Match Thread: Port Vale v Salford City

[Mellor!]

4 hours ago, TylerB said:

Gibson pissed his career away to a large extent because he can't keep a beer out of his hands outside of football. Also once tried to get out of community service by insisting he was "too busy" for it. A weapon of the highest order really.

Obviously deserves to break his leg then.

[Rampant Zebra]

6 hours ago, soothsayer said:

It’s a pity the RS commentary team didn’t see it in the same way! The manner they kept yawping on about what a poor challenge it was and whether our player would receive a yellow or a red card was very disappointing.

They later tried to say that it was quite a way from they - after Vale fans got in touch - but if this was the case just keep quiet!!! 

I was listening to the Salford commentary, much better!

[sheffield61]

Just listened to that Scholes post match not very magnanimous in defeat is he!!??......😬😂

[valefan16]

Just listened to that Scholes post match not very magnanimous in defeat is he!!??......

He mentions they had plenty of chances but I didn’t overly think they did. The penalty of course and the header and possibly the one Legge blocked were good chances the rest mainly 20-25 yarders at Brown.

The stats show a very even game in all stats bar possession and to be honest we did the same to Morecambe possession wise and lost!

[Diego Maradona]

When talking about being solid, I’m talking about the team (especially the defence) were solid. 

From reading the comments during the match I feel that Whitehead has been unfairly scrutinised because one or two people have made a negative comment about him. Then, what follows is others analyse his performance more than other players.

I’m not saying he played brilliantly but he wasn’t awful. We’ve lacked the ability to create chance and he got himself into a position to get a few shots away. Maybe (like Monty) if he had scored, there may not be as much criticism.

Also, when we critique a player there needs to be an understanding of a variety of other things: the opposition, how we set up etc. Last week he played in centre midfield that was generally overrun by the opposition because they put an extra man in the middle. Yesterday, we played a good Salford team whose midfield was comfortable on the ball and kept the ball.

How would people rate Monty and Conlon yesterday? Last night a couple of people commented about Monty not contributing very much until his goal. I felt, like some others, that Monty should have been subbed for Robinson. Of course, now I’m glad he was wasn’t. But he and Conlon weren’t great.

In my opinion,I feel that some people make knee-jerk, inconsistent comments. If two/three players are not having a good game, they are more than happy to criticise some more than others. It’s usually the new player who gets more criticism. 

[werstayinup]

15 hours ago, TylerB said:

 

Unconvincing really but you'll take 3 points to end the slide no matter how it comes. We have the best defence and keeper in the league but we need so much more from the midfield and also need to find which forward suits us best in this 4-3-3. I can't help but think that Pope is still our best bet to at least start games. Amoo (when fit) and Worrall out wide with Monty an attacking left-back to give us a little more threat.

Pope is our best bet if you lump it up but playing any of the other 3 it needs to be played to feet which we havent been doing.

[werstayinup]

This was a really good win against a good team,i still think Monty is better at LB than on the wing,imo he has rarely had a good game on the wing,he knocks the ball past a player then runs in to them and waves his arms about that frustrates me,up until his goal he was poor again yesterday but what a goal and he can give you that tbf to him. I thought Fitzy had his best game for us against tricky players,Clark in the 2nd half was the Clark of last season,defence was superb.

I would like to see Theo start a run of games BUT you have to play it to his feet.

Onwards and Upwards

[werstayinup]

15 hours ago, valiant_593 said:

Lazy mans boo boy...?!

I think he’s been poor (hence why he’s revived criticism).  However was excellent today. I still prefer Monty there due to the threat going forward. 

I dont think he has been as poor as some make out,he just isnt an attacking fullback like monty,he has been steady imo and a good league 2 LB,he has been part of a defence(not every game) that has concede 2 goals in 6 league games

[Coyney Valiant]

1 hour ago, valefan16 said:

He mentions they had plenty of chances but I didn’t overly think they did. The penalty of course and the header and possibly the one Legge blocked were good chances the rest mainly 20-25 yarders at Brown.

The stats show a very even game in all stats bar possession and to be honest we did the same to Morecambe possession wise and lost!

He has to talk it up as let’s face it the bloke was a disaster at Oldham and then he tried to blame the owner hope he gets the Salford job till the end of the season cos that’ll stop any chance of them going up 

[SFBT]

7 minutes ago, werstayinup said:

This was a really good win against a good team,i still think Monty is better at LB than on the wing,imo he has rarely had a good game on the wing,he knocks the ball past a player then runs in to them and waves his arms about that frustrates me,up until his goal he was poor again yesterday but what a goal and he can give you that tbf to him. I thought Fitzy had his best game for us against tricky players,Clark in the 2nd half was the Clark of last season,defence was superb.

I would like to see Theo start a run of games BUT you have to play it to his feet.

Onwards and Upwards

I agree about Monty. Theo can also run the channels, as demonstrated yesterday. As a cameo, he showed us a masterclass yesterday. Hope he can do it for longer periods.

[Biddulph_PV]

I know we’ve tinkered with formations to no great effect in the last couple of weeks, but we haven’t tried 5-3-2.

Given the shortage of wide players, the concerns about goals/chances and question marks over one of the three midfield positions, I think this might suit us. We’d have two attacking wing backs in Clark and Monty, a pretty solid looking midfield three of Joyce, Conlon and Worrall and Rodney/Pope or Theo/Cullen up top. Brisley hasn’t let us down yet and Crookes apparently is best on the left of a back three.

[robf]

9 hours ago, soothsayer said:

It’s a pity the RS commentary team didn’t see it in the same way! The manner they kept yawping on about what a poor challenge it was and whether our player would receive a yellow or a red card was very disappointing.

They later tried to say that it was quite a way from they - after Vale fans got in touch - but if this was the case just keep quiet!!! 

I don't see it that way at all.

I think it's the right and honest thing to say they thought it was a bad challenge and to say what they thought they saw.  I then thought it was the right and honest thing to then mention that fans watching with replays said there was no contact and to pass that information on. It's not a commentator's job to "just keep quiet" it's to comment on the game.

It's live commentary for goodness sake - they have to give an immediate view on the whole match picture without any replays, without a producer in the studio checking other camera angles and stuff. In my view, it's amazing that they get so much of it right in the first place and it's dead easy to criticise them with the benefit of hindsight.

Best wishes to Darron Gibson - wouldn't wish that sort of injury on anyone.

 

[robf]

11 hours ago, Warren said:

I am going to come to the defence of Whitehead - having massacred him last week. I think he was steady

I agree. I like Whitehead. He's never going to wow with his elegance but he clearly does a really useful role in the squad. He can play in several roles in midfield (including cover for Joyce) and despite the misses his career goal record isn't bad so he could also add a few goals from midfield too. 

[Regal Beagle]

I thought Whitehead was ok this week after a very poor game the week before.

 

He was willing to push on past the forwards and had a few half chances which he scuffed, but he clearly has an eye for goal.

 

I've just realised, from my workings, every team we've played so far is in the top half, 3 in the plyoffs currently, Salford were unbeaten and we go to top of the table next.

 

Maybe we didn't think it was such a tricky start on paper but in hindsight, the teams we have played have all had pretty good starts to the season (maybe Exeter would expect slightly more but still). Whether or not we can break down the lower teams, time will tell.

[Essex Boy]

Not sure if anyone has noticed but all the teams that Vale have played in the league this season are in the top half. We may have actually had a difficult start, with easier teams to play.