Match Thread - Port Vale v Cheltenham Town

[valiant steve]

We were actually excellent for the first 20 minutes of the game. Then garbage for 70 minutes. Lack of any quality passing from any of the back four is embarrassing. Clarke made a difference when he came on.

Monty was anonymous second half. Whitfield could have had more of an impact if he'd been used for the last half hour, rather than Quigley for the last ten minutes.

Tough game next week against an improving Macc Town.

[Badgerspaws]

Well Aspo said he was striving for consistency. He has achieved it. Rubbish last week and same again this week. Very consistent.

[For Us All]

Dire match with even worse conditions.Their keeper was wasting time after half an hour and even the ball-boys decided to call it a day at half-time?

Well done Browny,deservedly the MOTM.

UTV.

[Alkie]

Wasn’t Whitfield left out due to inconsistency?

If so there’s only 2 or 3 names on the sheet for next game the rest of the places must be up for grabs.

[onestepatatime]

Yet another game for Valiants to question Aspin's selections and tactics. How have we deserved such managers sadly lacking in nous or at least the ability to give us fans something to cheer about or look forward to games? Ok some of you will repeatedly say " but we are in a better position than last season" but what a continuing load of garbage we are being subjected to. My Christmas wish is that any " budget" Smurf may have is seriously used to source out a manager who can give a bit of respect back to the Club in finding and selecting a squad that makes us proud again.

[Mario]

Its getting very tedious watching us at the moment,I'm bored before the kickoff because you know exactly whats coming, absolutely no creativity its mind numbingly boring,I'm getting fed up of teams coming to Vale park and passing us off the pitch.

[Danish Valiant]

Well, that was ******* abysmal! 😩 first time I’ve said this; but Aspo got it SO wrong today! Not his fault the players looked apathetic, but that line-up was set up, at home, against a team way below us, not to lose. What a waste!

Aspin needs to start killing his darlings! The victims are the same every f’ing time: Gibbo, Whitfield, Miller. Where as others can look like they’d rather be anywhere else, but on the pitch, and still never have to worry about starting. It’s starting to look like last year selection wise.

For a start; I agree Legge has to play, but what that should mean, is that Rawlinson or Smith is on the bench! Rawlinson is not, has never been nor will he ever be, a RB! End of story!

I know Monty scored again today. But last week and again this week, it’s like playing with 10 men from the word ‘go’. For me, he needs to be on the bench next week, to let him know he needs to work for 90 minutes, not just when the ball is within 2 feet!

And we desperately needs 2 up front!

If Miller isn’t injured, I don’t know what the h... is going on, since he’s not even making the bench.

It’s so frustrating to watch!

Those out of favour, can’t possibly do worse, than those playing. But ‘they lack confidence’ or ‘lack consistensy’. Yeah, no **** Sherlock! When they can’t buy their way into the starting 11, what the h... do you think happens???

This is the first time I’ve complained about team selection and the way Aspin sets up. But today just put it over the top for me!

We have the players, to go forward and put pressure on teams.

But instead we invite freaking Morecambe and Cheltenham, to put pressure on us?? I don’t get it, I just don’t get it. Maybe I’m to stupid to see the point, but I’m so bloody annoyed right now!

To ‘defend well’, is not the same as lining up with 6 defenders! It’s down to formation, skill, training and a bit of luck. If it was a case of ‘throw another one in there’, every team would do it!

 

But fear not: next week against mighty Macclesfield, we’ll line up to defend, like we were playing Man City!

[Guest TommyMac]

Its getting very tedious watching us at the moment,I'm bored before the kickoff because you know exactly whats coming, absolutely no creativity its mind numbingly boring,I'm getting fed up of teams coming to Vale park and passing us off the pitch.

 

I think only Macclesfield, of the games that finished in league 2 today, had a lower attendance.

[Bald Eagle]

Poor weather, poor performance, poor official. How does that clown Salisbury continue to be allowed to ref? Always has his own strange interpretation of the laws. Not to blame for our inept performance though!

[Smugsy]

Poor. Again. We started off ok and scored with a lovely passing move and should have gone two up when Hannant should have squared it to Monty who had an open goal. But we then allowed Cheltenham all the time they wanted in possession and ended the half second best. A nothing second half ended with a bit of excitement but for the second week in a row, we escaped with a point against poor opposition.

 

Both full backs were off today and should have been replaced with Gibbons on the right and Clark on the left. They are both natural full backs and Cheltenham were leaving space for the full back to move in to but Rawlinson in particular cannot produce the quality of cross that Gibbons can. I don't understand why Whitfield didn't make an appearance either. An opportunity missed.

[cpade]

I think only Macclesfield, of the games that finished in league 2 today, had a lower attendance.

 

Wasn’t that our lowest league crowd for something like 20 years??

[mbycars]

Play deep and not defend properly and you will loose.

 

lose even

[Mario]

Why can't we bring on a sub like the black kid who came on for them?They weren't prepared to sit back and ok they conceded at the end but they had a go and tried to make the game go their way,he added a spark to their game, I am getting very frustrated with Aspin who in my opinion is getting by on his past glories,if these last few months performances were down to Brown or Bruno there would be hell to play.

[onestepatatime]

Wasn’t that our lowest league crowd for something like 20 years??

Another reason to question the managers effect on Vale. Crowds, home and away are dropping due to the bizarre squads and totally boring displays. Yes the weather was poor and it's close to Christmas but they don't hide the facts that our fans are not happy with the crap being thrown our way. I'm honestly trying my best to give a legend of ours as much leeway as I can but it's becoming increasingly obvious that he is not for me for the long term.

[pjg1876]

It was so obvious today that the two full backs are not naturals in that position. Rawlinson never seems to want to cross the ball into the box and Vassell has to keep switching to his more natural right foot.

 

Montano looked completely disinterested and played one absolutely awful pass out of defence which showed just how idle he is.

 

The rest were OK although I thought Legge was below his best and struggled a bit. And where were his trademark long throws.

 

Scott Brown definitely MoTM which says a lot when we were playing a team below us at home.

 

Like most others, I wonder what Whitfield has done to upset Mr Aspin. That second half was crying out for someone of his ability. Yet we play with just Pope up front who tries his best but it is no use if he has no support.

 

Poor tactics, too defensive, no closing down and passed off the park at home yet again for the umpteenth time this season.