Summer transfer targets/rumours, retained list etc

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, EricHamesis said:

No, we need to take as many points as possible from every game.

Your not getting my point there fella. We won’t be competing with the top end like Sheffield Wednesday with a squad of only 17 players which has had big injury problems last season. What I’m trying to get over to people is them sides are the ones we are competing with to stay in league one. 

[philmpv]

Your not getting my point there fella. We won’t be competing with the top end like Sheffield Wednesday with a squad of only 17 players which has had big injury problems last season. What I’m trying to get over to people is them sides are the ones we are competing with to stay in league one. 

Thank God you're here to guide us all

[LancyTony]

5 hours ago, valeparklife said:

Just block him and he'll go away. He's a troll. Hover the cursor over his name and press 'ignore'. OVF becomes a better place for it. It's a shame I still see interactions when he's quoted though, would be good if the website could fix that.

I appreciate everyone has different opinions, which is healthy and creates interesting viewpoints. But to constantly slate and attack DC, literally be proved wrong, and not have the decency to admit this just shows the type of person they are.

Don't feed the troll.

Also - hasn't RZ said this close season he's not going to comment on the manager anymore? Don't believe a word, and I really wish people would stop quoting him!

[MBE]

7 minutes ago, Ben Stevens said:

I’m just worried because our injury record was abysmal last season. At one point we had five strikers injured so I don’t see much change this season as I strongly believe it’s down to certain training methods. Surely we can’t have them many injuries through just pure bad luck ?

We need to add to what I think is a good squad which just needed extra quality adding.

Im just gutted it’s not happened so far fella 👍

I don't think training is the problem. Its a curse we have suffered for may years. The best investment we can make next summer is a new pitch. I think that will alleviate a lot of the issues.

DC said the training pitches are better than the VP pitch!!

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, werstayinup said:

Maybe we are when you include incentives,a good way to go imo,as i said i would sooner have a player motivated on 3k a week than one not motivated on 6 or 7k a week(a wage by the way that we as a club couldn't sustain at the moment)

Some fans really think that players are going come running through the door on £2,000 a week less than they want and do an honest job ? We’re after better players in a higher league so this is what comes with the territory, and what happens if we sign someone decent on less money does that give him more insensitive to play better ? Or does he go somewhere else for what he wants and play good every week because he knows his money is there every month ?

Im self employed myself on £200 a day but would I hell go somewhere on £160/£170 a day with bonuses to get me back to £200 ? That’s crazy to think otherwise 

[hamilboy]

1 minute ago, Ben Stevens said:

If we ain’t paying more than £3,500 a week then might as well forget that place fella 

The owners have done a fantastic job for our club what is needed is more bums on seats from the people of stoke on trent to help us to get where we all want us to be.Just get behind the club spend as much as you can afford and help the club along i'm more optimistic now than i have ever been with the structure in place right now.Stop this gloom and doom moaning it's like listening to radio stoke when the stokies have played.

[Osh]

How dare the team win today!  We surely haven't got enough players and we're in a sh1te state and going to be relegated next week...??

In other news - did I see Conlon getting some minutes today...??  

Good result. Great goal by Ojo

[Guest]

Just now, Osh said:

How dare the team win today!  We surely haven't got enough players and we're in a sh1te state and going to be relegated next week...??

In other news - did I see Conlon getting some minutes today...??  

Good result. Great goal by Ojo

Against Rochdale who finished 16th in league two last season winning 8 games in 46 🤣 oh my god in need leave one vale fan 

[Osh]

3 minutes ago, Ben Stevens said:

Against Rochdale who finished 16th in league two last season winning 8 games in 46 🤣 oh my god in need leave one vale fan 

Yep. But to listen to you well never win again. Don't panic Mr Mainwaring 

 

[Guitar Ray]

53 minutes ago, Ben Stevens said:

Been saying this for the last four weeks and get shot for it on here fella. We’re in a worse position squad wise than the beginning of last season when we managed to sign 15 players in the summer.

Fast forward to now and all of a sudden we are a master stroke club that offers something different than the rest apparently ? Players now ain’t good enough to wear our shirt or are apparently asking for too much money when they have pedigree in higher leagues.

Sometimes I find it quite patronising towards some other clubs and players out there because we ain’t just the only club that looks after there players.

Two weeks ago Carol in my opinion went way over the top talking about the championship when we ain’t even set foot back into league one under the new owners. We all love them and why wouldn't we after everything they have done for Port Vale, the fans and the town of Burslem. For that I’m forever grateful and can’t thank them enough before I get shot again.

Like I’ve said we have the nucleus of a very good team that needed extra quality adding to it which we haven’t done. Yes the transfer window is open until August 31st but some fans think it’s ok to throw away the first 8 games of the season and then say we’re going be ok in league one ? Even stating the Fleetwood game next week ain’t crucial which baffles me and makes me think some peoples ego about Port Vale is deluded because unless we have a miracle blinding season with less resources we will be battling with side like them to stay in the league especially when they only stayed up on goal difference !

The games we need to takes as many points as possible from in my view are…

Bristol Rovers, Exeter, Forest Green, Fleetwood, Shrewsbury, Morecambe, Lincoln, Burton, Cambridge, Cheltenham and Accrington Stanley.

If anyone thinks we are competing with the rest of the league then you banged your head over the last few weeks I’m afraid. There budgets blow us out the water and that will more or less be detrimental where they finish league wise. Ain’t saying we won’t beat some better sides but we will also lose games to the lesser ones as well.

Picking through this I’d say the squad isn’t in a great place numbers wise, which also knocks on to bonding/team familiarity.

As far as being a “master stroke club”, every manager and his dog will be trying to pull a rabbit out of the hat, some will actually manage to do so.  Why not us?  Only time will tell on that score.

We won’t be the only club who looks after it’s players but we might be one of the best at it if you trust what the players say.  I think this is an area where a lot of clubs will look to improve but maybe right now we have a slight advantage over many clubs.

Carol is talking Championship ready in the sense of improving the club infrastructure to a level.  We may never actually play at that level but quality of the facilities, staff, infrastructure would be of a Championship standard.

I think most fans know it’ll be tough.  We may get off to a poor start, we may start like the Ribiero team.  Who knows?

You list a few teams we need to take points off.  We’re actually competing with all the teams in this league, not just those few.  We’re all in this league for a reason and are all there capable of winning or losing on any given day.  Using your example I may as well stay at home for a lot of the fixtures.

I’ve not banged my head.

[Guppys left peg]

1 hour ago, Ben Stevens said:

Been saying this for the last four weeks and get shot for it on here fella. We’re in a worse position squad wise than the beginning of last season when we managed to sign 15 players in the summer.

Fast forward to now and all of a sudden we are a master stroke club that offers something different than the rest apparently ? Players now ain’t good enough to wear our shirt or are apparently asking for too much money when they have pedigree in higher leagues.

Sometimes I find it quite patronising towards some other clubs and players out there because we ain’t just the only club that looks after there players.

Two weeks ago Carol in my opinion went way over the top talking about the championship when we ain’t even set foot back into league one under the new owners. We all love them and why wouldn't we after everything they have done for Port Vale, the fans and the town of Burslem. For that I’m forever grateful and can’t thank them enough before I get shot again.

Like I’ve said we have the nucleus of a very good team that needed extra quality adding to it which we haven’t done. Yes the transfer window is open until August 31st but some fans think it’s ok to throw away the first 8 games of the season and then say we’re going be ok in league one ? Even stating the Fleetwood game next week ain’t crucial which baffles me and makes me think some peoples ego about Port Vale is deluded because unless we have a miracle blinding season with less resources we will be battling with side like them to stay in the league especially when they only stayed up on goal difference !

The games we need to takes as many points as possible from in my view are…

Bristol Rovers, Exeter, Forest Green, Fleetwood, Shrewsbury, Morecambe, Lincoln, Burton, Cambridge, Cheltenham and Accrington Stanley.

If anyone thinks we are competing with the rest of the league then you banged your head over the last few weeks I’m afraid. There budgets blow us out the water and that will more or less be detrimental where they finish league wise. Ain’t saying we won’t beat some better sides but we will also lose games to the lesser ones as well.

Just a couple of things on this. Firstly it is true to say the Fleetwood game is important but then EVERY game we play is important. I think what some are objecting to and myself included is the implication that the opening day game is some season defining relegation six pointer. Nobody gets promoted or relegated on the opening day so that's where the disagreement comes. Football doesn't work the way that's implied here, we need to try and find a way to compete with everyone we play and yes am well aware it's not easy.

The other thing and I'm seeing this increasingly from some people is starting to use Carols "Championship Ready" mantra as some stick to beat the club with. Just to be clear on that and she has said this explicitly each time she's spoken about there is NO timescale on that so those coming out with "we need to be L1 ready first" or some variation are wasting their time. I'm pretty certain the club are aware of the need to consolidate but it's right to have that stated aim in terms of getting the infrastructure of the club up to that standard.

I do agree that it is not ideal to be going into the season with the squad we currently have and yes it is weaker in some parts but to be honest there's nothing any of us can do about it other than back what up to this point has been a very successful management team.

[EricHamesis]

28 minutes ago, Ben Stevens said:

Your not getting my point there fella. We won’t be competing with the top end like Sheffield Wednesday with a squad of only 17 players which has had big injury problems last season. What I’m trying to get over to people is them sides are the ones we are competing with to stay in league one. 

I do get your point. You're giving up on taking anything at all from over half the season's games (24) before we've even kicked a ball. If we're not competing with and taking points from the likes of Sheffield Wednesday then we really are in trouble. I don't expect us to top the league and trounce all the so called big clubs, but I expect us to compete.

[darren1810]

For perspective Morecambe turned Sheffield Wednesday over last season. 

If we are at it we will definitely take points off the big fish as well as losing games to the tiddlers when we are off it. 

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, Guitar Ray said:

Picking through this I’d say the squad isn’t in a great place numbers wise, which also knocks on to bonding/team familiarity.

As far as being a “master stroke club”, every manager and his dog will be trying to pull a rabbit out of the hat, some will actually manage to do so.  Why not us?  Only time will tell on that score.

We won’t be the only club who looks after it’s players but we might be one of the best at it if you trust what the players say.  I think this is an area where a lot of clubs will look to improve but maybe right now we have a slight advantage over many clubs.

Carol is talking Championship ready in the sense of improving the club infrastructure to a level.  We may never actually play at that level but quality of the facilities, staff, infrastructure would be of a Championship standard.

I think most fans know it’ll be tough.  We may get off to a poor start, we may start like the Ribiero team.  Who knows?

You list a few teams we need to take points off.  We’re actually competing with all the teams in this league, not just those few.  We’re all in this league for a reason and are all there capable of winning or losing on any given day.  Using your example I may as well stay at home for a lot of the fixtures.

I’ve not banged my head.

The teams I’ve stated will more than likely be in the bottom half that’s why I’m saying we’re competing with them, I also said as well that we may lose to them and also beat some of the bigger sides. We have about 10 clubs with massive wage budgets so we’re never competing with them as a top ten side which in turn means we are competing with the lower end of the scale.

I’m not saying we don’t turn up and try to win every game we play but we also have to be realistic in our approach. Beating teams like Fleetwood next week in my book is very much needed to get us near to 50 points and staying in this division.

Some sides that struggled last season have spent money and done business in the transfer window, in turn bigger squads with more options to choose from if times get hard. If we play the Russian Roulette game like we have so far in the transfer window then this worry’s me.

Just don’t want see Vale in the Sh!te league two again or do what Northampton did and go straight back down. Don’t think I’m asking for much when I want the best for our club.

But I’m not allowed to question the process as a supporter who goes on a regular basis only missing one game in all competitions home and away last season. Not saying I’m better than anyone else or do I know anything more than others, but Jesus Christ 7 days away from the beginning of a season with 17 players on the books and currently 89th out of 92 league sides at summer business makes me worried 😟 

[valeitup]

The teams I’ve stated will more than likely be in the bottom half that’s why I’m saying we’re competing with them, I also said as well that we may lose to them and also beat some of the bigger sides. We have about 10 clubs with massive wage budgets so we’re never competing with them as a top ten side which in turn means we are competing with the lower end of the scale.
I’m not saying we don’t turn up and try to win every game we play but we also have to be realistic in our approach. Beating teams like Fleetwood next week in my book is very much needed to get us near to 50 points and staying in this division.
Some sides that struggled last season have spent money and done business in the transfer window, in turn bigger squads with more options to choose from if times get hard. If we play the Russian Roulette game like we have so far in the transfer window then this worry’s me.
Just don’t want see Vale in the Sh!te league two again or do what Northampton did and go straight back down. Don’t think I’m asking for much when I want the best for our club.
But I’m not allowed to question the process as a supporter who goes on a regular basis only missing one game in all competitions home and away last season. Not saying I’m better than anyone else or do I know anything more than others, but Jesus Christ 7 days away from the beginning of a season with 17 players on the books and currently 89th out of 92 league sides at summer business makes me worried  

Ben, you're allowed to question things. People are also allowed to argue you're going way over the top prematurely.