Match Thread: Northampton Town v Port Vale

[Warren]

Players who have a league 1 skill set. Cullen yes. Pope yes. Bennett no.

[osprey]

Players who have a league 1 skill set. Cullen yes. Pope yes. Bennett no.

Worry about league 1 when we get there

[Biddulph_PV]

Off piste and nowt to do with us, but I saw Oldham took nearly 1,300 to Crewe yesterday which struck me as quite a decent following. Any reason for this??

[darren1810]

It's not very far and train station ideal ? 

[PV1973]

No doubt about it yesterday was a fantastic win. You can see why they are near the top because they just batter sides, it’s not pretty at all but it’s effective. In fact it’s horrible to watch. We needed some very good defending and some luck to keep them out and we did just that. The back 4 were immense, and when called upon Brown dealt well with any shots they got on target.  I thought Pope made a massive difference when he came on, holding the ball and bringing others into play and buying us a bit more time when the ball got played up top. Bennet is time and aagain proving that he does not seem want it enough up enough or is not able to put himself about effectively IMO. 
 

There’s some interesting selection problems coming up now. Smith is fit but Brisley is playing well. Gibbo and Clark are IMO potentially the best full back pairing the league, but Gibbos ban will mean Monty goes to full back again, giving either Amoo or Browne a shot at playing on the wing again. Plus we’ve got Manny and Taylor on the way back but Conlon and Burgess aren’t doing badly at all. 

[Bald Eagle]

7 hours ago, Howjy04 said:

Joe,I think. you posted some other stats recently.Maybe the Bennett haters should peruse over this.

When Starting in League 2.

Bennett.W 8 D 4 L5 Points 28.Points per game 1.65 .46 games would get us 76 points.

Pope .W 3 D 8 L2 .Points 17. Points per game 1.30 46 games would get us 60 points.

Cullen.W 1 D 1 L 1.Points 4..Points per game 1.33 46 games would get us 61 points.

Very occasionally they have played together.I wonder why JA picks the team he does?

I made this point on the Best striker thread.  For me it is not who is best it who fits the system best.  For me that is Bennett, with Pope adding quality from the bench - as yesterday.  Only Port Vale fans can be disappointed with a tremendous away victory, because their favourite didn’t start!

Both have had good games, both have had stinkers.  Popes are always put down to playing the wrong system / the poor delivery / lack of support / opposition defenders getting away with murder.  None of these excuses are afforded to Bennett.

As I have said before if we build our game around a fading soon to be 35 year old who rarely looks like scoring (bar penalties or perfect crosses) we will not progress out of this league.

for the record , Tom has been by far the better striker, but in 2020 and with the current 433 system that is reliant on mobility he does not offer enough.  I also believe an upgrade on Bennett will be high on JA’s agenda in the summer.

[Old fort]

Pope still has a role  to play and still offers the impact game change option,  but seriously, for all those "Pope should still be the main striker" merchants,what would their reaction to John Askey be if we hadn't got Pope and he said that he intended to sign a player who's going to be 35 next  birthday, and wants him to be the main striker?  Kinda ridiculous isn't it?

People have got to move on from this Pope must start e every game mentally  and start to look beyond the past. 

It's not rocket science to see that Pooe is technically than Bennett, but please stop ranting on about the myth that we are more effective as a team when Pope starts. FACT, over the course of the season, a one off Cheltenham game apart,  we are not.

If fans are happy to see us playing in a way that negates midfield and in doing so stifle the abilities of the ever influential Burgess and Taylor, then Popes your man, because he's the best player by a mile to hoof the ball to, with the ever optimistic hope that one of those numerous flick ons just might occasionally pay off. 

For me, give me a more adventurous style of moving the ball around any day, but yes, we do need better front men for next season,  than we currently have at our disposal. 

[Conrad]

28 minutes ago, Old fort said:

Pope still has a role  to play and still offers the impact game change option,  but seriously, for all those "Pope should still be the main striker" merchants,what would their reaction to John Askey be if we hadn't got Pope and he said that he intended to sign a player who's going to be 35 next  birthday, and wants him to be the main striker?  Kinda ridiculous isn't it?

People have got to move on from this Pope must start e every game mentally  and start to look beyond the past. 

It's not rocket science to see that Pooe is technically than Bennett, but please stop ranting on about the myth that we are more effective as a team when Pope starts. FACT, over the course of the season, a one off Cheltenham game apart,  we are not.

If fans are happy to see us playing in a way that negates midfield and in doing so stifle the abilities of the ever influential Burgess and Taylor, then Popes your man, because he's the best player by a mile to hoof the ball to, with the ever optimistic hope that one of those numerous flick ons just might occasionally pay off. 

For me, give me a more adventurous style of moving the ball around any day, but yes, we do need better front men for next season,  than we currently have at our disposal. 

38 year old Glen Murray at Brighton?

[Rampant Zebra]

Good to see Tom Conlon dispelling the myth that he only uses his left foot! 

[Old fort]

32 minutes ago, Conrad said:

38 year old Glen Murray at Brighton?

Great! Let's sign him.😂

[TJHValiant]

Yesterday changed my mind on Popey yesterday. He held the ball up so well and his passing out to the wide players made him seem far more effective as an effective attacking midfielder than an out and out striker. 
 

His cameo yesterday was almost like watching Danny Sonner at his best for us back in the day. He wasn’t quick either but he held the ball up and made the intelligent pass just like Pope did. 
 

Is it crazy to think he couldn’t adapt to that sort of role for Vale in future? 

[PV1973]

10 hours ago, darren1810 said:

Wonder who the guy Clark came over hugging, possibly his dad ?

He's fitted in like he's been here all season and has given JA an enormous ( and welcome) selection problem. 

First Montano and now Amoo were unavailable, really interesting what we go with when all are fit

I still say that Gibbo and Clark should be the right and left backs when they are both available. At the end of the day we are making do with Monty there. 

[Old fort]

Many a good striker has adapted to becoming an effective midfielder, and I have to admit that it crossed my mind a few weeks ago, particularly with Tom's height and physical presence,  which is what we've not had in midfield for ages, but then he'd still only be a sub option due to the current midfield setup and personnel. 

[Fosse69]

52 minutes ago, Old fort said:

Many a good striker has adapted to becoming an effective midfielder, and I have to admit that it crossed my mind a few weeks ago, particularly with Tom's height and physical presence,  which is what we've not had in midfield for ages, but then he'd still only be a sub option due to the current midfield setup and personnel. 

The main thing is lots of options, to cover injuries and changing formations during games. Stopping a goal late on can keep a point or 2.

[Bald Eagle]

After the Kay / Tonge / Pugh trilogy I thought we’d had enough of immobile midfielders.