1 minute ago, Vale Ball said:

They did run round and tried to compete unfortunately there was no midfield to balance the side the second half was marginally better because DM suddenly realised his tactics  were wrong, the extra 20% came from the fact the side was set up to attack, totally DM's fault.

Rubbish, we were miles off it.  A goal down and players strolling to pick the ball up for a throw in, then nobody showing for the ball.  It was that bad it looked like we were the ones time wasting first half.

He did get his side wrong and to be fair it shows why we’re struggling.  The squad isn’t quite good enough, beyond a decent 11  + a couple of subs we don’t have the depth,  through a combination of injury and recruitment.  I don’t think the loans have really come off and we probably needed an experienced striker in January.  If we don’t go up I think it’ll be for that reason rather than any major failings on Moores part in my opinion.  I’m not saying he’s blameless by the way but I think we’re maybe a season too soon, if there is such a thing.

At least, if we don't go up, we can have a cracking summer reminiscing at how well the loads of all our players were managed. What it's all about.

 

If we don't go up this season I strongly believe that we won't next either. The combination of Moore and the fact that I can't see there being another league as weak as this one makes me think that we had better make ourselves comfy if we aren't in Div 1 next year

3 minutes ago, JoeB2 said:

At least, if we don't go up, we can have a cracking summer reminiscing at how well the loads of all our players were managed. What it's all about.

 

Already bought a celebratory mug 

6 minutes ago, JoeB2 said:

But the players picked are significantly worse than the players they replaced - and they were picked through choice.

The drop from Clark, Tolaj, Walters, and Croasdale to Sang (at RWB), Hackford, Harper, and an unfit Garrity is a chasm. There's a division's worth of quality between them.

It's not rocket science. We played badly when 40% of the outfielders were not good and better when they were replaced for good players. Good players also make the rest of the team better. Messi would have struggled in that side tonight.

I agree, certain players are worse than others and the drop off is quite big.  That’s our Achilles heel, squad depth.  For me I always felt confident of a top 8 finish but not a top 3 finish.  The annoying thing is that it’s so close, but probably no cigar.

As I’ve said elsewhere, no idea why we don’t start the strongest 11 with a view to being a goal up when the subs come on.  Fair to say that the players will have been picked based on stats as much as anything else nowadays, almost certainly with an eye on Saturday.  There was always a danger we’d have the Crewe game in the back of our mind.  The bottom line is that all of the players who played the full 90 ran, competed and showed much more desire second half than they had in the first, that’s not simply down to the subs, it’s a change in attitude.  The players attitude was poor first half and that’s as unacceptable for a professional sportsman as it is for you or me in our workplace.  Top professionals like Messi consistently maintain their high standards.  Talent alone is nothing without hard work.

31 minutes ago, Guitar Ray said:

Folk are saying this was all on the manager, not true, a huge slice is on the players.  An absolute shameful performance first half, totally outplayed and out worked by a Barrow side who have little to play for except pride.  Fair play to them.  The bare minimum is to run around and compete for the ball, beyond that pass to a teammate. I’d like to know what the excuse is for that chalk and cheese display.  Not one player left the pitch at half time with any credit.  Connor Hall for example, garbage first half, totally different player second, and he wasn’t alone.  All of them found an extra 20% from somewhere, so where was it first half when we were a goal down and strolling around like all we had to do was turn up?

The biggest criticism of Moore would be why not start with your strongest side with a view to having a better start and more chance of scoring first, rather than bringing the better players on when they have less time to impact the game, or, worse still, when we’re chasing the game.

Moore’s squad rotation cost us today, nothing else.

He picked the eleven players and decided on a system that suited Barrow more than it suited us. They picked us apart for the vast majority of the first half. Playing Harper in a two-man midfield with Garrity, who has played a combined total of about 45 minutes in the last five weeks, is absolutely criminal.

I think I could play around Harper – he’s absolutely useless and has been shown how it’s done by Walters.

Playing Hackford, who, in all fairness, I thought did okay, in an unnatural position after playing about 90 minutes combined since the start of March, is criminal.

I’ve backed Moore a fair bit this season, especially during the spell over Christmas, but tonight was simply down to his stupidity, and you can’t blame any external factors for that.

You don’t have a God-given right to win any game of football, but you give yourself half a chance by playing your best players, and Moore simply hasn’t done that tonight.

 

 

First half as bad as we’ve played all season; didn’t lay a glove and what angered me most was the lack of effort; Barrow looked far more up for it which is criminal considering each sides need.

Second half the changes turned it around performance wise and it was the Alamo, how we didn’t score and it was one of those nights but let’s be honest we shouldn’t have been chasing the game had we got the tactics right from the beginning.

Im starting to lose patience with Moore a bit, it’s a hard watch and we are so messy in what we do. There isn’t a clear pattern or style and its often percentage play which for the talent we have signed is madness.

The changes backfired, beat Barrow then worry about Crewe/Bradford etc. I get resting Walters as he’s not played much but why take out Tolaj? Taking out Croasdale and Rhys was madness.

Just as a growing sense of excitement Vale burst the bubble in only the way Vale can. Huge pressure now on these three big games, probably need 7 points and a big reaction on Saturday.

Total waste of both games in hand.

Still can’t fathom either with all the money we’ve spent how we didn’t sign a centre half who is a ball player either. 

Need to go to Crewe, select the strongest XI and stick with it. 

I’ve gone from believing we will go automatically up to wondering if we will manage to even make the play offs after that. Could easily lose the next three and it’s not an ideal way to enter that run.

48 minutes ago, Biddulph_PV said:

I agree. I’ve said it all season. We are, what, 8 games from the end and we still have no recognisable style of play to me.

Someone used the word excruciating for the 1st half. Bang on. The number of times Debrah just aimlessly limped the ball forward was excruciating. The lack of any sort of movement in midfield was excruciating. The number of times we knocked it sideways between the CB’s with none of them having the faintest idea of what to do with it was excruciating. I could go on.

Again, I really don’t see how people can keep supporting this manager. He is actually harming our prospects this year, not enhancing them. Still, it could be worse, we could have another 4 years of this absolute tripe. Oh….

On an equally bright note, at least we get the chance to final get that elusive Tuesday night win next week when we play…..oh, Bradford. Ummmm. Oh well, chance to start with no strikers again maybe, hope we can scrape another 1-0 defeat? 

The more I look at our run in, the more I’m struggling to see where the points will come from to even secure the play-offs. 

Beaten by mighty Barrow 3 times in one season. Let that sink in Moore lovers.

 

For most neutrals  looking at the League Two table , it looks like we are in a great position , which we are. They would say “ Port Vale are flying”.  We’re not , and we never have been this season . For the most part , Vale have been hanging on , with a win here and there , followed by a loss and 2 or 3 draws . 
Those same neutrals would say that we should be happy to be in that position. 
Normally  I would be , but Vale are only up there because  Moore has spent Carol’s money on a team that can just about do enough , but they don’t pull up any trees , so to speak. I put this down to his tactics , his lack of attacking knowledge , and his stubbornness in refusing to listen to the fans. 
So , while we are there or thereabouts, I don’t think I’ve ever been as frustrated as a Vale fan. Either I’m losing my mind ( possible when you follow Vale), or we will stay in this division next season.  He took us down easily enough , but  at times , like tonight, I don’t think he can take us back up. He has a lot to answer for in the next 8 games.  Is that asking too much , or should we just be patient with the process?  UTV 

we have a good squad yes

we were sheeite first half yes

moores fault yes

2nd we battered them yes 

moores fault no 

players fault yes

mooooove on to crewe yes 

game on still yes 

UTFV YES

4 minutes ago, Guitar Ray said:

I agree, certain players are worse than others and the drop off is quite big.  That’s our Achilles heel, squad depth.  For me I always felt confident of a top 8 finish but not a top 3 finish.  The annoying thing is that it’s so close, but probably no cigar.

As I’ve said elsewhere, no idea why we don’t start the strongest 11 with a view to being a goal up when the subs come on.  Fair to say that the players will have been picked based on stats as much as anything else nowadays, almost certainly with an eye on Saturday.  There was always a danger we’d have the Crewe game in the back of our mind.  The bottom line is that all of the players who played the full 90 ran, competed and showed much more desire second half than they had in the first, that’s not simply down to the subs, it’s a change in attitude.  The players attitude was poor first half and that’s as unacceptable for a professional sportsman as it is for you or me in our workplace.  Top professionals like Messi consistently maintain their high standards.  Talent alone is nothing without hard work.

Why do we get more points by beating Crewe ? tonights shambles is down to DM, the 2nd half performance was down to having a midfield that got hold of the ball and played, if the team that finished the game had started we would have stood a chance too many passengers 1st half that's down to team selection.

22 minutes ago, Phantom Lord said:

Tbh I couldn't think of the word I wanted to say and prowess came up so I just went with it but as for everything else that you have said I really couldn't agree more. I can't stand Moore and I jump at every chance I can to bash him on the many occassions like tonight that he seems to excel in really f*****ng us up but the attitude of the players, given the chance that they have found themselves in, absolutely disgusts me. If I was a player I would give everything because, as you say, there should always be professional pride but also they are so privileged in that people use their hard earned cash because they believe in the players that are there for them and I would feel so obligated to give back to them. This is what has angered me more tonight more than anything else - even more than Moore

Moore has his faults no question but answer me this, which manager is perfect?  Most have failed somewhere and will fail again.

As I’ve said, I’ve just seen a playoff chasing team outworked for 45 minutes by a mid table side with little to play for.  I’ve then seen many of the same players decide they’re going to put much more effort in second half.  That’s not simply down to a managers team selection or tactics.  It’s a thought process.

Guitar Ray has played the game he is spot on .

Attitude to game first half from all Vale players cost them tonight ,some more than others really didn't put the hard yards in, I'd go as say thats the worst  half since the whole Walsall game where we were atrocious because of the wind ,it really was a dreadful show from all .

3 points thrown away .

This is Vale .

However second half we were terrific, so let's take that into the Crewe game ,not that lousy poor application first half ,what could ultimately cost us top 3, and let's be honest until second half display tonight, have we played like a top 3 side ,No come on don't kid yourselves we haven't. 

However the second half I saw something and it could get us top 3 if repeated for 90 mins x 8 

UTV 

 

Edited March 26, 20251 yr by Dipepa delight

10 minutes ago, Portvale4 said:

Moore’s squad rotation cost us today, nothing else.

He picked the eleven players and decided on a system that suited Barrow more than it suited us. They picked us apart for the vast majority of the first half. Playing Harper in a two-man midfield with Garrity, who has played a combined total of about 45 minutes in the last five weeks, is absolutely criminal.

I think I could play around Harper – he’s absolutely useless and has been shown how it’s done by Walters.

Playing Hackford, who, in all fairness, I thought did okay, in an unnatural position after playing about 90 minutes combined since the start of March, is criminal.

I’ve backed Moore a fair bit this season, especially during the spell over Christmas, but tonight was simply down to his stupidity, and you can’t blame any external factors for that.

You don’t have a God-given right to win any game of football, but you give yourself half a chance by playing your best players, and Moore simply hasn’t done that tonight.

 

 

You’ve said it in your last sentence, you don’t have a God-given right to win any game of football.  We actually played like we’d got some God-given right to win, so bad was the attitude of the players.  Irrespective of certain players being not up to the level of others, some of our best players were picked to start and were individually really bad first half but much better second.  That’s on those players rather than the manager.

I share the same view that we should always start the strongest 11, but Moore has quite often saved players and had them come off the bench to make an impact.  He’s gambled and lost tonight.  I thought the team selection was pretty disrespectful to a Barrow team who’ve been in decent form recently.  He talks about taking one game at a time but I can’t help but think he’s had the Crewe game in his thoughts. I still maintain though that whoever is picked should show a lot more energy and will to win than anybody showed first half in the game earlier this evening.

16 minutes ago, Vale Ball said:

Why do we get more points by beating Crewe ? tonights shambles is down to DM, the 2nd half performance was down to having a midfield that got hold of the ball and played, if the team that finished the game had started we would have stood a chance too many passengers 1st half that's down to team selection.

We don’t get more points.  The significance is that it’s our local rival and a promotion contender.

 

45 minutes ago, JoeB2 said:

At least, if we don't go up, we can have a cracking summer reminiscing at how well the loads of all our players were managed. What it's all about.

 

Our small army of sports scientists / analysts / Rasputins will be fuming that we forgot to invert Rico tonight when we brought him on.

A left footer playing on the left wing - fancy that!