On 15/03/2025 at 19:12, threepintsofvale said:

Personally I'd be tempted to play Walters/Croasdale in midfield and push Garrity further up the pitch. Bring Byers on at 60'

so you are dropping byers plus curtis or tolaj just to get Walters in? No thanks.

21 hours ago, VantaaVale said:

No nonsense defending! 

Thanks for the memories!

Also wonderful to see a clip of our own former great Billy Bingham (pictured above) who was then manager of Northern Ireland.

Edited March 17, 20251 yr by Alan Vit

22 hours ago, VantaaVale said:

No nonsense defending! 

The memories,I remember being at this game............. those were the days when you could get away tickets with your season ticket and didn't need 1 million points ..... I used to go every away game then(the days before marriage and kids 🙂 )

2 hours ago, Alan Vit said:

Thanks for the memories!

Also wonderful to see a clip of our own former great Billy Bingham (pictured above) who was then manager of Northern Ireland.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh been wracking my brain trying to place him - thanks AV 👏👏👏

4 hours ago, kevin_struggles said:

so you are dropping byers plus curtis or tolaj just to get Walters in? No thanks.

Yep! Byers doesn't add much to the team. We brought him in to be our deep-lying playmaker and our primary creator but he just hasn't been good. 0 assists on the season. I watch the guy every week, hoping for the quality that was promised when we signed him but it just isn't there. Walters showed fantastic ball-carrying and determination last game and IMO absolutely earned another start with his performance.

 

And Curtis is a fine player but he's nothing special. Our best front three is Stockley/Tolaj/Garrity

I think Curtis has more than earned his place in the team these last few matches - or put it another way, he hasn't been any worse than others who have kept their places 👍😁

1 hour ago, Hoppers said:

I think Curtis has more than earned his place in the team these last few matches - or put it another way, he hasn't been any worse than others who have kept their places 👍😁

He had a decent hand (foot) in a couple of the goals.  Seemed like a decent contribution to me.  

1 hour ago, threepintsofvale said:

And Curtis is a fine player but he's nothing special. Our best front three is Stockley/Tolaj/Garrity

Curtis has tons of skill and is probably as skilfull a player as there is in Lge 2, he's a bit of a "Maverick" player as he can drift in and out of the game.  If his pass for Stockley's goal on Saturday, his last minute effort at Colchester's goal that almost claimed Vale a point, his tremendous finish against Cheltenham, his lovely goal vs Notts etc etc all in the last few games don't tell you he possesses special skills for Lge 2 then I don't know what will.

Garrity is not a player who plays his best up front, in a front 3 or 2, it's not the best use of his skills.  Playing him up front in that way has been tried  several times and discussed on OVF many times, when he plays up front his goals usually dry up. 

Garrity is at his best breaking from midfield, running onto the ball, ghosting into the box when most times he isn't picked up by a defender. He's best facing the opposition goal not with his back to it.

 

Curtis has been brilliant since he has had a run in the side. Looks a constant goal threat and can bring others in to play. Byers has been a massive disappointment for me since signing. 

On 16/03/2025 at 13:13, threepintsofvale said:

Honestly I wish DM would stop playing 5 at the back and put the extra CB into midfield so we could play a central 3 of Byers, Croasdale and Walters. Perfect blend of defense, passing and ball carrying IMO.

DM Doesn't play 5 at the back he usually starts with a 3, with 5 across the middle and 2 up front or 3 at the back with 4 across the middle than a 1 then a 2 or just a simple 3 up top. These formations are fluid not static.

Verses MK Dons he started with 3 at the back, Deborah, Henneghan and Hall, then Clark Byers, Walters and John across the middle with Curtis Stockley and Tolay up front either in a 1-2 or as a 3. When making subs DM sometimes goes to a 4 at the back and gets an extra forward on.

On 16/03/2025 at 13:13, threepintsofvale said:

I still think Walters has earned another start, we've been dying for someone that will actually take their man on and be direct without immediately losing the ball.

 

DM has a conundrum who to start now Garrity is back (Assuming he is fit to start) that's if he starts with the same formation as he did against MK Dons.

Regardless of who starts for Vale in midfield, we certainly don't want a central midfield player taking on a man/dribbling/dwelling on the ball in the middle of the pitch in their own half -  first 2/3rds of the field of play unless that player has no other option. I've never heard any coach advocate for such play as if the ball is lost then the opposition are straight in on the Vale goal or running at Vale's back 3 which is not a good situation.

5 minutes ago, Paul6754 said:

Regardless of who starts for Vale in midfield, we certainly don't want a central midfield player taking on a man/dribbling/dwelling on the ball in the middle of the pitch in their own half -  first 2/3rds of the field of play unless that player has no other option. I've never heard any coach advocate for such play as if the ball is lost then the opposition are straight in on the Vale goal or running at Vale's back 3 which is not a good situation.

When we have the opposition pinned back and we're passing it around side to side, we need someone in the midfield that can suck a defender out of position and create a channel for one of our attackers to make a run. Walters can do that. Croasdale can't, Byers can't, Harper can't. We're playing Morecambe next week, we'll have a lot of the ball and it's a perfect fixture for him.

 

I don't think you'll find me saying anywhere that Walters should take the ball in his own half and try to dribble past the entire team. What I am saying is that our midfield has looked absolutely pedestrian at times this season and Walters provides a creative spark and a bit of flair that we are desperately missing.

 

9 minutes ago, Paul6754 said:

DM Doesn't play 5 at the back he usually starts with a 3, with 5 across the middle and 2 up front or 3 at the back with 4 across the middle than a 1 then a 2 or just a simple 3 up top. 

If the formation has 3 CBs, there's 5 at the back. I agree the positions are fluid but when Clark/John are playing "across the middle" they're really just playing as wingback on either side and should be counted as defenders in the formation.

On 16/03/2025 at 20:23, barny61 said:

That's exactly what Smithy should have done to Tovide. 😂😂

Yes, but nowadays he would get a red card for that.  Out of control and endangering a player I think they call it, doesn't matter if you get the ball anymore. 

I thought it was a great tackle as an ex defender,  lol

27 minutes ago, threepintsofvale said:

When we have the opposition pinned back and we're passing it around side to side, we need someone in the midfield that can suck a defender out of position and create a channel for one of our attackers to make a run. Walters can do that. Croasdale can't, Byers can't, Harper can't. We're playing Morecambe next week, we'll have a lot of the ball and it's a perfect fixture for him.

I don't think you'll find me saying anywhere that Walters should take the ball in his own half and try to dribble past the entire team. What I am saying is that our midfield has looked absolutely pedestrian at times this season and Walters provides a creative spark and a bit of flair that we are desperately missing.

TPoV, Your post did say, "we've been dying for someone that will actually take their man on and be direct", if Rhys can do that in the final 1/3 then that's fine but in the games I've seen him play, he's been more of a passer of the ball rather than someone who takes players on and is direct.  I'm not sure I've seen young Rhys "Suck a defender out of position" either, how does he do that?

IMHO Since Headley joined the club, DM has used his wing backs, usually Clark and Headley but John and Sang as well, as the source of creativity and gone down the wings and shored the middle up, it worked fine until injury and suspension got in the may. Byers is supposedly the creative player but for whatever reasons it hasn't happened.

27 minutes ago, threepintsofvale said:

If the formation has 3 CBs, there's 5 at the back. I agree the positions are fluid but when Clark/John are playing "across the middle" they're really just playing as wingback on either side and should be counted as defenders in the formation.

I quess that's a matter of opinion but certainly the wing backs have been playing high up the field. Interesting discussion involving Sproey on Saturday who said he thought Clark was more of a winger than a full back.

2 hours ago, TreacleValiant said:

Curtis has been brilliant since he has had a run in the side. Looks a constant goal threat and can bring others in to play. Byers has been a massive disappointment for me since signing. 

Anyone who can’t see what Curtis brings to the team either hasn’t watched us recently or should consider taking up watching a different sport.  The guy is quality.  Quick, skilful, strong, decent in the air and an eye for a pass/shot.  On top of this he’s got great energy and that bit of a swagger about him.  Some would argue he had a slowish start with us, but he’s not alone in that regard.

A front 3 of Curtis, Stockley and Tolaj should be a real threat.  We can probably start that way at home but perhaps not in all the away games, although Curtis and Tolaj could always sit a bit deeper.

3 hours ago, Guitar Ray said:

Anyone who can’t see what Curtis brings to the team either hasn’t watched us recently or should consider taking up watching a different sport.  The guy is quality.  Quick, skilful, strong, decent in the air and an eye for a pass/shot.  On top of this he’s got great energy and that bit of a swagger about him.  Some would argue he had a slowish start with us, but he’s not alone in that regard.

A front 3 of Curtis, Stockley and Tolaj should be a real threat.  We can probably start that way at home but perhaps not in all the away games, although Curtis and Tolaj could always sit a bit deeper.

Am I wrong or are we a single decent win removed from a stretch of 4 pretty horrid games? Don't think we should consider anything set in stone formation-wise after a single good performance.

 

And yeah, Curtis is a good player but if Garritty is fit then it's a question of who drops out of the side to accommodate him. I just happen to think a midfield three of Croasdale, Walters and Garrity behind a front two of Tolaj and Stockley is our strongest set-up right  now. 

4 hours ago, Paul6754 said:

TPoV, Your post did say, "we've been dying for someone that will actually take their man on and be direct", if Rhys can do that in the final 1/3 then that's fine but in the games I've seen him play, he's been more of a passer of the ball rather than someone who takes players on and is direct.  I'm not sure I've seen young Rhys "Suck a defender out of position" either, how does he do that?

If you didn't see him suck any defenders out of position then you didn't watch the MK game! If you have the ability, go to the replay and go to 56:22 in the second half. Walters baits in 4 defenders and zips past all of them with wonderful skill before drawing a foul. Imagine him doing that on the edge of the box.