What went wrong in 2022-23?

[RantingRon]

On 31 December 2022, Vale were 9th in League One. At the end of the season, they were 18th. So what happened in between? Well, the great 're-structuring' of the club took place. Colin Garlick, CEO, was sacked in March 2023, Darrell Clarke, team manager, was sacked in April 2023, and Steve Speed, head groundsman, had already 'agreed' to leave the club at the end of the season. All been downhill since then. Any link between the club's re-structuring and the team's continuing demise? Well . . . ?

[Loggerheads Sage]

3 hours ago, RantingRon said:

On 31 December 2022, Vale were 9th in League One. At the end of the season, they were 18th. So what happened in between? Well, the great 're-structuring' of the club took place. Colin Garlick, CEO, was sacked in March 2023, Darrell Clarke, team manager, was sacked in April 2023, and Steve Speed, head groundsman, had already 'agreed' to leave the club at the end of the season. All been downhill since then. Any link between the club's re-structuring and the team's continuing demise? Well . . . ?

Good points, but I think the " restructuring " of the budget In  January 2023, ie deciding not spend/improve and wait for the summer had more affect. Coupled with the unfortunate events around DC.  God how we have missed him!!

[Loggerheads Sage]

And making the same mistakes in January 2024 has totally killed us

[Warren]

This is not the only reason. But... We seem to me to have been unprepared to commit to signing a proven lower league goal scorer and paying the wages needed. What we have ended up doing instead is signing / resigning three strikers who rarely score. Surely they cost a lot in wages too! Hence we pose little threat up front, never get ahead in games and our defensive weaknesses shine through. 

Edited March 17 by Warren

[Warren]

15 minutes ago, Warren said:

 

The old editing skills have deserted me! But with our current strike force our best possible result at Burton is a nil nil draw which of course is not enough. Also in itself improbable because the usual whoops we left someone unmarked in our box defending at set pieces will happen after about 15 mins first half and again a few minutes after half time. 

Hence through our transfer dealings we have arrived with a team that can't attack and can't defend. Wild stuff happens as well. Like kick the ball to their centre forward with our goalkeeper stood over by the corner flag. Loft through on goal, he must score mustn't he, no he tamely kicks the ball out for a goal kick. 

Edited March 17 by Warren

[man in the pub]

18 minutes ago, Warren said:

This is not the only reason. But... We seem to me to have been unprepared to commit to signing a proven lower league goal scorer and paying the wages needed. What we have ended up doing instead is signing / resigning three strikers who rarely score. Surely they cost a lot in wages too! Hence we pose little threat up front, never get ahead in games and our defensive weaknesses shine through. 

Paying the wages of 3 strikers who don't score against 1 higher paid striker who actually does.

[Diego Maradona]

1. From the outset playing 361, we didn't sign players that fit into that system: wing-backs is the obvious one.

2. Also, we signed some 'jack of all trades, master on none' (Lowe, Sang - although hasn't been given a chance in his best position) probably because of budget restraints.

3. Not signing strikers of any calibre or enough strikers.

4. Losing 2 loanees who are future Premiership players and not replacing them.

5. Having no balance to the squad, therefore, playing round pegs in square holes in a relegation battle.

6. Not having a Plan B when 361 formation failed. Due to imbalance in squad.

7. Signing players who are simply not good enough for League 1, some for League 2. Also, having retained players who are not good enough.

8. Not signing players who will play in the positions that the formation dictates: For example, if the formation dictates wing-backs, sign wing backs NOT play wing backs but sign Connor Grant and play him at wing back.

9. Not being coached on how to attack, break a team down or create a chance. Instead, players get to the final third and don't know what to do with it.

10. To conclude, IMO:

                          a)  Not a big enough budget (or not spending it)

                          b) Poor recruitment (players and manager)

[man in the pub]

Diego,Hope you will be sitting next to Carol when she does " Flickers" end of season appraisal. I'm sure Carols assessment will be very different from your actual reality.

Edited March 17 by man in the pub

[PV1973]

Loads of factors.

Allegedly reducing the budget. All sources I know within the club said it happened and the Jan window of 2023 / the amount of people that left behind the scenes seems to bear that out. 

Getting rid of players / offering them reduced terms isn’t an issue if we get in better players.  We didnt do that. We’ve lost characters in the dressing room that supposedly drove standards behind the scenes as well as looking like they cared when pulling on the shirt. 

Being hamstrung to a formation and not recruiting players to fit that formation. 

DCs personal issues came to the fore. 

DF getting sole control with the removal of Garlick. 

Carol focusing on things outside of what goes on the pitch. 

Edited March 17 by PV1973

[Warren]

I'm clear on one other thing - assuming we don't have a miracle and get relegated. The club has wrecked the senior players. The loss of confidence they have suffered is permanent. The fear of playing on their own pitch in front of their own fans is overwhelming and irrecoverable. Hence to be a successful club again wholesale changes are needed and only the younger players can be made good again by way of excellent coaching. 

[fuzzyvalefan]

I think the problems of this season began way back in the January transfer window of last season. Been a downward spiral ever since.

[PV1973]

3 minutes ago, fuzzyvalefan said:

I think the problems of this season began way back in the January transfer window of last season. Been a downward spiral ever since.

I think it goes back to the start of the season given some of the players we got in. 

[Conrad]

I’ll tell you what went wrong, we have 4 strikers, Wilson, Loft , uche and Dipepa between them they’ve scored the grand total of 5 league goals this season. 
that’s why we can’t win a game of football and are going down.

[Wrex]

Colin Garlick going, Flitcroft being given more power, DC being given the push, playing budget being cut, playing budget not spent correctly, poor recruitment, fans being ignored, lengthy deals being handed out willy nilly, no proper manager recruitment process, letting out better players go and replacing them with <ovf censored>

 

I could go on

[PV1973]

17 minutes ago, Conrad said:

I’ll tell you what went wrong, we have 4 strikers, Wilson, Loft , uche and Dipepa between them they’ve scored the grand total of 5 league goals this season. 
that’s why we can’t win a game of football and are going down.

Equally who’s creating anything for them?