Port Vale v Southend

[MJA]

With our squad still going through the 'gelling' stage and Southend seemingly in disarray this one has the potential to be classic. The new look Vale took a solid point away from Bradford last Saturday before succumbing to Carlisle in the League Cup on Tuesday, with the general consensus being that we lack that 20 goal a season striker that many teams are crying out for.

Shrimpurh has not held back in the Shoutbox having witnessed two 3-1 defeats at home to Gillingham in the space of 4 days, the main anger being directed towards their gaffer who it would seem has spent his summer trying to sneak into the England coaching setup instead of building a squad for this season.

Will be interesting to see how Bruno sets Vale up at home as he has opted for the 1 up top (I hate 1 up top formations) in the away games so far but here is hoping he is more positive with his approach in home games

 

[valefan16]

Need a positive result here which will swiftly erase Tuesday's memory and will add up to a solid league start.

They seem a bit of a mess at the moment but we need to be positive. New striker due in tomorrow could make all the difference if we actually attack being at home!

 

[leedsvaliant]

After a decent result last weekend, a win here would represent a decent start. Tuesday happens to lots of clubs as shown by the amount of higher league clubs knocked out and sometimes the lower league club are just more 'up for it'. We need to rectify the fact that we don't look like free-scoring at the moment but that could be rectified with a couple of attacking signings.

I believe our midfield is better than last year and that Knopps is a huge upgrade on McGivern, so in my mind we are stronger in a lot of ways. If we just had that game changer, I think we'd be looking good, but everyone else is looking for the same player.

We need to be positive early against a Southend side who have conceded 6 in 2 games. It seems that they couldn't cope with the physicality of JET against Gillingham and so Cecilia makes sense, but he really needs someone alongside him like Hooper. Bring back Tavares and Streete with maybe De Freitas missing out.

Let's hope Tuesday was a blip and that the players are bang up for it on Saturday.

 

[Shrimpurh]

Vale win 2-0

 

[THE LAST WALTZ]

Shrimpers, when is Ranger going to be ready?
Although the guy is quite clearly a total nob, he could be the sort of player that could give you a much needed shot in the arm.

 

[Shrimpurh]

Shrimpers, when is Ranger going to be ready?
Although the guy is quite clearly a total nob, he could be the sort of player that could give you a much needed shot in the arm.

Could play this weekend. Please let this happen so Mooney doesn't have to play!

 

[MJA]

Shrimpers, when is Ranger going to be ready?
Although the guy is quite clearly a total nob, he could be the sort of player that could give you a much needed shot in the arm.

If Southend are going to be relying on a person like Ranger then there is little hope for them

 

[MJA]

Could play this weekend. Please let this happen so Mooney doesn't have to play!

If Southend are going to be relying on a person like Ranger then there is little hope for them

Cue him scoring a hat-trick against us on Saturday

 

[valefan16]

Cue him scoring a hat-trick against us on Saturday

Mooney has always been decent against us. Bar his peno miss last season in that bizarre 94th minute!

 

[Steven Simcock]

0-2 Vale loss


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[MJA]

0-2 Vale loss


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[maseman23]

Scoring is clearly going to be our issue and that's down to the team, not just the strikers. They can't score if we don't create chances for them, which seems to have been the case so far. I'm going for 1-0 but could be either way.

 

[ColB]

Sarfend haven't had a great start it's fair to say. But in the past Vale have always done teams in poor form a favour and gifted them 3 points! We're just nice like that. No idea what to expect today. We've barely created anything in the two games we've played and our main goal-threat, Hooper, has barely been given a kick. He absolutely must start today alongside Cicilia. Southend look like they have some good players at this level and I would expect them to be top half of the table comfortably despite a miserable run of form. My heart say's a hard-earned 1-0 win but my head is saying a 0-2 defeat, and absolute chaos on OneValeFan post-match!

Time to buckle up.

 

[valefan16]

Southend trying to kick us off the park worked for a while and we are weak with the aerial ball in but a great goal worked well from Purkiss and Forrester with an old fashioned English header.

Trying to be Arsenal... They have Ozil though we have Knopps

 

[valefan16]

Well deserved in the end! Stood up to a battering physically and was ole footballing late on! Tavares looks a top baller!

 

[Shrimpurh]

Fuck off Brown

 

[ColB]

Sounded like a solid if unspectacular performance overall against a poor Southend side that should be doing better than what they have been going from the back end of last season. I think our midfield foursome of Grant, Foley, Tavares and De Frietas is as strong as most in the league, and with two young and promising center-backs in Streete and Smith in-particular it really does bode well going forward. Would still love us to find an exciting winger with pace as I'm not sure Jerome Thomas will offer too much other than experience at the tender age of 33, while the likes of Sam Kelly and Chris Mbamba simply aren't consistently good enough for L1 football yet.

Two steady performances in the league, 4 points and two clean sheets. Not bad going for a squad that's been thrown together under the guidance of a completely unknown manager.

 

[1977Valiant]

It took us until the 2nd half to really get going but a decent enough performance in the second half from a new team who are still gelling.

Forrester and Streete's goals were both well taken, hopefully the further 3 new signings that are expected next will give us a few more options down the wings.

I thought Southend did not carry much of a threat, they seemed a little laboured and a little disjointed if I'm being honest, they really need to get themselves sorted out soon (as conceding 8 goals in 3 games is worrying from their point of view) otherwise I feel that they could be in for a very long season.

Anyway, from our perspective, I will take 4 points from 2 games and 2 clean sheets though, so roll on Tuesday night against Rochdale.

 

[ColB]

It took us until the 2nd half to really get going but a decent enough performance from a new team is who are still gelling in the second half.

Forrester and Streete's goal were both well taken, hopefully the further 3 new signings that are expected next will give us a few more options down the wings.

Wingers are exactly what we need, at least one quality wide man. With that I really do think we're looking in good shape, as our foreign players in theory should only get better the more they adapt. Overall though I think Knops, Tavares and De Frietas have done very well, while Cecilia does have some tools to work with. The jury is still very much out on the others, though I think Perreira is a tidy player with promise from what very little I've seen and think he could have an impact sooner or later.

 

[Vale on Trent]

Solid though unspectacular, but I'll happily take 4 points and 2 clean sheets from 2 games.

We played it around nicely at times without really having any cutting edge and we didn't create many chances. Think we may struggle away from home.

 

[ColB]

Solid though unspectacular, but I'll happily take 4 points and 2 clean sheets from 2 games.

We played it around nicely at times without really having any cutting edge and we didn't create many chances. Think we may struggle away from home.

Why?

I think we'll be well suited to soaking up pressure, as we did at Bradford, and hitting teams on the break through the likes of Foley, Hooper and Forrester.

 

[Shrimper92]

Just go now Brown.

 

[valefan16]

First thirty we were poor and struggled with Southends physical approach and long ball game. Once we scored we looked so so comfy and Southend just keep hoofballing it with zero purpose.

Tavares looks quality and made a mug of Barrett a few times who was trying to batter him before the fouling took its toll and he had to come off.

Forester was superb I thought, very physical and good goal.

The back four were quality and when you consider it was four centre halves playing due to injury and Purkiss absence (rumoured punch up with Grant according to some) we can be very pleased.

Poor cup tie midweek but four points equates to a decent league start.

 

[Vale on Trent]

Why?

I think we'll be well suited to soaking up pressure, as we did at Bradford, and hitting teams on the break through the likes of Foley, Hooper and Forrester.

We aren't blessed with pace or wide players to hit teams on the counter.

 

[ColB]

We aren't blessed with pace or wide players to hit teams on the counter.

True in a sense, but counter attacking isn't just about pace and wide players, though the former certainly helps. We do need a quick winger to replace Andoh as Mbamba is too raw at the moment and needs to adapt to our game.

 

[MJA]

4 points and 2 clean sheets isn't a bad return from a side 'thrown together' from those players that the rest of Europe didn't want. If we carry this sort of form on, we might actually get through August without being relegated

I suspect a few managers in this league will send their players out with a game plan of kicking us in the air because 'foreign players don't like it'. Even teams at this level can't manage that for 90 minutes though and as long as we have the mental toughness to ride those sorts of storms and stick to the sort of football Bruno clearly wants us to play, this tactic should be prove to be ineffective against us.

 

[valefan16]

4 points and 2 clean sheets isn't a bad return from a side 'thrown together' from those players that the rest of Europe didn't want. If we carry this sort of form on, we might actually get through August without being relegated

I suspect a few managers in this league will send their players out with a game plan of kicking us in the air because 'foreign players don't like it'. Even teams at this level can't manage that for 90 minutes though and as long as we have the mental toughness to ride those sorts of storms and stick to the sort of football Bruno clearly wants us to play, this tactic should be prove to be ineffective against us.

Didn't get on Tavares being a hard man though did they! Barrett could only kick him and hope but he stood up to it well

 

[JJ1532]

Norman Smurthwaite ‏@smurfpvfc 15h15 hours ago
BBC Stoke is a quality broadcaster.I have never met or heard Ray Williams but it appears he is dragging their standards down.Sort it out

Thoughts Valiants?

 

[MJA]

Norman Smurthwaite ‏@smurfpvfc 15h15 hours ago
BBC Stoke is a quality broadcaster.I have never met or heard Ray Williams but it appears he is dragging their standards down.Sort it out

Thoughts Valiants?

He's spot on. Ray Williams never ever has anything good to say about the club. I would rather dip my head in acid than listen to him

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[MJA]

Norman Smurthwaite ‏@smurfpvfc 15h15 hours ago
BBC Stoke is a quality broadcaster.I have never met or heard Ray Williams but it appears he is dragging their standards down.Sort it out

Thoughts Valiants?

Although I would argue his point about Radio Stoke being a quality broadcaster [emoji38]

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