Match Thread - Port Vale v Northampton Town

[Fosse69]

Too early in the season to treat the Cobblers as a six -pointer, I am sure the gel will arrive soon. Attack from the start, and give Miller a go from the off. Firm up the team with Oyeleke and permanent full-backs. Maybe Legge and Montano will be in the running and Hardcastle also. At least the losing run was ended, now for a couple of wins.

[PV1973]

One things fact and that’s that it will be another side that starts.

 

I think it’ll be

 

Brown

 

Clark

Legge

Rawlinson

Montano

 

Worrall

Oyeleke

Joyce

Hannant

 

Whitfield

Pope

[valiant steve]

Five points above relegation. Five points behind play offs. 7 points from seven games. More goals needed if we're going to climb up the league. An attacking formation needed at home against the Cobblers.

[valeparklife]

I would like to see:

 

-------------Brown---------------

 

Gibbons--Legge--Rawlinson--Clarke

 

-------------Joyce --------------

------Oyeleke----Hannant---------

 

-----Miller--Pope--Whitfield-----

 

Natural full backs at full back with licence to overlap and keep the width.

 

Joyce sitting with Hannant and Oyeleke box-to-box.

 

Pope as the focal point with Miller and Whitfield up close with him.

[Upfromnowhere]

We can not play Whitfield up front, he is not a striker, and even if he was, as yesterday proved, still a bit too lightweight for me in that position, as we saw 'in spells' last season, we are surely crying out for his trickery and directness on the wing.

 

Back four if they are all fit, is pretty much taken care, but the midfield shape, as it has been all season is still the concern. To me, Joyce and Worrall should be on the bench and I would play Manny and Hardcastle in the middle (with Conlon to come on if either tire) with Hannant (or even give Kanu a chance) and Whitfield out wide.

 

But whoever starts let's just get the bloody thing down and at least try and play some offensive football from the off!

[Hagrid]

Brown

Gibbons Legge Rawlinson Clarke

Hannant Oyeleke Conlon Whitfield

Pope Miller

 

Defensively Whitfield would drop into left wing and form the 2 banks of 4, but going forward I think we'd look more like a 433.

 

Hannant would tuck and form an energetic, box-to-box midfield with Oyeleke and Conlon all comfortable on the ball and allowing flexibility with how they arrange themselves.

 

Whitfield and Miller would play either side of Pope, very close and narrow, basically 3 strikers. It would require a lot of work from Whitfield but his application and workrate is very good. Gibbons and Clarke would provide width.

 

Kanu would be on the bench purely to inject pace late on if we want to counter.

[PV1973]

I wonder how many more chances Worrall is going to get in the side.

 

We can not play Whitfield up front, he is not a striker, and even if he was, as yesterday proved, still a bit too lightweight for me in that position, as we saw 'in spells' last season, we are surely crying out for his trickery and directness on the wing.

 

Back four if they are all fit, is pretty much taken care, but the midfield shape, as it has been all season is still the concern. To me, Joyce and Worrall should be on the bench and I would play Manny and Hardcastle in the middle (with Conlon to come on if either tire) with Hannant (or even give Kanu a chance) and Whitfield out wide.

 

But whoever starts let's just get the bloody thing down and at least try and play some offensive football from the off!

I agree on Whitfield but I think the manager will want either miller or Whitfield as an impact sub.

[onestepatatime]

Doesn't matter who we might surmise to be the Team against The Cobblers. The simple fact is that The Tinkerman will again change personnel about and come up with a team that mystifies us.

[Danish Valiant]

Maybe we are just going about this the wrong way. Maybe we, the fans, just have attacked this whole line up thing the wrong way, with using actual rationality.

Maybe we need to think outside the box, like waaaaaaaay outside the box, and we will actually begin to get more players wright and be less baffled?

Maybe we should just begin to do like Aspin, and put the entire fit squad in a bowl, and draw names at random?

I did just that, so here's my starting 11:

 

Quigley

 

Miller - Kanu - Rawlinson - Tonge

 

Worrall - Pope - Brown - Hornby

 

Gibbons - Pugh

 

Actually think I'll have quite a few correct, come Saturday!

[JRC]

I wonder how many more chances Worrall is going to get in the side.

 

 

I agree on Whitfield but I think the manager will want either miller or Whitfield as an impact sub.

 

Worrall is the player currently on thin ice. Not as good this season as last. If Montano is fit I think he'll be on the bench.

[windsorvale4ever]

we really need the 3 points from this game I hope we play the attacking football and don't sit back to much Northampton have only won 1 league game lets get at them straight away

[Heatwave]

Someone is owed a spanking and I hope it's Northampton.

[darren1810]

Someone is owed a spanking and I hope it's Northampton.

 

A spanking ? What games are you basing that on Heatwave because from where i'm sitting apart from a decent 45 against Cambridge and a bit of misfortune v Newport we haven't looked like spanking anybody.

Loving the optimism though.

[Heatwave]

A spanking ? What games are you basing that on Heatwave because from where i'm sitting apart from a decent 45 against Cambridge and a bit of misfortune v Newport we haven't looked like spanking anybody.

Loving the optimism though.

 

In my years of watching Vale there have been several spells where results have been poor, but given better finishing, better link up play and better refereeing we could have done better.

 

My feeling is that this is just one of those spells. They have to come to an end eventually and Saturday might just be the day.

[Danish Valiant]

I agree to an extend, that at some point, it has to click.

 

But if we play half the team out of position, after having changed 3 or 4 players in the lineup for the 9th time this season, then we won't click.

 

Well, her's hoping...