League 2 preparation

[darren1810]

15 minutes ago, Biddulph_PV said:

The only thing I’d question is keeping Ripley. Really good goalie yes….but a desire to want to get too involved in games ‘complicates’ things. Plus keep Debrah, seems one of the few who gives a sh!t???

Might give a sh!t but he's shocking. Ditch. 

[man in the pub]

2 minutes ago, darren1810 said:

I enjoyed the RS show on Thursday with Leggy, Yates and Sproey.

However I'm not getting why Sproey was so bullish about League 2 calling us a big hitter and top 3.

Based on what ? It's going to need a gargantuan turnaround. 

Off top of my head you'll have a couple of the relegation teams. Then possibly MK Dons, Bradford, Notts County, Tranmere,Gillingham etc. All thinking they have a chance.

We're only playing a 44 game season too after Walsall do their usual double over us. 

Notts County are 15th and they have Langstaff and Mcgoldrick up front  ! 

Really don't agree at all with Sproey. 

 

Flitcroft is not up to the job, the last 18 months and our current league position prove that, fact not opinion. So why should the person responsible for everything the ball touches be trusted with the same job next season. Trust me the "Process" has failed . 

[Rampant Zebra]

6 minutes ago, Old School said:

Even though many players are contracted for next season it is possible to move them on. Simply tell them that they will not get 1 minute on the pitch next season so look for another club and if they find one the contract can be terminated by mutual consent. You would imagine that most of them would want away from the disaster that is Port Vale, some of them might even be decent players elsewhere like Benning. Once the deadwood is cleared sack flitcroft and get someone who actually knows what they are doing in to recruit some players that can do the absolute basics and have a spine. 

That's what should happen, but with Carol totally under fraucrofts spell god alone knows what will happen. 

Almost certainly nothing good. 

Dark days indeed.

I think while we continue to use terms like "deadwood" we will always struggle to recruit players. It suggests a mindset which doesn't value them. I know that players are mostly interested in money but team spirit is needed too. 

[Jim Gammon]

If Flitcroft doesn’t go then we are going down through league 2 faster than FGR in a plane with no engine. National League beckons in summer 2026 where most of these players would be at their level

[Rudgies Flat Cap]

15 hours ago, 1 said:

So it’s time to start preparing for next season in League 2.

Plant, Dipepa, Shorrock, Lomax and Walters (?) will develop more quickly, as they could be legitimate starters that are not being bedded in, they are active contributors getting better and better.

Obviously getting ride of players who are not up to it who are under contract will be preferable - but if we can’t do that at least they’ll do less damage and be more useful and productive, which may lead to better confidence.

I strongly think that although Darren has probably made mistakes, he will turn the team around with his own players gradually being recruited and the trash removed over time. Both he and Carol must have known his first full season could have realistically been in league 2, and now that’s the case he’ll have a rebuild that makes the fans feel comfortable again. I think he can do it and we can’t judge based on what he’s trying to do with the current team. I hope he doesn’t walk.

Obviously the fans and the club will be caught in a divisive stand off until Flitcroft is gone. That will never ever change and Carol seems happy for that to be the case. That is a bigger stumbling block than any other, as the toxic atmosphere and the failed recruitment both stem from that role. Fail to sort that and we cannot rebuild fully, properly or durably.

Apart from that, we need / need to:

Retain key players: Ensure that crucial players remain with the club to maintain team cohesion and talent. Garrity, Chislett, Clark, Ripley will be cheat codes in L2.

Strengthen squad balance: Acquire new players that don’t use this ‘utility’ model. Just get players who play where they are supposed to play, and others to cover that same position. Simple.

Review coaching staff: Assess the coaching team and consider changes if necessary to improve tactics and player development. The injuries, tactics and inability to change have been terrible for years and it needs to be addressed.

Financial stability: Manage finances carefully to avoid further setbacks and ensure the club's long-term sustainability.

Engage with supporters: Maintain positive communication with fans to boost morale and retain support during challenging times especially.

Stop improving facilities: Nobody cares about new training facilities and stadium infrastructure if the results are not shown on the pitch.

Develop a clear short term strategy: Define short-term goals for the club and implement a coherent plan to achieve them. Long term plans mean nothing. We can have a general vision, but talking about the Championship at the bottom of L1 is somewhere between criminally ignorant and laughable.

Foster a winning mentality: Instil confidence and determination within the team to strive for success and bounce back from relegation. This team has no character, few big personalities and no meanness. I don’t care about them being mates, I want them to win as a team and sometimes you need to embrace the dark arts to achieve that.

The fact that our season is essentially done with so many games left is a disgrace. People at the club need to be accountable, namely Flitcroft and the owner for her continued support of him. This squad will struggle in L2 and no way Ripley or Garrity will stay if we go down. We have no forwards yet in the last couple of weeks free agents such as forwards Gayle, Wickham, Tulloch, Hiwula have all been available. And free agent players like Liam Moore and Lee Evan’s could have strengthened us for no fee until the end of the season. Football is a results business and DF should be judged on that. He said himself that what’s on the pitch is down to him. Everything else is irrelevant. He needs to go. It’s DF or the fans. And it looks like Carol has picked her side. I suspect both may go in the not too distant future. And I can’t see Moore fancying L2 either. 5.5 year deal or not.

Edited March 10 by Rudgies Flat Cap

[Old School]

27 minutes ago, Rampant Zebra said:

I think while we continue to use terms like "deadwood" we will always struggle to recruit players. It suggests a mindset which doesn't value them. I know that players are mostly interested in money but team spirit is needed too. 

Deadwood is something or someone that contributes absolutely nothing,  yet consumes vital resources. Many if not most of this squad fall into that category. 

Team spirit?

You having a laugh?

[darren1810]

6 minutes ago, Rudgies Flat Cap said:

The fact that our season is essentially done with so many games left is a disgrace. People at the club need to be accountable, namely Flitcroft and the owner for her continued support of him. This squad will struggle in L2 and no way Ripley or Garrity will stay if we go down. We have no forwards yet in the last couple of weeks free agents such as forwards Gayle, Wickham, Tulloch, Hiwula have all been available. And free agent players like Liam Moore and Lee Evan’s could have strengthened us for no fee until the end of the season. Football is a results business and DF should be judged on that. He said himself that what’s on the pitch is down to him. Everything else is irrelevant. He needs to go. It’s DF or the fans. And it looks like Carol has picked her side. I suspect both may go in the not too distant future. And I can’t see Moore fancying L2 either. 5.5 year deal or not.

Given there's 7 or 8 weeks maybe left of the season. Even if one of the Out of contract strikers wanted a grand a week extra than we offered . 8 grand extra wages wouldn't of been a huge gamble.

A bigger gamble was doing nothing. 

[WV]

30 minutes ago, darren1810 said:

Given there's 7 or 8 weeks maybe left of the season. Even if one of the Out of contract strikers wanted a grand a week extra than we offered . 8 grand extra wages wouldn't of been a huge gamble.

A bigger gamble was doing nothing. 

I doubt any of those strikers were coming for what we are prepared to pay, which is the biggest factor in our poor player recruitment this year. 

[gags 64]

I doubt any of those strikers were coming for what we are prepared to pay, which is the biggest factor in our poor player recruitment this year. 

Spot on, the main reason for our terrible recruitment is the wages offered. I have no issue if that is the case but I wish someone would come out and say it. Stadium costs and pitch improvements must be crippling. Apart from a brief period under Rudgey with Bill Bell loosening the purse strings we have never paid the going rate. Certainly don't want us to overspend and hit a financial wall but just be truthful

Sent from my XQ-CC54 using onevalefan mobile app

[Coyney Valiant]

Not defending Flitcroft but if they do get rid of him who ever comes in will have to work under the same financial restrictions and for that you have to blame Carol  she’s done nothing while we nose dived down the league 

[Conrad]

7 minutes ago, Coyney Valiant said:

Not defending Flitcroft but if they do get rid of him who ever comes in will have to work under the same financial restrictions and for that you have to blame Carol  she’s done nothing while we nose dived down the league 

We don’t need a DOF in league two.

[darren1810]

9 minutes ago, Coyney Valiant said:

Not defending Flitcroft but if they do get rid of him who ever comes in will have to work under the same financial restrictions and for that you have to blame Carol  she’s done nothing while we nose dived down the league 

Shouldn't be anyone coming in. 

[TJHValiant]

18 minutes ago, Coyney Valiant said:

Not defending Flitcroft but if they do get rid of him who ever comes in will have to work under the same financial restrictions and for that you have to blame Carol  she’s done nothing while we nose dived down the league 

Exactly this. It seems from her letter she thinks being in league 1 was a nice bonus thanks to Flitcroft being ahead of schedule. 

[bomber]

Well there’s one thing for sure we never came to terms with league one! Defensively shocking conceding two and three goals a game ! Very overwhelmed at times and just watched the better teams play. Absolutely no steel or guts in the team we have just given up with a whimper. The reset is going to take sometime at best we could be in league two for a while. I am not at all confident we can get back up anytime soon. All the gains the club has made over the last few years lost! Back to three and four thousand crowds sadly.

[TJHValiant]

1 hour ago, WV said:

I doubt any of those strikers were coming for what we are prepared to pay, which is the biggest factor in our poor player recruitment this year. 

It was blindingly obvious from pre season the budget was cut but when this got raised, most people thought it was ungrateful to suggest St Carol was doing such a thing.