Match Thread - Port Vale v Morecambe

[smithie]

I'm possibly guilty of over-analysing it but in the manager's post-match interview he was asked about Ben Whitfield's absence from the starting lineup. He said something about needing players who'll give it their all. Was this a reference to the exclusion of BW and Kyle Howkins l wonder?

 

I sincerely hope he's professional enough to put out his best XI and not the XI who he likes personally.

 

And on this occasion, fair do's to Lee Blakeman for asking the question that most of us wanted asking.

[pete vale]

Heard today that Legge won’t play for the first team again as he has it written in is contract that if he plays 25 games this season that we have to give him another years contract and he’s on 24!

 

Just play him!

[sinnott2spinnit]

Just seen the pen on telly. Popey rather telegraphed it but the keeper moved ages before the kick and there was so much encroachment from the Morecambe players that they almost ran past Pope before he’d kicked it. Should have been a retake.

 

No excuses, but the keeper was in Tom's face before the penalty was taken. Morecambe players running in on his eye line as he made the run up. I was at Gillingham just a few years ago when Stuart Tomlinson was controversially penalised by the referee for moving just a fraction off his line after saving a penalty. The retake was put away by Kedwell.

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

I'm possibly guilty of over-analysing it but in the manager's post-match interview he was asked about Ben Whitfield's absence from the starting lineup. He said something about needing players who'll give it their all. Was this a reference to the exclusion of BW and Kyle Howkins l wonder?

 

I sincerely hope he's professional enough to put out his best XI and not the XI who he likes personally.

 

And on this occasion, fair do's to Lee Blakeman for asking the question that most of us wanted asking.

 

Aside from his appointment interview he talks absolute crap. As if Whitfield, Howkins and Legge wouldn’t give their all.

[onestepatatime]

Askey stood motionless all match in his box. He showed no emotion or attempts to "gee the lads up " and frankly he didn't appear interested with his hands firmly in his pocket counting the salary he was not earning!

[PV1973]

Unbelievable.

[beasty77]

Wonder if the Stoke fans have already booked the plane and banner?

[PVFC764]

Montano, Whitfield and Worrall are not match fit. I guess Askey is trying to work with the fit players and gradually introduce the others to get them fit.

 

And how do they get match fit. Yes - its watch the games from the side of the pitch and then run around for the last 10 minutes. Sorted.

[Rampant Zebra]

That is what reserve games are for.

[Family Stand Terrier]

There's clearly something fundamentally wrong with the club, and it stems from the top. There are so many things that need to be looked at, but a few observations I've had re just the playing side, show that there are recurring issues that happen too often for them to be purely coincidental.

 

- For the last few seasons, we've had an atrocious record in the new year. January/ February are a write off. Why? Is it a physical issue, tiredness?

 

- Regardless of who the manager is, we never come from a goal down to win. I think the last time was Gillingham under Bruno. Why? Psychological?

 

- Players are repeatedly getting injured and missing for long periods. Why? Poor conditioning?

 

- Shocking home form. Again, regardless of manager, we've lost an embarrassing number of home matches.

 

I don't know the specific reasons, but you can bet it all stems back to Smurthwaite doing things on the cheap. Are the support staff in place that we need?

 

Anorher thing. Garlick spoke about due diligence on appointing Askey. It was Paul on twitter that posted about Askeys poor record when he took over Macc. We need a firefighter. An experienced manager who can get results quickly, with a track record of doing so, wven if it's short term. Due diligence would have shown you, Askeys not that man.

 

I've nothing against the guy. He could be a great manager given time, but we don't have time, and the length of his contract shows, the club know that. So why go for him then

 

The club's a mess, it's lazy, it's cheap, it's unprofessional, it's careless...and who possesses all of those traits?

[Santa]

I’m sure Whitfield could have gone a longer shift than the last few minutes or so.

 

When the game was crying out for something to step things up a gear at 0-0, Askey prepared the sub 10 minutes too late and we conceded while Conlon was getting ready... a like for like sub in centre mid.

[WalterJ]

You are spot on with our wingbacks

For the first 25 mins Gibbons had ALL the ball but did very little with it.

He never beat the first man when crossing, cannot go around his man to the bye line.

It wasnt until he made a great solo run and shot that he then looked good for 15 mins.

 

Again second half he failed to beat the first man with his cross.

Clarke did even less and so, as our wide men, we are too negative, we offer

No creativity and quality.

Gibbons deserved man of match for his efforts but quality, sorry, there is none

or certainly not enough

 

It was crying out second half for either Montano or Whitfield to replace Clarke and take a chance on trying to win the game.

Far too negative from Askey, lets not loose instead of lets win this.

 

When you have no wingers and play 3 5 2 the fullbacks have to be attack minded footballers, more so than defenders. Thats where all the space is and the 2 holding midfielders are there to cover.

 

We could have played Montano or Whitfield from the start against Morecambe. They are a poor poor team but they beat us.

I hoped Morecambe and Yeovil are the 2 teams we would stay up above

 

Doubt it now

 

Had a thought last night? Think Askey is playing more or less same team and therefore tactics as Aspin because he hasn’t wanted to upset senior players? To my mind Montano and Whitfield should be playing and Miller as from today. Pope has too much to say in what’s happening at the club along with his mate Kay. Do think that Askey would have played Olyenke if fit, Joyce shouldn’t even be on the bench. Perhaps Howkins for Rawlinson and bring two loan signings onto the bench. Pope to be an impact player only, yes can understand people moaning at Pope comments here but fed up hearing him slag off players who need help.

[cheshirevaliant]

Whilst we may not have deserved to lose yesterday, we didn't deserve any more than a point. We deserved nothing at Morecambe but got a point. Ultimately, we've got what we deserved over the 2 games against a team who will be fighting it out at the bottom with us.

[NellyTheValiant]

Agreed, they hammered us at their place, more so than we did yesterday to them and we were lucky to pick up an away point. They also missed a last minute penalty. The difference is that they stuck away their chance when we couldn't bag a goal however hard we tried. For all the talk of a worldie 'keeper he probably made 2 or 3 decent saves, even the penalty was at a decent height to save.

[Paul6754]

Gibbons was stood five yards in front of him.

His job was to stop the cross, he didnt.

 

If you look when Ellison receives the ball Gibbons is 5-10 yards behind their No 7, when Ellison makes the pass to their No 7 Gibbons is level/just goalside of him but still 5 yards away from him and crucially with his back to their No 7. Their No7 has time and space to decide what to do and play the cross unchallenged, Gibbons is still trying to get back into position and read the situation.

 

Gibbons played well yesterday, it is the weakness of the 3-5-2 system that cost the goal vs Morecambe and against Cambridge, the space to be exploited is behind the wing backs and the opposition managers know it.