Match thread: Port Vale v Bury

[The Kalamazoo Kid]

1 hour ago, Walka003 said:

...crooks also had poor halves, crooks look better in the second.

What has the young left-back Campbell-Gordon looked like in friendlies, as if he's that highly-rated he may end up being the best option at left-back, as Crookes is very, very average IMO, and the other alternatives are Montano, Evans, Lloyd.

[PV1973]

The second half was much better but I thought the problems first half stemmed from Bennet proving that we are nowhere replacing Pope yet. The ball didn’t stick up front and we couldn’t get anything going. We didn’t press that much and when we did it was not as a team. Evans obviously has no understanding with Worrall and going forward we had nothing down the right. Crookes and amoo played like strangers as well. I still think that 4-3-3 is the way we’ll line up next week though with Joyce, Conlon and manny in the midfield. But that front 3 need to work in order for the system and formation to work. The key to that IMO is making sure the lone forward can hold it first of all. 

 

But the second half showed we have to start Gibbons and pope. Pope got on the end of everything, held it up, brought players in to play.... all the things we expect of him. Gibbons added forward impetus and energy and his link up play with worrall is almost telepathic. It looks like he’s improved on the ball as well, comfortable to carry it or speed play up by going one touch. Plus I think he showed he’s a better defender than evans too. Maybe it’s harsh to judge Evans on that half, but he looked nervous on the ball, offered nothing going forward and more importantly was caught out on a number of occasion leading to chances and also both goals. Based on preseason our best back 4 is Gibbons, Legge, Smith and Crookes. Campbell Gordon isn’t ready physically yet IMO for league 2. In that second half Cullen also looked a threat as well, but there’s no way I think we’ll go 4-4-2 next week. Worryingly we struggled to get amoo in to the game, we need to work on that, because when sides double up on him (which they will) then we need to find a quick outball to take advantage of any space on the other side. Equally I think teams will also quickly latch on to the Gibbons / Worrall partnership as well, so the same applies with them. Move it quickly and try to take advantage of that. 

[Fosse69]

Certainly confused the watching Colchester scout, I hope.

[Playa Amodores]

I agree with most things said in here and can’t understand why Rawlinson was given game time. Having not been on the retained list at the end of the season, were seven days from the start of next season and he’s brought on as a sub.

Does Askey know his best team. The best team should have started today. Crooks and Evans were that poor there are no words to describe them without using profanities. Richie Bennett is another player who I can’t say did anything memorable 

[PV1973]

2 minutes ago, Playa Amodores said:

I agree with most things said in here and can’t understand why Rawlinson was given game time. Having not been on the retained list at the end of the season, were seven days from the start of next season and he’s brought on as a sub.

Does Askey know his best team. The best team should have started today. Crooks and Evans were that poor there are no words to describe them without using profanities. Richie Bennett is another player who I can’t say did anything memorable 

I guess he changed the centre halves to  give Smith and Legge a rest and the other 2 some minutes on the pitch. 

 

Totally agree about him starting the best 11 today. Surprised to see Pope and Gibbons benched, but at least their replacements proved that they are both too good to start off the bench. 

[valiant_593]

First I’ve seen of us so far. Awful first half. Evans looks way below league 2 level and as others have mentioned Bennett didnt impress at all either. Hopefully he is 3rd choice forward. Improved 2nd half. Amoo And Cullen are definitely our best signings and probably other than crookes the only ones who will feature in the starting 11. 

 

Still have the same concerns I have previously. Midfield looks extremely weak, for me we 100% need another player in there. Not convinced at left back either  

Worried we’ve signed too many of these squad players and not enough to actually improve the first team. Most of that starting 11 was the team from last year (which was dire) so a little worried in this regard. I can only see Cullen and amoo improving the starting 11  

Hopefully this was just a case of being tired after scotland and not wanting to get injured before Colchester but it certainly wasn’t pretty. 

[RailwayRowdy]

Personally. I think that ALL friendlies should be played behind closed doors .At the end of the day, that’s all they are - friendlies.

Too much can be read into these games which basically mean nothing. If it wasn’t for the limited  income generated from gate receipts, I doubt that these matches would be open to the public at all.

If you attend the games (which I haven’t done for many years) you cannot help but form an opinion, but performances in these games generally bare very little  resemblance to what we can expect in the coming season.

So to summarise, don’t get too excited by victories in these fixtures and don’t get too despondent by defeats. The games through August will give us a far more accurate view of what the season may hold.

 

 

 

[Playa Amodores]

15 minutes ago, PV1973 said:

I guess he changed the centre halves to  give Smith and Legge a rest and the other 2 some minutes on the pitch. 

 

Totally agree about him starting the best 11 today. Surprised to see Pope and Gibbons benched, but at least their replacements proved that they are both too good to start off the bench. 

 

[Playa Amodores]

I can understand giving Pope a rest, but I have to say that we’re probably expecting too much of him. We’ve relied on Tom for too long. We sat too deep and allowed a team of trialists to show us up. I know we’ve invested in wingers which I applaud. To bring back wingers to replicate Guppy, McCarthy and Jeffers is a good thing. I was happy with Amoo he was a positive. Can anyone explain why when we have a free kick outside the area we stand around until everyone has made their way to the back post. No one goes short to pull a defender out of the area or even god forbid get passed the ball. We also still have ten players back for corners with the loan player standing in the centre circle heavily marked. This just mean when the ball is headed out if the area invariably it’s the opposition who retrieve the bal. no chance of us going straight into attack

[jeffers]

I don't wish to be negative before the season starts, but wonder whether Bennett is the new Quigley. 

Without doubt as other posters have said, Amoo & Cullen look our only threat and must start alongside Pope. Askey has got to decide whether the three central midfielders are going to provide enough support then to the front three. 

 

[Erniemossrules]

Chris Eagles signed for Oldham.

[Conrad]

4 hours ago, Santa said:

Off topic but Shawcross has suffered a very very nasty ankle injury in the Stoke friendly. Leicester's YouTube channel is streaming the game and they've shown a slow motion replay of the incident. I've seen a screen grab (I won't post it, if you're interested you can find it easily enough) and his foot is hanging off.

That’s put his England career on hold then.

[Playa Amodores]

17 minutes ago, jeffers said:

I don't wish to be negative before the season starts, but wonder whether Bennett is the new Quigley. 

Without doubt as other posters have said, Amoo & Cullen look our only threat and must start alongside Pope. Askey has got to decide whether the three central midfielders are going to provide enough support then to the front three. 

 

Your assessment of Quigley and Bennett is spot on. It looks like we’re deploying the same tactics that have seen us struggle in this league for the last two seasons.

Make Port Vale Great Again. MPVGA

 

[CAVALIER]

Hammered by a team who are bust? Honeymoon over

[Conrad]

2 minutes ago, CAVALIER said:

Hammered by a team who are bust? Honeymoon over

I wouldn’t call a 1-2 defeat a hammering