Summer 2022 - Transfer Talk

Afternoon folks. Vale fan here.

Just popped on to chat about Harratt. We were hoping that Huddersfield would go up to give us a better shot of retaining Harratt for a season long loan next season. The fear being that if they remain in the championship, they may opt to retain him and start including him in their first team matchday squad. His owd man said as much when speaking to them on Wembley Way last weekend after the match.

To read of him possibly going back out on loan to league two is soul destroying. I'd assumed that if we was going back out, then the natural progression would be to join us in league one, with largely the same squad that have just played with him to gain promotion. He really clicked with our style of play and him and Wilson were some team.

He and his mad family have loved every second at Vale and we have fully adopted them, such is their enthusiasm. They're a great bunch.

As for Harratt's ability - well, we took him and Ryan Edmondson on loan from Hudds and Leeds respectively. Edmondson seemed to get more game time than Harratt and was a real lung-busting battler. Harratt was a little less experienced and showed his naivety now and then, which is perfectly understandable. But he just had something about him for the big occassion. He's fearless - he just wants to score goals with a wonderful direct nature. He's so positive and in time I've no doubt he will be an absolute goal machine. He has a very bright future ahead of him.

If you get him, enjoy him and look after him. He's a top lad.

Still can't believe it. Gutted.

 

And Dean Hoyle returned to the club as owner he kept 25% of the club but with Phil Hodgkinson looking like hes in financial difficulties hes back as the owner.

 

Hhmmm.

 

Is that because their “parachute” has imploded?

 

To be fair it was very close to being a PL loan

 

Thanks for this.

What system did you play? Was it two up top? How did he fit in with Wilson and Proctor?

 

Sure someone mentioned this a few days ago and got shot down for it ... Now he's the best thing since sliced bread in the last couple of pages...

 

A good wage and the captaincy maybe?

 

We've been playing a 5-3-2 with Benning LWB and Worrall converted to RWB. When we have our strongest defence our wingbacks get much higher up the pitch. Sadly we've had horrendous injury woes this season. Had it not been for that we'd have gone up auto with no bother, but I guess we can all say that in L2.

In the main, Wilson and Proctor have been our solid front two, when they have been fit, but Proctor has been carrying injury for some time so Harratt and Edmondson have been impact subs for Wilson and Proctor who have both struggled to last the full 90. When Harratt's been teamed up with Wilson, they have a great cohesion. Wilson is another level. Great vision and a first touch way beyond this standard and it perhaps sometimes shows Harratt's inexperience, but I'm sure Kian's benefitted no end from his time playing alongside Wilson. Which is why it surprises me that he's not returning to us.

I imagine it'll be a culture shock to him, going from playing in a squad with such well regarded team spirit, to playing under Mark Hughes! Still, Sparky knows a thing or two about kicking a ball into a net thing.

 

He was largely used as a sub though. If you actually consider the amount of minutes he played - 769 in total including the playoff final, and the total amount of goals scored, which was 4 including the one he scored in the final, it's quite a bit more impressive.

 

Culture shock?. Not sure what you have heard about us since Hughes was appointed manager. One thing I can tell you is that in the short space of time he has been here, he completely transformed the spirit within the squad and got the fans right behind him.

 

How does one know Hughes doesn’t generate a team spirit? A tad presumptive there ?

 

Who said he was the best thing since sliced bread? I quoted his under 19’s scoring record, so where is the loaf you mention? It wasn’t me , so why did you tag my comment in? If you going to link me to a comment please get it right perhaps.

 

Not sure mate I was reading an article that his businesses were going into admin.

 

Er, Port Vale are in Stoke on Trent. Mark Hughes was Stoke City Manager. His time there is well known here for being less than jovial in the dressing room! He did a fine destroy and exit job! Undid everything that Pulis built, which was based on team spirit!

 

Here's what you said if you forgot about it, clearly was you saying he was irrelavent and now quoting his record which I mentioned and trying to take credit for it, as the screenshot below. I'll wait for the apology... If you can't admit it, now you've been called out.

 

That's why Hoyle camd back in isn't it ? There was talk that with the previous owner looking like going under, thr dogs might be dragged in too, so Hoyle effectively bought the club back to protect it.

Cant see Hoyle pumping in the money he once did, and their parachute money has ended. They'll struggle to compete next season

 

You’ll have a long wait!

 

I thought it was well known Hughes can be a-bit of an arse? I’m sure I read once from an ex player that he sometimes ignores players completely. I think Fulham players actually started to ignore him in the end.

 

Any signings that are declared now, have been in the pipeline for a while. This is because Hughes is currently upping his sun tan in Dubai at the moment. Genuine spotted by a City fan.