New signing Zac Mills

[TylerB]

9 hours ago, Boslem's Brazil said:

I think JA views Monty as his no1 left back. Getting Clark in would be ideal though. 

Forgot about Monty actually! Definitely deserving of a place in the match day squad. At home I'd be happy to see him at left wing back but would always worry about him defensively away from home.

[JRC]

Reading The Sentinel articles and knowing it is certain that part of next season will be behind closed doors I think any deal for Mitch Clark is unlikely.  Pope commented that Leicester offered Clark more money than anyone at Vale was on last summer. I believe we paid a high percentage of his wages last season during his loan. So it would probably cost in the region of 3 grand a week to sign him. He is a good player but he is also best at rightback and that is one position where we are already strong. The money we save from not having his wages built into the budget would surely be better spent either:

Keeping the club afloat during a financially challenging 2020/21 season

Or

Signing a player in an area where we have less able probable starters than Gibbons.

Loan signings can be cheap when the parent club are prepared to pay most of the wages. When taking Premiership squad players it can be ridiculously expensive if paying 50% or more (The Sentinel suggest 100% to resign Clark). It's probable that Mills is being paid less than half of Clark and possibly a third, despite being a proven performer at league 2 level. Based on his position as cover and the probable financial pressures next season it seems an eminently sensible signing. I like Clark as a player but maybe its time to be realistic and accept he won't be back next season.

[Boslem's Brazil]

18 hours ago, TylerB said:

Forgot about Monty actually! Definitely deserving of a place in the match day squad. At home I'd be happy to see him at left wing back but would always worry about him defensively away from home.

I think Monty needs to improve his positioning, but other than that, I think he is a decent defender. Wins his fair share of headers (a lot attacking the ball from left back) and I can’t remember a winger getting the better of him (quick and a puts in a good tackle). I think he will only get better at left back, and also think if he scores one, he might get his confidence back and score 5+. 

[Boslem's Brazil]

18 hours ago, TylerB said:

Forgot about Monty actually! Definitely deserving of a place in the match day squad. At home I'd be happy to see him at left wing back but would always worry about him defensively away from home.

Also, our away form improved when Monty was given his first start at left back (Bradford away) and his gives the opposition something to worry about, which can’t be said of Crookes, although I am looking forward to see how he performs at CB. 

[dishydave]

I didn't rate Monty when he first signed I thought he hid away from the game but I don't see any thing wrong with him at left back he gives us an attacking threat and if he does get caught out of position he has the pace to get back and recover. Does give the ball away at times but he can work on that

[Joe B]

Monty had a run from his mistake at Mansfield to his slip at Walsall of being excellent, probably our most consistent player of 2020.

Was error-free, confident, and a massive influence. When he has space in front of him to drive at players, he's a real threat. His defensive abilities improved, with him becoming braver, excellent when one on one with tricky pacy wingers, and improved in the air.

Unfortunately, we have to accept there's a mistake in him (his fish-dive head tackle in the first minute at Cheltenham still makes me laugh), but he's imo an above-average fullback for this level with high upside. He's a confidence player who seems to dwell on mistakes a bit so support is massive.

If we start the season with him as first choice LB I wouldn't be bothered.

[TheSage]

We're drifting a bit off thread but I must say that I like Monty. He plays with his heart on his sleeve and tries to get the team going - especially in the second half of games. He's more than decent at our level.

[Burslem Academicals]

Monty not only can do a job at left back (has pace has agression can head and tackle) and in terms of positional sense that comes with experience and a run of games but also from those around Monty both at left centre back and left midield but also left side forwards need to track the right back....but most importantly Monty has to be in our strongest starting 11 and at left back Monty is arguably more effective that at the left side of a front three having that ground to cover and get some speed up running at their defence and actually represents a plus plus plus point to the side having that attacking threat from left back.....in terms of a left side triangle Monty/Conlon/Worral is mobile and hardworking but also at this level and dare I say even league 1 is quality.......in terms of cover Crookes would be a more old school and reliable defensively but the side would miss out on that attacking threat from left back however both Cambell-Gordon and Hurst as cover would offer pace and an attacking threat from left back.

So essentially the squad already has four options at left back and with Gibbons plus Mills and extra cover from Smith right back seems well covered also....just need a decent keeper as backup and two quality signings a midfielder who can be considered a starter and a key player plus a first choice goalscorer....two fairly big signings that will improve the first team and then apart from maybe a couple of young loan players to add depth the squad quite remarkably is done ready to go....what a manager.

 

[Warren]

Looks another good signing who has worked hard and had a creditable career.

[JRC]

This isn't a player signed to fill a hole in the squad but a player Askey genuinely rates and was very keen to sign. It wouldn't be a big surprise if he tries a find a was to get both Mills and Gibbo on the pitch. Some doubts about him defensively but seen as a player who will add a lot to the team going forward. 

[PV1993]

On 18/07/2020 at 12:24, Boslem's Brazil said:

Also, our away form improved when Monty was given his first start at left back (Bradford away) and his gives the opposition something to worry about, which can’t be said of Crookes, although I am looking forward to see how he performs at CB. 

Crookes is not an attacking or exciting full back by any means but what he does do defensively allows the winger in front of him to be more attacking. I fully believe that he made Amoo better - allowing him to stay higher up and cut inside onto his right - and his form dipped (not masively might I add, he still had a good season) when he was moved onto the right so that Worrall could give Monty better protection. Amoo still had to take on more defensive responsibilities because Gibbons likes to bomb forward, and lost the ability to cut inside as his one big flaw I would say is being quite one-footed.

Monty would still probably be my no.1 choice at left back when the new season starts but I feel Crookes gets unnecessary flack for the job he does, not as an individual but for the benefit of others in the team. I like the signing of Mills because he sounds like a Crookes type option on the right - able to cover at the heart of defence as well as in the full back position.

Askey now saying he wants a centre-mid, a striker and a goal keeper* so I think we know now what his opinions are on our left back position. The only thing now is does he bring Hurst and/or Campbell-Gordan back into the fold there or will they go on loan to a higher level than before?

*https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/john-askey-names-three-priorities-4341897?fbclid=IwAR0V9-JqMw9Su7HdM874qMJB3Hd9S7rUHzEgyqWROlN6_-riZWoqvXBu5Xk

[dishydave]

I think he will look at mills or gibbo at left back cover for monty

[Joe B]

Genuinely surprised at the number of Vale fans who have written off a 22 year old with 36 EFL games.

Joyce looked rubbish before Askey came in, and now he's amongst our most vital players.

Crookes has shown little so far to impress me, but he captained a successful Forest U18s and was played, by his own manager's admission, out of position. If he can't kick on next season then fair enough.

[Fosse69]

1 hour ago, Joe B said:

Genuinely surprised at the number of Vale fans who have written off a 22 year old with 36 EFL games.

Joyce looked rubbish before Askey came in, and now he's amongst our most vital players.

Crookes has shown little so far to impress me, but he captained a successful Forest U18s and was played, by his own manager's admission, out of position. If he can't kick on next season then fair enough.

Always an element of risk, if 3 out of  4 make the grade fine,  perhaps a money spinner alternative seasons would be great.  Compared to the job lots in previous campaigns  I dont see  any  cause for concern.

[Wrex]

Full-backs are usually the least exciting signings. As evidenced by only three pages of talk on here, which has gone into talking about other players.

But yeah, from reading his Wiki he has 300+ appearances, 28 years old. So the right combination of youth and experience, with no injury concerns. Seems to have had a steady career on an upward trajectory, no team honours but was Morecambe's best player a couple seasons ago. Calls himself an all rounder. I imagine he'll be a hit, either a solid first team player or a reliable back up depending on the form of others.

I like to see a good long grounding in non-league rather than coming out of a Premier League academy at age 21 with the odd loan spell.