Took last night for exactly what it was, a chance to give fringe and young players some minutes against decent opposition. 

Negatives out the way first;

Broome, hard to judge but just on looking at his size alone, he doesn't fill me with confidence. He looked like a kid in goals, which is what he is I suppose. 

Deb looked poor again to me. Steady 1st half, but his distribution was just hit and hope at times. 2nd half, really poor under pressure against decent forwards.

Hart really disappointed me 2nd half. The lack of effort for the 4th goal was appalling. He watched Faal coast into the box and couldn't be arsed to bust a gut to stop him. Lazy. At one point he got his knee muddy and looked like he wanted to be subbed.

Lowe. Not terrible. I don't mind him keeping possession by going sideways like some do. What disappointed me was the equaliser. He was around the area their lad strolled into, but with the slightest drop of the shoulder he went wandering off. With age you tend to lose pace but make up a yard with your reading of the game. I'm not seeing that from him.

Hackford, 2nd half in particular, he disappeared. He got the ball near the 90th minute and I'd genuinely forgotten he was on the pitch. Thought he'd been subbed.

Half negative, Shorrock defensively struggled, but in his defence he was up against Longman. He won't have played against much tougher opposition than that before. He struggled 2nd half in particular and played a part in their 2nd.

Clarke's injury. Freak accident, feel really sorry for him. Hopefully it's not as bad as it looked.

Sang wasn't great when he came on. Seemed to get the ball stuck under his feet a few times and forget take it with him.

Positives

Shorrock going forward, 1st half very good. Decent run and strike but maybe should have passed. Strike looked good but got to at least hit the target if you're not passing. Good cross, well dealt with by their keeper.

Heneghan I thought dealt well with their forwards. Steady performance mainly. Only negative was his role in their 3rd. Albeit keeper has to call for it there.

Walters, looked calm, rarely gave the ball away. If he adds a bit of acceleration away from the opposition and become a bit more creative he'll be a really good player.

Curtis was lively. Took his goal well, won a lot of headers. Looked a threat at times.

Rico looked really good 1st half. Best player on the pitch. Shame about his injury but didn't look too bad. Him going off killed the game as a contest.

Tolaj, Harper and Croasdale looked a step above the rest when they came on for their cameos with the game already decided. 

Edited February 5, 20251 yr by Family Stand Terrier

22 minutes ago, Family Stand Terrier said:

Took last night for exactly what it was, a chance to give fringe and young players some minutes against decent opposition. 

Negatives out the way first;

Broome, hard to judge but just on looking at his size alone, he doesn't fill me with confidence. He looked like a kid in goals, which is what he is I suppose. 

Deb looked poor again to me. Steady 1st half, but his distribution was just hit and hope at times. 2nd half, reallypoor under pressure against decent forwards.

Hart really disappointed me 2nd half. The lack of effort for the 4th goal was appalling. He watched Faal coast into the box and couldn't be arsed to bust a gut to stop him. Lazy. At one point he got his knee muddy and looked like he wanted to be subbed.

Lowe. Not terrible. I don't mind him keeping possession by going sideways like some do. What disappointed me was the equaliser. He was around the area their lad strolled into, but with the slightest drop of the shoulder he went wandering off. With age you tend to lose once but make up a yard with your reading of the game. I'm not seeing that from him.

Hackford, 2nd half in particular, he disappeared. He got the ball near the 90th minute and I'd genuinely forgotten he was on the pitch. Thought he'd been subbed.

Half negative, Shorrock defensively struggled, but in his defence he was up against Longman. He won't have played against much tougher opposition than that before. He struggled 2nd half in particular and played a part in their 2nd.

Clarke's injury. Freak accident, feel really sorry for him. Hopefully it's not as bad as it looked.

Sang wasn't great when he came on. Seemed to get the ball stuck under his feet a few times and forget take it with him.

Positives

Shorrock going forward, 1st half very good. Decent run and strike but maybe should have passed. Strike looked good but got to at least hit the target if you're not passing. Good cross, well dealt with by their keeper.

Heneghan I thought dealt well with their forwards. Steady performance mainly. Only negative was his role in their 3rd. Albeit keeper has to call for it there.

Walters, looked calm, rarely gave the ball away. If he adds a bit of acceleration away from the opposition and become a bit more creative he'll be a really good player.

Curtis was lively. Took his goal well, won a lot of headers. Looked a threat at times.

Rico looked really good 1st half. Best player on the pitch. Shame about his injury but didn't look too bad. Him going off killed the game as a contest.

Tolaj, Harper and Croasdale looked a step above the rest when they came on for their cameos with the game already decided. 

Nathan Broome is 23. Far from a kid but he does look about 17 on the pitch. Would be concerned if anything happens to Amos. I thought Big Ben had a poor game myself last night. His lack of pace is ridiculous, a beast in the air & his passing is half decent. You just don’t know what player is turning up one game to the next I feel with Heneghan. Suppose that’s League 2 level for most to be fair. Last night just shows why so many of these players aren’t anywhere near or around the first team squad on a regular basis mate 

Edited February 5, 20251 yr by VTID-New

45 minutes ago, Stockleys_socks said:

Youd have kept 4 players covering the RWB position because you saw Sang's red and mitch's injury coming? 

Exactly 

I’m not sure how far some folks think we need to go to provide cover for one position- seems we need RWBs queuing up for unexpected injury, sendings off, paternity leave, full moons etc 

you can only have so many in the squad and you can’t provide for every eventuality in every position. Injuries are usually just bad luck

Well done to Curtis last night, really led the line well and as we are playing with two up top now is a good backup option for the two incumbent strikers (who should remain that way until injury or lack of form dictates otherwise) 

Richards proved again that he can play deeper when called upon, and he seems to benefit having space to run into. His best game this season, I think, was when he played on the right of the three against Fleetwood, we attacked so well down the right that day with Sang and Cover overlapping which created the space for RR to use effectively. 

Those two aside you would struggle to see anyone having earned the right to bang on the gaffers door demanding minutes. JD seemed to rule himself out of a league return, he is so out of form that his confidence looks shot to pieces. Unfortunately that may mean Smiffy moving out of his best position to cover on the right of the three, or the gaffer may surprise us and go 4 4 2  

 

1 hour ago, Nippy Naylor said:

Could always stick Ben Lomax in there 

Not for me mate. Young lad a long way from 1st team which I think the staff agree with considering the level of his loan.

 

8 hours ago, Spunk Trumpet said:

If the manager puts Smith right side of a 3 we are doomed. If you play him he has to be in the centre. 
Mitch out. 
Sang suspended as they’ve made the crazy decision of not appealing it. 
To be fair mate I’d bring in Brandon Cover. 
Oh. Hang on. We sent him packing. 
And this is what I moaned about and got ridiculed for.

 

Ridiculous, you don’t just stockpile players like that just in case. Cover was brought in to cover Mitch, Mitch gets fit, Cover goes back. Makes perfect sense.  You can’t blame the club for that. You also can’t legislate for what happened to him last night, thats just bad luck. You also can’t blame the club for Sangs red card. It’s unfortunate, buts that how football is. Totally unpredictable.
 

The decision to not appeal that red isn’t ridiculous either. They know the probability of winning an appeal. That’s why they haven’t bothered. The refs seen studs up and making contact with their player. The club know the appeal board will back the ref. It’s pointless and they know it. 

Edited February 5, 20251 yr by PV1973

6 minutes ago, MBE said:

Not for me mate. Young lad a long way from 1st team which I think the staff agree with considering the level of his loan.

 

Will have to stick John in at RWB on sat then at a guess as long as Jason Slow (Lowe) dunner start there , mate , shud be orate 🤔

8 hours ago, Spunk Trumpet said:

If the manager puts Smith right side of a 3 we are doomed. If you play him he has to be in the centre. 
Mitch out. 
Sang suspended as they’ve made the crazy decision of not appealing it. 
To be fair mate I’d bring in Brandon Cover. 
Oh. Hang on. We sent him packing. 
And this is what I moaned about and got ridiculed for.

Just pray that Stockley and Tolaj last the pace from now until May. 

How many league 2 teams have the luxury of 4 possible right backs just incase 2 are ruled out.

 

Salford currently have no for centre backs - look at their current form 

 

there is a budget to be considered and we lacked quality / experience at left back so headley has been signed and we look better 

 

we can’t have 3/4 players in every position just in case 

 

Mitch played due to the suspension and picked up a freak injury , that’s football 

 

cover was also really poor since about November 

 

you contradict yourself as well , you don’t want injuries , but you want a full blooded performance which could relate to further injuries ? 
 

which did you want . Commitment or an eye on the league 

 

if I was some of those players would I want to risk a serious injury to be out for the rest of the season

4 minutes ago, dazzerjames said:

we can’t have 3/4 players in every position just in case 

we need to focus on ambipedal Full Backs 🙂 

14 hours ago, southport vale said:

Why have we signed Walters he's so unfit and overweight. Shorrock shouldn't be playing either he needs a loan to learn how to defend. Most of the others are doing ok

 

14 hours ago, Alan Vit said:

At the risk of stating what ought to be obvious …

We have signed and are playing Rhys Walters because he is a very talented young player who needs minutes on the pitch to get back to full first-team fitness 

We are playing Jack Shorrock  because he is a very talented young player who is a valuable part of the  first-team squad

 

14 hours ago, SS Vale said:

If you’re good enough , you’re old enough. With all due respect, neither of them are good enough. It’s not a slight on either player. 
It’s just football, and very few make it, even at this level. 

The sweepingly dismissive instant judgementalism in which a few Vale fans like to indulge themselves.

Rhys Walters has just, in January 2025, signed an initial three-and-a-half-year deal to June 2028.

Jack Shorrock signed an initial three-year deal from June 2024 to June 2027.

The long contracts were offered to these young players on the basis of the judgement of Vale's Academy staff, who have worked with them for years, and on the basis of the judgement of Vale's senior management, led by Darren, who have worked with these players extensively in first-team training and competitive matches.

I know whose judgement I trust.

8 hours ago, Spunk Trumpet said:

If the manager puts Smith right side of a 3 we are doomed. If you play him he has to be in the centre. 
Mitch out. 
Sang suspended as they’ve made the crazy decision of not appealing it. 
To be fair mate I’d bring in Brandon Cover. 
Oh. Hang on. We sent him packing. 
And this is what I moaned about and got ridiculed for.

Just pray that Stockley and Tolaj last the pace from now until May. 

No pal, people ridiculed you for your increasingly unstable tantrums, constant messages calling for the manager to be sacked even when he has won a couple of games recently, and wishing one of our academy players would get seriously injured to the extent his career was finished. 

But other than that I'm sure you've been pretty reasonable...

1 hour ago, NW9Valiant said:

Given how slow Moore is at introducing players into the squad bringing anybody else in would be pointless. 

Ashworth will be lucky to get half a dozen appearances and will mostly be consigned to the bench unless we have injuries in the midfield requiring another body. Even then, is he likely to get in ahead of Lowe? 

I don't expect us to bring anybody else in now unless it's really bad. 

Planty would be a bad call tbh, he's not a wingback and chances are if Moore is still in charge next season is moved on. 

This is our biggest worry and weak spot in the team now if anything happens. I'm not seeing enough from Hackford to be confident in him stepping in. Umolu seems a gamble and a half. 

Curtis tried last night because he needs to show he's deserving of a first team spot still but he's not a forward. 

It's clearly from what Moore said in thd statement when he signed, and from his Radio Stoke interview that he's a development player, doubt very much he'll be around the first team.

We've probably taken him on loan to see if he's any good with a view to signing him next season?

4 hours ago, PV1973 said:

 

Was DM asked about Mitch in his interview afterwards? I’ve not seen or heard anything. 

Talks about it here, basically says they will wait a few days to find out the extent:

 

 

5 minutes ago, Granville said:

It's clearly from what Moore said in thd statement when he signed, and from his Radio Stoke interview that he's a development player, doubt very much he'll be around the first team.

We've probably taken him on loan to see if he's any good with a view to signing him next season?

It’s an odd one though unless he does get some game time towards the end of the seasons which Moore did hint at mate 

14 hours ago, Alan Vit said:

I’d have to say no.

What it shows is that Vale’s second string are not currently as good as the squad players of a team that cost a fortune and is strongly challenging for promotion to the Championship 

 

13 hours ago, philpvfc said:

Don’t you mean Wrexham reserves?

No, if I had meant that I would have said that.

Have a read below about the Wrexham team to make the comparison.

Then have a look at the Vale's genuine second-string line-up.

I'm amazed at the number of top-dollar first-team players Wrexham risked on this competition, when they are also challenging at the top end of league 1.

Wrexham 2025 Wages | Player & Team totals

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