1 hour ago, Santa said:

If I believed all the rumours I’ve heard about players wanting out , we’d genuinely struggle to field a team on Saturday. 

None of them will want to be here, none with any ambition anyway. 

This window is probably a done deal now in terms of “recruits”. The season on the basis of probably is done too, it’s going to take a miracle to stay up, it’s not impossible but it don’t think we have the character or belief in this squad. All we can hope is that we are busy planning for next season, identifying targets from league one and league two who have a proven track record of promotion, being leaders and strong characters who will put a shift in for the shirt. We also need to be identifying those gems that we can develop and sell on later too. It’s going to be a tough task. 

1 hour ago, Santa said:

If I believed all the rumours I’ve heard about players wanting out , we’d genuinely struggle to field a team on Saturday. 

I have never known a Vale squad with so much disassociation from the support than this current one (maybe Bruno and the foreign legion might compare).  A bunch of footballers, turning up for training, playing and going home. No interest in PVFC as Saturday showed. I think all (most) would jump ship at a drop of a hat if they could. No harmony at all 

Edited January 28Jan 28 by cast

46 minutes ago, Essex Vale said:

Getting rid of the high earners on long contracts signed by Darren makes sense to me.  They have done OK, Cole and George Hall but they have not excelled.  To get them off the wage bill and if possible bring in a decent transfer fee is good business.  Nothing against either player but a move suits all parties.  

The other Darren signings in the summer have not worked.  Humphreys (good on the ball but not a good defender), Marosi, Headley, Gabriel (neither can defend but are decent going forward), Gordon (done OK), Shipley, Waine, Richards not given a chance despite his promise.  Allied to the fact that we have given long contracts to Shorrock, Plant and Lomax but  not played them, all add up to a tragedy of recruitment.  Darren cannot take all the blame, he sweet talker Carol and used his reputation rather than his track record to gain traction.  The Head of Recruitment can say he got Tolaj and that is the only credit he can claim.  The common thread is a lack of clear strategy, sensible budgetary arrangements by not breaking the bank or giving long contracts and a failure to identify up and coming talent for development.

For lessons on how a club like us can do well look at the past.  John Rudge and Gordon Lee are the best Vale managers in my lifetime.  They signed players from teams like Stafford Rangers, Moor Green, Halesowen, Rhyl, Leek, Gorleston, Hednesford, Alsager and propelled many of those signings into the top flight, but not before they gave us magnificent service.

A total re-set is needed.  Carol is a good owner but easily influenced by people in the game, she needs to find an advisor who is realistic.  Let's hope the re-set process is already underway and that we can clear out more players before the deadline.

Here here!

It’s all well and good people saying get rid of this or that player, we’ve still got half a season to play.  We’ve got an already weak team which people are now saying weaken further.  The suggestion being we can easily replace the players we let go, which is easier said than done.  Some folk may be happy going from losing games 3 nil to 4 or 5 nil, or worse.  I’m guessing these are the fans who don’t turn up home and away every week.

If this is true I can't see Devante being here much longer. I don't know if it's true or not but I am just posting it as a reference.

 

Edited January 28Jan 28 by ValiantHan

10 minutes ago, ValiantHan said:

It looks like Devante will be gone before the Leyton Orient game on Saturday.

 

Don’t Vale players have Wednesdays off anyway?

Why are you believing anything The Vale Whispers puts ?

6 minutes ago, Brian Johnson said:

Don’t Vale players have Wednesdays off anyway?

Why are you believing anything The Vale Whispers puts ?

I am not believing anything the Vale Whispers puts I'm just posting it as a "source" whether people want to believe it or not of information. 

Edited January 28Jan 28 by ValiantHan

3 minutes ago, ValiantHan said:

I am not believing anything the Vale Whispers puts I'm just posting it as a "source" of information. 

You have posted that it looks like Devante will be gone before Saturdays and then put a link to The Vale Whispers.

whats making you say he will be gone before Saturday ?

9 minutes ago, Brian Johnson said:

Don’t Vale players have Wednesdays off anyway?

Why are you believing anything The Vale Whispers puts ?

No, they have saturdays off¡!!!!!!!!!🤔

11 minutes ago, Brian Johnson said:

You have posted that it looks like Devante will be gone before Saturdays and then put a link to The Vale Whispers.

whats making you say he will be gone before Saturday ?

I'm not saying he will be gone before Saturday I have just posted what The Vale Whispers have said and people can make their own mind up if they want to believe it or not.  

With the way that transfers are nowadays it can happen in a matter of days I mean look how quickly the Curtis situation happened it was reported by the media that Plymouth were in talks with us on the Thursday and on Saturday the transfer was announced, that being said I think we need to accept that Devante won't be a Port Vale player come deadline day on Monday.

Edited January 28Jan 28 by ValiantHan

30 minutes ago, Guitar Ray said:

It’s all well and good people saying get rid of this or that player, we’ve still got half a season to play.  We’ve got an already weak team which people are now saying weaken further.  The suggestion being we can easily replace the players we let go, which is easier said than done.  Some folk may be happy going from losing games 3 nil to 4 or 5 nil, or worse.  I’m guessing these are the fans who don’t turn up home and away every week.

I don't think anyone is saying get rid of players so we can lose heavily.

I think people are saying a) we have a huge, unbalanced squad b) we are going down in all probability and c) we need to prepare/recruit for a L2 campaign. So, it's taking a long-term view beyond this season (which is a write-off).

I disagree about replacements. I think it is possible to replace players IF you have a decent recruitment team. However, that comes with the caveat that we have one and it has a plan in mind (i.e. if we want to develop players on like Posh that's a long term 5-10 yr project not a one-off signing Tolaj and having no succession plan) 

So, I think if you're looking at long-term planning then you are looking to clear the decks especially as (in the case of Curtis and possibly Cole) you can offload high earners now and get a fee. I don't think it makes sense to keep those players on just so we can save face during what looks like a sure-fire relegation - even though that means it's going to be a tough slog from now on till the end of the season. Yes, that's not a nice prospect but if it means we can look forward to a better 2026-27 season then we may have to take our medicine.

24 minutes ago, ValiantHan said:

I'm not saying he will be gone before Saturday I have just posted what The Vale Whispers have said and people can make their own mind up if they want to believe it or not.  

With the way that transfers are nowadays it can happen in a matter of days I mean look how quickly the Curtis situation happened it was reported by the media that Plymouth were in talks with us on the Thursday and on Saturday the transfer was announced, that being said I think we need to accept that Devante won't be a Port Vale player come deadline day on Monday.

I think there’s a very small chance he’s in our squad come Saturday. Every rumour we’ve seen about potential outgoings has turned out to be true 

17 hours ago, Spunk Trumpet said:

Would anyone shed a tear if Cole went?

Garbage striker. 
I stated before that he is an Ellis Harrison clone. 
Gets his move. Hits the ground running. Then throws his toys out after a few months. 
 

Watching him he’s Bambi on ice. Good riddance to him. Put Shipley in the same taxi.

I wouldn't be that bothered tbh as he clearly wouldn't be here in League Two anyway BUT we would need to spend some money on a replacement,someone like Mellon from Burnley who has been scoring goals in League Two or maybe even a Linney type at Carlisle

15 hours ago, Mr Moose said:

All the money that goes into the till isn't all profit.

2 or 3 years ago,it was stated by someone at the club that during a board meeting it was agreed that the majority of any money from outgoing transfers would be reinvested in the team(that could also mean Academy of course)