Match Thread: Exeter City v Port Vale

[LancyTony]

3 hours ago, Walka003 said:

David Flitcroft, as the man in charge of the squad assembled, should seriously evaluate what's happened today and what's happened this summer and rectify it. To let gibbo go, and sign his replacement who isn't fit enough to play, and trust in woz who is perennial injured is stupid. To let us get to the second game of the season with a 17 year old midfielder up front, is stupid.

A lot of you on here have laughed about people panicking. But today is a glimpse into. The future unless they pull there finger out and sign some league one standard players. It's a joke.
 

Gibbo chose to go.

[valefan16]

It’s a a terrible result no doubt about that. With all respect to Exeter that was one of those games we need to be competitive in if we are to have a decent season and to be miles off against a side likely in the bottom half come May with us it’s a bad one. The tests get much harder after this with Bolton H and MK A to follow and going into those on the back of a pasting against a side we took 4 points off in L2 last season isn’t ideal.

Context is that we are decimated with injuries and lack of fitness from players returning from long term injuries and a lack of strikers. Similar to Newport or the second half at Bristol against 10 men. If you have little option up front the ball just comes back and eventually you get over run. I had hoped we wouldn’t be in that same season and a Covid enforced break won’t save us this time.

As a fan it is frustrating and I do agree to some extent that we are pretty much writing August off as a pre season almost. Partly forced with the early start and our late finish, we had 3 weeks more pre season last summer for example but if you’ve travelled all the way to Exeter for that you’d rightly be upset. We will only know if this back fires come May I guess… if we go down by the odd point then it would be questioned for example.

Football is a funny old game though, Fleetwood we’re pretty dire against us last week and then turned over Plymouth today for example.

We do need options though, I’d be using Wednesday to get match fitness into the likes of Holden, Pett, Conlon and hopefully Massey (Wilson for 30 minutes would be a boost) I’m not fussed about the Carabao but we need to see players getting up to speed.

We shouldn’t be in a position where we are playing a youth team midfielder as a striker though, especially at this level.

[LancyTony]

2 hours ago, Old fort said:

They love a good moan on here about how much better former players are. I'm sure a good many would still love to see Pope and his waving arms back. As far as uu losing to Exeter goes, have people already forgotten that they actually were runners up and missed out on the league title by a snip, courtesy of us of course 

It's a bit of an odd forum that you can be critised for remaining positive after two games of W1 L1.   

I'm just surprised some of the whingers haven't suggested seeing if Pope would come back? And, maybe Ian Bogie and Steve Guppy. 

[LancyTony]

2 hours ago, Jacob_123 said:

Gibbo has gone …. Get over it man

In fairness - Walka003 isn't the only one banging on...and on...about Gibbo CHOOSING to leave the Vale!

[LancyTony]

1 hour ago, fred binneys head said:

I won’t say much as I’m sure a detailed analysis will be about as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit...

Neither is a commonsense post!

[LancyTony]

1 hour ago, mr.hobblesworth said:

This forum isn't here to 'help sort anything out'. It's to discuss what's going on at the club and clearly, the most pressing issue for lots (the majority?) of Vale fans is the prep for the new season. Not sure why you're so keen on shutting down this discussion, it's not like you even add to it. Just 'stop moaning' posts which don't really contribute to any debate. <ovf censored> all to do with liking the look of my own posts.

Until this pre-season I have consistently stated how absolutely amazing the club is and how brilliant it is to support a club where things are done properly and for the general good. So, if I feel there's an issue or something not being done right, I think it's fair enough to discuss it on a forum dedicated to what's going on at the club. 

And now you believe that repeating the same old <ovf censored>, ad nauseam, constitutes a discussion? For what it's worth, I usually explain why I think a poster is wrong / mistaken / premature...so I'm happy that I contribute at least as much as you! Trouble is, this has been a shocking, knee-jerk night on OVF and has been even harder work than a few pages worth of Rancid's BS (Is he Radio Stoke Carl, by the way?).

So I'm fine thank you. Am I happy with today's result? - no...but I once stood on the Hamil and watched Workington put 7 past us  and they needed 8 to get promotion...and we were cheering for them! God knows how you and the other Doomsday Preppers would have reacted to that! 

Incidentally - last 4 posts, not a mention of "stop moaning"!

[CAVALIER]

I don’t recall that? Workington? Fair play to them. They’d have done it today

[valiant_593]

1 hour ago, LancyTony said:

Gibbo chose to go.

No he didn’t. 

[valiant_593]

It’s simple. Everyone on here who’s been lambasted for saying we’re short, we’re desperate for signings was right: I mean we’re playing a bloke up to who couldn’t play 45 mins at back end of last season and a 17 year old midfielder up top, what do we seriously expect? We are way short. That isn’t moaning that’s plain to see. I get that signings will come, but when? We’ve blatantly missed out on our targets and now will be feeding off the scraps. We’re two games in and we saw today just how far off a side we beat what 3 games ago we are. We’re miles off. Robinson? Couldn’t get a look in last season now starting in league 1??? What is going on? What ever way you wish to sugar coat it we should be able to pick a strike force at this stage that Dosent include a 17 year old midfielder. 

Dreadful today, didn’t go but watched it on ifollow, didn’t think there was one to come out with any credit and Proctor was appalling. Signings needed and fast. A side that finished 5th in league two needs to strengthen and I really don’t think we have.  We have gone backwards. Should have kept gibbons no question, instead now we’re playing someone who couldn’t get a look in in league 2. 4-0 away to Exeter is a disgusting result, we need to move on and fast and more importantly get some bodies into this club that are FIT and ready to play Now, not a month down the line. 

And for the numpty that keeps saying Gibbo wanted to leave. No he didn’t. He was desperate to stay but vale offered him an insulting deal, due to his injury record but then go out and sign players who have bad injury records themselves. Good performance from him today…. I know who I’d prefer at RWB!!!!

[Jacob_123]

Good point. Never mind eh, not like he's doing better at his next club

You’re like someone who can’t get over their ex

[WilliamBriscoe]

Lots of poor performances yesterday, not helped by the fact that the changes we made at half time were for players who weren’t up to speed fitness wise. A special shout out has to go to Lewis Cass who was absolutely terrible yesterday. We’re all saying we are short but I think the manager needs to get bodies in this week, 4-5 ideally. It won’t happen but please can we just sign a keeper? I have a feeling it will just be the ex Salford lad we already have on trial.

fingers crossed for a better performance next week as that was the worst one I’ve seen from us in a very long time.

[SFBT]

6 hours ago, CAVALIER said:

I don’t recall that? Workington? Fair play to them. They’d have done it today

When was it?

I'm intrigued.

[SFBT]

6 hours ago, valiant_593 said:

It’s simple. Everyone on here who’s been lambasted for saying we’re short, we’re desperate for signings was right: I mean we’re playing a bloke up to who couldn’t play 45 mins at back end of last season and a 17 year old midfielder up top, what do we seriously expect? We are way short. That isn’t moaning that’s plain to see. I get that signings will come, but when? We’ve blatantly missed out on our targets and now will be feeding off the scraps. We’re two games in and we saw today just how far off a side we beat what 3 games ago we are. We’re miles off. Robinson? Couldn’t get a look in last season now starting in league 1??? What is going on? What ever way you wish to sugar coat it we should be able to pick a strike force at this stage that Dosent include a 17 year old midfielder. 

Dreadful today, didn’t go but watched it on ifollow, didn’t think there was one to come out with any credit and Proctor was appalling. Signings needed and fast. A side that finished 5th in league two needs to strengthen and I really don’t think we have.  We have gone backwards. Should have kept gibbons no question, instead now we’re playing someone who couldn’t get a look in in league 2. 4-0 away to Exeter is a disgusting result, we need to move on and fast and more importantly get some bodies into this club that are FIT and ready to play Now, not a month down the line. 

And for the numpty that keeps saying Gibbo wanted to leave. No he didn’t. He was desperate to stay but vale offered him an insulting deal, due to his injury record but then go out and sign players who have bad injury records themselves. Good performance from him today…. I know who I’d prefer at RWB!!!!

A sober, and concerningly real assessment.

Much work to be done.

[SFBT]

17 minutes ago, SFBT said:

When was it?

I'm intrigued.

I've searched for results v Workington. We appear to be unbeaten at Vale Park against them.???

[valeparklife]

I've rewatched the penalty decision a few times and it looks worse and worse each time. A blatant dive that should have resulted in a booking for simulation.

The only "contact" I can see is here, way outside the box:

Sparkes carries on running and is actually clear of Robinson now:

Then throws himself to the floor - complete with back arch + arms in the air (completely unnatural way to fall over as your arms would instinctively be down to break your fall - refs don't seem to understand this obvious concept):

I know it won't change anything. But it did kill the game.

Why don't we get penalties as soft as this? Why don't we get penalties at all?! Can we go 2 full seasons without one?!