Crosby is Out NOW !!!

[Emile]

My apathy towards the club for me set in when DC was sacked. I didn't like the way the club was heading and that has only gotten worse in the last 8 months or so. I still bought a shirt and I still watch the games but I have really lost a lot of passion for the club.

[Guppys left peg]

6 minutes ago, JoeB2 said:

The Supporters Summit is genuinely really good. The Action Plan is proper good stuff. Anyone can sign up.

Flitcroft gave an in-depth interview to Baggley less than a month ago - 8th December. He will give his usual January window thought at the end of January.

There was a fans forum with Flitcroft on 28th September, and two over the summer in June.

Carol has been fairly quiet in the last 6 months - she briefly spoke at the summer forum about why Clarke was sacked. However, it's probably for the best that she stays away from speaking so publicly and honestly - it often backfires for her (see Championship Ready).

I have been perhaps the most critical of communication on here before - the start of 2023 was woeful. They then addressed it and I happily accepted it was much better, if not perfect.

The club just needs to win some games of football in January. I don't need any further communication, and I really don't think public comments about Crosby will do anyone any good. 3 sensible signings, a couple of wins, and sit in 12th-13th by Feb 1st and things will settle down.

Correct, Flitcroft has been quite accommodating from what I’ve seen on this. I think though I do sense a growing perception in terms of Carol that she is very happy to make herself visible when things are going well but this goes back to Askeys time in charge not so much when we’ve hit a bad run.

On this though I think when people talk about communication they really just mean they want the club to tell them what they want to hear and pretty much ignore anything else. Overall though the only communication I want in the near future is to hopefully announce some new signings.

[bomber]

18 minutes ago, Emile said:

My apathy towards the club for me set in when DC was sacked. I didn't like the way the club was heading and that has only gotten worse in the last 8 months or so. I still bought a shirt and I still watch the games but I have really lost a lot of passion for the club.

For me really it was some of the dire performances post Christmas 22 then far to many dour efforts in 2023 . The inconsistency of performances frustrates the hell out of me. Had a season ticket for a while now really question if I should renew as it hurts so much watching performances like Cheltenham, Middlesbrough and Carlisle. You would think after sixty odd years of supporting Vale I would be use to the ups and downs. I think from the high of Wembley subsequently most games have been a bit of a downer. 

[The French Connection]

Not sure if this is relevant to this thread, but I just watched Vale's December Goal of the Month competition.  You know, for such a crap team we scored a lot of goals, and some crackers too! 

[valiant_593]

31 minutes ago, The French Connection said:

Not sure if this is relevant to this thread, but I just watched Vale's December Goal of the Month competition.  You know, for such a crap team we scored a lot of goals, and some crackers too! 

We did that month not too many to choose from for November or October though (I think we scored 1 league goal in an October and that was at home to Cheltenham!)

[JoeB2]

28 minutes ago, valiant_593 said:

We did that month not too many to choose from for November or October though 

We had a good August (3 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss), decent September (2 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses), bad October (1 draw, 4 losses) and November (1 draw, 2 losses), and good December (3 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss).

Just classic inconsistent mid-table side. We've beaten the teams in 5th, 6th, and 9th, drawn against 7th, and lost to 23rd, 22nd, and 19th. We've lost to all of the top 4.

We beat the teams we expected to beat in the cups, and lost to the teams we were expected to lose to.

[smithie]

16 minutes ago, JoeB2 said:

We had a good August (3 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss), decent September (2 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses), bad October (1 draw, 4 losses) and November (1 draw, 2 losses), and good December (3 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss).

Just classic inconsistent mid-table side. We've beaten the teams in 5th, 5th, and 9th, drawn against 7th, and lost to 23rd, 22nd, and 19th. We've lost to all of the top 4.

We beat the teams we expected to beat in the cups, and lost to the teams we were expected to lose to.

Carlisle won at Bolton, Fleetwood drew at Portsmouth....but some Vale fans are sulking and not going again until "he" has gone. 

[JRC]

17 minutes ago, JoeB2 said:

We had a good August (3 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss), decent September (2 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses), bad October (1 draw, 4 losses) and November (1 draw, 2 losses), and good December (3 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss).

Just classic inconsistent mid-table side. We've beaten the teams in 5th, 5th, and 9th, drawn against 7th, and lost to 23rd, 22nd, and 19th. We've lost to all of the top 4.

We beat the teams we expected to beat in the cups, and lost to the teams we were expected to lose to.

Agree about consistency.  Three big reasons behind that, which are related to a degree. One has been the length of the injury list in each month. Secondly the number of young players, who do tend to be more inconsistent.  Thirdly it's the budget, most player at this level are able to play; doing it consistently is what you pay the big bucks for. 

[valefan16]

21 minutes ago, smithie said:

Carlisle won at Bolton, Fleetwood drew at Portsmouth....but some Vale fans are sulking and not going again until "he" has gone. 

To be fair they were not a bad side either game we faced them and no league game is a gimmie, even in the promotion season we lost to Oldham and got battered in the home game for long spells. Wouldn't shock me if we beat Pompey in a few weeks if players are back from injury.

[Hot Rat]

18 minutes ago, bomber said:

For me really it was some of the dire performances post Christmas 22 then far to many dour efforts in 2023 . The inconsistency of performances frustrates the hell out of me. Had a season ticket for a while now really question if I should renew as it hurts so much watching performances like Cheltenham, Middlesbrough and Carlisle. You would think after sixty odd years of supporting Vale I would be use to the ups and downs. I think from the high of Wembley subsequently most games have been a bit of a downer. 

Based upon the posts on this and other OVF threads its clear that social media influences may peoples mood; if you are of the more optimistic persuasion you read the most negative posts and laugh out loud at the lunacy, but anyone with a slight pessimism may be overcome by doubt because there does appear to be more negative stuff posted on this site and a tendency towards all is doomed than there does reasoned pragmatism or perspective. In addition, there has arisen a tendency to name calling which is not "banter" and increases toxicity/polarisation. 

Granted, some of our teams performances have been lacking in recent months - that's not unusual for most teams in League 1 and reflects the inconsistency of the players at this level, but as French Connection states above, we have also played well and scored some crackers (and executed some cracking defending tackles) during December. Perhaps its the swing in the competency of the teams performances which results in a corresponding swing between supporter optimism and depression which is polarising some supporters to the extent that those who feel the most depressed/glass half empty are most vocal? Those on the more optimistic side (including me) feel a corresponding need to post opposing perspective and thus the polarisation deepens with increasing lack of perspective of the posts from both sides. 

I've been a devoted supporter for a long time, experienced the promotion/relegation of the 80's, the halcyon days during the 90's when we had probably the best team in 70 years to grace VP and the complete downer of administration and the subsequent Smurf madness. I can also recall some dire games when we were in the old League 1 and Brian Horton was the gaffer when I went home depressed by the lack of effort/entertainment relative to the previous Rudge years. I trust these experiences qualify me to offer some perspective on the current situation; we are still mid-ish table and have good reason to be optimistic about the club ownership and the direction the academy and player signings are going despite the cost of living crisis which is having its own external influence upon any business or individual.  Things are much better at Vale now than when smurf was doing his Trump on Trent fake news impersonation or when we were docked 10points after the the Bill Bratt/Valiant 2001 era. In a very short time business wise, the Shanahan's have turned a failing business and team around and attendances and supporter experiences are improving. We will not be playing exhilarating attacking football every week, nor at this stage replicating the performances of Rudgies Everton defeating heroes yet, but have some faith and patience and we may just get there.

UTV

  

[The French Connection]

6 minutes ago, Hot Rat said:

thus the polarisation deepens with increasing lack of perspective of the posts from both sides. 

It all rather mimics the Brexit debate, doesn't it? And ne'er the twain shall meet. 

[smithie]

3 minutes ago, The French Connection said:

It all rather mimics the Brexit debate, doesn't it? And ne'er the twain shall meet. 

I think there'll be a Hamxit when a lot of folk go back to the Railway Stand and Paddock. 

[valiant_593]

59 minutes ago, smithie said:

Carlisle won at Bolton, Fleetwood drew at Portsmouth....but some Vale fans are sulking and not going again until "he" has gone. 

Carlisle have won 4 games now all season. Stop making excuses as if Saturday was acceptable. I imagine every side has picked up points from the ‘top’ sides. Regardless of whether you back Crosby or not, the Cheltenham and Carlisle games were not remotely acceptable.  It’s also not sulking, and it’s not insane as you replied to me the other day.

[bomber]

I like to think I am fairly positive person not quite so much with the Vale ! Sixty years have taught me so. The positives I do see are decent owners and the fact that we have a bit of a stream of youngsters come through, which gives cause for optimism. It's just some of the dire Cheltenham like performances that really hurt.I still can't believe how it still affects me after all these years you would think I would grow up! 

[Nippy Naylor]

Genuine question mellor are you happy with Bing as manager cos Im not he should have been binned off months ago some of these happy clappers do crack me up