Aspin close to leaving the Vale ?? Staying

[dun 4]

This is a common thing at Vale, isn't it?

 

Because Aspin is a legend as a PLAYER, he seems exempt from criticism as a manager.

 

Because Pope is becoming a legend, people pretty much lets him get away, with his absolutely disgusting behavior towards fans on twitter, the other night. Had that been ANY other player in the squad, ANY other, they would have been executed by an angry pitchforked mob!

And his performances, are also exempt from criticism. If he plays well he's ac God, but if he plays bad (like today), it's not because he was bad, but because the others made him look bad. I know his goals depends on delivery, but today ie. his distribution was p... poor to say the least.

 

Because Dodds did well the last time he was here, he is also exempt from riticism.

 

Point being; because someone did well in the past, in Aspin's case in a whole other job, they have this aura about them, that makes some people blind to current affairs. They're put on a pedestal and don't seem able to or capable of, doing anything wrong.

If a person does something wrong today, I don't care how nice they were yesterday.

 

Dodds 'exempt from criticism' ????????????????????? He's about the most slagged off player on this forum. Which forum have you been reading ? I'm a Dodds fan by the way as you might guess.

[Valiant62]

Pope played well today, brought others into play all the time.

[valiant steve]

Aspin deserves more time and much more respect than he is getting from some. He's not exempt of criticism when we feel he gets it wrong but to want him gone and yet another manager is madness. Stability needed and patience.

[hamilboy]

I am 50-50 whether he should go or not after todays match he said supporters want him out well who is at fault there his win ratio tells its own story.We all know who is really at fault the man at the top who is running this club in the ground for the last few years with atrocious decisions.But Aspin is not helping himself with team selections with players out of position week in week out.When Roy Sproson played he made playing centre back and left back look easy because he had the class to do it,on the other hand Phil Sproson and Bob Hazell were out and out centre backs they could never play right back.Just play people in there rightful positions then supporters might not get on his back we all want the same thing a successful club although i cannot see that while Smurthwaite is at the helm.

[Inny]

Aspin deserves more time and much more respect than he is getting from some. He's not exempt of criticism when we feel he gets it wrong but to want him gone and yet another manager is madness. Stability needed and patience.

I disagree. If we have not progressed in a year, which we haven't, why should he stay? Staying because of stability is not a valid reason when there is no progression. Our continued decline as a club is evident.

[Family Stand Terrier]

So what we can read from your post is that you think Aspin is the correct man for the job?

 

A man appointed by smurf?

 

Sense of irony here me thinks?

 

I’m a supporter of neither, before anyone shoots me down. I support the vale and always will no matter who comes and goes.

 

What you can read from my post is up to you, but to put it in a nut shell, with Smurthwaite the parasite as chairman, no manager would do better in my opinion.

 

I don't think Aspin has done a fantastic job, but I 100% do not blame him for the mess we are in. 5 managers have been at the club under Smurthwaite in 5 years. 4, he's appointed, the other couldn't work with him. The club has declined each time.

 

What I'm saying is, calling for Aspin's head is tantamount to asking a known failure, to intervene. When everything he touches goes wrong, why would anyone with half a brain cell want him to intervene now. The last time he sacked a manager around xmas time, we got relegated. Bruno was the wrong man for the job then, maybe Aspin is the wrong man now, but 1 million percent, pinning our hopes on that fat **** to suddenly become competent is lunacy.

 

The fact that people are going beyond criticism of a club legend, and turning to abuse, makes them complete ******** IMO, and they ought to be ashamed of themselves.

[wwindsor]

I disagree. If we have not progressed in a year, which we haven't, why should he stay? Staying because of stability is not a valid reason when there is no progression. Our continued decline as a club is evident.

 

All these 'fans' wanting Aspin gone will be crying come May because if he goes now, we go down its that simple.

With the window open now how on earth can we get a reputable manager in, in time to asses the squad then sort out what needs improving and then look for players and negotiate any deals in less than 28 days??.

Madness, unless you all want Pugh that is!!

[wwindsor]

Someone needs to get Norman in a darkened room, tie him to a chair, shine a light in his eyes and ask him, "If Neil Aspin goes, who will replace him?" Only then can fans decide!

 

People shouldn't be voting without knowing the consequences!

 

100% correct. Its madness at this stage in January and the season. We change our manager now, we get relegated. Its that simple...

[Valiant62]

I spoke with someone who attended today and he said that there were about a dozen people who shouted their displeasure when Whitfield was taken off. A dozen from >200 isn't many at all.

 

Also feel that Aspin is too critical of the few people who are vocal when they're not happy. It's football, it should go over his head and he certainly shouldn't react to it. He's a professional manager after all. Channel that energy onto the pitch, towards the officials, get in their ears. They mentioned that the Cowleys did nothing but that today, appealed every decision, I think even got Kay his yellow. Maybe that's helping their cause and they're moving in the right directions.

 

I was at the far end of the grrond with a couple of Lincoln fans and a Sheff.U. fan. The anti Aspin chant at the substitution was substantial, loud and shameful. The Lincoln fans generally were bemused and amused. In discussion after the match I was downhearted about conceding from a set piece and feeling we hadn’t threatened enough, hey just felt Vale were far the better side with good shape, moved thhe ball well, scored a wonderful goal that couldn’t have been a fluke because he’d nearly broken the crossbar a minutte earlier.

[valiant steve]

Aspin turned around a team with 5 points last year, having an instant impact and getting most of the points needed to avoid relegation in the three months (October, November and December) after taking charge.

NS then weakened the team in January by penny pinching.

Aspin rebuilt the squad in the summer and, if we stick with him, we'll see gradual improvement over the coming years.

NS has promised significant funds in January. We'll see if this promise is kept. If Aspin leaves now we will almost certainly get relegated come May. If he stays, we almost certainly won't go down.

No brainer- Aspin should stay!

[old sage]

It looks to me like a guy who has given up on himself. “The fans don’t want me”.

 

What a self pitying sap.

 

We are better off rid.

I don't believe that it is the case Aspin is at an all time low because 'the penny has dropped' that he will not get a shred of support from the owner. I consider that this is the reasoning behind Asp's comment about talking to the owner. I feel that he is going to say to the 'Blue One' either back me or sack me!

 

I bet Neil feels a very lonely man at this time. I wonder if we will ever find out the real truth of the matter. In my opinion Aspo has proved that he can spot a player in the form of our keeper, Oyeleke and Hannant. With regard to the 'failures' were they really his choice or signings forced on him by Smurthwaite because he wouldn't or wasn't prepared to back him.

 

I would love to learn the truth of the matter but I suppose Neil will be gagged by contractual red tape if he leaves.

 

In regards to fans heckling him yesterday I didn't go to the game but to get a hard and well earned point from the home of the league leaders who are managed by the vile 'Grumble Brothers' in my book was a great result.

 

Come on folks perhaps if you knew of the bloke's restrictions you would understand and appreciate the conditions that he is working under.

 

Who in their right mind would work for the 'Blue Buffoon', I will tell you only desperate rookies who Smurthwaite feels he can bully.

 

I have never felt so low in nearly 60 years of following Port Vale. I have two young grandsons but will I take them to Vale Park and encourage them to support the vale? Not if Smurthwaite remains in control because it would be cruelty to impose all the Club's problems on their young shoulders.

 

TO PUT IT BLUNTLY SMURTHWAITE HAS MADE PORT VALE ROTTEN

[valiant_593]

To anyone pleading for Aspin to go, hang your heads in shame. You are pleading with the most incompetent buffoon in the footballing world, a man who has failed with every major decision he's had to make, to make another major decision. Hounding out a living legend of our club who is clearing up the huge mess left by others, all of which were caused by that fat ***** we have as chairman. He's destroyed the reputation of the club, and made it such an unattractive option, whoever we have as manager will struggle to make progress. We have a wage structure that year on year leads to managers missing their 1st choice targets and getting a huge squad with no quality.

 

Under the circumstances, with that tool as chairman, no manager would do better.

 

Yes they would.

[valiant_593]

Not really fair to say aspin can spot a failure and then in the same sentence blame failed signings on the chairman... it’s one or the other.

[JRC]

Vale fans have never been a patient bunch and have often been abusive. I remember asking my grandfather in my second match in 72 why there was so much screaming at players. Bell got regular periods of abuse despite being our most successful chairman as did Rudge. Whilst I get the passion there is also a lack of realism.

 

We were marginally the better of the two teams on Boxing Day and until the second goal against Oldham. After the second goal we completely lost our shape, probably partly because the players sensed the atmosphere from the fans. We kept our shape much better yesterday and played well without appearing to chase the game. The second Oldham goal and the Lincoln goal highlighted the conundrum of small mobile full backs against out and out defenders in this league. Vassell played poorly in the first half at home but had been in front of the first attacking player at the near post defending set pieces. After he went off that job fell to Whitfield and he was neither tight enough or big enough to do the job. Lincoln scored from their only corner where the exploited a general lack of height in the team. In the past Billings, Aspin and Walsh have been regularly used at fullback despite more mobile options. Vassell played at Chester at rightback so it isn't as if he is an out and out centrehalf. At Gateshead he was played on the left and right of a back 3. Adams spent seasons trying to replace Yates at fullback because his lack of height was exposed regularly, although his heading did eventually improve. Where I think there is criticism of Aspin is he spent preseason looking to build a squad with 3 at the back and pretty quickly went 442. If that was how he wanted to play he should have stuck with it and it's a system if used correctly that would suit Gibbons and Montano.

 

Vale are nowhere near as big a team as some fans seem to think. We have a big stadium which we came nowhere near filling even when we were flying high in The Championship. Unless we have a chairman who is able and happy to just throw money at it we are always going to be a selling club. Rudge bought cast offs from higher clubs but his greatest successes were players from one and normally more leagues in the pyramid below us. That is what we have always done, with exceptions such as Ron Futcher, who we pinched from under Mansfield's nose. It's going to take time for any manager to turn the club around. If you look at the promoted teams last season they had mainly stuck with managers over a period of time. We need stability if we are going to progress, otherwise we'll be back here in 12 months.

 

It's not just the chairman that will put new managers off as their is a section of the crowd prone to quick and vocal criticism of players and managers which does transfer to the performances on the pitch. If Aspin does go his interview comments made replacement more difficult. I remember talking to a Vale legend from the 70s who told me the best advice he got was not to listen to the Vale crowd because most of them had little idea about the game. I think the current players would be well advised to ignore the vocal minority.

[vale@rocks]

How many people would want Aspin to stay if Smurthwaite wasnt our Chairman