Match Thread: Port Vale v Plymouth Argyle

[ValeForever.]

19 hours ago, CambridgeDon said:

Let me see if I can get you off the fence in regards to Butterworth.

This season he's played 32 games with 4 assists and 3 goals, which is a very poor return though it is better than Massey who is on 43 games with two goals and two assists - enough said.

Having said that, our list of goal scorers and assists makes for shocking reading. If it looks the same at the end of next season, we will be looking at the record of a struggling team.

Wake up, Mr Flitcroft - you have a lot to do.

I take your points re Butterworth, but let me throw a question back...

Based on what you have seen this season, if we decided to play with a number 10 just behind the strikers next season & the options were Butterworth or Conlon, who would you pick?

IMO Butterworth is a more technically gifted player than Conlon. I genuinely think if he was given a consistent run of games in that position in the hole behind the strikers, he would do well.

[timvalefan]

11 minutes ago, ValeForever. said:

I take your points re Butterworth, but let me throw a question back...

Based on what you have seen this season, if we decided to play with a number 10 just behind the strikers next season & the options were Butterworth or Conlon, who would you pick?

IMO Butterworth is a more technically gifted player than Conlon. I genuinely think if he was given a consistent run of games in that position in the hole behind the strikers, he would do well.

I agree, how is Butterworth supposed to form a relationship/understanding with the strikers if he is not played there consistently, and the strikers are constantly changed.

[CambridgeDon]

18 minutes ago, ValeForever. said:

I take your points re Butterworth, but let me throw a question back...

Based on what you have seen this season, if we decided to play with a number 10 just behind the strikers next season & the options were Butterworth or Conlon, who would you pick?

IMO Butterworth is a more technically gifted player than Conlon. I genuinely think if he was given a consistent run of games in that position in the hole behind the strikers, he would do well.

Yes, that's a very good question; my answer to it is: neither.

The player who should be playing behind the strikers - and has hardly ever been played there this season - is Garrity. Along with playing Worrall at wing back instead of much further forward where he would be more effective, this is probably one of the biggest tactical mistakes we've made. Garrity scored 12 goals for us in 21-22 and suddenly gets put in a position that nullifies his strengths, makes us less creative and reduces our goal tally.

No wonder we've struggled to score when we have the best crosser in the team spending half his time defending and our joint top scorer in his least effective position.

So, to me, that only strengthens the case against Butterworth because imho we don't need to play him either out wide or behind the front two - we need to play our best players in their best positions and what a difference we'd see. 

[Guitar Ray]

14 minutes ago, timvalefan said:

I agree, how is Butterworth supposed to form a relationship/understanding with the strikers if he is not played there consistently, and the strikers are constantly changed.

The problem is that you can start someone like Butterworth and that’s ok when the team isn’t full of equally inexperienced players.  We’ve got a squad of players with little overall experience at the level, and those that have the experience aren’t necessarily the best, we’ve then got young loanees, such as Butters, plus we now look like having a couple of decent youth players coming through.  In my view we need to recruit far more experienced players for next season, supplemented by a few decent loans, and hopefully boosted by the arrival of a few products from our youth setup.

The recruitment team have a really hard job because with a finite pot of money there has to be a balance between recruiting quality and quantity.  It was clearly far easier in League 2.  The more players we need to bring in the lower their individual quality is likely to be, so anyone hoping for a clear out would do well to keep this in mind.  Do we retain more of our existing players and add a sprinkling of real quality?  Do we allow most to leave and then have to recruit more replacements?  Tough choices.

[Doha]

Boring last day in the Championship as relegatation is already settled but in L2 -

Tranmere vs Northampton - If Stockport beat relegated Hartlepool, Northampton have to win to avoid missing autos a second time in a row. Currently winning 1-0.

Bradford vs Orient - Orient already champions, got dicked last week. If they avenge that Mansfield can then steal the last PO place from Bradford by beating Colchester by a few clear goals. Salford and a long shot but Carlisle could also drop out.

 

Jeff Stelling's last time ever presenting SSN too.

[Hoppers]

21 minutes ago, Doha said:

Boring last day in the Championship as relegatation is already settled but in L2 -

Tranmere vs Northampton - If Stockport beat relegated Hartlepool, Northampton have to win to avoid missing autos a second time in a row. Currently winning 1-0.

Bradford vs Orient - Orient already champions, got dicked last week. If they avenge that Mansfield can then steal the last PO place from Bradford by beating Colchester by a few clear goals. Salford and a long shot but Carlisle could also drop out.

 

Jeff Stelling's last time ever presenting SSN too.

Doha your giving me an edache here - just post after the matches n tell me who is in the playoffs - my squidgy brain can handle that 😍😍😍😍😍😍

 

[valiant_593]

1 hour ago, ValeForever. said:

I take your points re Butterworth, but let me throw a question back...

Based on what you have seen this season, if we decided to play with a number 10 just behind the strikers next season & the options were Butterworth or Conlon, who would you pick?

IMO Butterworth is a more technically gifted player than Conlon. I genuinely think if he was given a consistent run of games in that position in the hole behind the strikers, he would do well.

Thought he was pretty poor all season baring a couple of decent games at the start. Was hopeless at this level last year as well. Stats don’t lie and over two seasons his return isn’t close to being good enough. 100% think we should avoid signing him. Not sure why it should be out of him and Conlon? Conlon Dosent play there, we have a full window to go out and get someone. It’s probably the one position I have a bit of faith in a young prem loan signing because of it being a technical position. But for me, 100% we shouldn’t sign him. 

[Doha]

Northampton, Stockport, Mansfield winning

Bradford and Salford drawing

Carlisle losing

Need an Orient goal. I don't like Bradford, and would like to see Mansfield come up after their capitulation at Wembley against us.

[mr.hobblesworth]

 

18 minutes ago, Doha said:

Northampton, Stockport, Mansfield winning

Bradford and Salford drawing

Carlisle losing

Need an Orient goal. I don't like Bradford, and would like to see Mansfield come up after their capitulation at Wembley against us.

I just want Salford and Stockport to stay down.

[Fosse69]

19 minutes ago, mr.hobblesworth said:

 

I just want Salford and Stockport to stay down.

Bradford City to come up? 22,500 currently watching them hanging on to a PO place.

[mbycars]

20 hours ago, Brian Johnson said:

I have done and they are all saying that they won very comfortably & the result was never in doubt even at being 1-0 down

In your own words BUNKUM. 

There has been nothing but praise from Plymouth fans.

[NorthwoodValiant]

15 minutes ago, Fosse69 said:

Bradford City to come up? 22,500 currently watching them hanging on to a PO place.

Bradford aren't as rich as Salford or Stockport though

[Doha]

Stockport have an injury time pen saved by a very impressive Killip in the Hartlepool nets

Mansfield scored a second in the 97th min but it's not enough as Bradford drew.

Bradford and Salford finish in the POs, disappointing.

So harsh on Mansfield finishing 13 points ahead of 9th.

 

[Brian Johnson]

23 minutes ago, mbycars said:

In your own words BUNKUM. 

There has been nothing but praise from Plymouth fans.

Bunkum to your comments too.

Nothing but praise from Plymouth for our hospitality & the way handled the lifting of the trophy at the end but Plymouth never got out of 1st gear or even broke sweat

[mr.hobblesworth]

12 minutes ago, Doha said:

Stockport have an injury time pen saved by a very impressive Killip in the Hartlepool nets

Mansfield scored a second in the 97th min but it's not enough as Bradford drew.

Bradford and Salford finish in the POs, disappointing.

So harsh on Mansfield finishing 13 points ahead of 9th.

 

Any Vale interest in the play off games? Hussey and Johnson (I assume it's Ryan ) for County, not sure about the others.