7 minutes ago, Rampant Zebra said:

Don't mention Reading, the abandoned game fiasco has derailed our season totally.

I felt the Burton home postponed game started the rot . It was called off and then the majority assumed the rearranged game was a gimme.

The way I see it is we are trying to play like Man City with at best League 2 players Possession football is great if you have an end product too it unfortunately we don't have that player available who can play that decisive ball the lack of confidence out own players have is shocking.

This brings me to our CBs to play this type of possession you need ball playing CBs we don't have that Jeez Smith can barely pass 10 yards we also have had no pace in the backline with Lowe Yak and Smith most of our goals conceded come from wide areas it's easy for opposition players and unfortunately Crosby don't have a plan B to stop this happening wether it's a recruitment issue with Full backs or wether it's just his lack of tactical knowledge how it needs addressing we play a 3 back which clearly don't work with the players we have so why persist with it in any job on life if you do the same thing over and over again without the desired result then you change it.

I would like to see us play a 4 back it works for other teams jeez teams still play it in the Prem a flat back 4 Liverpool, Brentford to name a couple it still works and would give us more balance at the back the likes of Grant we have yet too see him at his best but there is something there play him thru the middle with Ojo we need to do something at least.

9 minutes ago, Southern_Valiant said:

The way I see it is we are trying to play like Man City with at best League 2 players Possession football is great if you have an end product too it unfortunately we don't have that player available who can play that decisive ball the lack of confidence out own players have is shocking.

This brings me to our CBs to play this type of possession you need ball playing CBs we don't have that Jeez Smith can barely pass 10 yards we also have had no pace in the backline with Lowe Yak and Smith most of our goals conceded come from wide areas it's easy for opposition players and unfortunately Crosby don't have a plan B to stop this happening wether it's a recruitment issue with Full backs or wether it's just his lack of tactical knowledge how it needs addressing we play a 3 back which clearly don't work with the players we have so why persist with it in any job on life if you do the same thing over and over again without the desired result then you change it.

I would like to see us play a 4 back it works for other teams jeez teams still play it in the Prem a flat back 4 Liverpool, Brentford to name a couple it still works and would give us more balance at the back the likes of Grant we have yet too see him at his best but there is something there play him thru the middle with Ojo we need to do something at least.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. ( Author disputed). 

 

When Vale were playing well in initial start of season after Barnsley mauling  season starting,Lewis Cass was a big part of that in my opinion in fact the best we have played defensively was when we were down to ten men with Cass starring at back v Burton in Cup. 

Lewis carried the ball forwards something  fans seem to think is not a good thing it was a good thing. 

Our 3 at the back last 2 games have had no  conviction once receiving the ball receiving they do  not drive forwards what do they do give it back to Ripley or pass it tentatively forwards or move at one mile a hr well what does that do it allows the other team easy marking of all the rest of our team so they cannot do anything as the other team have closed down all the others because our 3 at the back have no go in them .

It's garbage so change them to a four or 2 attacked minded players by side of capable middle centre half  

 

 

 

Edited February 5, 20242 yr by Devine intervention

Glad it's not only me who gets absolutely peed off with Smith receiving the ball at the back and then he dithers about not knowing what to do. I love Smudger but he is probably one of the worst distributors of a pass in the entire Football league, yet Crosby perseveres with him being the main start of any movement from the back!! 

22 minutes ago, darren1810 said:

I felt the Burton home postponed game started the rot . It was called off and then the majority assumed the rearranged game was a gimme.

We had started a mini revival before the Reading non game but the two weeks off stopped that in it's tracks. We then lost momentum and had a change of players.

31 minutes ago, Rampant Zebra said:

Don't mention Reading, the abandoned game fiasco has derailed our season totally.

Not our incompetent manager or our fiasco in the January transfer window or the fact that we have been rubbish for most of the season?

It's the abandoned Reading game which's done it😶

5 minutes ago, Devine intervention said:

When Vale were playing well in initial start of season after Barnsley mauling  season starting,Lewis Cass was a big part of that in my opinion in fact the best we have played defensively was when we were down to ten men with Cass starring at back v Burton in Cup. 

Lewis carried the ball forwards something  fans seem to think is not a good thing it was a good thing. 

Our 3 at the back last 2 games have had conviction once receiving the ball once receiving they do  not drive forwards what do they do give it back to Ripley or pass it tentatively forwards or move at one mile a hr well what does that do it allows the other team easy marking of all the rest of our team so they cannot do anything as the other team have closed down all the others because our 3 at the back have no go in them .

It's garbage so change them to a four or 2 attacked minded players by side of capable middle centre half  

 

 

 

Cass only played 2 of those 6 games mate are you thinking of someone else? 

He just vanished didn't he. It wasn't his form as everyone was poor.Had to be a fall out. 

29 minutes ago, Devine intervention said:

 

For all lofts work rate he wouldn't be anywhere near my starting 11 he did try sat no goal attempts no assists says it all really maybe he can play centre half .

 

Says it all that the rest team created bugger all for him

See the predicted score has us winning.  Oh no its them winning it.

Just don't see where the goals are going to come from now a days.

AC and Co will still keep their jobs no matter how bad we lose the match, as we drop into the bottom 4.

 

Big game! Win & we provide a platform for survival, lose well!

8 minutes ago, Rampant Zebra said:

We had started a mini revival before the Reading non game but the two weeks off stopped that in it's tracks. We then lost momentum and had a change of players.

Not sure scraping a draw against a woeful Charlton in injury time having previously lost at Carlisle constitutes a revival.

More the warning signs of a slump to me. 

54 minutes ago, onestepatatime said:

Glad it's not only me who gets absolutely peed off with Smith receiving the ball at the back and then he dithers about not knowing what to do. I love Smudger but he is probably one of the worst distributors of a pass in the entire Football league, yet Crosby perseveres with him being the main start of any movement from the back!! 

The opposition - good ones anyway - mark up to leave Smith on the ball. 

If a team wants to play out from the back they have to involve half the team and those players have to be prepared to take the ball under pressure and move it between them. Because we are not good enough - we just go aimlessly side to side and then back to Ripley. He then goes long or we try to play out again and fail. 

It's off the scale dull to watch and off the scale tactically inefficient in winning games. Plus this whole way of playing is drilled with no alternatives. So I want something like 442, 433, 451 to replace. But I'm worried this sudden introduction late in the season - with Crosby orchestrating it - would go even worse. Can't do it for tomorrow against an upper mid table side. 

You come back to the reality that the manager is under pressure. 

Edited February 5, 20242 yr by Warren

44 minutes ago, darren1810 said:

Not sure scraping a draw against a woeful Charlton in injury time having previously lost at Carlisle constitutes a revival.

More the warning signs of a slump to me. 

We should have stuffed them. Obviously can't give away stupid goals. 

1 hour ago, Brian Johnson said:

Not our incompetent manager or our fiasco in the January transfer window or the fact that we have been rubbish for most of the season?

It's the abandoned Reading game which's done it😶

At least he isn’t hysterically blaming a manager who was sacked nearly a year ago, for a change.