Match Thread: Port Vale v Carlisle United

[Santa]

I totally get why people were disappointed. The quality was miles off where it needs to be. We just got scrappier as the game wore on. 

[Walter]

But as I said, what chances did we create for our strikers? The clamour to sign a "proven striker" baffles me. What we need are "proven creators" if anything.
What clear cut chances have we created?
We either hope someone gets on the end of a cross, hope their defender makes a mistake, or hope something drops to us kindly in the box. That's our attacking play.

To create though, you do need someone willing to make runs or gamble in the box...multiple times last night we got in to good positions with the ball and no one was anywhere near the box.

Doesnt matter what ball you put in if no one is there.

[Walter]

Build up in the first half was Ok and if you look at the stats we get the ball forward quickly and in to good positions in the games weve played so far.

We just need it to click up top.

[Jacko51]

1 hour ago, valiant_593 said:

I’m desperate for us to score at the weekend. Only to shut some of the Facebook clowns up. ‘Bring pope back’ ‘look what happens when you feed him’ as he scored a penalty in the 9th tier of English football past an electrician. The mind boggles. 

If we are after a 20 goal a season striker Tom Pope is not the man - it has taken him the last three seasons to get to 20. This time last year he hadn’t even been on the pitch due to his social media exploits. He was one of the reasons we lost to Carlisle when he missed a penalty. Two of his three League goals last year were against relegated Southend. Even before his injury he didn’t look fit.

Tom Pope will always be a legend at this club and I will be forever grateful to him for what he did in a Vale shirt but giving him a contract this season to watch him lumbering about and moaning at refs would have been cruel - despite what his mates in the pub say on Facebook. 

[Joe B]

1 hour ago, valeparklife said:

I've seen a ton of Twitter posts from fans saying "we need a proven striker".

But what chances did we create for our strikers tonight that a "better" striker would have scored?

It doesn't matter who we have upfront if we just keep hoofing the ball up to their head or down the channels.

To be fair, Worrall had a very, very easy one in the first half. Rodney spent ages dancing around instead of shooting in the second. On Saturday, Worrall hit the post from close range and Rodney should have buried his chance late on.

We're not creative enough but there's definitely chances being created which we're failing to take at the minute.

[valeparklife]

17 minutes ago, Walter said:

To create though, you do need someone willing to make runs or gamble in the box...multiple times last night we got in to good positions with the ball and no one was anywhere near the box.

Doesnt matter what ball you put in if no one is there.

But is that what you'd be happy with? Just pumping balls into the box and hoping something happens? 

That's archaic football to me, and very easy to defend.

[The man in the pub]

30 minutes ago, valeparklife said:

But as I said, what chances did we create for our strikers? The clamour to sign a "proven striker" baffles me. What we need are "proven creators" if anything.

What clear cut chances have we created?

We either hope someone gets on the end of a cross, hope their defender makes a mistake, or hope something drops to us kindly in the box. That's our attacking play.

We huffed and we puffed, we look solid. No one is going to hammer us but we are goal shy. Agree its not all down to the strikers, they need more chances. Alan Shearer in his prime might get 2 chances in a game and would score 1 or 2 goals. A league 2 free transfer striker might need 5/6 chances to do the same. 

It therefore defies logic to put Wozza our best creator of chances and the 2nd best in League 2 last season on defensive duty. Our defence looks sound, let Wozza do what he does best. It would appear that is what we need more of.

[Andy Proctor]

For anybody that thinks rodney is going get 20 goals this season here us a stat for you. Since Clarke took over as manager away at leyton orient he has scored just 2 goals at home to Newport and away at Colchester. That must be something like 2 goals in 20 games so continuing at that scoring rate will see him get 5 a season. 

Proctor is aged 30 and only scores 5 or 6 a season. He drops deep and does some good link up play but most of the time has his back to goal so isn't going be scoring many. 

Wilson has all the attributes to score plenty of goals but has so far fluffed a couple of easy chances and put in half arsed performances. He has only ever scored about 10 at best in a season.

We have basically signed strikers there in the hope that they have a good season and do better than what they have done in the past. When you sign players that don't score many you can't really moan when they don't score as your asking them to do something they haven't done often in there careers.

[Joe B]

I, on the one hand, fully get and agree with the frustration, but on the other have found myself laughing at people who have very definitely figured it all out with bold, absolutist proclamations.

As said, if we did the same thing at the same stage last season, we'd all have confidently predicted a promotion push as we had 7 points from 9. Look how that finished. You'd all have looked daft.

Carlisle and Tranmere are good sides, and we're still not quite settled and missing our player of the season from last year and captain, with 7/8 new signings starting. 

Criticisms of last night are fair but lads on here going for the hot-take Nostradamus stuff need to chill a tad.

[darren1810]

The only thing concerning me is we aren't allowing partnerships or confidence to form. 

Last night was so predictable that if was 0-0 around the 65 minute mark it would be Wilson for Proctor. Likewise at Stevenage whoever gets the nod will be hooked. I totally get that if it's a frustrating evening then you have to utilise the subs bench but I personally don't think the chopping and changing of Wilson and Proctor is conducive to enabling a player to gain confidence. 

It's not beyond possibility that Wilson gets the nod at Stevenage. 

I'm not saying if Wilson or Proctor are not doing it that they are exempt from being hooked but a pattern is emerging each game we play. 

Whoever has the shirt should be given at least 4 or 5 starts in a row instead of bits and pieces. 

[fraggle]

Proctor looks good but he spends way to much of his time on the pitch not playing in central forward areas… if he focused on being in dangerous areas on the pitch maybe he’d score more….

Rodney seems to have lost his ability yo shoot…. Half a yard and have a pop at goal man!!!! That late chance in the 2nd half where he wanted to take on 3 players when he could’ve had a pop at goal…

We’ve got to be more ruthless in front of goal and a lot quicker to take a shot, we are very hesitant, which probably comes when the players want to score

[Playa Amodores]

On a brighter note, C and K said that the problems at the turnstiles would be resolved and it was. There was just under 5,000 last night, an extra turnstile was open by the club shop, so looks like they’d got it completely wrong on the staffing front. Well done 👏👏

[Walter]

But is that what you'd be happy with? Just pumping balls into the box and hoping something happens? 
That's archaic football to me, and very easy to defend.

No, but what I am saying is you can have the most creative player in the world putting delightful balls in all day, but if no one wants to make a run, gamble or attack it then we ain't going to score.

[Warren]

Not that much wrong. Need to take chances. Need to keep defensive solidity. Chances created are consistently in mid teens. Much more worrying if they were say 0-10.

[The man in the pub]

2 minutes ago, Walter said:

17 minutes ago, valeparklife said:

But is that what you'd be happy with? Just pumping balls into the box and hoping something happens? 
That's archaic football to me, and very easy to defend.

No, but what I am saying is you can have the most creative player in the world putting delightful balls in all day, but if no one wants to make a run, gamble or attack it then we ain't going to score.

 Our current midfield looks solid but we are missing Conlons midfield runs into the box, and of course his goals. When is he due back, what is the extent of his injury. Rumour circulating around where I sat was that Coventry were after him.