Match Thread: Port Vale v Cheltenham Town

[dazzerjames]

Better side under Crosby than Clarke tinkering every game 

No we weren’t

[Guitar Ray]

1 hour ago, fraggle said:

The tinker man… I’ll say little more about the game. Again DC has to hold his hands up, in that he made the wrong changes during the game….

I just don’t get how we sign players like Politic, we get all excited and he isn’t even in the match day squad!! Annoying isn’t the word.

The irony in your comment is that DC will have to “tinker” to get Politic into the squad.

[Packmoor_vale]

1 hour ago, PortVale4Life said:

Better side under Crosby than Clarke tinkering every game 

I’m sure someone else was in charge when DC was away can’t remember his name though but when he left the defeats started then DC came back and finished the job 

[soothsayer]

2 hours ago, fraggle said:

I just don’t get how we sign players like Politic, we get all excited and he isn’t even in the match day squad!! Annoying isn’t the word.

So you think a player who has played 13 first team minutes in 2022 with a second division Italian club is match fit enough for L1?

I think I’ll leave the team selection to our coaching team thanks.

[Iron Curtain]

41 minutes ago, Birches Head Fred said:

Frustrating game, silly first goal to concede yet again and how many time do teams score with either their first (or sometimes only) shot on target ?

Have we managed to play 2 games in succession with the same starting 11 ? no wonder we seem disjointed.

Never liked the idea of 5 subs, disrupts the game far too much and although it can't be argued that it was the reason we conceded so late, it can't surely of helped.

Excellent goal by the debut boy and in my view, highlights the fact that when Worrall plays in a more forward role, he is able to get pinpoint crosses in, considering his ability I really don't understand why (although some claim it's as Half-back/wing-back) he is asked to play as a full-back.

Not too downhearted, we aren't far off and although they look a tough run of fixtures ahead isn't that the entire point of promotion ?

Last time we played Cheltenham, the league finished directly after and we had to settle for our league position - if the season finished today most of us would accept that 17th position in our first season in League One was more than acceptable.

Onwards and upwards.

Left it a day before commenting int his one… this post sums my thoughts up well.

We had a couple of really good chances to bury the game and if Harrison’s header goes in rather than hits the bar we would all be a little happier.

Poor performance… we know there is room for improvement.

Something isn’t right with Garrity… watch the blink footage of Mipos goal. He doesn’t celebrate, just turns round and walks back with his head down.

Not panicking, and neither will I be after a very tricky next few games.

Keep your heads… some of you won’t.

KTF

UTV

[DazFred]

12 minutes ago, Iron Curtain said:

Left it a day before commenting int his one… this post sums my thoughts up well.

We had a couple of really good chances to bury the game and if Harrison’s header goes in rather than hits the bar we would all be a little happier.

Poor performance… we know there is room for improvement.

Something isn’t right with Garrity… watch the blink footage of Mipos goal. He doesn’t celebrate, just turns round and walks back with his head down.

Not panicking, and neither will I be after a very tricky next few games.

Keep your heads… some of you won’t.

KTF

UTV

Well said IC 

Always a calm balanced post. I was v angry yesterday... I've watched the highlights and the equaliser was panicked defending due to sitting too deep. 

Players have still to settle in but I put this down to the constant chopping and changing of the starting line up and that is down to the manager. I still feel that the key to picking up enough points puts the emphasis on our home games. 

 

[Quebec_Valiant]

2 hours ago, PortVale4Life said:

Better side under Crosby than Clarke tinkering every game 

Maybe, Crosby does have the best win ratio of any manager in Vale's history though.  It's quite a high bar to set.

[Diego Maradona]

9 minutes ago, Iron Curtain said:

Left it a day before commenting int his one… this post sums my thoughts up well.

We had a couple of really good chances to bury the game and if Harrison’s header goes in rather than hits the bar we would all be a little happier.

Poor performance… we know there is room for improvement.

Something isn’t right with Garrity… watch the blink footage of Mipos goal. He doesn’t celebrate, just turns round and walks back with his head down.

Not panicking, and neither will I be after a very tricky next few games.

Keep your heads… some of you won’t.

KTF

UTV

My thoughts also.  Sat there after the game thinking that on another day it could have been 4-1. 
 

Cheltenham were very poor although Broom livened them up a bit second half. We were awful as well yesterday, the game was flat and strangely, so was the atmosphere.

Regarding Garrity, I thought he was poor yesterday. Interesting observation you make on Garrity after Mipo's goal. Something not quite right. It also made me wonder if we are a 'happy camp' in the dressing room after a couple of Clarke's interviews. On one of the interviews (not sure which one - may have been a pre match interview) he made a comment with words to the effect 'if the players don't want to play, we'll move them on or they can move on.' Also, he wasn't chuffed yesterday during his interview which I can fully understand.

Back to Garrity - excluding the wing backs, we only had 3 attack minded players on the pitch. So for me, it would have been Garrity's job to make links between the midfield and attackers as he was the furthest forward of the midfielders. However, this didn't happen. I feel we needed another player in the midfield like Conlon or Holden but I think Clarke said they were injured.

Tough September remaining. Keep believing.
 

 

[Jacko51]

1 hour ago, valeparklife said:

Which is exactly what people were saying when we had Tomas Holy here, including yourself if I remember right?

I like Stevens, but it's frustrating to have two games where we could have got 4 points, and we only end up with 1. It's not like our goal was being peppered vs Portsmouth and Cheltenham?

Holy never made a save and let in two awful goals at Rochdale and Colchester. Stevens is Gordon Banks compared to Holy. 

[bomber]

An other incident of note was when Wilson robbed the full back and squared the ball back for Charsley who was on  another planet he only had to shoot and it was three one! In my eyes as bad as Garritys pass to there keeper. Of note again twice Smithy passed the ball out of play first half when under no pressure , got todo better ! 

[Beamish]

Regarding Garrity's lack of celebration, there were a few occasions last season. 

[Rampant Zebra]

13 minutes ago, Diego Maradona said:

My thoughts also.  Sat there after the game thinking that on another day it could have been 4-1. 
 

Cheltenham were very poor although Broom livened them up a bit second half. We were awful as well yesterday, the game was flat and strangely, so was the atmosphere.

Regarding Garrity, I thought he was poor yesterday. Interesting observation you make on Garrity after Mipo's goal. Something not quite right. It also made me wonder if we are a 'happy camp' in the dressing room after a couple of Clarke's interviews. On one of the interviews (not sure which one - may have been a pre match interview) he made a comment with words to the effect 'if the players don't want to play, we'll move them on or they can move on.' Also, he wasn't chuffed yesterday during his interview which I can fully understand.

Back to Garrity - excluding the wing backs, we only had 3 attack minded players on the pitch. So for me, it would have been Garrity's job to make links between the midfield and attackers as he was the furthest forward of the midfielders. However, this didn't happen. I feel we needed another player in the midfield like Conlon or Holden but I think Clarke said they were injured.

Tough September remaining. Keep believing.
 

 

Was that the interview where he said "I will tear up their contracts if they want to leave"?

[philmpv]

Smithy passed the ball out of play first half when under no pressure , got todo better ! 

That's part of his skillset. Does it at least once a game! Awful passing ability which is never going to improve

[valiant_593]

Smith playing the middle CB isn’t in there to be pinging the ball about. He isn’t good on the ball but there I don’t think he has to be. Which is why I have no idea why we think it’s a good idea to have moved him to RCB against Pompy over forrester. He’s a class defender that’s enough for me. What we should be more worried about is how poor some of our midfielders have looked on the ball recently. Garrity yesterday and Conlon against Pompy. I’m more concerned they can’t pass to a player in a white shirt than smithy. 

[1]

The keeper and defence are more than good enough for midtable by limiting the goals we’ll concede and being decent attacking wingbacks. The mix of strikers is good enough to score enough goals even with injuries here and there. The defensive midfield players are good enough and we have really good options for rotating in that specific role. The obvious, glaring even, issue is we should have one anchoring centre mid, one industrious duel role player and a midfielder who supports the attack, spreads the play and chips in with goals and assists. Without Conlon able to do that for whatever reason, and with no support from someone naturally in that position we’re going to be in for a long season. Garrity is not Conlon’s replacement or second, he’s the duel role. Why we didn’t get a natural Conlon competition midfielder in during the window I have no idea, unless they see Politic in that role.