Just watched Jesse's interview 

I know he is work-in-progress,but he says sorry to the fans and that the players must do better. No criticism of the manager,just that it's all on them. I admire him for coming out and saying what he's said...

Reading were absolutely dire. They couldn’t pick a pass even though the pitch was so big they had 5 seconds to find one each time. But we had no cutting edge at all. Without Garrity there is zero link up unless Walters runs 30 yards with the ball. Headley was a liability at the back. Faal and Curtis, wow, nothing about them at all today I’m afraid. Neither is a L1 starter, no chance. The sooner Stockley and Garrity are back, the sooner we can get a win. Byers is flashy but ultimately useless; anyone can do what he does for half the pay, Croasdale and Walters sitting with Garrity linking is the only way forward.

This was the first game I have seen live this season. I have to admit it was pretty dire. The final cross or pass was never given with any quality. We never looked like scoring.

However I am not as pessimistic as some on here. There are positives to be had

Faal, after that awful performance we should never have to suffer seeing him in a Port Vale shirt again. Every minute he was on the pitch was a minute wasted. Curtis may as well have been up front on his own.

Curtis I thought played really well. He was up front on his own having to do all the work, still came close to scoring twice and placed a lovely header back into the box which should have been converted

Walters, has had better games but still looked a class above everyone else. Can only get better

We had a very good looking midfield at the start of the game. The only problem is that there are no goals in that group of players. Which is very important given our forward problems. Garrity is hopefully on his way back so that's a positive. We need goals from the midfield.

We were immediately better when Ojo came on. In hindsight he should have started ahead of Byers, apart from a few nice little safe passes did little to worry the opposition. 

Brown, when he came on impressed me. He did more in the first 5 minutes he was on than Faal did in the previous 57. I thought he looked a really good prospect.

Stockley will hopefully be back soon. He is a good and experienced target man who will be of tremendous help to whoever plays alongside him.

So a disappointing day, but I am not too downhearted, I feel sure we can pull through this

30 minutes ago, CambridgeDon said:

Just watched Dazza’s interview and never seen him so despondent. Without naming any individual player, he clearly blamed the players collectively - the defence (one unnamed player in particular) for allowing the chance for their goal and the forwards for letting what chances we had go begging. I think we can anticipate wholesale changes for the next game.

What puzzles me is what has been going on behind the scenes. We’re told that Plymouth came in quickly and aggressively, intimating that we were taken aback by their approach. Yet we knew Tolaj could go at any time, so did we have a replacement lined up or not? And was it the intention to spend now or wait until later windows? Or perhaps not at all?

We’ll never know but I wonder after today if Dazza is realising the weaknesses in the squad and the problems he will have putting them right? He seemed really put out though it’s understandable because we now have worse forward options than last season. I hope to goodness he can though, by any objective measure, doing so at this late stage will be very difficult.

Good luck Dazza - but what a mess. 

I asked this question earlier as to which player Moore was referencing, most replies say Byers / Headley and can confirm after watching the highlights.

Its frustrating to watch as the ball across the edge of the box was quite slow. Byers possibly could have slide in to block it, but possibly didn't as was facing goal and it could have pinged anywhere. Still annoying and you can see a few players say something after the goal.

Headley completely switched off and let his man drift out to pick it up and smash it home. You can actually see the moment when he realises and springs into action but way too late.

All three CBs in the middle marking one man. Should one of them stepped out to at least pressure the ball - probably yes.

Just listened to a bit of DM’s interview. Pretty scathing…”not doing our jobs”….. ”might need to change personnel”.
I’m not sure a single striker is the answer to our issues tbh. Yes, we need a striker (arguably two) and where are the goals in the rest of the current team?  
Stockley got what, 10? But then Curtis, Byers, Rico, Garrity all less than 5, I think. No meaningful contributions scoring wise from the current CB’s. 
I really think we might need to look at a formation change to 4-3-3 as I just cannot see how we are going to be creative enough at the moment.
This is a massive 48 hours now and will really have a huge influence on which division we’ll be in next season, which seems ridiculous to say 6 league games in, but is the factor of the matter.

Just watched Jesse's interview 
I know he is work-in-progress,but he says sorry to the fans and that the players must do better. No criticism of the manager,just that it's all on them. I admire him for coming out and saying what he's said...

Fair play to Jesse there. Shame captain fantastic has picked up another strain.

Oh dear......

Oh dear, what ? True. You happy with how things are going, same mistakes as last time. We have a manager whose one two games in 26 with us in league one. Everything looking [emoji108] tip top.

I have said this a few times… it will be idiotic vale fans who ruin one of the best things that’s ever happened to the Vale.
Why people engage in the discussion I have no idea. 
You can’t cure stupid and you can’t argue with an idiot, they will just drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. 

Best things that's happened to vale. That's vale in the championship under sir John. We sold tolaj should of had a ready made replacement like Brighton. They sell a player they bring someone in straight away. Carol loves the limelight when it's going well. Lessons have been learned apparently. Same old league one rubbish.

22 minutes ago, rob1983 said:

1 hour ago, Iron Curtain said:

I have said this a few times… it will be idiotic vale fans who ruin one of the best things that’s ever happened to the Vale.
Why people engage in the discussion I have no idea. 
You can’t cure stupid and you can’t argue with an idiot, they will just drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. 

Best things that's happened to vale. That's vale in the championship under sir John. We sold tolaj should of had a ready made replacement like Brighton. They sell a player they bring someone in straight away. Carol loves the limelight when it's going well. Lessons have been learned apparently. Same old league one rubbish.

Hang on Rob, as DC said several times, why don’t you judge the club AFTER the transfer window is shut, then decide if the club is in better shape or not?

We can’t stop the transfer like Brighton have done until we have a replacement as it was a contract release clause. 

I absolutely guarantee we would have quite a few targets who we have sounded out ready to do a deal on Monday. 
 

Give  them chance.

1 hour ago, DazFred said:

Just watched Jesse's interview 

I know he is work-in-progress,but he says sorry to the fans and that the players must do better. No criticism of the manager,just that it's all on them. I admire him for coming out and saying what he's said...

Apologies are hollow. Just do your best to put it right on the pitch. 

Unless Vale can sign a proven lge 1 goal scorer then the writing is on the wall, we needed such a striker at the start of the season even  before Tolaj left.

I'm so frustrated, another game we've had the better of and created more chances but yet another game we've conceded a sloppy goal and lost the game.

It's so obvious what the issue is that I can only assume folks at PVFC are working 24/7 to make the signing happen. If it doesn't happen I can only assume that we couldn't lever the right striker away from their current club for whatever reasons.

In the goal scoring striker department I saw some hope today in Brown, none in Waine apart from the usual endeavor and I can't understand why Paton didn't make the bench to at least try/add a little guile over speed/muscle.

Edited August 30, 2025Aug 30 by Paul6754

 

I have to say, seeing Bradford, who finished below us last season, in 3rd place and currently unbeaten is a bit depressing when compared to ourselves.

5 minutes ago, Valiiant said:

 

I have to say, seeing Bradford, who finished below us last season, in 3rd place and currently unbeaten is a bit depressing when compared to ourselves.

And Stevenage who we were better than for 85 minutes. Oh, and Cardiff who I also felt we should have beaten. Crap start to the season. I’m still not convinced by DM as a manager. 

3 hours ago, Hitcher said:

Didn't see the game but have just watched Moores post match interview. I've not seen him this pissed off.

Big old bit about players not doing their jobs and in particular that a player didn't get back in position in the build up to their goal.

Who is he digging out, without naming them? 

Maybe Darren should look at playing Paton instead of Waine in the future and maybe just maybe signing some proven strikers otherwise I dunner want keep hearing the  excuses 

Had a feeling this game may be a case of being after the Lord Mayors show, so to speak, which it proved to be, but it was also a case of Déjà vu, same problems at either end of the pitch.  It’s on the players, Debrah has said it today, so has DM.  These players have got to score from good chances.  The same set of players have got to cut out mistakes which are costing us goals.  It’s elementary stuff and these are professional players.  There’s a lot of added pressure now to bring in another player or 2, which also probably means we’ll be paying over the odds if we do manage to recruit anyone.

3 hours ago, valiant_593 said:

2 wins in 26 I think. Stuff of nightmares that 

It's a bloody shambles 😲 bud

Edited August 30, 2025Aug 30 by Nippy Naylor