Match Thread - Port Vale v Bury

[PV1973]

I thought Miller had a poor game today.

[Wrex]

He also recommended rob lainton and centre half Antony kay, so he's only got a 33% success rate to be fair!

 

Lainton has played every game for Wrexham, who are one point off the top of the National League with ten goals conceded in 17 league games so he seems a very good goalkeeper to be fair... when fit.

[Upfromnowhere]

The most important thing is another three points, and a fourth consecutive clean sheet is a huge bonus, and for that, credit has to go the manager, but I do fear that if he doesn't at least try and change his tactics we could very easily end up with crowds of 2000+ by the end of the season because from an entertainment perspective, it was again really pish poor.

 

Aspin keeps going on about being not conceding first and especially not conceding early, and he's absolutely right to do so, we all get that, but surely to ensure it doesn't happen do we really need to have nine players almost camped out in our own half for the first 45 minutes of every game?

 

I have also now decided that the only reason we play better in the second half as its only after the break that he even thinks of allowing the boys to venture forward.

 

The first half poor old Pope and Miller ran their socks off and for what. When they did win the ball, the nearest midfield player was twenty, thirty yards behind them, who plays football like that, and it certainly gave Mayor, as others have said, probably the best midfielder I have seen at this level for a long time, the freedom to do pretty much what he wanted. My God though, the lad is sheer quality and the time and space he creates for himself, and in just a few elegant strides, was worth the admission fee on it's own.

 

Our goal, and I'm not even sure if it was one of their defenders who actually set Popey up, was none the less calmness personified by the skipper, but in truth it was totally against the run of the play, and of course it forced almost a shell shocked Bury to commit even more numbers forward, but still we refused to push on, counter attack or commit any extra numbers forward, and thereafter it was wave after wave of Bury possession and attacks.

 

Our back six have rightly to take the plaudits again for another huge collective display of defensive determination and quality, and whilst not for the first time of late, down solely to our opponents profligacy, Brown didn't actually have that much to do, that save was absolutely stunning, world class in fact.

 

Everyone knows Whits really should have scored with what, if my memory serves is the first one on one we've had all season and if he had done so it would surely have rubbed even more salt into Burys wounded supporters who must have been scratching their heads all the way back up the M6 as to how they left with nothing.

[leedsvaliant]

The most important thing is another three points, and a fourth consecutive clean sheet is a huge bonus, and for that, credit has to go the manager, but I do fear that if he doesn't at least try and change his tactics we could very easily end up with crowds of 2000+ by the end of the season because from an entertainment perspective, it was again really pish poor.

 

Aspin keeps going on about being not conceding first and especially not conceding early, and he's absolutely right to do so, we all get that, but surely to ensure it doesn't happen do we really need to have nine players almost camped out in our own half for the first 45 minutes of every game?

 

I have also now decided that the only reason we play better in the second half as its only after the break that he even thinks of allowing the boys to venture forward.

 

The first half poor old Pope and Miller ran their socks off and for what. When they did win the ball, the nearest midfield player was twenty, thirty yards behind them, who plays football like that, and it certainly gave Mayor, as others have said, probably the best midfielder I have seen at this level for a long time, the freedom to do pretty much what he wanted. My God though, the lad is sheer quality and the time and space he creates for himself, and in just a few elegant strides, was worth the admission fee on it's own.

 

Our goal, calmness personified by our skipper, was in truth totally against the run of the play, and of course it forced almost a shell shocked Bury to commit even more numbers forward, but still we refused to push on, counter attack or commit any extra numbers forward, and thereafter it was wave after wave of Bury possession and attacks.

 

Our back six have rightly to take the plaudits again for another huge collective display of defensive determination and quality, and whilst not for the first time of late, down solely to our opponents profligacy, Brown didn't actually have that much to do, that save was absolutely stunning, world class in fact.

 

Everyone knows Whits really should have scored with what, if my memory serves is the first one on one we've had all season and if he had done so it would surely have rubbed even more salt into Burys wounded supporters who must have been scratching their heads all the way back up the M6 as to how they left with nothing.

Agreed, first half we made them look like Brazil 1970 by sitting off and letting mayor do what he wanted. We were like a dog chasing its tail at times.

 

Second half I thought Bury missed a trick as we had clearly been given instruction to close them down quicker at the back. Unsurprisingly they started giving the ball straight back to us or kicking it out of play. They persisted with this tactic and very nearly got caught out on a number of occasions.

 

In honesty, apart from browns save and hitting the bar, I can't recall them having another effort of note in the second half. There was a lot of huff and puff, far too many passes and very little cutting edge. Possession is a misleading statistic at times. I see byron moores final ball has not improved.

 

What the heck is Danny mayor doing playing in league Two? His agent should be sacked! He was too good for his own team mates, never mind us.

 

I just wish we would start from the beginning on closing down teams quickly. As soon as you rush teams at this level they invariably give the ball away or kick it out of play. I don't get this tactic of sitting back and letting teams dictate the play in the first half.

[toyahw]

Did we win?

[Doha]

How the fkuc has the referee missed that most blatant of handballs? Incredible.

[ClntonBoulton]

How the fkuc has the referee missed that most blatant of handballs? Incredible.

 

I thought my eyes were playing tricks....the lad nearly had the lace out of it......and we played on!

[ClntonBoulton]

To be entertained by my team????? Is that so wrong???

 

No.....I don't think it is wrong.....but at this moment in time I think it is unrealistic. I'd love to see us play like the Guppy/McCarthy/Bogie days but with what has gone on and the time required to re build I'm happy gathering points ESPECIALLY after the Lincoln debacle. I'd love us to have Mayor or O'Shea playing for us but they aren't.

If Aspo had gone gung ho or tried to entertain and got battered again what would you be saying then? At the moment the Vale are "dammed if they do and dammed if they don't" in your eyes. Which brings me back to....don't go until they start to, in your eyes, "entertain" you but stop constantly carping about them....please!

[valiant steve]

The system we're now playing looks reasonably solid defensively. If we're going to have our own spells of pressure we need the three centre backs to improve the quality of their distribution and also to bring the ball out from the back sometimes, i.e. run with the ball to draw one of the opponents midfield out of position and create some space.

If we win, most will be happy. If we lose then such performances (sitting so deep for long periods) will get slated.

Hopefully we can get some more entertaining performances over the next few months when we play some weaker teams.

[Caselord]

Depends on people’s definition of entertaining. Watching a team work their balls off, be organised, throw their body’s on the line & take pride in defending & keeping a clean sheet, I really enjoy. Especially after the last 2 years.

 

We also had the best chance of the game & should have had a pen. Good day at the office that.

 

I said on another thread, Aspin is following a similar path to when Adams first took over in terms of style of play

[ClntonBoulton]

Depends on people’s definition of entertaining. Watching a team work their balls off, be organised, throw their body’s on the line & take pride in defending & keeping a clean sheet, I really enjoy. Especially after the last 2 years.

 

We also had the best chance of the game & should have had a pen. Good day at the office that.

 

I said on another thread, Aspin is following a similar path to when Adams first took over in terms of style of play

 

Nail on head for me.....simples!

[old sage]

Happy with the result but we desperately need a player capable of hitting a decent cross to Tom Pope who is without a doubt the aerial King of the lower leagues. If that type of player comes in the team will benefit as the likes of Miller and Whitfield will relish Tom's knock downs.

Please , please Neil get our 'skinflint' of an owner to hand over a few grand to make us all happy.

 

My only complaint from yesterday was the form of Joyce who after a great debut has been awful whenever he has played since. Perhaps if he dumped those bright green boots he wouldn't be so noticeable!

[Regal Beagle]

For a club that went down with a whimper last year and never seems to be too far away from a financial crisis, I’ve been impressed by how they’ve managed to put together an extremely competitive squad (and wage budget clearly) this season.

 

Something we haven’t quite managed in two summers since our own relegation.

 

Must be fine margins then because we're 2 points behind their "extremely competitive" squad having beaten them yesterday.

 

 

 

We were very lucky though we did defend well and despite the concern about goals we are actually creating good chances.

 

I would like to see Whitfield and Miller either side of Pope but I will give Aspin the benefit of doubt, maybe he has simply done his homework in the last few home games and that's why we're so negative tactically.

 

We've got some midtable teams coming up. I'd like to see us setting up more positively.

[sheffield61]

The highest placed side we face in the remainder of 2018 sits currently 11th in the table, we also have league games against the current bottom 3 sides......Looking at how tight the table is this morning any kind of a decent run now could see a big return of points from the next 24 available and see us flying up that table......

[Inny]

By half time yesterday I was raging. Our negative set up was too negative. We played a flat back 5 and it was hardly surprising that we had little opportunities. I felt for both Pope and Miller who received zero service. I do feel that Miller should have been looking for the ball more. We were fortunate as it could have easily have been 2 nil at half time as they missed 2 sitters. As our full backs were not pushing on it meant that the likes of Hannant were finding themselves out wide which meant we then we were outnumbered in the middle.

The second half was much improved providing we actually passed the ball rather than hoofing it up the pitch. Pushing Clark further forward was a big help. I'd have liked to have seen Gibbons on instead of Vassell to be more attacking. However with 11 players behind the ball (and in our area) Vassells height was probably an advantage.

It was an excellent defensive performance but parking the bus at home can't be the way forward and I hope Aspin can develop this system to become more attacking which will give our forwards more service.

I know there has been talk on here about what is entertaining. Well Rob Pages tactics were a lot more entertaining than Aspin and eventually pressure built to change things. I think we realise that some serious changes needed to be made following Lincoln, but if we continue to play like this for the coming months additional pressure will be added. I hope we can push on and develop this system as we have the players to do so, especially when our injured few are back.