2 hours ago, WellingtonValiant said:

Can't just be me who is worried? 
2 games in, 1 point, playing terribly.

We are looking like a relegation team, should we start to think about a new manager? 

This has got to be a wind up or your an unbelievably thick Stoke fan 🤣🤣🤣

We've played 3 good halves of football but only one point to show for it! What we have learned is we need to press from the front to stop teams just passing through us. Clark, Croasdale and Ojo must be incredibly fit, as they never stopped running. Ojo particularly and Croasdale occasionally supported the front 2 in the press on their back line to make it a 3 man press most of the time. 

Our pressing from the forward line wasn't particularly effective last season. I suspect Stockley has most to fear from the signing of a younger forward. That's no disrespect for his effort or his ability as a target man. He just isn't quick enough to execute the type of press we did last night, or the second half of Saturday. I think he'll have a role to play but not be as central as last season.  

The cup game gives us a chance to change things around a little. The Burton game is massive.  We have to maintain that intensity and come away with 3 points. 

On the officials the Clark call was marginal. The Byers header was miles onside and shocking. The sending off was similar to Sang's second sending off and Clark's last season, where he rolled over the top of the ball. Whether or not the law is correct it was reckless as 2 footed and he should have walked. Clark was a silly boy getting involved as he picked up a needless yellow but should have been a red, both feet were off the ground and he wasn't under control.

IF we can start taking chances and maintain our intensity I don't think we'll have much to fear in this league. We've got Garrity,  Gabriel,  Headley (although defensively Gordon looked stronger), Humphreys and Amos to come back. I think Paton is unfit but more of a peripheral player. If we'd had this level of players out 2 seasons ago we would have had 16 - 18 year olds starting or on the bench. That said I find it a little unbelievable Walters hasn't got on the pitch yet, although the manager has got it right with the Belgium vegan (how can anyone run that much on cabbage and carrot?). 

Edited August 8, 2025Aug 8 by JRC

Well, as Cardiff are one of the clear favourites for promotion then we're in for a decent type of season based on this display......

He keeps getting introduced as a Vale legend which is a bit of an exaggeration. Awful manager but was a good player for us. 

I must have missed that game

As a side issue, Boomer either trained incredibly hard over the summer, or has been on the Ozempic!

1 hour ago, Splodger said:

This has got to be a wind up or your an unbelievably thick Stoke fan 🤣🤣🤣

He could be both Splodge - WUMs and thick lardies are not mutually exclusive 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩💜💜💜

I was so proud of us last night.

Proud of the way we played, especially given we were on TV. Had a few mates who support other clubs (Blackpool, Burton, Man City) messaging me saying how good we looked.

Got to be honest, I was worried about the step up.

But we've now played 2 sides who were in the Championship last season and could have easily got 4 points instead of the 1.

6 hours ago, SS Vale said:

His foot rolled over the top of the ball before connecting with Tolaj. Not a full on studs in red, but by the letter of the law it’s a sending off. No doubt about that. The liner should have been tapping his back pocket and  telling the ( atrocious) ref “ Red Red” , so when the ref came over , his job was done . 
Neither one had the balls  to do it.  He should have calmed Clark down first, with the red card in his hand , telling him that the Cardiff player was gone.  That would have ended it right there. Send him off and done.  No yellow for Clark. But no , he lost control of the game at the kick off , and  let the clown on the Railway side dictate to him. 
Where do they get them? 

 

 

 

 

Where is this letter or the law that you talk about ?

On another day it is 3 points.

The full backs challenge on Tolaj is as much a red card as Headleys on Saturday. The offside decisions were both very poor.

That said,Debrahs header,Curtis through 1 on 1 and lots of promising situations did not result in a goal which would have won the game. Final ball at times not good enough but on the whole a very pleasing display. Solid at the back,mixed up the play going forward and a much quicker temp all round. Lots to be pleased about.

And Cardiff were poor. Lots of overhit passes. Can't remember Marosi making a save.

5 hours ago, WellingtonValiant said:

Can't just be me who is worried? 
2 games in, 1 point, playing terribly.

We are looking like a relegation team, should we start to think about a new manager? 

No it's just you 🙄

6 minutes ago, Brian Johnson said:

Where is this letter or the law that you talk about ?

It's in the post

6 minutes ago, mbycars said:

No it's just you 🙄

 

I think he's being ironic...

21 minutes ago, Brian Johnson said:

Where is this letter or the law that you talk about ?

SERIOUS FOUL PLAY

A tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality must be sanctioned as serious foul play.

Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force or endangers the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play.

SENDING-OFF OFFENCES

A player, substitute or substituted player who commits any of the following offences is sent off:

• denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by committing a deliberate handball offence (except a goalkeeper within their penalty area)
• denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by committing a non-deliberate handball offence outside their own penalty area
• denying a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent whose overall movement is towards the offender's goal by an offence punishable by a free kick (unless as outlined below)
• serious foul play
• biting or spitting at someone
• violent conduct
• using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or action(s)
• receiving a second caution in the same match
• entering the video operation room (VOR)

It was definitely a lunge as both feet were in the air (the only part of his body in contact with the ground was his left hand) and it definitely endangered Tolaj's safety.  I don't believe his intention was to cause serious injury, though he was angry that he and his team mate had made a real mess defensively. That's irrelevant under the letter of the law and how most referees apply it. The law does say MUST, not that it is open to interpretation by the referee. It wouldn't have been a sending off 30 years ago but the law has changed.

By the law even if he had won the ball (which he didn't,  just made contact) it was still an uncontrolled lunge which endangered safety and so a red card.

Edited August 8, 2025Aug 8 by JRC

Some frustrating moments last night  but the main thing I took away from the game, is that we are equal to the challenges of League One and we can expect to progress this season. Well done all round.

Spoke to a Cardiff fan as I walked back to my car. He was impressed by us and said we were the better side, just needed to finish our chances. As I sit in Lorne st close to the Bycars I didn't mention the sending off tackle or the offside it's only seeing them on here that you see what poor decisions they were, yet again.