2 hours ago, TJHValiant said:

I like the optimism, but this idea we were “scouted” because of our abilities as a club that can nurture talent is a load of bull that Flitcroft has spun us for. I hope it works, but I will take his ability to talk well with a huge pinch of salt. 
 

Man United currently have numerous players on loan at a range of clubs as follows:

44MF ENGDan Gore (at Port Vale)^[231

^]48DF ENGWill Fish (at Hibernian)^[232

^]52FW ENGJoe Hugill (at Burton Albion)^[

^233]66DF ENGRhys Bennett (at Stockport County)^[234

^]68MF POLMaxi Oyedele (at Forest Green Rovers)^[235]

Liverpool

28FW PORFábio Carvalho (at Hull City until 30 June 2024)^[149]

45GK BRAMarcelo Pitaluga (at St Patrick's Athletic until 30 November 2024)^[150

^]46DF ENGRhys Williams (at Port Vale until 30 June 2024)^[151]

72DF NEDSepp van den Berg (at Mainz 05until 30 June 2024)^[152]

Not really the mega coup being touted about. Are all these other clubs, Burton, Forest Green, Stockport all specially selected? In fact, all of his peers are on loan at a level below or equal to us. So the idea we have become a pull for a load of Championship level youngsters isn’t true. They are u23 players in teams we often stuff in paint point games. 

There is no special “scouting magic” that has made us more appealing. We used to get players in from Nottingham Forest quite often under Askey in league 2, it just happens that now we are in league 1, the youngsters can now come from the Prem. 

The only reason any Prem team would be keen to loan their youth players is for games. The reason we can offer them guaranteed football is because we have a glaring shortage of quality in first team areas as we have not bought our own guys in. 

Anything else is just Flitcroft fairy tales and decent PR spin. I admit we are far better at that these days. 

 

The glass is either half full or half empty, depends on your mindset 

Just watched AC’s pre-Portsmouth press interview and he stated that Charlton’s bid for Uche triggered a release value/clause that allowed them to speak to him - so we would get some money for him if he were to leave in this window.

3 hours ago, TJHValiant said:

I like the optimism, but this idea we were “scouted” because of our abilities as a club that can nurture talent is a load of bull that Flitcroft has spun us for. I hope it works, but I will take his ability to talk well with a huge pinch of salt. 

I think there's an element of spin from the club about their status as a prime loan location - but that's only to be expected, your official channels are always going to carry positive PR messages. 

But then again I think there has been progress. I wonder in terms of scouted, it doesn't mean as a unique case but rather Man Utd paid due diligence and reckoned Vale was a good place for loan players. It doesn't mean we're the number one or only destination but rather we're one of several clubs they have reviewed and we're not seen as somewhere you don't send your youngsters (which perhaps we would have been a few years ago). 

I think big clubs are always going to have a number of clubs they deal with often, simply because they often have quite a few to loan out (of varying levels of development) so they are going to want a range of clubs at different levels of the pyramid, in different locations etc.

For me, I think it's a good thing that Vale are clearly in a group of clubs that several Premier League clubs believe create a good environment for young loanees. While some of Flitcroft's statements may be pushing things to the extreme, I think it's perhaps to be expected and in fact some of this PR (the positive endorsements from Arblaster and Devine, for instance) may have actually have helped Vale make their case. 

Ultimately, whether you agree with Flitcroft's comments or not - the proof of the pudding is that this season we have had some of the most successful loanees in years, who have left the club singing our praises and have now been replaced with another crop of Premier League loanees. That surely can only be a good thing and something the club should be proud to promote.

4 hours ago, Vtid said:

I know a lot are on the fence & i'll get pelters but i love gibbo. I'd take him back no mither, Clark been injured more than he was 😂 when both fit they'd make a cracking wing back combination on both sides 

I wud defo have Gibbo back at the Vale 👍

1 hour ago, Bimbleabout said:

How was everyone's porridge

I prefer Ready Brek , Cheers for askin 😆

Any rumours about new signings yet ?

Edited January 25, 20242 yr by Nippy Naylor

Josh Vela has left Fleetwood to join Carlisle,along with Reading it looks like Fleetwood could start to lose their players as well with rumours of them wanting to get rid of Marriott and Stockley off the wage bill

6 minutes ago, werstayinup said:

Josh Vela has left Fleetwood to join Carlisle,along with Reading it looks like Fleetwood could start to lose their players as well with rumours of them wanting to get rid of Marriott and Stockley off the wage bill

Carlisle signed jack diamond as well. Really going for it

10 minutes ago, Loggerheads Sage said:

Carlisle signed jack diamond as well. Really going for it

They had to really. Come into some money as well which helps 😁

Need a striker. Will it be some rando picked up at the last minute or someone scouted “for a few seasons now”

4 minutes ago, 1 said:

Need a striker. Will it be some rando picked up at the last minute or someone scouted “for a few seasons now”

it wlll be last minute on someone that we have scouted for a few seasons

31 minutes ago, robf said:

 

Ultimately, whether you agree with Flitcroft's comments or not - the proof of the pudding is that this season we have had some of the most successful loanees in years, who have left the club singing our praises and have now been replaced with another crop of Premier League loanees. That surely can only be a good thing and something the club should be proud to promote.

We have had two excellent loan players in Arblaster and Devine. That’s it. 

I can’t recall any loan player being critical of the club in the past. Even Alex Jones, after being sold to Bradford warmly praised us, after if we listen to what was to be believed, had basically been nurtured by us on a diet of old Wrights pies that Smurfwaite could not shift from matchdays. 

I just find this idea that we are proven destination for developing young players to be completely wide of the mark, yet. 

It was only 12 months ago our highest profile loan was a crocked, past it, Matty Taylor. 

Balmer was a flop, Josh Thomas never really made much of an impact, but was good against Charlton…that’s pretty typical of most loans. Some good, some bad. 

1 hour ago, Bimbleabout said:

How was everyone's porridge

Yes, back down to the nitty gritty. Mine was not sweet enough

Stevenage have signed Nesta Guinness-Walker from Reading.

That is a great signing for them

On 24/01/2024 at 17:14, Brian Johnson said:

Not In Weatherspoons in London its not

did he buy you a £7.50 pint owd tup!😄