Match Thread - Port Vale v Morecambe

[beasty77]

I did say Aapin would be the best we could get..Sometimes you got be careful what you wish for..

[jeffers]

If we didn’t have popes goals we would have been relegated last year never mind this.

 

Exactly, his best years are behind him

[beasty77]

Even if he’s fell out with howkins it dosent explain legge being overlooked week in week out. He has to change it on Tuesday and actually pick our decent players. Whitfield and legge need to start as does howkins.

 

Aspin out you kept saying....Wow

[Platty's Tassels]

Even if he’s fell out with howkins it dosent explain legge being overlooked week in week out. He has to change it on Tuesday and actually pick our decent players. Whitfield and legge need to start as does howkins.

 

I'm absolutely gobsmacked Legge isn't even starting? Whats the crack there?

[paulvaliant]

Comparing now and this time last season we are one point worse off (we stayed up by one point) 8 goals worse off and we are only four points off relegation (last season we were 7 off).

 

And this season the current bottom two are better off points wise than last season’s bottom two.

 

We are doomed.

[Boslem's Brazil]

Am sorry, even though I was definitely one of those who wanted Aspin out, I had no idea, and I don't any of us did that Askey would come in and not only play the same team, but whilst not playing it quite as long as Aspins teams did, pretty much repeat the same tactics!

 

If as he suggested, he had seen a few of our games, surely by repeating the very mistakes that got us into the position we are in the first place, is almost akin to gross misconduct, and it's certainly baffling an old fogey like me.

 

After last weeks debacle,many fans suggested that numerous changes had to made, and that opinion made after 90 minutes of indifferent, lethargic and uninspired football (though worrying Askey saw it differently) will be even more subscribed to after today.

True we had some really decent chances, and yes their keeper was without doubt MOM, but my God, for the second week running some performances were beyond dire, and though I dont subscrbe to the theory that senior players help pick the team with performances like we have seen these past few weeks it does make you wonder.

 

Kay, Joyce and particularly Hannant who somehow managed to perform even worse than he did last week (and I didn't think that was remotely possible) all now have to give way, hopefully to Manny (if fit) Conlon and Monty, and as, on the evidence provided, Harris doesn't look the answer to our goal drought either ( which now strands at one goal in six games is it?) Miller has to come straight back in, and though this may throw up a few debates, I would play Whitfield or even Elliot up front with him!

 

Yes I know that means dropping Pope, but as like last week, in my eyes and those sitting around me, he simply didn't look fit enough again today, quite how he will get through another 90 minutes Tuesday I don't know?

 

Play it up in the air against Tranmere and Mcnulty, still peerless in the air, will, based on Toms last two games have him in his pocket without breaking sweat. Surely we have to change something, going out Tuesday with the same players and same tactics and hoping, maybe praying would be more apt in our circumstances, for a different result is quite absurd. We need to get at Mcnulty, their 6' 5" LB and co, and do so on the floor and with the pace that has been clearly missing all season. We need to have more energy, more urgency and more ambition.

 

The team put out today against similarly lower placed opposition bodered on the cowardly, and if Askey doesn't want to lose favour with the fans after just three games, he must quickly grow a pair of bloody balls, and ring the changes, or I fear, like most we are destined for NL football

 

Completely agree. I’ve never known a situation where a player is in the starting 11 every week no matter what. It is depressing to see him get dominated in the air by massive centre halves ( which is standard at this level) and then try and gain an advantage by fouling. We are one dimensional, and have now had three transfers windows to sort this out. However, we haven’t due to lack of investment and poor management.

 

Just such a sad time. Get out of our club NS.

[smithie]

Even if he’s fell out with howkins it dosent explain legge being overlooked week in week out. He has to change it on Tuesday and actually pick our decent players. Whitfield and legge need to start as does howkins.

 

It was suggested that Legge had an appearance clause in his contract that may be affecting his availability. He's played in the last two reserve games I've watched, as has Howkins.

[Guest]

First game for me since MK Dons at home.

First half we played well lots of goal attempts but there goalie was incredible.

Second half not as good and I always thought we would give them a opportunity as we suffer from carelessness and sure enough we did and then it was desperate and sad see us slip to a defeat yet again.

listening to radio stoke on way home all I heard was moan ,moan ,moan .

Yes we want Smurf out but today I felt we deserved better.

Feel that we need the ball to be kinder to us and run for us then we will be fine .

[vale@rocks]

Most of the players on the pitch today will not be around at the end of the season. Those very said players will not care either. Not one player today showed they would die for the cause, not one. Teams beat us because they want it more than we do. Smurthwaites port vale 2019.

[onestepatatime]

Depressed. Attended the protest. Good numbers for the start of the campaign to oust the dictator. Askey is simply Aspin with hair. Nowt, and I stress nowt has changed after Aspin left. I shudder to think what some of the players that are being kept out are feeling. The talisman, in some people's eyes is now, quite rightly being viewed as an ex danger man. Is there any truth in the rumour that him and the other geriatrics in the squad are actually determining the shape and composition of the side? We are predictable, we are so slow, we have no alternative to hoof ball, we play every game the same, opponents don't have to try too hard to prevent us from scoring, we have no midfield , we have no clue. I could go on and on. We are doomed with a freak of an owner, a clone manager, a squad of poor talent and a very disillusioned, dwindling fan base. I so wanted to enjoy today, to protest and then watch us get 3 points towards safety. Instead I sit here so bloody angry, upset and honestly feeling that I have had enough. I fear I am not alone. I seriously believe now we are going out of the League. The only saving grace for me would be that Smurthwaite sells up, even if we get relegated because I would prefer to leave the League and start afresh in non league without the dark destroyer than have him continue his role with us staying in the League. What a state he's got us in. Cheers fellow Valiant sufferers, I'll down a nice bottle of wine now, to have at least some enjoyment out of our predicament.

[PV1973]

Despite all the pre-match criticism and absolutely bizarre comments at half time that the players were crap we absolutely battered them in that first half. I don't subscribe to the over reaction that players don't care either. I can't recall the last home game where we dominated a half so much like today. The penalty was a gift that we should have taken, no doubt and we also made the keeper make another 4 good saves too.

 

The problem for me was the second half decisions, for some reason we decided to go down their left more, we were murdering them down the right hand side, yet second half we changed it. Why that was I don't know. The substitutions to freshen it up came too late, I thought we should have given the players coming at least 20-25 minutes. Take your pick from Hannant, Clark, Harris, Joyce or Kay for the 3 to go off from that second half. Harris seemed to tire maybe as his touch started to desert him. Clark wasn't actually in the game too much but Monty managed to come on and do even less. Hannant had a bad day at the office (again).

 

Overall despite the result we created a lot more than we did in the last few home games. Having said that we need Manny back and him to find form again, we also need to find a way to give Whitfield more time on the pitch when the game is becoming stretched, maybe even Worrall to add some energy too. But other than those what other options do we have?

[smithie]

If this is true it's completely pathetic and shows what the owner thinks of the fans. He really is a very unpleasant human being.

 

He "tweeted" recently (in his inimitable grammar) "I not bothered about season ticket sales".

 

If anyone thinks he gives a ****, there's your answer.

[smithie]

Despite all the pre-match criticism and absolutely bizarre comments at half time that the players were crap we absolutely battered them in that first half. I don't subscribe to the over reaction that players don't care either. I can't recall the last home game where we dominated a half so much like today. The penalty was a gift that we should have taken, no doubt and we also made the keeper make another 4 good saves too.

 

The problem for me was the second half decisions, for some reason we decided to go down their left more, we were murdering them down the right hand side, yet second half we changed it. Why that was I don't know. The substitutions to freshen it up came too late, I thought we should have given the players coming at least 20-25 minutes. Take your pick from Hannant, Clark, Harris, Joyce or Kay for the 3 to go off from that second half. Harris seemed to tire maybe as his touch started to desert him. Clark wasn't actually in the game too much but Monty managed to come on and do even less. Hannant had a bad day at the office (again).

 

Overall despite the result we created a lot more than we did in the last few home games. Having said that we need Manny back and him to find form again, we also need to find a way to give Whitfield more time on the pitch when the game is becoming stretched, maybe even Worrall to add some energy too. But other than those what other options do we have?

 

Exactly how l saw it, but it didn't stop some bell-ends booing us off.

[Class personified]

Disappointing result but a decent performance. I would be happy with a decent result but a disappointing performance. Maybe Tranmere on Tuesday.

[man in the pub]

We are going down. Have watched enough football to be able to spot a relegation side. This year its us. Teams below us are fighting and getting points. Why do you play Joyce and Kay at home against a bottom 4 side ? Answer you know your own team is so poor that you need to be defensive despite the opposition. Personally I would prefer to go on the offensive and go down fighting. Yes their goalkeeper was man of the match but at this time of the season you are where you are due to your own efforts. Funny in that I have been saying the classic we are too good to go down, not any more.