Bolton W (A) FLT 32 match thread 5th Dec

[Brian Johnson]

On 05/12/2023 at 17:44, LancyTony said:

Brian...I thought you weren't abusive?

That one was like a shock WTF instead of directed at the poster

[Brian Johnson]

11 hours ago, Osh said:

 

I'm still sticking with Crosby.  I know i'll get pelters but i've got more backbone than some on here.

 

Why do you think you have more backbone than some on here?

[JoeB2]

18 hours ago, Osh said:

I'm still sticking with Crosby.  I know i'll get pelters but i've got more backbone than some on here.

We get to this point every time. The writing is on the wall for a beleaguered manager but some have an ideological aversion to sacking them, and fall into a rabbit hole of refusing to even consider that someone else could do a better job and get a bit nasty to those who disagree.

They then start getting on a high horse and claiming superiority. I'm never sure why. Usually, it's that they're 'patient' and everyone else are 'children' who 'knee-jerk'. That somehow they're thinking about this a little bit more deeply and cleverly than the imbeciles who want him gone. Having backbone is a new one but in the same realm.

The truth of the matter is, Osh, that the Vale fans on here who think Crosby was a mistake have thought about this just as long and hard as you, and have the exact same intentions for PVFC as you do (to be successful). They just have different conclusions about what's best. The moral superiority that 'never sack ever' fans fall into is both predictable but completely wrong.

Osh, you're a good bloke and a very passionate Vale fan but thinking you're a bit better than everyone else because you don't want to see Crosby removed from post isn't a fantastic look. One could argue that sticking with Crosby would do more damage to PVFC in the long-run than sticking with him for the sake of maintaining the ultra-positive-never-moan-about-anything outlook on life. My view is that you decide to be positive about things and make your arguments from that point, rather than looking at the facts (7-0 loss, 11 games without win, historically low goal return, pedestrian football) and then decide on your view. I was first not keen on Crosby, then got excited by him, but now there's enough evidence to suggest he isn't the man. 

[JoeB2]

The thing is we'll win by the odd goal on Saturday. They're just as poor as us and luck can easily swing a result our way. It will be seen as justification of patience and that we are finally converting the stats into results. He will then continue till the Boro game. Nothing will have concretely changed.

That's why I'm concerned. If he's not on the ropes now, after this run, I'm unsure what the criteria is for his removal. I think the club are desperate for him to succeed to avoid difficult questions about the process that led us to this point. This could have far greater negative implications for us than a swift dismissal tomorrow morning and a professional manager search.

[mr.hobblesworth]

17 minutes ago, JoeB2 said:

 but thinking you're a bit better than everyone else... isn't a fantastic look. 

 

[Warren]

8 hours ago, Brian Johnson said:

Why do you think you have more backbone than some on here?

Crosby has done nothing as a person bad and always represents the club well. But I'm watching dire football repeating the same shortcomings every game. Plus we are losing and slipping closer to relegation. I do think both issues are Crosby related with many points being lost due to his poor tactical sense. His blocked mind can't see how to get attacks / set pieces leading to goal chances set up. So I'm betting that there might be mixed opinions on whether the end is nigh - partly because changing manager is risky as well - partly because Crosby is quite well liked and respected - but we are underachieving in the league and at risk of relegation. Hence something has to improve markedly one way or another and now.

[Rampant Zebra]

Crosby is not the problem, we have had too much turnover in the squad and wasted too much money doing it. Now we are stuck with an unbalanced squad of journeymen players and young loanees who don't really have enough invested in Port Vale as a club. 

[Powerline]

6 minutes ago, Rampant Zebra said:

Crosby is not the problem, we have had too much turnover in the squad and wasted too much money doing it. Now we are stuck with an unbalanced squad of journeymen players and young loanees who don't really have enough invested in Port Vale as a club. 

With respect, that’s rubbish. We had less squad turnover than we did in clarke’s first season, and we got promoted that season.

[Rampant Zebra]

All the senior players apart from Smith and Conlon have joined the club in the last two seasons.

[Powerline]

4 minutes ago, Rampant Zebra said:

All the senior players apart from Smith and Conlon have joined the club in the last two seasons.

So?? Like I said above the same happened the promotion season. It’s not because of squad turnover, it’s because we are rubbish up top and the manager is clueless

[Doha]

This run of form is actually all Clarke's fault. We should have kept Mills and Joyce 🤬

[Brian Johnson]

19 minutes ago, Rampant Zebra said:

Crosby is not the problem, we have had too much turnover in the squad and wasted too much money doing it. Now we are stuck with an unbalanced squad of journeymen players and young loanees who don't really have enough invested in Port Vale as a club. 

Not only is Crosby tactically inept & totally out of his depth but the way he he talks bores me to death.

He's like some second rate politician how he drones on.  No idea how that gets the players motivated before a game with the way he talks.

I have not listened to any kind of Crosby interview for about a month now

[Rampant Zebra]

5 minutes ago, Powerline said:

So?? Like I said above the same happened the promotion season. It’s not because of squad turnover, it’s because we are rubbish up top and the manager is clueless

But it doesn't happen at the more successful clubs, I thought the best approach was to maintain the spine of a squad with good players who had played together for a few seasons while changing the peripheral squad members based on ability and/or age. Ideally bringing in younger/better players and allowing the older/not so good players to leave either for money or free depending upon their contract situation.

[Rampant Zebra]

9 minutes ago, Doha said:

This run of form is actually all Clarke's fault. We should have kept Mills and Joyce 🤬

It is all Clarke and Flitcrofts fault. Clarke is obsessed with getting rid of deadwood and finding players who are so desperate for a club that they will pay for peanuts. Flitcroft is just a dreamer who falls out with a lot of people behind the scenes (allegedly) but not Carol unfortunately...

[Doha]

5 minutes ago, Rampant Zebra said:

I thought the best approach was to maintain the spine of a squad with good players...while changing the peripheral squad members based on ability

 

2 minutes ago, Rampant Zebra said:

Clarke is obsessed with getting rid of deadwood