Match Thread - Port Vale v Oldham Athletic

[ELDERBEZZA]

If stubborn Aspin sticks to the negative formation today, after weeks of dross performances, he'll deserve all the criticism should we not get a decent result. New Year's Day at Lincoln could be the final nail in the coffin! !Please Neil, attack! !!!!!!

[Conrad]

Saw on twitter, that Wrexham fans want Quigley back. Anybody able to give him a lift on their way to Lincoln?

 

Thought he was on loan from Blackpool not Wrexham.

[dantheman]

I can fully see why Aspo wants three central defenders at the back as Clarke and Gibbo are too small and poor in the air. Three CBs and those two as wing backs doesn't work as the CBs have no pace.

 

Issues with our team:

-CBs are awful at passing/finding our midfield and simply hoof it aimlessly away.

-serious lack of pace from the majority of our team.

-only Popey is reliable in front of goal.

- We create hardly any chances for Pope.

 

Issue with the manager:

- he is far too negative in the formation and players he selects.

- he gives far too much respect to other teams and has us sitting far too deep for long periods of each game.

 

On the bright side:

- We have Pope (the best player in L2) on a long contract.

-Brown has been superb, player of the season front runner at the half way point.

-Hannant is becoming a consistent 7/10 performer.

-Manny has impressed in most of the games he has played.

 

Biggest disappointments:

-Miller

-Joyce

 

Agree with most of this accept the center backs hoofing. Reason we hoof is 1 cause the have clearly been told to and 2 there is absolutely nothing infront of them. Midfield is a shambles. Players in there clearly lacking fitness and confidence which equals hit potato if they receive the ball

[NEV]

wife ask me are you going football to day i said no

going vale

[Goal Drought]

Team most would choose, unfortunately Aspin won’t.

[Erniemossrules]

Aspin won’t change his mentality regarding being defensive and sitting back hoping we don’t concede.

Then praying for a goal.Its like Groundhog Day every week with the same players playing in the same positions expecting a different result.

I can’t understand why he doesn’t accept criticism if we lose its due to his poor selection and dire tactics.

We have better players than last season but he can’t motivate them or choose a winning team.

Would you trust him with 400k in January because I wouldn’t.

[Arthur]

I can see it being a very poor attendance.

 

I've done the last 3 games, you couldn't pay me to go today.

[valeparklife]

My team would be:

 

Brown

 

Gibbons Legge Rawlinson Clarke

 

Oyeleke Kay Conlon

 

Hannant Pope Whitfield

 

4-3-3. Kay sitting which gives Oyeleke and Conlon licence to get forward and support the front 3. Attacking full backs to push on and get crosses into the box. Oldham conceded 6 last week so a fast intense, start is needed to further compound their misery.

 

It will be the exact opposite to this however.

[JRC]

My team would be:

 

Brown

 

Gibbons Legge Rawlinson Clarke

 

Oyeleke Kay Conlon

 

Hannant Pope Whitfield

 

4-3-3. Kay sitting which gives Oyeleke and Conlon licence to get forward and support the front 3. Attacking full backs to push on and get crosses into the box. Oldham conceded 6 last week so a fast intense, start is needed to further compound their misery.

 

It will be the exact opposite to this however.

 

Not sure how it will be the exact opposite. 7 are guaranteed starters and Rawlinson is probably still injured. Gibbons is unlikely to start but isn't as good when playing as people think when not selected. Aspin's comments midweek make Whitfield a likely starter. My guess he will go:

Brown

Clark Smith Legg Montano

Hannatt Oyeleke Kay Conlon

Pope Whitfield

 

I'd give Quigley another go and not play Kay as I don't think he's been that bad over the last 3 games. Not 100% sure if he'll play 433 or 442.

[Rampant Zebra]

We need Kay to add some bite to the midfield. He came as close as any of our team to scoring against Grimsby apart from his defensive ability. Quigley is not the answer.

[TheSage]

Personally I wouldn't have Conlon anywhere near my team. He's been a passenger for weeks. Nor Quigley.

Conversely, Smith has been solid and should keep his place today.

 

I'd fit Dodds into my team somehow because at least he can see a pass, shoot accurately and link up well with Pope. He hasn't pulled up any trees but neither have any of the other midfielders, Manny included, of late. He has played too deep and often wide right to accommodate the static Kay but he's got to put himself about more and drive us forward.

 

I agree about the need for pace and "wingers" so I'd certainly have Whitfield, Worrall and even Kanu in my squad.

Hopefully the lightweight, injury prone, erratic Montano can get a game too - on the left somewhere but not up top. Let's hope he doesn't go offside ten times like he did at Macclesfield.

 

It is the midfield that remains the BIG problem. There is little movement and hardly anyone finds space. They struggle to get up and down the pitch for 90 minutes. No-one runs past Pope. Their passing and final ball is appalling (Hannant included). That's where most of our problems lie.

 

Fingers crossed for later but please let's have a go today, get more pace in the team and try and get forward more as a unit instead of hanging back and waiting for something to happen.

 

With two hard away games to come we really need the points today or in a week's time we'll be looking at the bottom end of the table with some alarm.

[nickkidsgrove]

Pope

 

Whitfield Monty Worrall Kanu

 

Smith Vassell Quigley Legge

 

Brown and Hornsby

 

I bet this is the line up that NA dreams about and probably the only one he hasn’t tried 🤪

[PVFC764]

Come on now Aspo. Pick a team to go at Oldham from the start to the end and start entertaining us and getting some decent home wins.

 

See Aspin and Co see this as "Pick a team to not let Oldham score and be as defensive as I can. 10 players in our half and 1 up top". Sorted - we wont loose by too many goals. Job safe. I can then blame the fans for getting at me and the team and shift the blame to them for hounding the players and staff - what do they know about football anyway. They should pay to watch the a boring game - oh they do - oh well".

[valeparklife]

Not sure how it will be the exact opposite. 7 are guaranteed starters and Rawlinson is probably still injured. Gibbons is unlikely to start but isn't as good when playing as people think when not selected. Aspin's comments midweek make Whitfield a likely starter. My guess he will go:

Brown

Clark Smith Legg Montano

Hannatt Oyeleke Kay Conlon

Pope Whitfield

 

I'd give Quigley another go and not play Kay as I don't think he's been that bad over the last 3 games. Not 100% sure if he'll play 433 or 442.

 

It will be the exact opposite as Aspin won't let the full backs cross half way, Pope will be isolated and the midfield will all be sat on the edge of our box.

 

Give me some excitement today! We know we concede in every game so lets try and score some goals!

[Regal Beagle]

I wouldn't mind the negativity so much if I could see what our plan is to score and win a game.

 

We are consistently dropping points to teams that are ****. Our squad might not be a playoff contender but we should be doing better.