Cheltenham (A) match thread - 17th Feb

[Hoppers]

10 minutes ago, sandyford_valiant said:

if we are to be relegated it’ll be horrible back in that league. Fans will lose interest and we will be back to 4,300 gates with 150 away fans as the norm in a huge stadium with no atmosphere at all. We will lose out on sold out away ends from possibly Stockport Sheffield derby Wrexham. It’ll be a huge financial blow which will impact another budget and then squad will be weaker again. We won’t get these England u20 loans in that league. The clubs a mess at the moment and can’t see it getting any better anytime soon, sadly. 

The sad thing is, how much has the club brought this down on themselves - It really is so Port Vale of us 🙄🙄🙄

From the minute we sold Charsley and Hall last January, (excepting DCs tragedy) we have put one foot wrong after another. I remember, I think the first game at home after promotion, Charsley played and covered every blade of grass - Im not saying he is a great footballer, but boy do we miss the kind of effort that him TC and TP have in spades - full of a team of bottlers now 👶👶👶🍼🍼🍼🍼

We have got a sh!t load of games in hand which if we won one and drew another, would have us sailing up the table, but hand on heart can anyone realistically see us gaining points from them?

Oh bugger this, im going go play the Elder Scrolls Online for a bit (after Iv walked the Mutt) WOOF 🐶🐶🐶

[worldsendvalefan]

12 hours ago, EricHamesis said:

Worrall wasn't "considered surplus to requirements". He was offered a new contract, which he turned down.

He was offered a one year contract, when he wanted two years. We wouldn't give him the extra year. Does anyone now think it wouldn't have been worth offering him that extra year. It's not as if we had any comparable replacements available.

[Vtid]

4 minutes ago, sandyford_valiant said:

I think we lose Tuesday. So the two home games are the ones that I think will put us back out of the drop zone or it will probably take us down. That’s how important the two games are in my eyes. 6 points are needed from these three games minimum for me. If we can’t beat Lincoln and fleetwood at home whilst in a relegation battle then we don’t deserve to stay up. Another week with the manager so let’s see what we can produce. The serious lack of fight yesterday was a big worry for me. Usually you see a new manager in charge and players run and tackle all day long for him. Not yesterday. If you closed your eyes yesterday you’d have put money on Crosby was still in charge. Nothing changed at all. I accept the players aren’t good enough to survive but I did expect to see some urgency and fight but none of that was seen. If we can get 6 points out the next three games then we will be out the bottom 4 and we’re back alive and fighting with a good chance of staying up. Huge 10 days coming up. 

if we are to be relegated it’ll be horrible back in that league. Fans will lose interest and we will be back to 4,300 gates with 150 away fans as the norm in a huge stadium with no atmosphere at all. We will lose out on sold out away ends from possibly Stockport Sheffield derby Wrexham. It’ll be a huge financial blow which will impact another budget and then squad will be weaker again. We won’t get these England u20 loans in that league. The clubs a mess at the moment and can’t see it getting any better anytime soon, sadly. 

Great post mate 👍🏻 I agree our home form is vital. We have to start picking up wins at Vale park. And hope to snatch the odd point on our travels 🙏 

[Vtid]

As most have said the back 3 has to be binned off next game. What have we got to lose by giving it a different approach. Oh yeah another game of football. We are leaking goals massively & if we don’t stop conceding so many we don’t stand a chance. Yes we aren’t great going forward either but we do still manage to score albeit own goals, pens & set pieces. I’d go,,, 

                            Ripley 

  Debrah      Smith        Lopata    Yak

 
             Sang        Ojo      Walters 

        
          Chislet                        Mighten

                             Loft 

Unless Garrity is back then he comes in for Mighten or even back to our main striker role. Can’t be much worse & he knows where the net is! 

[Hoppers]

1 minute ago, Vtid said:

As most have said the back 3 has to be binned off next game. What have we got to lose by giving it a different approach. Oh yeah another game of football. We are leaking goals massively & if we don’t stop conceding so many we don’t stand a chance. Yes we aren’t great going forward either but we do still manage to score albeit own goals, pens & set pieces. I’d go,,, 

                            Ripley 

  Debrah      Smith        Lopata    Yak

 
             Sang        Ojo      Walters 

        
          Chislet                        Mighten

                             Loft 

Well, iv seen worse line ups this season - right im off for a bit 

[SuperHuman]

As I’ve said before, we’ve got League Two / National League standard players playing in League One. 

Jones, Lowe and Loft started yesterday. All three would not be guaranteed starters in a National League team. 

Sprinkled in with the others who are mainly League Two standard.

Out of that lineup yesterday, probably only Ojo, Ripley and Chislett are League One standard.

.
 

[Stamfordvale]

28 minutes ago, sandyford_valiant said:

I think we lose Tuesday. So the two home games are the ones that I think will put us back out of the drop zone or it will probably take us down. That’s how important the two games are in my eyes. 6 points are needed from these three games minimum for me. If we can’t beat Lincoln and fleetwood at home whilst in a relegation battle then we don’t deserve to stay up. Another week with the manager so let’s see what we can produce. The serious lack of fight yesterday was a big worry for me. Usually you see a new manager in charge and players run and tackle all day long for him. Not yesterday. If you closed your eyes yesterday you’d have put money on Crosby was still in charge. Nothing changed at all. I accept the players aren’t good enough to survive but I did expect to see some urgency and fight but none of that was seen. If we can get 6 points out the next three games then we will be out the bottom 4 and we’re back alive and fighting with a good chance of staying up. Huge 10 days coming up. 

if we are to be relegated it’ll be horrible back in that league. Fans will lose interest and we will be back to 4,300 gates with 150 away fans as the norm in a huge stadium with no atmosphere at all. We will lose out on sold out away ends from possibly Stockport Sheffield derby Wrexham and probably something in the region of £300k.
It’ll be a huge financial blow which will impact another budget and then squad will be weaker again. We won’t get these England u20 loans in that league. The clubs a mess at the moment and can’t see it getting any better anytime soon, sadly. If we are to continue the role of a DOF then since back in league one we nearly went down with a game to go and we will go down this year so you can’t tell me Flitcroft has been good enough to carry on in this role. He has to go and we bring someone else in surely. Carol open your eyes please! I’m sure you’ll be well aware of this next season when you’re sitting in your posh seat with 4,000 fans in attendance. 

It was ok in the 60s and 70s LOL

[ginginator]

Middle of the pitch is my concern, with the way we try to play from the back, we have no strength. lack height and the defence does not have the ability to faff around trying to find Wilson after 20 sideways passes.

Apart from Garrity and Ojo to an extent we do not have the legs in midfield, so we lose the ball and its a mad scene of, I could name but wont shame, running back like headless chickens to confuse our already confused back 3 and still allow an old cripple to score.

Loft was our best tracker back yesterday, but he is supposed to be scoring goals? Tongue in cheek.

We also have the worst wingbacks in the league. But my issue is are they wingbacks?. Gav is no Kyle Walker (not a bad thing).

Lets hope Darren, gets a method to suit and sticks to it. Does he have the players? 

[MBE]

8 hours ago, fuzzyvalefan said:

I'm sorry that is Utter garbage. Unlike you I did go today and yes there was poor defending and we don't score enough but you cannot fault the effort today. That was an intense clash and it was blood and thunder in every sense and we gave as much as we got in the effort front. In fact for me (and I can't believe I'm about to type this) the standout Vale player today was public enemy number 1 Ryan Loft. Best game in a Vale shirt by a country mile.

Ryan Lot put up a fight. Can't be said for most of them lot.

[Essex Boy]

Most of the comments on here are absolute twaddle. No manager can keep Vale in League 1 with this squad. It has nothing to do with not trying, the players are not good enough. We need to accept that we will be in League 2 next season & we know it is Flitcroft's fault. Darren Moore will get a a decent squad together & we will challenge for promotion in League 2. Supporters will be attending games & feel much happier about the club.

[PV1973]

One thing that was very evident yesterday in comparison to Cheltenham was our lack of desire, passion and any semblance of grittiness and even togetherness too.  Since the promotion season I can’t help but feel a disconnect from the players and also to some degree the club as time progresses. Barring the odd exception we've had few characters this last 2 seasons, players who I feel would run through a wall for us. Maybe that’s just me? I don’t know.

We have brought this on ourselves, we’ve assembled an unbalanced squad with no identity or leaders and none of the traits I mentioned. There’s been lots of talk of players in this thread who’ve gone and are still playing in this league or below who I feel had those characteristics and who I felt more of a connection to (if that’s a tangible thing), Pett, Worrall, Gibbo, hall, garrity, proctor, Conlon for example. I know Garrity is still with us, but I see posters dismissing some of these former players off hand and I think some have a short memory. I too would take some of them over the majority of our  current squad and they would IMO walk into this squad and make us better. 

But my whole point is that it’s a damning indictment of our recruitment, we haven’t adequately replaced some of them, this last 2 years have seen us gradually regress and I’m concerned with where this is leading and what DF has “built” on the pitch. We still have issues with strikers, wingbacks, holding midfield and also the back 3. All of that falls on the recruitment team and as things stand now i can’t see us getting out of this mess with this squad (because of lack of characters and desire). Clark and Garrity are already being heralded as our messiahs, but what’s Clark done for us this season prior to the injury to show us he’s can drag us through this? Yesterday just showed us what a manager can do with a plan and a group of players with character who want to play for him and the club with belief, desire …. Etc.

It’s all a bit depressing isn’t it. 

[Smallthorne clampet]

10 hours ago, darren1810 said:

Football very emotional game.

I've just thrown my toys out of the pram and cut my nose off to spite my face by saying I'm not going to Derby with my mates.

It's draining me and I can't bear the thought of a thrashing there with 25'000 laughing at us. Pathetic for a grown man but it's sucking the life out of me. That's how I'm feeling. Sad I know. 

Same here , I thought the days were over when losing football matches affected my mood , is it worth it 🤔

[Packmoor_vale]

5 minutes ago, Essex Boy said:

Most of the comments on here are absolute twaddle. No manager can keep Vale in League 1 with this squad. It has nothing to do with not trying, the players are not good enough. We need to accept that we will be in League 2 next season & we know it is Flitcroft's fault. Darren Moore will get a a decent squad together & we will challenge for promotion in League 2. Supporters will be attending games & feel much happier about the club.

Yes and we all know which fans that will be 

If that’s what u can call them anyway 

[JoeB2]

Really enjoying the “let’s go down and win promotion” posts. Proper making me chuckle.

[MBE]

A 3-2 defeat at Cheltenham not long after DC appointment was the turning point.                            

Lets hope history repeats itself starting Tuesday.