Match Thread - Stevenage v Port Vale

[Fosse69]

It can be done, after a 2nd away win, lets go for another. Keep the same formation, tight defending, blocking, and tracking back. Up front, replace Pope with Miller to give him extra recovery time so as to be ready to play against his old team Bury on Saturday. A stiffer game than Oldham, but with Newton red carded their defence may not be so cohesive, so why not another win?

[Heatwave]

Miller should be available so let's hope he gets a start.

[Conrad]

Possibly Pope only played yesterday as Miller was suspended and without either of those we would have been struggling. I would say rest Pope Tuesday, because of his injury and bring Miller back.

[PV1973]

I’d be amazed to see Pope start on Tuesday. He just didn’t fit yet.

[valefan16]

If Stevenage still play how they usually have in the past Pope would be crucial as it will be aerial bombardments and need his height going forward. Do we try and limp through until after Notts County when we have a two, likely three week break from the league?

[Jacko51]

It can be done, after a 2nd away win, lets go for another. Keep the same formation, tight defending, blocking, and tracking back. Up front, replace Pope with Miller to give him extra recovery time so as to be ready to play against his old team Bury on Saturday. A stiffer game than Oldham, but with Newton red carded their defence may not be so cohesive, so why not another win?

 

I wouldn’t be surprised if that red card is rescinded. It was crazy despite what Artell said.

[valefan16]

I wouldn’t be surprised if that red card is rescinded. It was crazy despite what Artell said.

 

It was never last man was it, about three players around him!

[Heatwave]

I wouldn’t be surprised if that red card is rescinded. It was crazy despite what Artell said.

 

Artell has form for saying daft things in post match interviews.

[Upfromnowhere]

Not so much if Popey plays, but more if we continue to pump everything at him then I don't think it matters who we play up front as I fear, like Saturday, in fact like most games, we will continue to create nothing, and history has proved, FGR apart, we let in the first goal, we lose!

I know it was meant to be 3-4-3 Saturday but it wasn't, it was more like 4-5-1. Vassell, spent most of the game at LB, particularly the second half, and pretty much like Miller did at Tranmere, Whitfield spent considerably more time in our half than he did theirs, and at times poor old Popey was in glorious isolation. On reflection it's little wonder he didn't contribute as much as he would normally do.

To me I would be happy with,

Brown

Clarke, Rawlinson/Smith Legge Vassell

Kanu, Hannant, Conlon, Whits

Pope, Miller

 

If the skipper is not 100%, then swap him for Kanu, put Hannant back on the wing and let either Joyce or my choice, Hardcastle take his place in the middle. The line up has shape, energy, pace and best of all, though I concede Kanu is more a winger than a striker, it has players pretty much in their correct positions

[Realism]

I liked the formation on Saturday as both Whitfield and Hannant got forward more often in support of Pope and so did Clark.

[t.punchard]

after such a strong battling performance on Saturday it sounds like we've got some battered bruised bodies can the same 11/14 put in another performance on tuesday ? last time we did that was against Exeter and then we lost to MK dons. popes ankle seems a problem should he be rested for bury or play miller and whitfield up with him ?

[PV1973]

I liked the formation on Saturday as both Whitfield and Hannant got forward more often in support of Pope and so did Clark.

In the first half they tried to, but we created very little. Second half our attacking threat was non-existent and I'm struggling to remember a shot on goal. For me if you're playing wingbacks you have to have players who are able to play there and get up and down. Saturday we didn't have that because of Vassell playing on the left.

[Santa]

I liked the formation on Saturday as both Whitfield and Hannant got forward more often in support of Pope and so did Clark.

I don't watch a great deal of Vale from behind the goal and what struck me on Saturday is how little movement there is off the ball to make space or give the player on the ball something to pass at.

 

There was one move late in the first half where Conlon drove into space which eventually ended with us winning a corner, but that was more of a sideways run than anything.

[Emile]

I think resting Pope is the only way. If he can make the bench that would be ideal but I think anything more than is really too much.

 

I wonder if Vassell will be fit? If not we might have to change the system or do we move Pugh or Hannant there

[Upfromnowhere]

after such a strong battling performance on Saturday it sounds like we've got some battered bruised bodies can the same 11/14 put in another performance on tuesday ? last time we did that was against Exeter and then we lost to MK dons. popes ankle seems a problem should he be rested for bury or play miller and whitfield up with him ?

 

Like others rightly point out, the so called three up front, certainly offensively just didn't work Saturday.

Apart from the scramble, which wasn't really a chance created was it, just a manic ten seconds of ooh's and ahh's, so if Pope does play, then put one up with him and go 3-5-2 because if nothing else it will at least give us a chance to retain the ball in their half and defensively, give Stevenage something to think about, but at the weekend, as soon as the other two dropped back a bit, which happened pretty much after about 20 minutes (and continued for the duration)we had no forward outlet whatsoever. It's why, despite our heroics we were under the cosh for the last hour, don't think we will get away with it again