Port Vale v Colchester

[leedsvaliant]

This has a massive 'banana skin' tatooed all over it. Colchester are bottom for a reason and their goal difference is awful, in spite of their win at Bradford the other night. It's a must win if we have any hope of keeping the season going for a bit longer but we generally fail to turn up for these sorts of games.

From what I can gather, Colchester are reasonably good going forward but dreadful at the back. It's the sort of game where we could do with scoring a couple early on, but we're notoriously slow out of the blocks.

We need to be a bit snappier with our passing and movement because Colchester will inevitably sit deep and in numbers and then hope to catch us on the counter.

I'd replace Innis with McGivern and possibly put Moore in place of Kennedy as he seems to have gone off the boil. We've got the ability to cause problems but it all depends on our attitude - we generally turn up to these games against bottom of the table teams with the attitude that we just have to turn up. For once could we not just go at them from the off and make it comfortable?

It's due to snow in Burslem overnight and tomorrow morning but not go below freezing, so as long as the pitch has been protected it should be fine to play.

 

[valefan16]

Its as you say one the fans will expect us to give them a pasting and if we start slow will turn on the side potentially. I'd be distraught to lose the 13 game unbeaten home run against these but if we turn up with the right attitude we should win this comfortably.

We need to be clinical though and not let them off the hook like we have a few teams this season (Crewe, Posh, Bradford to name a few games)

Get Inniss in, hopefully AJ is fit as I think he came off against Oldham with a knock, wouldn't drop Kennedy though, poor Tuesday apparently but been a different class in most games he's played.

Vale 4 Colchester 2

 

[darren gregory]

all i will say is thank god these won at Bradford on Tuesday as this had away win written all over it . Maybe not so now they have broke that hideous run. Amazed if Vale score 4, powder puff up front. AJ gone off boil , can,t count his 'ghost' goal against Sarfend, bar that think it was Donny his last goal. Theo just looks gash, apart from that we haven,t a lot. Maybe 2-1 home win.

 

[valefan16]

all i will say is thank god these won at Bradford on Tuesday as this had away win written all over it . Maybe not so now they have broke that hideous run. Amazed if Vale score 4, powder puff up front. AJ gone off boil , can,t count his 'ghost' goal against Sarfend, bar that think it was Donny his last goal. Theo just looks gash, apart from that we haven,t a lot. Maybe 2-1 home win.

Still hit three though Friday and since Occys return we've scored from three set pieces in two games! (All be it second phase v Oldham) hopefully the credit for the goal will boost AJs confidence again.

Would be bad if they ended their 21 game run since beating us against us so glad they got that out their system Tuesday!

 

[markpvfc]

I think the reason Kennedy wasn't as good against Oldham would be the narrower pitch, the wide open spaces of Vale Park suit him far better. Unfortunately it doesn't help that he's a bit of a headless chicken, great at running with the ball, but doesn't really have any idea what to do with it.

 

[Buxton Vale]

If the snow in Burslem is anything like it is in Buxton, then this might be off.

 

[maseman23]

There's not much snow in Burslem, no problem for game going ahead

 

[DarkSithLord]

There's not much snow in Burslem, no problem for game going ahead

Welcome.

 

[markpvfc]

If the snow in Burslem is anything like it is in Buxton, then this might be off.

To be fair though Buxton does tend to get 10x more snow than anywhere else around here, most of the roads in and out of it are closed before S-o-T sees a single flake of snow.

 

[Buxton Vale]

To be fair though Buxton does tend to get 10x more snow than anywhere else around here, most of the roads in and out of it are closed before S-o-T sees a single flake of snow.

thats true........ just 8" today

 

[valefan16]

Was there much snow in Boslem in the end? Planning for my drive up tomorrow

 

[markpvfc]

Was there much snow in Boslem in the end? Planning for my drive up tomorrow

I work in Middleport and it snowed on and off most of the day but not a flake of it ever stuck, shouldn't be any threat to the game whatsoever.

 

[valefan16]

I work in Middleport and it snowed on and off most of the day but not a flake of it ever stuck, shouldn't be any threat to the game whatsoever.

Good stuff! Second child due soon so this and Burton the last two il get to this season as il need to be ready to wizz the missus hospital if needed!

 

[valefan16]

We've been awful easily the worst we've been at home all season yet 1-0 up and so far comfortable. No idea how that goal went in! Seemed to go through the keepers body!

 

[valefan16]

Poor, didn't get out of first gear but in fairness never had too. Safety secured where now?

 

[Steven Simcock]

It wasn't a great game but sometimes we have to grind results out. Utd never looked like scoring.


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[markpvfc]

Never come away from a 2-0 win so underwhelmed. We never really turned up, but didn't have to because Colchester were so poor. Chris Neal could've been sat in the stand for all he had to do, whilst at the other end their keeper gifts us a goal Mignolet would've been proud of.

 

[valefan16]

We were far better second half and grew into it and should of won by 4 but if we can be that poor and win 2-0 I guess we're doing ok.

 

[leedsvaliant]

As comfortable a win as you are likely to see and we played poorly really, particularly first half. I feel sorry for the 80 or so Colchester fans who didn't get any real fight or commitment from their team. Even at 1-0 I was too busy chatting to have any concerns that they might get back into it.
A poor game with a great performance from foley who I really like. A good cameo by byron moore too.
We have the nucleus of a decent team but let's hope AJ gets fit as both Robinson and jj looked useless in that role and I don't think either of them really have their heart in it.
We need to start picking up points away as picking up points at home is almost a formality at the moment. Let's go for it now as we can't get relegated.

 

[darren gregory]

Agree with most of the postings, the game almost passed me by, it was a non entity. They were truly awful considering had got 4 points from last 2 games. Didn,t even seem to have any fight or heart. I don,t know much about them but 2 players i do know are Moncur and Massey who were both subbed to chants of ' you don,t know what your'e doing ' by the away faithful. As easy as game as we could of wished for, again though i have to question one up front against a team with the 92nd best defence in all 4 divisions. A win is a win though, onto our annual loss at Posh now as we all get giddy at league position. This seasons division is a terrible standard when a team who lost 7 in a row are now in the play-offs, Brizzle City PNE and MK Franchise were clearly top sides last year. Can,t say i rate Burton, Walsall or Gills anywhere near that bracket and we are worse than those teams. Almost a copy of the Premier league where it is wide open due to nobody grabbing it by the scruff of the neck.

Burton: Average
Wigan: Quality
Walsall:Average
Gills: So so
Millwall: Decent
Barnsley: Woeful

My ratings on games versus those teams, throw into the pot an awful hoof ball Bradford, dreadful Sheff Utd and a Coventry side seemingly reliant on Armstrong. We come into the bang average category but are 3 points off the play-offs !!

Average league

 

[valefan16]

Apparently one of the Colchester lads who came off kicked off then burst into tears on the bench according to some on OVF.

They never looked threatening and looked a doomed side seemingly without any confidence boost from winning Tuesdsy. The first goal was dreadful a total calamity from the defender who let it bounce over his foot to put Theo through and the keeper who let his tame effort go through him although the keeper made amends with a top save tipping Foleys effort onto the post.

 

[darren gregory]

Apparently one of the Colchester lads who came off kicked off then burst into tears on the bench according to some on OVF.

They never looked threatening and looked a doomed side seemingly without any confidence boost from winning Tuesdsy. The first goal was dreadful a total calamity from the defender who let it bounce over his foot to put Theo through and the keeper who let his tame effort go through him although the keeper made amends with a top save tipping Foleys effort onto the post.

Moncur was tipped for better things and linked with Championship teams, recall Massey getting winner against us a couple of years ago.
Think i would cry if i was subbed from that poor team .

 

[valefan16]

Moncur was tipped for better things and linked with Championship teams, recall Massey getting winner against us a couple of years ago.
Think i would cry if i was subbed from that poor team .

I recall going Wembley to watch England and Nicky Shorey was at left back, huge fall from grace, they've got some decent players but can't defend and just didn't see to be bothered about going for it. Reminded me of the Shrewsbury game at VP in that we just kind of cruised it with the opposition being that poor without needing to move out of first gear.

Luckily when we've had to up it at home against better sides we've generally done it so maybe it was a controlled performance more commonly known as an ugly win.

 

[darren gregory]

In fairness to Nicky Shorey he is 35 and still willing to ply his trade for a living in the lower leagues. It's like saying Michael Brown has fallen from grace, Man City, Spurs, Fulham and now Vale. I would say fair play to the bloke.

 

[markpvfc]

They also had Darren Ambrose, who was a former premier league and international? player. At 32 I'd have expected someone like that to still be playing at a higher level.

 

[valefan16]

Plenty of experience (Sordell is in their squad too) so expect better of them but maybe half arsed and not fancying the level.

 

[dedwardp]

Expect that Moncur will be sold in the summer for a decent enough fee as his contract runs through until next summer, but not as much off the back of a relegation I guess.

 

[valefan16]

Agree with most of the postings, the game almost passed me by, it was a non entity. They were truly awful considering had got 4 points from last 2 games. Didn,t even seem to have any fight or heart. I don,t know much about them but 2 players i do know are Moncur and Massey who were both subbed to chants of ' you don,t know what your'e doing ' by the away faithful. As easy as game as we could of wished for, again though i have to question one up front against a team with the 92nd best defence in all 4 divisions. A win is a win though, onto our annual loss at Posh now as we all get giddy at league position. This seasons division is a terrible standard when a team who lost 7 in a row are now in the play-offs, Brizzle City PNE and MK Franchise were clearly top sides last year. Can,t say i rate Burton, Walsall or Gills anywhere near that bracket and we are worse than those teams. Almost a copy of the Premier league where it is wide open due to nobody grabbing it by the scruff of the neck.

Burton: Average
Wigan: Quality
Walsall:Average
Gills: So so
Millwall: Decent
Barnsley: Woeful

My ratings on games versus those teams, throw into the pot an awful hoof ball Bradford, dreadful Sheff Utd and a Coventry side seemingly reliant on Armstrong. We come into the bang average category but are 3 points off the play-offs !!

Average league

Good point, at Burton I was shocked at how they could be top of the league (what I saw on sky the other week didn't change that view) we had ten men for 70 minutes and barely threatened until we tired at the end. We moan about our lack of firepower I think they've scored 2 more than us!

Wigan and Millwall are the only decent sides we've played on the day. Coventry and Sheff United were poor both times, Bradford awful, Gillingham meh should of won that, Walsall on TV against us looked meh, didn't go Barnsley but the fact they can be in the top six after losing 7 on the spin sums it all up for me.

If we make the play offs (big ask but may as well go for it) I expect it would be at the expensive of Walsall or Gillingham who are rocking badly with Millwall and Barnsley looking set to cement their spots.

My annoyance is on our home form alone we'd stroll promotion so if we had a half decent away form we could of done it this year, we'd comfortably finish top 6 it is remarkable how different we are home v away (2nd in form table v 21st)

 

[Topher]

"Never come away from a 2-0 win so underwhelmed" - this exactly. Idk how theo's shot went in but foley's goal was good. nice work from moore who usually seems decent when I'm there. we had absolutely no oomph and should be beating teams that bad like 4-0 but we looked disinterested.