Match Thread: Port Vale v Bolton Wanderers

[Properman]

Almost everyone is now going to Pope. If you go back to threads months ago, look what I said. Also look at those who said has been etc. Problem is if he does not do it are we stuffed? Only thing is he would die for us, can you say that about the rest? 

[darren1810]

4 minutes ago, Wrex said:

What is it with this captain's armband? We gave it to Legge and he went crap, took it off him and he's reborn. Gave it Conlon and he's gone crap. I wouldn't want to give it back to Legge and risk him getting sent off again.

Maybe we should give it to Guthrie or Robinson as they are already crap. 😂😂

[Fosse69]

3 minutes ago, Wrex said:

What is it with this captain's armband? We gave it to Legge and he went crap, took it off him and he's reborn. Gave it Conlon and he's gone crap. I wouldn't want to give it back to Legge and risk him getting sent off again.

Maybe no one wants the responsibility, but we need  someone to deal with the ref and decide which way to kick. Ideally we need a few captains on the pitch, communication seems to be a widespread problem.

[Doha]

4 minutes ago, Wrex said:

Those donkeys have scored 204 goals between them at League Two level and above. A poor craftsman blames his tools.

Chris Wilder took Sheffield United from League One to a top ten Premier League finish with <ovf censored> David McGoldrick leading the line.

Sorry but the whole "what more can I do" mantra from Clarke is pathetic. He's very good at talking, deflecting blame, coming up with excuses and shirking responsibly. I don't think he needs help from fans in that department.

Robinson got 2 in 14 his first time around, was that Clarke's fault? 1 in 19 now, most under Askey. He's simply awful. 

I don't agree with "deflecting blame, coming up with excuses and shirking responsibly." at all on the basis that you're just factually incorrect. Listen to the RS post match interviews over the last few games, he openly says "I take full responsibility", he doesn't shirk it.

[tommytunstall]

5 minutes ago, darren1810 said:

Yes but sadly mate he's holding all the aces. 

Guaranteed a pay off or a guaranteed wage for another 12 months. 

What a situation. Theo would you like 40k to feck off or Theo you won't be playing but your 4k a month will still be deposited in your bank account. 

Unbelievable you literally can't make it up 

When this horrible season is over the club need an inquiry, looking into all aspects I know Askey signed most of these so called players, but who authorised and rubber stamped these areas below;

Recruitment

Contracts

Fitness programme

Tactics

The last few months may have done untold damage to our club,

[Doha]

"Shirking responsibility"

Come on, that's not fair. 1:19. 

 

[Wrex]

17 minutes ago, Doha said:

I don't agree with "deflecting blame, coming up with excuses and shirking responsibly." at all on the basis that you're just factually incorrect. Listen to the RS post match interviews over the last few games, he openly says "I take full responsibility", he doesn't shirk it.

That's just a disclaimer thrown in at the end. A mandatory soundbite that's taught on day 1 of the media training module on the coaching licence course.

“I keep stressing to the players. I want players that realise we are in a fight and scrap. They are well aware of that. As I have just said to them there, if they are not up for that, knock on my door. I am ready for the fight and scrap, I have been here before, I am hard skinned...It has been a tough seven games for myself but I knew what I was coming into so we will try to be positive and try to get a result on Tuesday night...  The team needs a lot of work as well. No disrespect, but the team is lacking quality, so having to do that, and work that on the training pitch, while players don’t look fit enough at times to be able to do that, and then still having to recover them, is a hard balancing act. But we will get there.”

I don't want to start overanalysing speeches and I still think we'll stay up and then we can judge Clarke next season. But the whole theme of his interviews is "I'm brilliant. I'm telling the players what to do but they're crap, plus they're not fit/injuries/hard luck etc". Which is fine this season, if we stay up, but it won't wash next season when he has his own team.

[Doha]

1 minute ago, Wrex said:

That's just a disclaimer thrown in at the end. A mandatory soundbite that's taught on day 1 of the media training module on the coaching licence course.

“I keep stressing to the players. I want players that realise we are in a fight and scrap. They are well aware of that. As I have just said to them there, if they are not up for that, knock on my door. I am ready for the fight and scrap, I have been here before, I am hard skinned...It has been a tough seven games for myself but I knew what I was coming into so we will try to be positive and try to get a result on Tuesday night...  The team needs a lot of work as well. No disrespect, but the team is lacking quality, so having to do that, and work that on the training pitch, while players don’t look fit enough at times to be able to do that, and then still having to recover them, is a hard balancing act. But we will get there.”

I don't want to start overanalysing speeches and I still think we'll stay up and then we can judge Clarke next season. But the whole theme of his interviews is "I'm brilliant. I'm telling the players what to do but they're crap, plus they're not fit/injuries/hard luck etc". Which is fine this season, if we stay up, but it won't wash next season when he has his own team.

So you were wrong then, and criticising him for stuff he clearly hasn't actually been doing, as evidenced in that Cheltenham video. 

He's absolutely right in what he's saying.

I don't understand how the fans in one breath criticise the donkey forward line for not being good enough, and in the next criticise Clarke for admitting it?

[Doha]

“I’m not going to put it all on them. I’m the manager, I’ve had 5 games now. It’s not been good enough from me, so the buck stops with me. These are the boys that I’m leading. We can talk about hard luck stories and injuries and whatnot until the cows come home, but we need to do better as a group.”

Are people really taking issue with this? Really? 

The 4-0 hammering at Mansfield on Jan 2nd was the first time in 2 years that Askey ever admitted any responsibility for anything!

[Joe B]

36 minutes ago, Doha said:

“I’m not going to put it all on them. I’m the manager, I’ve had 5 games now. It’s not been good enough from me, so the buck stops with me. These are the boys that I’m leading. We can talk about hard luck stories and injuries and whatnot until the cows come home, but we need to do better as a group.”

Are people really taking issue with this? Really? 

The 4-0 hammering at Mansfield on Jan 2nd was the first time in 2 years that Askey ever admitted any responsibility for anything!

Askey also managed to put in insinuations of 'stuff going on behind the scenes' post-Mansfield, so still failed to full responsibility. That was part of the fuel for the 'Sinclair - Ides of March' rumours. 

[darren1810]

What is people's opinions on our new found weapon the Legge long throw ?

Just seen Cheltenham get winner at Exeter from is it Tozer ? 

Now I can't throw the ball 5 feet but I'm not seeing what the Legge throw is bringing to the party . It seems that he's exactly the sort we need on the end of one not taking it. Barely seems to create any confusion or panic in the opposing defence, in fact it's been poor. 

I'm all for innovation and trying new things but I think we need to think again . Hopefully I'm proved wrong if we persevere . 

[Joe B]

Luck will swing our way. 

We're a really bad football team, probably the worst in living memory, but as an excellent post argued on the Darrell Clarke thread, we've been the victim of some rotten luck so far (which, in fairness, is more likely to happen if you set your teams up to nick marginal games) since he took over. Football at this level is so poor that luck will play a massive role, and it'll fall our way eventually. 

Colchester, Grimsby, and Barrow will dictate things. You'd be hoping for 7 points from that. I will caveat that if we lose to Colchester on Saturday we can probably start preparing for non-league, as they are just as diabolical as we are.

Rodney, Guthrie, and Robinson are simply not up to snuff at present, so I'd probably revert to the 433 of pre-lockdown with Cullen up top, as as ineffectual as he is, he's the only fit striker who can finish. We don't create much but, when we do, we need a forward who is more likely to stick it away. Wheel out Pope for a last hurrah when he's fit.

Amoo and Worrall either side, Conlon Taylor/Burgess Joyce behind. The back line has stabilised, and I'd shift Mills to the left, Smith to the right, and install Brisley with Legge if Crookes is finished.

Nick the wins and then press detonate. Blow up the 20/21 season and never look back. A combination of lockdown, watching it at home, and the worst Vale team/run of my lifetime has made this my least favourite season, ever. Release everyone you can, pay up anyone who is willing to be paid up, and completely reset everything. No more daft slogans. 

[Joe B]

4 minutes ago, darren1810 said:

What is people's opinions on our new found weapon the Legge long throw ?

Just seen Cheltenham get winner at Exeter from is it Tozer ? 

Now I can't throw the ball 5 feet but I'm not seeing what the Legge throw is bringing to the party . It seems that he's exactly the sort we need on the end of one not taking it. Barely seems to create any confusion or panic in the opposing defence, in fact it's been poor. 

I'm all for innovation and trying new things but I think we need to think again . Hopefully I'm proved wrong if we persevere . 

Useless. Too looping, and Legge's the only player with the physical presence to score from those throw ins. Bin it off and be a bit more clever in working space for a cross.

[Conrad]

17 minutes ago, darren1810 said:

What is people's opinions on our new found weapon the Legge long throw ?

Just seen Cheltenham get winner at Exeter from is it Tozer ? 

Now I can't throw the ball 5 feet but I'm not seeing what the Legge throw is bringing to the party . It seems that he's exactly the sort we need on the end of one not taking it. Barely seems to create any confusion or panic in the opposing defence, in fact it's been poor. 

I'm all for innovation and trying new things but I think we need to think again . Hopefully I'm proved wrong if we persevere . 

 I would use the long throw when popes back playing, it’s like a cross into the box, they’re ineffective at the moment because the strikers we have available never get on the end of them.

[Quebec_Valiant]

59 minutes ago, Doha said:

So you were wrong then, and criticising him for stuff he clearly hasn't actually been doing, as evidenced in that Cheltenham video. 

He's absolutely right in what he's saying.

I don't understand how the fans in one breath criticise the donkey forward line for not being good enough, and in the next criticise Clarke for admitting it?

From my view he is being quite gentle in his terms of criticism of the team.  When he talks about "quality" I believe that he is talking about execution rather than capability.  

He is not saying that these players are crap, but that they are not performing to the required level to get the win.  I think that most on here would agree with the later part of that, with many also believing that the reason is that the players are crap.