Exeter City (H) match thread - 13th April

[Biddulph_PV]

I thought the first half was ok, I never really thought “we were superb” as some were making out. 

I commented during the half that our defending from corners was comical…. absolute panic stations every time the ball came into the box. Irrespective of how the game played out we were always going to concede off a set-play. I guarantee we will next week at Bolton. 

Ripley, who made a couple of decent saves today, is unfortunately also a problem for us. He fancies himself as a Manuel Neuer but in reality is more Manuel from Fawlty Towers. He played Debrah into trouble at least twice in the 1st half and consequently he became a nervous wreck anytime the ball came near him and had a really poor game for me. 

We huffed and puffed and were committed in tackles without really playing with any particular structure which, I felt, made creating chances seem really hard work. The goal was a surprise and it was always going to be a set piece or good strike, and it was a bit of both. 

The second owed to Dipepa’s tenacity although from the Hamil it looked like the keeper really ought to have down much better. 

Second half was really one way traffic from the word go, with Ripley pulling off a good save virtually straight from kick-off. Yes their first was a bit fortunate, but that’s what happens when you back off. 

Then came the indefensible substitution. I can accept the fact that Uche was gassed, but to replace him with Weir rather than Loft was utterly incredible. I get that we were being completely overrun in midfield but to have no-one with any physicality up top was ridiculous. 

As soon as that one went in it was only a matter of time for the equaliser. Their number 8 (the ginger haired guy) ran us ragged and I’m pretty sure it was his corner that Jules smashed home. Yep, a corner. Who’d have thought.

The third - which looked a good goal - then inevitability followed as we collapsed like the proverbial deck on cards and the fourth was a Sang-inspired Derby-style horror show, and cue the mass exodus and realisation that we were L2 bound. 

Edited April 13 by Biddulph_PV

[darren1810]

31 minutes ago, Brian Johnson said:

Is that the second time Loft's been injured in the warm up?

Yes . Coincidence? 

[Valiiant]

3 hours ago, Lornelounger said:

I think I disagree with every sentence.  The club hasn't been killed.  The atmosphere and feel good factor have been mind you. We'll still be in business next season, thanks to Carol. I don't think she is egotistical or patronising, but she has made mistakes - big ones, that are going to cost the club, and so her. I didn't have a problem with her open letter either, I thought it was front foot after all the stick she gets for being on the back foot.  And she ate some humble pie when Flitcroft left after she said he was going nowhere.  

I don't get these "vanity project" comments - what sane person throws her personal wealth at a "vanity project" in the way Carol has done at great cost to herself?  It would make no sense, and she is a shrewd business woman. And her losing a few million is like you losing £500?  I don't see it. She has put heart and soul into the club, made mistakes, will pay for them from her own pocket, and try to get us back up if/when we do go down.  Regular fans buying season tickets will too, but I think the comparison ends there.   

We're all angry, but personal attacks on Carol's character are out of order, in my view. I'm glad she's our chairwoman, and I hope she sticks around to see us promoted again. 

You're allowed an opinion and you're obviously allowed to disagree. But it doesn't and won't change my views at all. She hasn't got a clue and she is the biggest reason we have the worst and most unlikeable squad of players I can remember.

Edited April 13 by Valiiant

[Dipepa delight]

The excitement of Port Vale v Gillingham v Crawley is too much for me it's time call it a day.

Every passing week this season the on field shenighans have took a lot of me .

I hate league 2 I've seen way too much of it over the years .

Another sad day in Vales history .

It's time to let go of this 32 year weekly obsession it's downright energy sapping .

Today's second half  and Wednesdays lie down and die performance v Peterboro especially after first goal has finshed my love off of Vale .

All the best to those who will continue to attend and suffer but I'm DONE, you do not do that to your own supporters there goals you  Would have to see them to believe how shambolic they were  3 of there 4 goals,   letting players have acres of space run into no leadership no nothing no challenges no commitment, zero application .

Reap what you sow 

What a terrible football team  we are .

 

Edited April 13 by Dipepa delight

[Vtid]

9 minutes ago, Dipepa delight said:

The excitement of Port Vale v Gillingham v Crawley is too much for me it's time call it a day.

Every passing week this season the on field shenighans have took a lot of me .

I hate league 2 I've seen way too much of it over the years .

Another sad day in Vales history .

It's time to let go of this 32 year weekly obsession it's downright energy sapping .

Today's second half  and Wednesdays lie down and die performance v Peterboro especially after first goal has finshed my love off of Vale .

All the best to those who will continue to attend and suffer but I'm DONE, you do not do that to your own supporters there goals you  Would have to see them to believe how shambolic they were  3 of there 4 goals,   letting players have acres of space run into no leadership no nothing no challenges no commitment, zero application .

Reap what you sow 

What a terrible football team  we are .

 

What name you coming back under in a few weeks pal? Sublime smudge 🤔 

[leedsvaliant]

Some people have said that Carol is only in it for financial gain. That's utter rubbish....nobody with any financial ambitions would run a 3rd division football club. You're literally throwing money away. Even Smurthwaite realised that there's nothing to be made from a football club and was extremely lucky that the Shanahans paid way over the odds.

I do think, however, that she enjoys the prestige of being a female chairwoman a little too much. I admire the charity stuff but I think the 'legacy' ambition has taken over from sensible decisions. There seems to be an ambition to run a football club in a corporate entity style, with a high level of Corporate Social responsibility. Unfortunately, football just doesn't work like Synectics. You can spend all the money you like on staff and 'projects' but ultimately the biggest outlay should be the team. It's a football club. The clue is in the title. Stevenage have got a <ovf censored> ground, almost certainly a smaller corporate side than us, yet they're pushing for the playoffs because they spent big in the summer on their team.

Somebody with football business acumen needs to get in there before she spadges more up the wall on vanity projects.

If it were me, I'd have looked a long time ago about creating a smaller, fit for purpose stadium on the same footprint. I'm sure our old, decrepit ground, that in spite of serious investment still looks old and decrepit is a millstone round our neck. We still haven't got a finished stadium after 25 years for instance.

[leedsvaliant]

you and your misogyny.

Mmmm....I'm simply suggesting that there are not many females in authority in the football world. I think she is certainly playing on it. No misogyny.

[NW9Valiant]

Heaven forbid you might be proud of your own success!

What you said is misogynistic, have a word. 

Lots of things you can criticise Carol for and you go for the low blow. Shame. 

[Wozza4England]

10 minutes ago, leedsvaliant said:

12 minutes ago, mr.hobblesworth said:

you and your misogyny.

Mmmm....I'm simply suggesting that there are not many females in authority in the football world. I think she is certainly playing on it. No misogyny.

Don’t even think about apologising. There is nothing misogynistic in your post and if people want to be offended by something that’s not there, it’s their problem not yours.

[PV1973]

5 hours ago, JS Valiant said:

2 years wasted and even more in debt.

All that optimism and momentum we built after promotion didn’t take long to disappear. It’s been a miserable 2 seasons back in league one. 

5 hours ago, osprey said:

don’t rate Loft but at least he has more presence than the YTS lads we did use as subs 

We shouldn’t be throwing in kids given our  situation, but it’s a sad indictment of the situation we’re in recruitment / quality wise that we’ve had to. 

5 hours ago, Gareth70 said:

Cannot see Burton losing Tuesday TBH.

We HAVE to win and hope that Cheltenham do us a favour. Feel like I’m clutching at straws. 

2 hours ago, PVFC FAN said:

Ye we did have a mediocre L2 squad and only just made play offs. 

Let’s not try and rewrite history. We deserved that promotion. We had a bad run towards of the end of the season granted, but ended up getting there on merit. No team getting promoted should be classed as mediocre, it’s an achievement that only vale fans (if you are one) can try and dumb down. Those players have written themselves into our history and you call them mediocre. Give me that team over this one. That squad, as a whole, had more desire, quality and character than we’ve had this last 2 seasons. If you are Patrick then you’re a complete shltbag for saying the team that got us promoted that year was mediocre.

2 hours ago, Dipepa delight said:

Match fixing that's the only way I can describe the difference in terms of application from first half to second half

Not the first in your OVF career you’ve accused players of that. It was an utterly ridiculous statement then, it’s utterly ridiculous now. 

Edited April 13 by PV1973

[ian foster]

7 hours ago, Guppys left peg said:

Couldn’t ask for more than this so far. Conor Grant suddenly looks like Roberto Carlos on the left. Not sure if it’s his Plymouth connections making him see the red mist against Exeter. Garrity been outstanding too.

Connor Grant looks finally fit after a really bad season needing 2 major operations. 

Being a physio I've a lot of experience in rehab and his 2 ops were always going to halt his instant return to the form he showed at Plymouth. 

He was very good all day and even against Peterborough he showed that he's playing with more freedom.

Today's defeat is certainly not on him and if people looked closely they would see a very technical footballer.

This forum is about opinions not vendettas so judge players on how they play and not to be a scapegoat if the team loses 

See you Tuesday 

UTV

[PVFC FAN]

1 hour ago, rsb said:

pvfc fan how many of these players will be at vale next season.

None of them. And I've already said this. I was saying the good part of our squad will be gone next season if we drop.

[PVFC FAN]

2 minutes ago, PV1973 said:

All that optimism and momentum we built after promotion didn’t take long to disappear. It’s been a miserable 2 seasons back in league one. 

We shouldn’t be throwing in kids given our  situation, but it’s a sad indictment of the situation we’re in recruitment / quality wise that we’ve had to. 

We HAVE to win and hope that Cheltenham do us a favour. Feel like I’m clutching at straws. 

Let’s not try and rewrite history. We deserved that promotion. We had a bad run towards of the end of the season granted, but ended up getting there on merit. No team getting promoted should be classed as mediocre, it’s an achievement that only vale fans (if you are one) can try and dumb down. Those players have written themselves into our history and you call them mediocre. Give me that team over this one. That squad, as a whole, had more desire, quality and character than we’ve had this last 2 seasons. If you are Patrick then you’re a complete shltbag for saying the team that got us promoted that year was mediocre.

Not the first in your OVF career you’ve accused players of that. It was an utterly ridiculous statement then, it’s utterly ridiculous now. 

OK a good league 2 side but a good league 2 side like us or forest Green isn't the same in league 1.

[leedsvaliant]

Heaven forbid you might be proud of your own success!

What you said is misogynistic, have a word. 

Lots of things you can criticise Carol for and you go for the low blow. Shame. 

I'm struggling to see the misogyny in my post to be honest. I'm simply suggesting that she might enjoy the prestige of being one of the few female owners in football a little too much. That's no reflection on her as a person, or as a woman. In fact, I think it's great that we have a female owner. Jeez, why does everyone try and find offense in everything these days?

[Houston Valiant]

4 minutes ago, leedsvaliant said:

 

 

I'm struggling to see the misogyny in my post to be honest. I'm simply suggesting that she might enjoy the prestige of being one of the few female owners in football a little too much. That's no reflection on her as a person, or as a woman. In fact, I think it's great that we have a female owner. Jeez, why does everyone try and find offense in everything these days?

 

No need to explain .