Match Thread: Forest Green Rovers v Port Vale

[Jacko51]

More on Mr Kettle.

I have just checked back on the BBC stats at how many free kicks we have conceded in games this season.  Our worst performance was at Newport where the ref awarded 21 against us.  The next worst was several games where we had conceded 16.  In a number of games we didn't reach double figures - notably against Manchester City.  Our average must be around 13/14.   Last night Kettle gave 28 free kicks against us. 

The man is a buffoon.  His behaviour created a totally false impression about what was going on in the game. 

Why did I know in advance that he was going to ruin the game with his idiocy?  Because he always does.

[TheSage]

He always strikes me as someone who knows the rules by the book but has never played the game and doesn't fully comprehend what it's really like. It's a game of physical contact and commitment. Every challenge for the ball isn't a foul. But if you fall over and crowd around him he's bound to pull out a few cards. I'm not saying that everything he did was wrong. It wasn't. But some of his decisions were bizarre.  He must be near retirement now, surely.

[JRC]

8 hours ago, 1 said:

Joyce pen was harsh but not outrageous.

Clark tackle was begging the ref to send him off and why make it when they have the ball so far away from goal.

Pope, again very soft foul but don't react and just see the game out.

Having just watched the game back hard to disagree. At times he could have let the game flow but didnt see anything that was outrageously wrong. Pope injury their player started some comedy rolling around but it was behind the referees back while he was talking to Pope.

[Paul6754]

2 hours ago, CambridgeDon said:

Just seen the highlights. Great three goals, then the debacle. Clark's sending off was fully justified, his tackle made me wince. Tom can also have no complaints about his sending off. Yes, another ref might not have given it but this is Trevor Kettle who comes with a massive health and safety warning. Tom should know better at this stage of his career.

Their peno was very cleverly won. If you watch closely, their player sees Joyce coming and then pulls up so that Joyce gets tangled up without any intent or even a tackle. Looks obvious on a replay but whistle-happy Kettle was bound to give it.

FGR are a wretched side - the sooner they grace the Southern Premier with their unique brand of football, the better. And they can take Mark Cooper with them. To say he won't be missed is an understatement.

I agree CD, as a Vale fan it's "hard to question" either sending off but what is absolutely questionable is 80% of the fouls were awarded against the Vale.

I didn't see a dirty game last night, I didn't see an overly physical Vale team, I saw a well contested, fast paced game between two teams going for a win but I also saw an FGR team feigning injury and falling on the floor at every opportunity and a ref who bought most of their antics which is why 80% of the fouls were awarded against the Vale.

I hope that Kettle never whistles again.

[Joe B]

7 hours ago, Woakesy said:

Last night was a perfect example of the idiocy of clamouring for substitutions all the time.

Manny and Atkinson are good players but the balance of the side was completely lost when Conlon and Burgess went off last night. 

I can understand Manny needing some game time and I would have brought him on for Conlon and left Burgess on. 

Really gets my goat when people get so angry that we’re not making subs when games like last night show why you have to be careful.

Spot on. Great view.

Burgess' workrate, positioning, and understanding is absolutely fundamental to this side. He's good on the ball but for a young lad his off the ball work and desire is great.

He's still only lost 4 of his 25 appearances for us; one of them away at City. Its absolutely outrageous, and that many games have been played now that its hard to see as a blip.

Manny and Atko are great but the midfield were in shambles after their introduction.

[Joe B]

In my view, Kettle got loads of the little decisions wrong, got the big decisions largely right (maybe some contention, but no howlers), but lost the plot with the cards in the last 10, as a result of penalising us for soft fouls all game. We played into his hands with daft challenges and stupid confrontations, but it was a result of poor game management by being whistle happy.

I'll be honest now; our performance for the first 70 has me believing. Smith, Gibbo, Taylor, and Amoo weren't playing. Prior to last night we had the 4th best form in the league since Christmas, and we've played Swindon, Exeter, Salford, Northampton, and Forest Green in that time, as well as a punishing game at City.

The squad now has depth where we are missing myriad key players but reliable performers like Atkinson can be entrusted to come and do the proverbial job.

Manny did a good job in abject circumstances and I can't wait to see him fit and firing; could be difference in the sticky games against mid-table sides content to sit back.

If we can avoid defeat with our depleted 11 on Saturday, its on.

[Regal Beagle]

11 hours ago, PV1973 said:

I thought he flew in with both feet off the ground. That’s a red these days. 

Agreed but when you dive directly in at the player. There was barely any contact as although it was a lunging tackle, it was to the side of the player.

It's not the stereotypical leg breaker challenge, in fact I think Leon Legges tackle v swindon (If I remember rightly) was far worse and I said at the time that was a red. He made contact with the players standing foot.

 

[Guitar Ray]

8 hours ago, Woakesy said:

Last night was a perfect example of the idiocy of clamouring for substitutions all the time.

Manny and Atkinson are good players but the balance of the side was completely lost when Conlon and Burgess went off last night. 

I can understand Manny needing some game time and I would have brought him on for Conlon and left Burgess on. 

Really gets my goat when people get so angry that we’re not making subs when games like last night show why you have to be careful.

Whilst you are 100% correct I think it fair to add that at 3-0 up Arthur is bound to make changes, partly in view of a desire to get Manny involved and up to speed, plus, with a big game coming up at the weekend, resting Burgess and Conlon, who both did a lot of running, and will no doubt be expected to do the same this Saturday.

The bigger issue was FGR players using Kettle as a 13th man, to continually “win” the ball back for them.  This meant that we were constantly turning the ball over, and as the second half wore on this cost us more than the change in personnel in my view.  The sendings off compounded the issue.

[CambridgeDon]

4 hours ago, darren1810 said:

Your last paragraph surprises me. I wasn't lucky enough to go due to work last night,  but the game at Vale was between two very good sides and they played their part in an excellent game. I still say that night was our best performance of the season.

It was tongue in cheek, Darren. FGR's so-called brand of football is to con the referee at every possible opportunity and gain maximum advantage over their opponents, inspired by their management. Stevenage are another. The sooner these teams are in non-league again the better because it's ruining the game. 

[PV1973]

27 minutes ago, Regal Beagle said:

Agreed but when you dive directly in at the player. There was barely any contact as although it was a lunging tackle, it was to the side of the player.

It's not the stereotypical leg breaker challenge, in fact I think Leon Legges tackle v swindon (If I remember rightly) was far worse and I said at the time that was a red. He made contact with the players standing foot.

 

I don’t disagree with you, but even though there’s no contact the ref will probably say he’s reckless and out of control. Trouble is when you give that idiot a decision to make like that then he will brandish the cards. 
 

I didnt think we played any different than normal, but from the outside looking at those stats it seems like we’re a horrible side, which personally I don’t think we are. 

[Conrad]

6 minutes ago, CambridgeDon said:

It was tongue in cheek, Darren. FGR's so-called brand of football is to con the referee at every possible opportunity and gain maximum advantage over their opponents, inspired by their management. Stevenage are another. The sooner these teams are in non-league again the better because it's ruining the game. 

They deserve to be in non league, 1400 home fans for a team in the top 10 is embarrassing.

i agree the game started to turn when Burgess and Conlon went off, though I can see why Askey did it 3-0 up With 15 mins to go probably thought we were safe. Luckily Smith is fit again for Saturday also Bennett and Cullen will come in which has been our usual front line at home most of the season, so the sendings off ar’nt the end of the world.

[Jacko51]

Spoke to a couple of players this morning re Kettle.  One of them said he wasn't only useless he was also arrogant in his attitude towards the players.  Another said when they queried a booking it was because the player concerned had asked a question - why didn't he stop the game when one of our players was on the deck in trouble.  I was also told by one player that his previous manager would always warn the players to beware when Kettle was reffing.

Why or why is he allowed to continue on the list?

[Doha]

14 minutes ago, Jacko51 said:

Spoke to a couple of players this morning re Kettle.  One of them said he wasn't only useless he was also arrogant in his attitude towards the players.  Another said when they queried a booking it was because the player concerned had asked a question - why didn't he stop the game when one of our players was on the deck in trouble.  I was also told by one player that his previous manager would always warn the players to beware when Kettle was reffing.

Why or why is he allowed to continue on the list?

 

 

[TJHValiant]

19 minutes ago, Jacko51 said:

.

Why or why is he allowed to continue on the list?

Because generally if you are a prat in this country you get rewarded. Anyone who looks at the fate of Smurfwaite who got more money than he paid for the club despite his efforts to destroy it, or any of MOLD not being in prison, tells you that nobody gets a comeuppance anymore. 

[TheSage]

Thank you, Doha.

I said it was a dodgy decision all along and clearly this proves it. Joyce barely touches him and he throws himself on the ground. Never a penalty in a million years. He should have booked their lad for diving, if anything. He doesn't understand the nuances of the game and doesn't seem to realise, as I said before, that it's a game of physical contact and that not every coming together is a foul.