Match Thread - Port Vale v Notts County

[valefan16]

They are a big club in this league, as we are. Only MK with a bigger ground.

 

Probably the most similar sized club to us there is really, same size ground virtually, we’ve arguably had a better recent history in terms of the mid to late 90s but both since flirted with L1 and L2. Similar fan base and both in the shadow of a bigger city rival in a fairly small city both do well to pull in the crowds they do.

 

They’ve had similar financial issues although they gained from theirs in terms of the Munto farce with Sven, Sol, Schmeichael and so on!

 

Generally can relate to them and both should be better than we currently are given size not that it means much!

[LancyTony]

Aspin talking of Notts county as a ‘big club’ .. we are quickly becoming tin pot

 

Nothing to do with us being tin pot; more a comment on the "names" that have been associated with Notts Co. over the last few years, and the big money that has been spent in recruitment. I would think a fair few L1 and L2 clubs would like that, without it making them tin pot?

[Erniemossrules]

I understood the reason to be so defensive away after the Lincoln game, and I can kind of empathise against Bury - but at home to struggling Notts we really need to take this to them (regardless of their big status in this league).

 

We should be attacking anyone at home but as this is a transition period I understand the need for patience against better teams. This is a game we need to prove ourselves though.

 

Stick with the same formation but with a bit more attacking intent. My team:

 

3-4-3: Brown; Rawlinson, Legge, Vassell; Gibbons, Conlon, Hannant, Clark; Miller, Pope, Whitfield.

 

Miller and Whitfield to both start, with Kanu able to change things from the bench. Seems harsh to drop Smith but we need someone capable of playing out from the back and Vassell gives us that option moreso. Wingbacks in wingback positions!

 

3-1 Vale. If we keep the same line up then we run the risk of them scoring and not being able to reply. We've defended well so far but it won't last forever and, despite their lowly position, they can score.

 

Really think Joyce is the one to make way for Whitfield,Miller and Pope up front.

We still have Conlon,Hannant and Vassell in midfield.

The problem is Aspin will treat them like Real Madrid and be negative again like against Bury.

We played much better second half with Whitfield on.

[Upfromnowhere]

You've got to love some of the people on here at times...

 

Suggest one thing and people jump their gun. I've already stated I rate him. I'll change it to Rawlinson instead if it makes you feel any better - I think they're about the same. My point is that we should try something different.

 

Against Lincoln Brown looked time and and time again to play it out from the back, as he knew the wind would carry the ball. However, both Smith and Rawlinson turned away from him as if to say 'I don't want the ball'. Not because they're bad defenders, but because they're uncomfortable playing out from the back. This is something we either need to improve on or change because the ball inevitably keeps coming back to us. Teams know that if they win their second balls against us we're pretty much useless.

 

Thats actually a great point, and lack of creation apart which is my biggest bug bear, Brown not throwing the ball out to any of the back four (or not being allowed to) runs a very close second, and I just don't get why we don't.

 

Our forwards spend a lot of time (and energy) at least trying to close defenders down in an effort to prevent them playing it out from the back, where in polar contrast, none of the teams we play ever bother, as clearly they realise they don't need to!

 

When Brown gets the ball be it for goal kicks or even to hand, everyone pushes up to the half way line, leaving, on most occasions half the pitch deserted, and more frustrating, with all 22 players knowing exactly where the ball is going. Why oh why can we simply not have a full back dropping back 20 yards to receive the ball as in doing so he will receive it unchallenged. If we are then going to punt it long, we can at least do so down the channels, and if played by design, into space or on the floor, at least Whits and Miller whilst not not aimlessly chasing it, but by design could put some pressure on their back four and particularly their full backs

 

I am convinced they would enjoy more success in either getting and or keeping the ball then Pope does when lumped down the middle of the park and when marked by two defenders. This surely would help, give time and at least afford our midfield the opportunity to move forward and support them

[valiant_593]

It seems that you are the only person on this forum who hasn’t picked Smith.

 

Very strange!!!

 

You obviously watch the games with tunnel vision or do you drink a lot before the game?

 

I’d suggest that is you if you think smith has been half decent this season! He’s been worse than both legge and rawlinson when they’ve been at centre half no question. If we are playing a back two I would go legge and rawlinson every day of the week.

[smithie]

We should really be concentrating on attacking County tomorrow. They've conceded more goals than any other team in the division (34) thus letting in more than 2 per game on average.

 

A win tomorrow and the table will start to look interesting.

[Heatwave]

Thats actually a great point, and lack of creation apart which is my biggest bug bear, Brown not throwing the ball out to any of the back four (or not being allowed to) runs a very close second, and I just don't get why we don't.

 

Our forwards spend a lot of time (and energy) at least trying to close defenders down in an effort to prevent them playing it out from the back, where in polar contrast, none of the teams we play ever bother, as clearly they realise they don't need to!

 

When Brown gets the ball be it for goal kicks or even to hand, everyone pushes up to the half way line, leaving, on most occasions half the pitch deserted, and more frustrating, with all 22 players knowing exactly where the ball is going. Why oh why can we simply not have a full back dropping back 20 yards to receive the ball as in doing so he will receive it unchallenged. If we are then going to punt it long, we can at least do so down the channels, and if played by design, into space or on the floor, at least Whits and Miller whilst not not aimlessly chasing it, but by design could put some pressure on their back four and particularly their full backs

 

I am convinced they would enjoy more success in either getting and or keeping the ball then Pope does when lumped down the middle of the park and when marked by two defenders. This surely would help, give time and at least afford our midfield the opportunity to move forward and support them

 

When Eric Skeels was at Vale in the 70s he was asked what the big difference was between playing in the First and Fourth Divisions. He replied something along these lines:

 

"A first division fullback gets the ball and looks up to see where the midfield players are that he can pass to. A fourth division fullback gets the ball, looks up and all he can see are *rses".

 

Nothing much changed there then.

[valeparklife]

Enzio Boldewijn - excellent lower league winger who we should have been looking at when he was at Crawley.

 

Attacking mentality needed tomorrow. Will be extremely difficult (and unlikely) to keep 5 clean sheets in a row so we will have to score goals.

[PVTony]

Notts County have shipped in 34 goals in 15 games =

just over two per game.

Vale should on that record score at least two goals against them.

County do tend to score in most games, so Vales defence must continue to be effective, but County may score one, maybe two. 2-2 draw, or 2-1 for the Vale.

[d3d4]

Hi all,

 

Here are my previews & predictions ahead of the League Two action this weekend.

 

http://d3d4football.com/league-two-predictions-3rd-november/

 

Get your first goal scorer bets ready (with a header)

 

Thanks

James

[sheffield61]

We should really be concentrating on attacking County tomorrow. They've conceded more goals than any other team in the division (34) thus letting in more than 2 per game on average.

 

A win tomorrow and the table will start to look interesting.

 

Too right, the table is very congested, a win today and we will fly up the table, decent set of fixtures for the rest of 2018 too.....

[philmpv]

This games got 0.0 written all over it

[Upfromnowhere]

Think Aspo, as it seems to be his way, will almost certainly start with the eleven that finished last week, meaning Conlon and Miller will both be on the bench, and if our playing pattern is repeated, and unless we are a couple up (we can dream) with the latter coming on at HT or after sixty minutes.

 

One other issue we were debating last night, when we bring on subs, can anyone remember doing so in an effort to change a shape that wasn't working?

 

Like semi-pro analysts we were trying to work out during which game, if indeed there has been one this season, where Aspo's plan B involved anything other than introducing like for like replacements?

Rarely do we touch the back, 3,4,or 5, but we were debating why, even when losing, do we just swap players but do nothing tactically different?

 

Our old codgers PV panel, we reached a definitive conclusion that the only reason we appear to play significantly better in the second halves is because our boss is now so obsessed about shipping an early goal, having 7,8 behind the ball, and not allowing players to push on is the only way he can work out as to how best prevent it.

During our bi-weekly moan in, and if you believe the above holds any credence as we did, an interesting off shoot arose about Miller and Whitfield in that if you were one of those, would you actually prefer to start, run about with little support, and invariably, even less hope of influencing proceedings, or be on the bench to come on at half time or just after, when coincidentally or not, Aspin allows a few more to push on and you'll get a better chance of contributing something positive?

 

We thought it was interesting one and the consensus, albeit narrowly, was in this team, in this season, we would prefer to sit the first half out!

 

Are we right or are we just senile old gits?

[ClntonBoulton]

Got a feeling in me water about today.......we'll go nap 3 or 4 1!! Mind you I have that feeling every Saturday morning and end up disappointed! Such is the life of a Vale fan, hey!

[smithie]

[quote=Upfromnowhere;834557 our boss is now so obsessed about shipping an early goal, having 7,8 behind the ball, and not allowing players to push on is the only way he can work out as to how best prevent it.

 

Which is perfectly logical even if it makes for sometimes uninspiring viewing.

 

We've shot ourselves in the foot by conceding early goals that he had to do something about it. There are so few goals in the team, we are not going to outscore the opposition by big margins, so defence is crucial.

 

For what it's worth I'd take any method of play whatsoever to get out of this desperate division. I'm absolutely fuming we're down amongst the dross.