Where do we go from here?

[Brian Johnson]

We brought Gary West around the same time or just a little bit later that we signed Dean Glover

[Iron Curtain]

On results.
 

I have gone back 3 years to look at some of the runs that each promoted team had in their first season back in league 1.

2021-22

Bolton - LLLDLWLWDLLLL  
Cambridge - LLDLWLLD  
Celtenham - DLDLLDDDLDD  
Morcambe - LLLDLLWDLLLDL

2020-21

Swindon - LLLLDLWLDLL  
Plymouth - LLLLLLLWDL  
Northampton - LDLDLLDLDL  
Crewe - LWLLLWWLL

2019-20

Lincoln - LLWLLDLLWLDLDL  
MKDons - LLLLLDLLLLLD  
Tranmere - LDLDLLLLLDL  
Bury - out of business due to overspending 

Can anyone calling for directors of football to be removed, or things to change please tell me why we have a god given right to go through our first season back at this level without out having a sticky patch?

 

[WV]

God knows why people think we should be challenging for promotion in our first or even second season in this league. 

[Vale Ball]

God knows why people think we should be challenging for promotion in our first or even second season in this league. 

Only they " know" the reason.

Sent from my SM-A217F using onevalefan mobile app

[NellyTheValiant]

14 minutes ago, WV said:

God knows why people think we should be challenging for promotion in our first or even second season in this league. 

I suppose that they can only state what Crosby said about pushing for the top 6

[ginginator]

33 minutes ago, Brian Johnson said:

We brought Gary West around the same time or just a little bit later that we signed Dean Glover

We had Sproey then he did his knee in and retired, before he went to Brum. Glover came in and we changed the back 4 and our style a bit. Bit like Parkin who we signed not pretty but could defend, chalk and cheese I suppose. 

[Breadwinner]

God knows why people think we should be challenging for promotion in our first or even second season in this league. 

It's not the challenging for promotion its the manner of these home defeats especially v Peterboro and yesterday .
Nearly 7000 home support yesterday no attempts on target ,yes I know its hard play with no strikers I get that but at no point once we fell behind did we play with any intensity .
Why we not resilient as well how many times do we lose and its too every attempt on target ain't it our players job block get in front of there men etc make sure our goalie has nowt do other teams do I tell you why we have a soft centre .
We do not expect promotion but we expect our players to raise the roof and play like losing is not a option .
We too easy to beat thats why the support are kicking off and rightly so .
3 home defeats on the spin Derby impressed me but I wouldn't say any other side who has come to VP as this season the fact we lose so often tells me a lot of players are away team players they ain't suited to playing at home for sure well we need for next season if we survive this season players who are able to play home and away .
UTV

[Fosse69]

3 minutes ago, NellyTheValiant said:

I suppose that they can only state what Crosby said about pushing for the top 6

After the Plymouth win things looked promising that we would be looking up, but without strikers that was snatched away. In any case we would have been the outsiders with very stiff competition.

[JRC]

Donaldson,  Shanahan or anyone else who invests in a lower league football team has to be a little insane. Enjoy a little success, income increases by a little but expectations even more. In terms of being competitive with some of the big teams in this league a couple of million as a one off investment is a quick caffeine rush. Compared to the Coates investment down the road it's small beer .... and they ain't doing that great. I think I invest a lot in the club with a season ticket and an iplayer subscription as I am rarely in the country. I'd need to live another 14777.7 years to match what the Shanahan's have invested. God knows how many years I'd need to live if I was a Stoke fan!

[NellyTheValiant]

Just now, Fosse69 said:

After the Plymouth win things looked promising that we would be looking up, but without strikers that was snatched away. In any case we would have been the outsiders with very stiff competition.

I completely agree, never expected to be in the position in the 1st place and felt that we were in a false position but we havd the points on the board so obviously very pleased.   I think that you can play the odd game without strikers but to continually do it must have an effect on the remaining players, I'd assume too that players like Wilson would be look on as senior so faily influencial.  Been a big miss.

[Stokie]

Dear me boys and girls , you're mid table in league 1, holding your own with owners who have revolutionised the club and atmosphere. Did you really expect to be in the play offs ? Staying up and consolidation was the key this season and make small steps forward which you have done? 

The owners do not have a bottomless pit of money to throw at the club and are doing it the right way and within their means! 

This is coming from a Stoke fan looking in by the way. 

[gavcradd]

53 minutes ago, Iron Curtain said:

Can anyone calling for directors of football to be removed, or things to change please tell me why we have a god given right to go through our first season back at this level without out having a sticky patch?

Misses the point spectacularly. No one is moaning about being 14th in the league, or having lost a few games. Most of us would have bitten your hand off at finishing mid table at the start of the season.

It's the manner of the defeats and particularly the fact that we have zero fit strikers despite that position being our priority for the past two windows. We have an expensive recruitment team who spout a lot hot air but don't get anything done. We have a problem with injured strikers but then sign, err, an injured striker. Something is wrong. I don't want us to bankrupt ourselves signing someone on £10k a week, but are there really no players sitting on the bench at L1/Championship level, or doing well in L2/the conference who wouldn't bust a gut to come and play week in, week out at Vale Park? I keep hearing they only want to sign players that will improve the team. At the moment a one legged 50 year old striker would improve the team.

As soon as the teamsheet came out yesterday, I thought we'd struggle. As soon as we went 1-0 down I knew we'd get nothing. Do you know how dispiriting that is with so long left to go? 

How many goals have we scored since we've been playing with no strikers? How many shots on target even? Not exactly rocket science. It stinks. The attendance on Tuesday will be the lowest league gate of the season and that's entirely Flickers and the recruitment team's fault.

[mr.hobblesworth]

3 minutes ago, gavcradd said:

Misses the point spectacularly. No one is moaning about being 14th in the league, or having lost a few games. Most of us would have bitten your hand off at finishing mid table at the start of the season.

It's the manner of the defeats and particularly the fact that we have zero fit strikers despite that position being our priority for the past two windows. We have an expensive recruitment team who spout a lot hot air but don't get anything done. We have a problem with injured strikers but then sign, err, an injured striker. Something is wrong.

As soon as the teamsheet came out yesterday, I thought we'd struggle. As soon as we went 1-0 down I knew we'd get nothing. Do you know how dispiriting that is with so long left to go?

How many goals have we scored since we've been playing with no strikers? Not exactly rocket science. It stinks. The attendance on Tuesday will be the lowest league gate of the season.

Well said. The hoops that some are jumping through to avoid admitting that we've maybe made mistakes. 

[pete vale]

1 hour ago, Fosse69 said:

Glover was bought to clinch promotion 3 seasons after promotion, we are only in our first season in Tier 3. Did not the money come from selling Andy Jones a player we had developed?

Andy Jones was sold in September 1987, Glover bought in Feb 1989. More likely 'some' of the money came from the 87/88 cup run and Bill Bell's confidence in JR in the transfer market.

Whatever Vale (Rudge & Bell) did it worked and the key here wasmaking sure we had a side that could compete with the likes of Wolves, Sheff Utd and laterly Stoke on the pitch. Take care of the football and football takes care of itself. Football and sport in itself is often a game of risk and taking a chance. More fail than succeed.

 

[pete vale]

1 hour ago, Iron Curtain said:

On results.
 

I have gone back 3 years to look at some of the runs that each promoted team had in their first season back in league 1.

2021-22

Bolton - LLLDLWLWDLLLL  
Cambridge - LLDLWLLD  
Celtenham - DLDLLDDDLDD  
Morcambe - LLLDLLWDLLLDL

2020-21

Swindon - LLLLDLWLDLL  
Plymouth - LLLLLLLWDL  
Northampton - LDLDLLDLDL  
Crewe - LWLLLWWLL

2019-20

Lincoln - LLWLLDLLWLDLDL  
MKDons - LLLLLDLLLLLD  
Tranmere - LDLDLLLLLDL  
Bury - out of business due to overspending 

Can anyone calling for directors of football to be removed, or things to change please tell me why we have a god given right to go through our first season back at this level without out having a sticky patch?

 

The only thing I would ask is this: "How many of those 'sticky' patches coincided with the club having no strikers for a given period of time?" We have gained promotion, some say before time and appear to have the attitude of 'make do and mend', which is fine but eventually lends itself to a struggle.