Match Thread Port Vale (H) @ 15:00 19th March

Vale a bit more solid, a bit better up front, and much better in terms of game management.

Not much in it really, and once again our defence leaves us exposed. 2 awful goals to give away.

 

Best of luck to Vale for the season, they’re organised but can’t really compliment them anymore than that.
As for us a reality check for those getting carried away, we very much still need to make a lot of changes in the summer but hopefully Vernam and Walker stay, they showed when they came on tha quality we need to be striving for. Need two new full backs it’s such a key position in modern football.

 

several ? I would keep only 4 or 5 of this squad.

 

Indeed.

 

We can blame the ref etc but we weren’t good enough to get a result today. Another game with just the one shot on target. Same old problem that we’ve seen all season.
The season is well over and the players are now playing for contracts. Hopefully Hughes plays tries and few different things and we see some of the younger lads.

 

I thought PV were decent. Good movement, good energy, and a real purpose to attack on the break. Everything we didn't do.

 

Wireless were banging on about the PV goal being "controversial" due to the foul on Songo'o. I didn't see any foul from the PV player...in fact, I saw Songo'o all over the shirt of the PV player, and then get muscled out of the way and went down like a sack of the proverbial. Definitely not a foul from the Vale player.

 

I think today vindicated those of us who cautioned against getting too carried away by Hughes' obvious improvement. Vale were very physical and uncompromising and, not surprisingly, several of our players were not up for the fight. We really need to be ruthless in the summer and not be sentimental about keeping players who have an occasional good game but really don't have the consistency, even at this level, to be part of a promotion challenging side.

 

First things first.

What the f** is that bell-end commentator ( Raynor?) doing giving out F1 qualifying positions in the middle of a football game. 2 hours of my pre recorded TV viewing tonight ruined because he tried to be bloody smart arse.

Absolute C*ck! I’m bloody livid.

And he thought it was f*caking funny!

Anyone got his email address? Ps I’m NOT on Twitter.

 

All about building for next season now he’s gonna be having a good look at whose worth keeping and he probably knows that a lot of these just simply ain’t gonna help a promotion push

 

Back to Adams style of football and performance today. Very poor.

The only positive thing to take out of the game for us was Charles Vernam today.

Massive rebuild job in the summer for Hughes.

As for Vale, played well and were far more mobile up front compared to us.

 

Only in his third game in the last two years?

 

I keep saying it ….mobility and a little technique goes a long way. We ain’t got mobility for the umpteenth time this season.

 

Hopefully the fitness side builds, because he doesn't look match sharp and fades badly. If there's a chance to take him on permanently, then he could be a player for next season

 

Our full backs are rubbish. We need to vastly upgrade on them next season.

 

Thought Vale looked very solid. They beat Mansfield the other week and think they'll finish in the playoffs. Their fans were very good and their team were stronger and more streetwise.

the wind and low sun made for an ugly game of football. We gave them a good game but ultimately looked a midtable team against a top seven team.

dont see what Delfounso offers really tbh. Walker on the bench again.

 

No quality in that game whatsoever. We lost all the composure in possession that we showed in the last two games and resorted to hoofing it far too often. Missed Watt badly and we never got Cooke in the game. Very Adams like at times. Fullbacks poor too.

Delfouneso in midfield was a big mistake but I'm sure we won't be seeing that again.

Only positive was Vernam back and with an immediate impact. We're a far better team with him in it and he's one of only a few that we should be trying to keep.

As a more general note, our home form is a disgrace. It seems a lifetime ago that we went unbeaten for a full season at VP and teams used to hate coming here. Now we're rolling out the red carpet every other week and seeing shite sides celebrate like they've won the champions league.

 

I hate to say this, because I'm not his biggest fan, but we badly missed Eliot Watt today. He makes far too many errors for my liking, but he's always available to get the ball off the back four and move it forward. No one else did that today so we never gained any control in midfield and resorted to hoofball again.

 

lets get into it

Worst back line i’ve seen in living memory. Hendrie did not deserve motm, he was shit

bass takes the piss getting the ball out of his hands. wasn’t to blame for either goal though

Evans should not be playing as the anchor in a diamond again

Delfonseo should never set foot onto a pitch again

Cook should never play up front again on his own. An truth be told, he needs to get his shit together an lose a few pounds, he looked like the village drunk today

Glad to see Vernham back. That’s what we’ve been missing for so much of this season. someone who can create something out of nothing

Think Perriera is a very tidy player an could be one to keep an eye on in the summer

Don’t know what role Sutton was playing to be honest

Cooke was okay an was probably the best player on the pitch roday

Darren Drysdale. Incompetent or Corrupt. Take you’re pick because for a referee of his experience, his game today was a fecking shambles. That bald headed bastard

 

This squad seriously lacks pace up front and at full back which we need to address.