Match Thread: Exeter City v Port Vale

[Playa Amodores]

I notice caprice was an unused sub for them today. Don’t know why, but he played extremely well at VP in the left back/ left midfield, I know we need forwards and a GK, but I’d have him anytime. I suppose the problem would the be we’d probably have to play with a back four. I personally don’t have a problem with the flexibility of this instead of being rigid and playing the same formation week in week out.

[ClntonBoulton]

Not a good day today! Thought we got we deserved BUT looking at it sensibly...they're two none up at half time thanks to a thunderbolt that could have gone into the Channel tbh and a poor decision for a penalty. Never a penalty to me but...<ovf censored> happens! Stoney hasn't had to make a serious save and we should have done better twice with Charsley and then Robinson.

Having said that there was always that nagging feeling we were not playing well and there was no cohesion or linking....although I thought Robinson looked to have potential and will benefit from this experience. I thought Exeter were good.....fit, closed us down and played at pace which we didn't seem to be able to do.

Still, move on....only another 44 to go!!!!!

[valeparklife]

I always wait for 10 games before assessing where we're at. 8 more to go.

That volley that flew in usually flies over. And that penalty decision was farcical. An outrageous dive. Then we had nothing going forward on the bench to try and save the game.

I think we just need someone up top signed this week. Even if they're raw. Then let's try and improve them.

Nothing stuck up front today from Proctor and McDermott. So it just kept coming back again and again.

Lastly, I've seen tons of "Championship ready? We're not even League One ready" comments today on FB and Twitter. I said this would happen and shouldnt have been made public and got roundly attacked on here.

[boslemportvale91]

Any news/update about Worrall? I watched the game on vpn but got stuck with the Exeter commentary team 

[PortVale89]

I always wait for 10 games before assessing where we're at. 8 more to go.

That volley that flew in usually flies over. And that penalty decision was farcical. An outrageous dive. Then we had nothing going forward on the bench to try and save the game.

I think we just need someone up top signed this week. Even if they're raw. Then let's try and improve them.

Nothing stuck up front today from Proctor and McDermott. So it just kept coming back again and again.

Lastly, I've seen tons of "Championship ready? We're not even League One ready" comments today on FB and Twitter. I said this would happen and shouldnt have been made public and got roundly attacked on here.

People attacking that slogan are too thick to actually understand the sentiment behind it.

[Rory]

SHOW ME THE BEEF!

[Vale Ball]

I have been quite vocal on here about the lack of recruitment , and end up getting shot down ! , totally agree with you that DF should have been here in Burslem , not sunning himself in Spain , going to wait until the end of the month before I rant again , 

Good..

[Vale till I die]

47 minutes ago, The man in the pub said:

I think whatever positions we are light on cannot mask the fact that man for man we were second best today. That is second best to Exeter who with no disrespect we arent expecting to be one of the forces in this division. Plenty of games to play in the season , but they  cannot be played in this manner.

 

Well said. I do think vale can not play like this again

[Portvale4]

A very poor day at the office today, there’s no doubting that. The midfield was absolutely non-existent, which left the likes of Proctor and McDermott feeding off long balls. Ojo, Garrity and Charsley won little in terms of second balls, which left the defence under immense pressure against Brown and Nombe and, as expected, we capitulated. 

Credit must go to the hosts, however, as I thought Exeter looked a real tidy outfit with some excellent footballers. 

Robinson was quite unfortunate with the penalty decision, as there was minimal contact and it seemed as if it was outside of the box, but he shouldn’t let his man beat him as easily as he did. However, credit to Robinson, he gave a good account of himself and looked very good going forward. 

Clarke was honest in his comments, and probably stated what most people have said - we just simply weren’t good enough today. 

I think it’s key now to make some reinforcements. We need at least two more forwards and a GK. Clarke has stressed several times that this will eventually happen, but let’s hope it’s sooner rather than later. 

With the likes of Massey, Wilson and Walker to return and Conlon, Pett and Holden getting more minutes in the tank, alongside a few more signings, I think we will be fine. 

As I said, certainly not a great day but I’m not concerned. I think most people would have taken three points from the first two coming into a new division after last seasons slow start. 

[Hoppers]

Tough one today - positive - I thought Sammy Robinson was superb considering it was his debut - gutted for the lad with that penalty decision; as others have mentioned, where woz Woz???

[JRC]

2 minutes ago, PortVale89 said:

14 minutes ago, valeparklife said:

I always wait for 10 games before assessing where we're at. 8 more to go.

That volley that flew in usually flies over. And that penalty decision was farcical. An outrageous dive. Then we had nothing going forward on the bench to try and save the game.

I think we just need someone up top signed this week. Even if they're raw. Then let's try and improve them.

Nothing stuck up front today from Proctor and McDermott. So it just kept coming back again and again.

Lastly, I've seen tons of "Championship ready? We're not even League One ready" comments today on FB and Twitter. I said this would happen and shouldnt have been made public and got roundly attacked on here.

People attacking that slogan are too thick to actually understand the sentiment behind it.

I actually don't think accusing a poster of being thick is particularly beneficial. I suspect like you I take it to mean the facilities. It's never actually been defined by the club and its more an example of promotional jargon speech that permeates modern society, which is open to broad interpretation.  We've improved the sound system and toilets doesn't hit the headlines like saying we are Championship ready but isn't open to misinformation.

[mr.hobblesworth]

34 minutes ago, JRC said:

This preseason was always going to be tough. We had a late finish .... then a July start due to this world cup affected season.  

But we knew all that a year ago. We knew in January that we'd need a new keeper and the management presumably knew we would need strikers back then too. I don't buy all these excuses for not being ready for the new season. There should have been plans in place to cover both League One and League Two, not all this blaming that we didn't know which league we'd be in. Grimsby, Sunderland and Forest all went up via the play-offs and they've managed to get full squads together. 

[PV1973]

37 minutes ago, Playa Amodores said:

I notice caprice was an unused sub for them today. Don’t know why, but he played extremely well at VP in the left back/ left midfield, I know we need forwards and a GK, but I’d have him anytime. I suppose the problem would the be we’d probably have to play with a back four. I personally don’t have a problem with the flexibility of this instead of being rigid and playing the same formation week in week out.

He didn’t play well against us at their place in May though. I’m sure he played wing back that day. 
 

We need someone in midfield to control the ball and the tempo of the game. Garrity and Charsley aren’t that type of player. It’s plain as day we need a striker or 2, but that midfield area is a worry until we get bodies back fit. Robinson did well today, the one positive of the game. 

[Hoppers]

New goalkeeper - no problem -  we may well be having Lucas back after reading Chesterfield managers comments about him today 🤣🤣🤣 although in fairness, he did last almost 30 minutes of his debut - well done Lucas 

[JimmyPVFC]

2 minutes ago, mr.hobblesworth said:

But we knew all that a year ago. We knew in January that we'd need a new keeper and the management presumably knew we would need strikers back then too. I don't buy all these excuses for not being ready for the new season. There should have been plans in place to cover both League One and League Two, not all this blaming that we didn't know which league we'd be in. Grimsby, Sunderland and Forest all went up via the play-offs and they've managed to get full squads together. 

I think this though comes down to the constraints the manger is operating under. We don't have the biggest budget in the league he wants to sign players that will really make a difference so he's got to be spot on with his recruitment hence why we are in the situation we are in. We could have kept your theo Robinson's and amoos on the books but u we would still lose at exeter. We had a similar situation under Micky Adams as though it was dire under smurf and he walked. I'm sure Carol will find the money but we carnt anywhere near compete financially with sheff wed, derby and and Ipswich they are operating in a different market.