Match Thread: Tranmere Rovers v Port Vale

[Warren]

5 minutes ago, MBE said:

I agree totally. We do look like we are trying to see the season out. Its pathetic watching your team like that with 3 months still to play.

Trouble with Legge is the defence has looked equally shocking making the same mistakes when he has played. If he does play then we are committed to another season for a player who is not upto L2 standard these days even though he is better option than Crookes.

Crookes looks like he will freeze with the ball at his feet. Smith knows his limitations and just gives it to someone else in the team quickly. So in possession that defence is hugely dysfunctional aside from the actual defending. The midfield has to come and take the ball too far back and then the attack breaks down because they are too far away from the strikers. 

[Wrex]

35 minutes ago, Diego Maradona said:

If it’s the case that if we play Legge, it triggers a clause in his contract that he gets another year, this becomes a ‘bit’ of a dilemma.

As a fan, I feel that, ‘Vale’ are just trying to see the season out. It’s almost like ‘Don’t play Legge because we don’t want to trigger this clause’ which I understand as he’s knocking on a bit. But in the meantime, we have a defence which appears to be ‘all over the gaff’ and we’ve not brought in a proven CB in the transfer window. May be we didn’t have the funds?

My main concern is that, by having an attitude of ‘let’s just see the season out’, this can create a culture within the players of ‘Oh, it doesn’t really matter how we play or how much effort I put in because we’re just seeing the season out’. This will quickly turn into (if it hasn’t already turned in to) a relegation battle and trying to turn this attitude around is/will be very difficult.

We need a winning, ambitious culture in the dressing room NOT we’ll just see the season out. Regardless whether or not the play offs or promotion is realistic.

Legge is 36 in the summer, will be on a very good wage as a former captain and has picked up two red cards in 20 league games this season. The defence hardly looked any better with him in it.

If we conceded an extra ten goals in the the remainder of this season by not playing him and triggering a contract extension clause then so be it.

Now is that a completely absurd situation? Yes it is and Garlick as the contract man, as well as Askey and maybe others as well are responsible for that. Can't blame Pugh for this one. Up to the club to renegotiate that clause if they want him in the team for the rest of the season.

[Warren]

We were playing at Tranmere yesterday. I know a lot about Tranmere because I live locally and I have actually watched them quite a lot the last 34 years. Anyway, they had a centre half called Ian Goodison who played into 40's. He was actually the heart of the team and I would go as far as to say the club disintegrated when he retired. If Legge is to prolong his career he needs to become Goodison who was extraordinarily good at reading the game and being in the right place. I know you'll say a centre half surely knows to play centre half and stand in front of our goal! But a really good centre half completely dominates the box and it seems like everything coming in goes to him. if Legge can become that, then great, if not then time may be up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Goodison#Club 

[Walter]

I think thats really harsh. Crap yesterday yes just like 1 - 11 He was extremely isolated and had no service whatsoever. Hasn't looked much of a goal threat in the games played to date but has a good workrate and general play has been good. He needs a strike partner and support.
 

But we need strikers who are going to score or at least look like scoring. He really doesnt.

[Walter]

But how many more times will we make useless signings? Who is responsible? You can put Klopp in charge but if the signings do not improve on the dross we have already we will never go anywhere. 

Exactly. Cut our losses. No point in signing him.

[Diego Maradona]

Like I say, it’s a dilemma that the club has created. Not saying Legge is any better? Not blaming Pugh.

My main point is about the culture that all of this creates and the implications it seems to be having on the field.

With a ‘let’s see the season out’ attitude and a defence that resembles the Key Stone Cops, we seem to be playing Russian Roulette with relegation.

You only need Grimsby or Southend to find a bit of form.

[bomber]

The defence is a real worry! I am sure you could pick four defenders up from the top half of the national league who would do better than we are at the moment. We real are conceding goals for fun I cant remember us conceding three and four goals a game so often. The manner of a lot of these defeats is of great concern, I wish I had some answers, I am really annoyed and concerned at our current plight.    

[Howjy04]

I’d estimate after the next 4 games we will be the leading scorers,or very close,in League 2.We must be doing something right.As has been said many times the defence is the problem.There has never been a settled back line all season,working as a unit.Gibbo,Smith,Legge and Monty would be my 4.You could ,for a few games ,stick 2 DMs in front of them to build some confidence.Boring but safer.A few clean sheets should now be the aim.

[valiant_593]

People are forgetting we have signed a CB why sign him to warm the bench? 

[Diego Maradona]

May be on the wrong ‘thread’ but you’d hope that when the new manager comes in he will want to:

1. impose his style of play.

2. In the summer, ship out the those players that are ‘surplus’ to him imposing this style.

3. Ship out the ‘injury’ prone players.

4. Ship out any players he doesn’t fancy. 

5. Ship in a couple of Centre Backs, a left back. In order to make us more tight and organised.

6. Ship in whoever else to be able to impose his style.

7. Bring in/use coaching staff that can help him to implement this style.

For me, I would be ‘ring fencing’ a large proportion of my transfer budget on the defence. Also, a midfield general.

Look how close we came last year with just having a ‘decent’ defence.

(apologies with the over use of ship - getting a bit carried away)

[Warren]

1 minute ago, valiant_593 said:

People are forgetting we have signed a CB why sign him to warm the bench? 

Yes, given we are leaking goals for fun, the purpose of signing the centre half on loan must be to play him!??? Otherwise, why have signed him. So get him out there. 

[pete vale]

11 hours ago, SuperHuman said:

if we’d have signed just 3 quality, proven players then I believe we would be challenging for promotion. A quality centre half, centre midfielder and striker is what we needed. Instead we chose to rely on Legge, Joyce and Pope. Whilst also signing the likes of Whitehead and Robinson.

Tranmere have Vaughan, Spearing and Monthe. 

Vaughan is superb, he's probably on  £3-4K a week. Our recruitment has been pi** poor for years, the last being one of the worst. Get rid of the deadwood, those not good enough, those continually injured and players like Vaughan begin to look affordable. It's a bit like trying to run a sports car on sunflower oil. It coughs, splutters and then comes to a standstill until you clean the engine out and put the correct high octane fuel in!

Appalling at Vale, not good enough and more need to say it. I'm all for the owners and sentiment but not at the expense of my money and my love of Vale over a lifetime. Wake up....

[Warren]

3 minutes ago, pete vale said:

Vaughan is superb, he's probably on  £3-4K a week. Our recruitment has been pi** poor for years, the last being one of the worst. Get rid of the deadwood, those not good enough, those continually injured and players like Vaughan begin to look affordable. It's a bit like trying to run a sports car on sunflower oil. It coughs, splutters and then comes to a standstill untill you clean the engine out and put the correct high octane fuel in!

Appalling at Vale, not good enough and more need to say it. I'm all for the owners and sentiment but not at the expense of my money and my love of Vale over a lifetime. Wake up....

Credit good coaching with Monthe. He has been massively improved from an immobile giant lump. Actually credit himself, because he has put the work in.

[Diego Maradona]

I think sticking 2 DM in front of the back 4 brings with it it’s own problems.

Better to get the defence ‘knowing what they’re doing’ than resorting to that.

Not for me thanks. 

The new lad at CB is unproven. Would you put him in? I’m not sure? This defence needs experience. He could, however, be the answer to our problems but it would be a big risk.

[Coyney Valiant]

8 minutes ago, Diego Maradona said:

May be on the wrong ‘thread’ but you’d hope that when the new manager comes in he will want to:

1. impose his style of play.

2. In the summer, ship out the those players that are ‘surplus’ to him imposing this style.

3. Ship out the ‘injury’ prone players.

4. Ship out any players he doesn’t fancy. 

5. Ship in a couple of Centre Backs, a left back. In order to make us more tight and organised.

6. Ship in whoever else to be able to impose his style.

7. Bring in/use coaching staff that can help him to implement this style.

For me, I would be ‘ring fencing’ a large proportion of my transfer budget on the defence. Also, a midfield general.

Look how close we came last year with just having a ‘decent’ defence.

(apologies with the over use of ship - getting a bit carried away)

If he implements 2 3 & 4 there only be Conlon left 😄