Some people are so blind to whats happening. we are replacing departing players with better options loans and permanent. lets see where we are on Feb 1st. i think people will be pleasently surprised if the mood at training on Thursday was anything to go by.

Football has changed. You don't have to like it but you have to accept it. You look a bit idiotic if you don't.

I think some fan bases favour certain styles over others.

Vale fans seem to prefer a more "up and at 'em" style, over patient, slow approach.

Adams > Page

Clarke > Crosby

I think Stoke are the same. Must be an area thing?

I suppose last minute moves can be a real pain if the club has not got a replacement lined up or cover. I just hope we are in control of any movement and are not left weakened like the last January window. Hope we have learnt a good lesson from last January.

I think that this is a good point. Stoke is a working class area and the city seems to like the "up and at em" approach. The last few games we have seen a mixture of ways to play and this maybe to way forward.

25 minutes ago, fuzzyvalefan said:

Football has changed. You don't have to like it but you have to accept it. You look a bit idiotic if you don't.

Why do you have to accept it? If I team is struggling and towards the bottom why would that be acceptable? 

Why do you have to accept it? If I team is struggling and towards the bottom why would that be acceptable? 

Well, in every league somebody has to be bottom. They don't necessarily have to be a bad side even, if the rest are better. [emoji57]

26 minutes ago, fuzzyvalefan said:

Some people are so blind to whats happening. we are replacing departing players with better options loans and permanent. lets see where we are on Feb 1st. i think people will be pleasently surprised if the mood at training on Thursday was anything to go by.

I do agree let's see on Feb 1st but...

Arblaster > Jenson Weir. Unproven loan replacement replacing our probably best player this season so far
Devine > Gore probably coming in. Unproven loan replacement replacing arguably our best player in December
Balmer > Williams = proven not good enough, unproved loan replacement
Thomas > no replacement yet
Conlon > no replacement yet 

I don't think you can argue we are replacing departing players with better permanent signings because we haven't made a permanent signing so far. Balmer wasn't good enough so his replacement is potentially better already. The other two might be better than what we had, or they might not.

Like I say, I am waiting until Feb 1st to really judge things but I really hope we do improve our squad for the second half of the season.

4 minutes ago, Emile said:

I do agree let's see on Feb 1st but...

Arblaster > Jenson Weir. Unproven loan replacement replacing our probably best player this season so far
Devine > Gore probably coming in. Unproven loan replacement replacing arguably our best player in December
Balmer > Williams = proven not good enough, unproved loan replacement
Thomas > no replacement yet
Conlon > no replacement yet 

I don't think you can argue we are replacing departing players with better permanent signings because we haven't made a permanent signing so far. Balmer wasn't good enough so his replacement is potentially better already. The other two might be better than what we had, or they might not.

Like I say, I am waiting until Feb 1st to really judge things but I really hope we do improve our squad for the second half of the season.

Agreed, you can't argue that we've replaced the players with the same or better quality until they've had time to gel and settle. 

Both Arblaster and Devine, were both unproven when they arrived at the Vale. My opinion, Devine took longer to settle than Arblaster because he came later than the Blaster did. 

I've no objection if we're getting loan players in, in January - as they can't return to their parent club until the season has finished (unless they pick up a long term injury obviously - then their fitness and wellbeing will be managed by the parent club).

I'm looking forward to getting some signings, get them integrated and hopefully push up the table for a stress free end of the season.  

We will get what we are willing too afford .

To be honest we have looked at times a really good team .

I'm looking forwards to seeing who's coming in .

I think they should try get more folk in ground for Pompey game .

At home lately going forwards we have looked to me maybe not to you a really dangerous team 

Let's hope DF has some smashing players up his sleeve 

We are evolving and I feel we are a lot closer to been top 10 than bottom and that's with clever players and recruitment. 

Folk will find anything moan about but me I see a team who can do something in last however many games remain just need keep doing what I've been seeing in home games away 

UTV 

2 hours ago, Rampant Zebra said:

Wrong thread... 😀

The thread is relevant. If the manager and coaching staff at Shrewsbury are sacked it means they will struggle to attract and sign players in the remaining days of the window. Also players approached by other clubs are more likely to leave. All this provides advantage to Port Vale in this window when a main rival in L1 is disadvantaged. 

Edited January 22, 20242 yr by Warren

24 minutes ago, Emile said:

I do agree let's see on Feb 1st but...

Arblaster > Jenson Weir. Unproven loan replacement replacing our probably best player this season so far
Devine > Gore probably coming in. Unproven loan replacement replacing arguably our best player in December
Balmer > Williams = proven not good enough, unproved loan replacement
Thomas > no replacement yet
Conlon > no replacement yet 

I don't think you can argue we are replacing departing players with better permanent signings because we haven't made a permanent signing so far. Balmer wasn't good enough so his replacement is potentially better already. The other two might be better than what we had, or they might not.

Like I say, I am waiting until Feb 1st to really judge things but I really hope we do improve our squad for the second half of the season.

Weren’t Arblaster and Devine unproven when they came here ?  Then you say Williams and Gore unproven ,

51 minutes ago, valeparklife said:

I think some fan bases favour certain styles over others.

Vale fans seem to prefer a more "up and at 'em" style, over patient, slow approach.

Adams > Page

Clarke > Crosby

I think Stoke are the same. Must be an area thing?

I think the majority of fans will accept a more patient approach if there’s some end product, which in my view there was earlier in the season, we just couldn’t finish in front of goal.  Towards the back end of our winless spell it had all become slow, crab like passing.  In fairness it’s up to the more advanced players to give the defenders some decent options when we’re playing out from the back and often our movement was poor.  In the ideal world we’d be “up an at ‘em” without the ball and play a high tempo passing style when we have possession……if we have the players to do this.

Just now, Warren said:

The thread is relevant. If the manager and coaching staff at Shrewsbury are sacked it means they will struggle to attract and sign players in the remaining days of the window. Also players approached by other clubs are likely to leave. All this provides advantage to Port Vale in this window when a main rival in L1 is disabled. 

Fair point, it was only a lighthearted remark really. 🙂

From what I've read of Dan Gore (and that's not much admittedly) he seems to be someone who enjoys a tackle and will get stuck in. So, a different player from Devine. However, I wonder if having one of those (showing my age here) all action "Andy Porter types" will help the defence? I think we've been badly missing Ojo and perhaps Gore can come up and add that screen in front of the back three?