlier point about us yet again playing another formation and some being out of position too, it must have an effect. No consistency or stability is a real problem and I have no doubt it will change again next week too. Speaking of consistency I listened to the managers interview on the way home and he spoke about Gibbons being more consistent, fair comment, but he’s a full back, he’s played well defensively in the main IMO in the few games he’s played this season, only 3 full games I bet it adds up to. But today could have really backfired defensively by putting Hannant and Conlon on the left hand side, luckily it didn’t and I don’t put that down to a management master stroke. But the only way the players will get consistency is by playing and also by playing in the right position and with a settled team around them and a settled tactical plan. But equally the management need to be more consistent, they need to take a good look at what they’re doing every match day. The selections was obviously the talk amongst the fans before the game. I’m glad we dug a result out of the bag today, but honestly I’m really worried this constant changing will be aspins undoing. Glass half full I’m afraid because we can’t keep giving teams the advantage like we’re doing.

[TylerB]

Yes, the mighty FGR - unbeaten and on the verge of the play-off places and managing just over 2k. I wonder how many this rising non-league side will bring to Vale Park? The sooner we get out of this poxy division, the better but I doubt we have any chance soon.

 

Well perhaps when Aspin starts selecting our best 11 and stops playing players out of position, and also actually focuses on winning games of football instead of worrying so much about the opposition every week, maybe I would have complimentary thing to say.

 

We can blame Norman, the players, the tea lady or the tooth fairy. But at the end of the day Aspin's managerial ability leaves a heck of a lot to be desired.

[bookworm]

The meagre away following today adds to my already growing belief that even hardened lifelong Valiants are becoming so disillusioned with the managers pathetic selections, tactics and boringly predictable style of play. Some will say they are happy at bringing home a point but my gut says the underlying current of apathy from Aspin is increasing and we fans deserve so much more. 7 games in and still there is not a lot to enthuse anyone attending Vale's games.

 

can't work up any enthusiasm at all.

[mattpvfc]

Well perhaps when Aspin starts selecting our best 11 and stops playing players out of position, and also actually focuses on winning games of football instead of worrying so much about the opposition every week, maybe I would have complimentary thing to say.

 

We can blame Norman, the players, the tea lady or the tooth fairy. But at the end of the day Aspin's managerial ability leaves a heck of a lot to be desired.

 

Spot on

[philpvfc]

Maybe not bang on with subs ... more bang off with starting 11??

 

True. I was sat quite close to Aspin, he was very quiet, looks like a man defeated at the moment. He’s trying to change things but doesn’t really know what is the right answer. We are crying out for a left back and 2 wingers and have been for a long time but he signs 2 more center midfielders!

[onestepatatime]

True. I was sat quite close to Aspin, he was very quiet, looks like a man defeated at the moment. He’s trying to change things but doesn’t really know what is the right answer. We are crying out for a left back and 2 wingers and have been for a long time but he signs 2 more center midfielders!

He's very quiet every week and seems to be lacking in any method of association with the players. From my seat in Lorne Street it's Brabin who is animated and Aspin appears like a rabbit in headlights. Very, very strange, especially as we all fondly remember Aspin as a hard, honest player who the majority of us probably would not have liked to face him in a quiet street at night!

[cpade]

True. I was sat quite close to Aspin, he was very quiet, looks like a man defeated at the moment. He’s trying to change things but doesn’t really know what is the right answer. We are crying out for a left back and 2 wingers and have been for a long time but he signs 2 more center midfielders!

 

It’s all very strange .. another game .. another formation... another 11 ... another group of players out of position ... another change 2nd half that improved things .. another finished better than started

[onestepatatime]

It’s all very strange .. another game .. another formation... another 11 ... another group of players out of position ... another change 2nd half that improved things .. another finished better than started

Does nothing for our blood pressure, does it, all these weird set ups and chopping/ changing. We do have a reasonable squad but it appears we are lacking correct leadership to guide us onwards.

[LancyTony]

Can you not call anyone a m@ron anymore?

 

Why do you want to call someone a m at ron??? Do you mean *****?

[LancyTony]

Yes, the mighty FGR - unbeaten and on the verge of the play-off places and managing just over 2k. I wonder how many this rising non-league side will bring to Vale Park? The sooner we get out of this poxy division, the better but I doubt we have any chance soon.

 

You can...and do...keep taking the **** out of FGR - just like people did out of Accy last year. But the common thing between them is they have ambitious chairmen...we have Smurf! Case closed!

[mickyferns]

True. I was sat quite close to Aspin, he was very quiet, looks like a man defeated at the moment. He’s trying to change things but doesn’t really know what is the right answer. We are crying out for a left back and 2 wingers and have been for a long time but he signs 2 more center midfielders!

 

And a new manager, the idiot has signed 14 players to achieve an unbalanced squad I suppose it's Smurfs fault as usual is it? Aspin is the guy who signs players in their mid twenties then says they are not ready so sends them back to non league on loan yet when I bash him people on here hammer me and seem to think given time he's the new Pep, wake up folks.

[mickyferns]

He's very quiet every week and seems to be lacking in any method of association with the players. From my seat in Lorne Street it's Brabin who is animated and Aspin appears like a rabbit in headlights. Very, very strange, especially as we all fondly remember Aspin as a hard, honest player who the majority of us probably would not have liked to face him in a quiet street at night!

 

Not rocket science just open your eyes to what's blindly obvious he lost the players along time ago

[LancyTony]

And a new manager, the idiot has signed 14 players to achieve an unbalanced squad I suppose it's Smurfs fault as usual is it? Aspin is the guy who signs players in their mid twenties then says they are not ready so sends them back to non league on loan yet when I bash him people on here hammer me and seem to think given time he's the new Pep, wake up folks.

 

You lose most of your credibility - if you ever had any? - because you only pop up when we've lost or played badly. Nobody has ever said Aspo is the new Pep - nobody is as stupid as you! You go from absent to arrogant and hysterical in no time flat - there is no build up...no rational and logical argument, with well-thought out postulations, just straight into screech mode! Although I suppose somebody has to be village idiot?