47 minutes ago, chickensteve said:

Gordon bennet!

Better than Richie Bennett

5 minutes ago, philpvfc said:

Time for bed Lancy.

Goodnight - let mummy tuck you in!

7 minutes ago, Walka003 said:

He might be fine you're right and I hope so. My point is that when we've taken on BBB or diamond, we've at least had other permanent known quantities that mean that those "punts" make sense.

We now have a loan player who no one has ever seen play outside of the reserve league, or two absolutely terrible footballers in Grant and lowe to cover Croasdale. Hopefully we don't have to worry about it and Croasdale plays 50 games this year, but vale never have that sort of luck.

If we play 2 CM’s you have to believe one is going to be Byers  based on the fact he’s our highest wage earner.

Who’s his partner? Garrity or Croasdale?

I can’t see Lowe and Grant get nowhere near the midfield other than BSM games.

The thing with Ojo is he has the poise of a good player. But when you actually get down to the nitty gritty, he doesn't actually affect any game he plays in. Can anyone remember him playing a decisive pass? Or drifting past someone? He's a comfort zone player. Gets it, plays the simple ball in a stylish manner and everyone thinks he's Pirlo. Croasdale may not look as graceful but has played more importance in 3 games than Ojo has in 2 seasons. His attitude also stinks....he thinks he's better than he is.

I swear some fans don't actually watch a game properly.

2 minutes ago, LancyTony said:

Goodnight - let mummy tuck you in!

Your mummy😍

Did I miss Alfie and Ollie being recalled early from full-season loans, then? incidentally - I didn't make points...I asked questions - there's a difference. Not that you'd ever know a fact if it slapped you across your big head!

Yeah, they were recalled in January, which is what i said if you were struggling with the flow of the thread so far tonight.

Ojo looked pretty decent when he was playing next to a midfielder who is now regularly starting in the Championship and captained his team in the Premier League last season. I dare say a random sample of this forum would look half competent playing 5 yard sideway passes to Ollie Arblaster.

Weirdly, Arblaster went and Ojo started to look bad, and then gave up for a second year in a row after getting a juicy new long-term contract just as his career should have been winding down.

Fascinating. Must be a coincidence.

12 minutes ago, philpvfc said:

Ojo is exactly what we need, someone who can sit in front of the back 3 or 4, someone good in possession who can start moves. First half of last season he was our best player, but unfortunately has a poor attitude, but a good manager/ coach should be able to work that. He may well have wanted a leave but if he didn’t then I think it’s a mistake to loan him out. 

That’s my feeling. My other feeling is that we have chopped and changed a lot and the team so far is disjointed. If we want promotion we need a settled side as soon as possible. 

2 minutes ago, leedsvaliant said:

The thing with Ojo is he has the poise of a good player. But when you actually get down to the nitty gritty, he doesn't actually affect any game he plays in. Can anyone remember him playing a decisive pass? Or drifting past someone? He's a comfort zone player. Gets it, plays the simple ball in a stylish manner and everyone thinks he's Pirlo. Croasdale may not look as graceful but has played more importance in 3 games than Ojo has in 2 seasons. His attitude also stinks....he thinks he's better than he is.

I swear some fans don't actually watch a game properly.

His role is a holding midfielder, and he is very good at it, at Portsmouth away a couple of seasons ago he had one of the best performances by any Vale player over the last 2 seasons. Croasdale was very good against Tranmere but equally as bad against Barrow, what exactly importance has he done over the 3 games? Load of rubbish, that statement but anyway he is a very different type of player. 

10 minutes ago, JoeB2 said:

I think there's a lot of concern about the size of the squad and imbalance, so let's take a proper look at it.

I'm going to work on the assumption that Plant, Shorrock, and Lomax are found non-league loans in the coming weeks. I'm also going to assume that Clark won't play until very late on in the season, and that Jones will be on his way. In addition, I'll discount the likes of Buah, Cousins, Francis, and Davies, who realistically won't play any competitive league games.

That leaves us with a squad of 24. Not exactly crazy. By position, I'm going to list players in their best primary position with the caveat that some can play elsewhere (and put them in italics after)

GK: Ripley, Amos

FB: Sang, Cover, Hart, John (Grant)

CB: Hall, Heneghan, Smith, Debrah, Lowe

CM: Croasdale, Byers, Garrity, Grant (Cover)

AM/W: Curtis, Chislett, Richards, Benicio, Edwards (Garrity)

ST: Paton, Tolaj, Stockley, Dipepa

I don't think that's a particularly bloated squad, to be honest. The main issue is finding the minutes for the front 10 (11 if you include Garrity) when, at most, we'll be starting with 4-5.

It does lead me to think that Dipepa may be loaned, or put on ice and sold. He moved up to the England U18 today. I can't see how he gets minutes.

If you take out Dipepa, I think it's a battle between Paton and Tolaj with Stockley more situation dependent (late sub/tricky away games).

AM/W - Curtis is the left-winger, Chislett the right, with Benicio and Edwards the competition. If we play with a central attacking midfielder, you'd assume its between Garrity, Chislett, and Richards.

Sitting midfield will be Croasdale and Byers when both fit.

Down to Moore to make it work.

I agree Joe and that was my point previously. You have to expect Plant  go out on loan so it would be 2 in 2 out.

As we have already seen in 3 games a squad is going to be very important with subs who can impact a game.

 

Edited August 30, 20241 yr by MBE

If we play 2 CM’s you have to believe one is going to be Byers  based on the fact he’s our highest wage earner.
Who’s his partner? Garrity or Croasdale?
I can’t see Lowe and Grant get nowhere near the midfield other than BSM games.

But we don't play 2 midfielders, we have played three for nearly 3 years. A "6" a "8" and a "10".

Everything I've read about Byers is he's an 8, box to box controlling play. You could shoe horn him into defensive mid and lose any creativity he'd bring, or you could just have decent cover like we did have until an hour ago.

The point is, if we're gonna go with the same formation for the rest of the season, we've only got Croasdale who we can hang our hat on at defensive mid. After that, it's a kid who's never played league football, lowe and grant.

Funny how last season we did nothing but moan about the lack of forward signings….. this season we moan about to many forward players😂😂

2 minutes ago, TJHValiant said:

That’s my feeling. My other feeling is that we have chopped and changed a lot and the team so far is disjointed. If we want promotion we need a settled side as soon as possible. 

Still…..some will be able to say after another 7 or 8 games with more losses than wins that we need more time for the team to settle in. I’m with you on that one but have to be honest, Ojo is the first player we have lost that I’m disappointed about and very happy with the players we’ve managed to keep. 

Just now, MBE said:

Funny how last season we did nothing but moan about the lack of forward signings….. this season we moan about to many forward players😂😂

Not enough ambition. Sign a striker and some creativity fgs Carol you fraud!

No, not like that!

Christ Almighty, we're three league games in, and have signed 14 players, and this board has already turned on each other saying either the new signings are s@#% or there's too many of them, and that a player who has downed tools two seasons running is a big miss in leaving.

I personally think we should leave it ten games before we're burning effigies of Ryan Croasdale on High Lane and unveiling a banner wanting Darren Moore sacked.

We never seem happy.