Match Thread: Port Vale v Bristol Rovers

[valefan16]

I know he gets loads of stick on here so I dont expect many to agree but i thought Donnelly had a decent game yesterday,yes he has made mistakes(like they all have) but he is a young lad in his first few months playing League football and i dont think he has been as bad as many make out tbf

He did yes as he did Tuesday and seems to be getting better.

Lads had some stinkers but can’t fault his character as he never hides and bounces back which is positive and clearly is ability there.

If he just works a bit on his distribution he has the attributes.

[JoeB2]

I like Wilson. Cult hero status.

One of the absolute basics for being a professional athlete is being fit and available to compete. He rarely is, for a number of reasons. Playing 31% of minutes and scoring 3 goals just isn't anywhere near enough.

For that I think he should be released. I'm also not sure he's quite as irreplaceable as people argue. 

[DaneValiant]

This win, for the first time in months, has got me fully interested in football again. I've got a season ticket, got one for next year, always go to games. But after every dour Vale performance, I'd scan the other results on BBC, close the app and think little about football until next Saturday (except for the odd little check of OVF).

Now this weekend I'm reading match reports, looking at the leagues - who will stay up, who will get to the playoffs - hunting for early highlights of the match that people have captured off iFollow.

What a difference a 2-0 home win can make.

[Valiant in Brum]

I like Wilson. Cult hero status.
One of the absolute basics for being a professional athlete is being fit and available to compete. He rarely is, for a number of reasons. Playing 31% of minutes and scoring 3 goals just isn't anywhere near enough.
For that I think he should be released. I'm also not sure he's quite as irreplaceable as people argue. 

His wages could free up more reliable replacements.

[Warren]

1 hour ago, maccapvfc said:

On going down I dislike Morecambe and Accrington (mainly just Coleman for his comments about us). I don’t care who else it is. 
 

Coming up, I’d agree with those you’ve said but I’d add Salford to the list of the teams I don’t want to see come up through the play offs (although Wrexham have taken over from them as the BBCs lovechild and ‘underdog’ story’). I’ve been keeping an eye on Mansfield and was hoping they would overtake Salford. Mansfield have got a decent fan base. 
 

I’m absolutely buzzing still, that relief of finally getting the result and performance we desperately needed and wanted. 

It's a good walk from Lancaster station to Morecambe over the railway bridge and mostly through park land. Can also visit Ernie's statue. 

Accrington monumentally annoyed me at Vale Park, but they had a great chip van when I went there a few times about a decade ago. 

So I guess I will miss them.

[Wrex]

1 hour ago, Warren said:

According to WiKi, and likely a bit inaccurate, he has played in 65 games for us scoring 13 goals. Over just under 2 seasons that is not bad. 

In his earlier career, after going out on loan from Man Utd to Derby, he got a bad knee injury and was out for about a whole season. His total of career games aged 27 is a bit lower than expected. In the season before joining us he played 29 games for Salford scoring 9 goals according to WiKi. Again not bad. 

Whilst Wiki is accurate, it just gives appearance plus goal data.

https://uk.soccerway.com/players/james-anthony-wilson/314164/

A bit more detail from this stat website shows that of his 24 appearances this season he has started 16 games and made 8 substitute appearances, and has been substituted 15 times. This means he has only played the full 90 minutes once this season (unless he was subbed off as a sub and I forgot about it). Last season he started 41 games, but still had to be substituted out 30 times.

[werstayinup]

12 hours ago, 1 said:

Great performance. Bristol absolutely atrocious especially at the back. Should have had 5 first half but understandably managed the game 2nd half. Ellis was unplayable and had them all at sea, hopefully not injured. Ojo showed he’s L1 class and ran the show. Forrester and Smith back to their imperious best. Wilson again takes a battering and unfortunately he’s singled out to take it every game because teams know he’ll break down, such a shame as he has that extra quality. Massey was a threat. That incident with Proctor looked like a massive over-reaction to me but maybe there was more in it. Cruised throughout.

Crosby said that Worrall and Harrison had problems with their groin so they came off and Wilson his achilles 

[Warren]

3 minutes ago, Valiant in Brum said:

9 minutes ago, JoeB2 said:

I like Wilson. Cult hero status.
One of the absolute basics for being a professional athlete is being fit and available to compete. He rarely is, for a number of reasons. Playing 31% of minutes and scoring 3 goals just isn't anywhere near enough.
For that I think he should be released. I'm also not sure he's quite as irreplaceable as people argue. 

His wages could free up more reliable replacements.

We don't know what his wages are. 

[werstayinup]

10 hours ago, osprey said:

1 swallow doesn’t make a summer 

That's what i keep saying to the Mrs

[Warren]

5 minutes ago, Wrex said:

Whilst Wiki is accurate, it just gives appearance plus goal data.

https://uk.soccerway.com/players/james-anthony-wilson/314164/

A bit more detail from this stat website shows that of his 24 appearances this season he has started 16 games and made 8 substitute appearances, and has been substituted 15 times. This means he has only played the full 90 minutes once this season (unless he was subbed off as a sub and I forgot about it). Last season he started 41 games, but still had to be substituted out 30 times.

The sub argument is valid and invalid. When starting games teams often change forwards at 70 mins because they gas. Or if on the bench and losing he's a useful weapon to bring on. 

But I'm also in the devil you know camp with our strikers if we can start the season with 4/5 fully fit. I don't think there is better out there at our size of club. 

[jeffers]

1 minute ago, werstayinup said:

Crosby said that Worrall and Harrison had problems with their groin so they came off and Wilson his achilles 

So JW is still suffering with his achilles following his mugging by the Wednesday thug. As many have said, there is a reason he is targeted. Even yesterday he was taken out with a rugby challenge.

[Warren]

6 minutes ago, jeffers said:

So JW is still suffering with his achilles following his mugging by the Wednesday thug. As many have said, there is a reason he is targeted. Even yesterday he was taken out with a rugby challenge.

I think he can be targeted more because he is a second striker and gets on the ball in the opposition half. It's when he's deep he gets clogged. They would not do that to what I call a penalty box striker. 

[southport vale]

I'm interested in how we do in the last 2 games before I come to conclusion about the squad. Yesterday was a good opportunity to get the points we needed as Bristol had nothing to play for the 2 remaining games will be quite different. 
Currently a lot of the loan players are not really making an impact. Garrity and Wozza are a must as is Harrison. Robinson, Butterworth and Massey are presently not doing a lot so I would let go. 
I see Stockton is back scoring again should we go back for him again perhaps so if  Proctor goes.

As I said let’s see after the next 2 games.

[Warren]

10 minutes ago, southport vale said:

I'm interested in how we do in the last 2 games before I come to conclusion about the squad. Yesterday was a good opportunity to get the points we needed as Bristol had nothing to play for the 2 remaining games will be quite different. 
Currently a lot of the loan players are not really making an impact. Garrity and Wozza are a must as is Harrison. Robinson, Butterworth and Massey are presently not doing a lot so I would let go. 
I see Stockton is back scoring again should we go back for him again perhaps so if  Proctor goes.

As I said let’s see after the next 2 games.

Worrall is not getting younger albeit his fitness is unquestionable. I don't think we can afford to churn the squad. The best approach is to keep as many as we can and strengthen defence, left back and keeper options. I think we tested our players under Crosby at Ipswich and against mid table Bristol yesterday and when at it they're a pretty useful team at this level. 

I feel Charlton are positioned where we should be if we had not imploded our season in February and March. They're sold mid table. Plymouth could be a very interesting test. I sort of don't want to ruin their party, but it's a chance to show we are really at as a team

[Valiant in Brum]

We don't know what his wages are. 

We don't but he is still taking one that could be put somewhere else.