Who should we sign?

[JRC]

12 hours ago, PV1973 said:

I can see what I wrote could be construed as the guy being 4th choice, which is not what I meant at all, just pointing out that he was the 4th one they looked at. (Maybe even the 5th because I am 100% sure I saw Clark at the ground the other week with his agent). We had another right back train with us last week too, whilst Evans hadn’t trained or trialled at all with us and just arrived on Saturday. Clearly Askey trusted his past experience of the lad and it was sorted out really quickly. 

 

Whitfield hasn’t travelled with the squad to Scotland.

I suspect the deal was already done when Evans got Macclesfield to cancel his contract. Askey probably decided what he could afford was not as good as Evans and had been in discussion with him in advance. Also covers the problem of no like for like Joyce cover. I believe Campbell mainly used him in midfield last season.

[JRC]

17 hours ago, Iron Curtain said:

I reckon Campbell-Gordon will be more of the LB cover than Hurst (if he signs)... similar age to Smith when he made his debut and increasingly highly thought of.

 

He's well built for his age and I think he'll get some game time this season. Might look for a month loan at some point but I don't think they'll let him go somewhere for half a season. Very rare Vale give 18 year old players a 2 year contract, so I think they have a lot of faith in him.

[JRC]

13 hours ago, Iron Curtain said:

The official video of the first day of training in scotland has been released and makes interesting watching.

No sight of Whitfield

I also couldn’t see Browne or Hurst

Manny in full flow thankfully

The Sentinel says Browne is there but has a slight hamstring problem. Probably needs a good week and to play well next Saturday.

[Burslem Academicals]

Browne was quickly taken off as a precaution after feeling a slight hamstring twinge and was not risked against Burnley but should still be able to train although perhaps not sprints and it seems Montano is also back training....Askey has got them doing three sessions a day starting at 7.30 am.

Both Madison and Browne both look nailed on for a contract while Hurst might have played for BPA which is game time after all

and could well be back at Vale Park when the squad returns from Scotland.

Whitfield not going to Scotland is an interesting one as Rawlinson has and perhaps Whitfield has interest or a trial or it could be 

an injury but Whitfield has trained well and has got game time game time in pre-season and has done well.

[JRC]

37 minutes ago, Burslem Academicals said:

Browne was quickly taken off as a precaution after feeling a slight hamstring twinge and was not risked against Burnley but should still be able to train although perhaps not sprints and it seems Montano is also back training....Askey has got them doing three sessions a day starting at 7.30 am.

Both Madison and Browne both look nailed on for a contract while Hurst might have played for BPA which is game time after all

and could well be back at Vale Park when the squad returns from Scotland.

Whitfield not going to Scotland is an interesting one as Rawlinson has and perhaps Whitfield has interest or a trial or it could be 

an injury but Whitfield has trained well and has got game time game time in pre-season and has done well.

More recently Trickett-smith has been given more game time than Whitfield. Was interesting that Kennedy was kept on the bench and Rawlinson was used against Burnley. Wouldn't surprise me if Rawlinson is on the bench ahead of Kennedy at Colchester as he's more of an old style 4th division battler at centrehalf. 

[Burslem Academicals]

Forgot about Trickett-Smith an attacking midfielder so similar to Whitfield in being that between the lines not a forward not a striker kinda player....but all in all Whitfield is a talented young player and with Browne would be two good prospects to understudy Amoo and Worrall and give good cover and back up.

Somehow half expect Kennedy to be first choice alongside Smith before the seasons out but big Connor Rawlinson against Colchester is a good shout.

[JRC]

12 minutes ago, Burslem Academicals said:

Forgot about Trickett-Smith an attacking midfielder so similar to Whitfield in being that between the lines not a forward not a striker kinda player....but all in all Whitfield is a talented young player and with Browne would be two good prospects to understudy Amoo and Worrall and give good cover and back up.

Somehow half expect Kennedy to be first choice alongside Smith before the seasons out but big Connor Rawlinson against Colchester is a good shout.

We'll see more on Saturday but can't see past the starting 11 vs Burnley, Oyeleke and Cullen to start against Colchester. Think Pope and Amoo will be 2 of the front 3 and back 4 will be Gibbons, Legge, Smith and Crookes. Worral, Oyeleke and Conlon will all start if fit. Not sure where Worral will play. That leave Cullen, Joyce and Bennett for one spot. Given how Colchester play I fancy Bennett as I think it will be physical with a fair bit of head tennis.

[Burslem Academicals]

Sorry meant Rawlinson on the bench against Colchester and Gibbons/Legge/Smith/Crookes as the back four.....also think as it is an away game then Joyce will play infront of the back four but hopefully Oyeleke is fit and with Conlon would seem to be the

midfield three and Worral/Pope/Amoo as the front three unless Oyeleke is missing then Worral drops back and Bennett could

well play.....then again Cullen would surely get game time off the bench and of course Montano.

[Erniemossrules]

12 hours ago, Jacob_123 said:

Campbell-Gordon is a left back

He played right midfield on Saturday when he came on,

[Iron Curtain]

2 hours ago, JRC said:

He's well built for his age and I think he'll get some game time this season. Might look for a month loan at some point but I don't think they'll let him go somewhere for half a season. Very rare Vale give 18 year old players a 2 year contract, so I think they have a lot of faith in him.

I heard that a championship club were after him on far more money than we are paying... the two years was a show of faith we have in his ability, I can also imagine a promise of more real game time came into it too.

its nice to think that if he does develop as expected and we can cash in the money will go into the club rather than into the sweaty back pocket of a baffoon!  

[Iron Curtain]

4 minutes ago, Erniemossrules said:

He played right midfield on Saturday when he came on,

14 mins in a friendly to get some game time into the legs does not a right midfielder make Ern.

Campbell-Gordon is a left back... an attacking one who can push forward so probably needs to work on both his attacking and defending work on pre season... but a left back none the less.

[JRC]

23 minutes ago, Erniemossrules said:

He played right midfield on Saturday when he came on,

Guess that makes him a good replacement for Pugh in the squad? Left footed player who can also cover on the right wing in extremis. 

[Burslem Academicals]

So as mentioned on the always correct OVF Madison/Browne/Hurst are still very much on the radar as signings to complete the squad which in a way just leaves the question of Whitfield who at the end of the day is a talented player and along with Browne would offer quality cover for Worrall and Amoo.

How it seems to me is that Askey has a three year deal and a clear style of play and has signed Cullen and Bennett as options

up top so as not to rely so heavily on Pope and Amoo which alongside Worrall and Montano makes for six experienced players

for a front three and in the spine Joyce/Legge/Brown are also greatly experienced professionals....but on the whole the likes of

Evans/Crookes/Burgess/Hurst/Browne and the already here Trickett-Smith and Whitfield are all young mobile and technically

good players while Lloyd and Kennedy at 25 are a a good age like Oyeleke not to forget young Conlon already a nailed on starter and home grown talent like Gibbons/Smith/Cambell-Gordon.

Got a real sense of the owners and manager on the same page and finally patience remember it took Adams 5 years to get out of this division.

[Iron Curtain]

32 minutes ago, JRC said:

Guess that makes him a good replacement for Pugh in the squad? Left footed player who can also cover on the right wing in extremis. 

I also wonder if Calverley has been back trying out for the vacant keeper position!!

[valefan16]

1 hour ago, Burslem Academicals said:

So as mentioned on the always correct OVF Madison/Browne/Hurst are still very much on the radar as signings to complete the squad which in a way just leaves the question of Whitfield who at the end of the day is a talented player and along with Browne would offer quality cover for Worrall and Amoo.

How it seems to me is that Askey has a three year deal and a clear style of play and has signed Cullen and Bennett as options

up top so as not to rely so heavily on Pope and Amoo which alongside Worrall and Montano makes for six experienced players

for a front three and in the spine Joyce/Legge/Brown are also greatly experienced professionals....but on the whole the likes of

Evans/Crookes/Burgess/Hurst/Browne and the already here Trickett-Smith and Whitfield are all young mobile and technically

good players while Lloyd and Kennedy at 25 are a a good age like Oyeleke not to forget young Conlon already a nailed on starter and home grown talent like Gibbons/Smith/Cambell-Gordon.

Got a real sense of the owners and manager on the same page and finally patience remember it took Adams 5 years to get out of this division.

It will take time although I would say had Adams not gone to the Blades we'd have probably gone up in 2010/11 but we are in a similar predicament to when Adams came in and as he said first priority was to make us hard to beat... thats the first stage and build from there.

 

What is also often overlooked is the conditioning of the squad last season...

Fitness levels will improve this season

Rumoured behaviour in the dressing room will have been addressed

They way Aspin set us up so deep as mentioned by Pope previously

Preparation improvement such as food and training, possibly staying overnight on long trips

The improvement in medical staff - physio availability

No off field distractions such as the vulnerable future of the club 

These various factors should see improvements within the same players here last season and produce better results! If you put the same squad as last season in this new set up under Askey I believe it would perform far better in comparison to last season so we should under estimate the improvements we should see in much of the key players from last season. An example is how Worrall performed under Askey, clearly looks after himself well to keep running like he does so I am positive to see the progress, I didnt want a full squad overhaul yet again and think the settled core of last season's better players with some attacking quality like Cullen and Amoo will see the club progress on the field.