The squad/ starting x1

[darren1810]

Are we that bad or is it purely down to square pegs in round holes and too much tinkering and paying the opposition too much respect?

In our 13 games so far 5 times there have been 3 or more changes to the side.

Following the Northampton win , we kept the same side 3 games in a row, Crewe and Exeter being 2 of those games.

 

Brown...Good keeper, had a mare with his kicking yesterday but you could see how much he was hurt. Good steady signing.

 

Rawlinson...Forced his way into the team on merit, inexplicably played out of position for a good while now. Contrary to some people on here he has never played right back for TNS that was confirmed in the Sentinel. Feel sorry for him.

 

Clark..Clearly raw but a good quality young energetic signing who will make mistakes.

 

Legge...Been a monster since he got his place in the side, proper leader.

 

Smith...Regressed dreadfully since his first season, was rightly dropped and i feel he should be again with Rawlinson back alongside Legge.

 

Conlon...surprise package after being freed by Stevenage, good energy and legs. Good addition.

 

Hannant..Again energetic and industrious, bear in mind he has only been here since January and was a shining light at the end of last season.

 

Whitfield...split the fans over his transfer saga, i wanted him back. Offers a goal threat and pace, something we sadly lack.

 

Pope..What more can be said, talisman of the team, runs through a brick wall every year and pretty much guarantees 15 plus a season.

 

Oyeleke..How was this guy playing in the conference? Quality signing who is effortless. Worryingly seems injury hit at Vale.

 

Joyce..Huge disappointment after a great debut. His performance away to Carlisle was awful, think he thought he was still playing for them. Bizarrely dropped below Kay in the pecking order at Grimsby.

 

Miller..An enigma. Frustrating as hell but would you like to play against him ? Greedy, selfish etc but for me has to start in home games for definite. Fianlly scores, his confidence is up and he is on the bench !!

 

The rest of the squad

Worral.. disappointing but never a winger in a million years

 

Quigley..maybe had 30 minutes, can't really make a comment based on that.

 

Kanu..Lively but raw, good option as sub.

 

Hardcastle...strange signing in as much as last week was deemed worse than Kay as per Joyce. Surely he has to be the replacement for Manny ?

 

Gibbons..Dropped/ injured who knows ? Strange one.

 

Monty...His season hasn't got going, again prone to hamstrings and won't play more than 25 times i reckon.

 

Dodds...Has done very little when given a full game, yes he set one up v Burton but has not shown much.

 

Pugh, Kay, Tonge....Absolutely mind boggling to see Pugh start yesterday, beggared belief. Really of the 3 Kay is a good one for the bench.

 

So after my lengthy probably boring summary this is my starting 11 obviously injuries permitting.

 

Brown

Gibbons Legge Rawlinson Clark

Whitfield Conlon Manny Hannant

Pope Miller

 

7 of those played yesterday in one position or another !!

 

That to me can be tinkered at away games but i want to see us attack mediocre teams like Grimsby not be running scared by making multiple changes .

 

Play players in their correct or favoured positions.

 

That means when Manny is out, you play Joyce or Hardcastle centre midfield, too many times one player out means 3 positional changes.

 

We all think we are managers ( well i do anyway ) , but surely a tried and tested square peg in square holes is the way forward ?

 

Sick to death of feeling low and negative about the team that i have followed for 45 years. It can't be right that most people before the game predicted a thumping and were proved right.

 

Who knows the answer but people want to watch winning football, something we have been starved of for 2 years now.

[pjg1876]

Someone bought a programme yesterday fearing it would be a memento of a historical home record defeat. I think that’s how a lot of us thought so we should have not been too disappointed. However, the performance was more embarassing than the result. For some of the scores now showing on ‘Rate The Players’, I reckon some people must have been giving players 8s and 9s for the averages to be so high.

[fuzzyvalefan]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Neil has actually assembled a decent squad and is consistently failing to get results from it by his baffling team selections, tactics and constant tinkering.

 

I know we had injuries yesterday but there is an argument that 7 players were playing out of position. That’s insane!

[Emile]

Totally agree with the starting 11. Yesturdays team selection was tough but Aspin still got it terribly wrong.

We are missing a couple of decent squad players - mostly Tom Pope pt2 (Quigley isn’t good enough) and a right winger. That’ll free up Hannant and Worall to play in the midfield (Worall not first choice).

 

To free up the room in the budget send Quigley back, get Kay / Tonge our on loan, and probably send Hardcastle back as we have too many centre mids.

[Paul6754]

Fans are being a tad tough on David Worrall, I agree he's not got going this season, don't know if it's a loss of confidence, a loss of form or not getting game time but he was an important player last year. He isn't an out and out winger but neither were Martin Peters or Alan Ball, he's an industrious wide midfield player who gives 100%, I anticipate he'll come good again.

[Class personified]

Can’t disagree with your proposed starting eleven. Gibbons or Vassell could take the fullback position with Clark taking either left or right fullback. That eleven could compete with any team in this Division except Lincoln. Aspo has not been in a position to put out that first eleven due to injuries. The back ups are poor though. I liked Joyce from seeing the way Carlisle demolished us last season and the first game this season.Neither him, Kay, Pugh, Tonge or Hardcastle are adequate replacements for Manny or Conlon. Both of them have been excellent signings. There is no back up for Pope. The poor bloke at 33, carrying an injury and the hopes of the Vale faithful on the goal scoring front. Quigley not good enough. Miller averages a booking a game. It’s a pity he can’t do that on the goal scoring front. This is still a miles better squad than last year.

[Biddulph_PV]

I think that next Saturday - working on the basis we have the same group to pick from albeit Miller suspended - I’d go:-

 

Brown

Vassell-Legge-Rawlinson-Clark

Hannant-Conlon-Kay-Whitfield

Kanu-Dodds/Worrall (still don’t know what either’s best position is!)

[windsorvale4ever]

our midfield and strikers are still the problem without Manny we haven't got a player who can take the game by the scruff of the neck conlon and hardcastle are similar players and need some experience next to them, upfront we don't look like scoring loads like has been said players aren't been given a long enough chance so we don't really know how good they are but pope needs more help dodds has done nothing since his return. can Quigley hold the ball up like pope does or win enough in the air if not we need to get more pace down the wings and stop lumping it forward.

brown

vassell,legge,rawlinson,clark

whitfield,conlon,kay,hannant

Quigley,miller

or

brown

vassell,legge,rawlinson,clark

 

whitfield,conlon,hannant,kanu

 

miller,quigley

[Biddulph_PV]

our midfield and strikers are still the problem without Manny we haven't got a player who can take the game by the scruff of the neck conlon and hardcastle are similar players and need some experience next to them, upfront we don't look like scoring loads like has been said players aren't been given a long enough chance so we don't really know how good they are but pope needs more help dodds has done nothing since his return. can Quigley hold the ball up like pope does or win enough in the air if not we need to get more pace down the wings and stop lumping it forward.

brown

vassell,legge,rawlinson,clark

whitfield,conlon,kay,hannant

Quigley,miller

or

brown

vassell,legge,rawlinson,clark

 

whitfield,conlon,hannant,kanu

 

miller,quigley

 

Miller suspended next game, Quigley injured.

[valiant_593]

Your team makes sense as does your judgement of the signings imo. Shame our manager sees it differently. The one frustrating one for me all season has been rawlinson at right back. There is no reason for that. He was great at centre half and then below average at right back when we’ve got gibbons not even getting a look in. Just a shambles of a club at the minute.

[Conrad]

Your team makes sense as does your judgement of the signings imo. Shame our manager sees it differently. The one frustrating one for me all season has been rawlinson at right back. There is no reason for that. He was great at centre half and then below average at right back when we’ve got gibbons not even getting a look in. Just a shambles of a club at the minute.

 

Gibbons is injured.

[Conrad]

Miller suspended next game, Quigley injured.

 

Will Miller be suspended for the Middlesbrough game? I know bookings in the checkatrade don’t carry over to league games.

[darren1810]

No only Oldham , one of those weird rules anomalies. Didn't Pope once get deliberately booked a few years ago so he missed an Autoglass game? I may be wrong but sure he did.

[geosname]

I would suggest that all the players names be thrown in a hat..... first 11 out play.

[PV1973]

I would suggest that all the players names be thrown in a hat..... first 11 out play.

We did that against Lincoln didn't we?