Sat April 15 games

[YEO YEO YEO]

We're fucked. We've got 4 horrible games left and today everything went against us and not for the first time this season. Let's be honest, there's never 3 sending offs in that game but we are just plummeting to relegation. Can't believe we're in this situation.

Ref set the tone with booking one of our players after 3 minutes. He made it a dirty/ niggly game and then completely lost the plot. He got the fans riled up and there was no stopping the cards. We were comfortable up to 25 mins and expected to see it out. For a game i was expecting to be very boring, it turned out to be very entertaining game.

 

[valefan16]

Yeah it seems to be a bit OTT considering they are still 6 points above the drop zone

If you’d watched us week in week out since January you’d see exactly why it seems inevitable. 2 wins in 17 I think now.

DC seems to have lost the dressing room. We’ve downed tools and results speak for themselves.

We managed to lose 3-0 at Accrington… aside from that game they’ve conceded 13 in 3 games around it, we managed to lose to Cambridge and kick start their revival and they hadn’t won away since October! We have injuries to the level we can’t actually change anything with a defence conceding 2-3 goals most weeks.

The one thing we did have was discipline and now we’ve had 4 red cards in a week.

The last three are all winnable games yes but there’s no sign of the fight or desire in this teams that suggests we will win any of them therefore it’s hard to see how we stay up.

 

[YEO YEO YEO]

I disagree, there was fight from your team yesterday. You started the game well, and made attacking subs at HT with Harrison being an absolute handful, and at that point, the game could have gone either way. 2nd red threw the game in our favour, as did the great cameo at the end for Duffy who was on for his debut.

 

[kieran_vale]

I disagree, there was fight from your team yesterday. You started the game well, and made attacking subs at HT with Harrison being an absolute handful, and at that point, the game could have gone either way. 2nd red threw the game in our favour, as did the great cameo at the end for Duffy who was on for his debut.

Agreed it’s not a lack of fight, it’s intelligence and composure that much of this team is deficient in. Having seen the goals back I have to give credit to your player for that pass on your first goal, I still think Benning was a bit weak but nice to see someone look for a forward ball not sideways like a lot of ours do.

 

[Gassy]

DC lost the changing room, really? Without seeing your games, I find that very hard to believe.

I do see why you’re worried though. The teams down the bottom are picking up points finally and Vale are in free fall.

I’ve just done a league predictor and have it ending like this though:

18th Vale 48
19th Cambridge 48
20th MK Dons 46
————
21st Oxford 44
22nd Morecambe 41
23rd Accy 41
24th FGR 29

I stuck the last game of Oxford Vs Accy as a draw though, having seen the table after and if Oxford had to win at home to stay up, I imagine they’d probably get the win though

 

[kieran_vale]

DC lost the changing room, really? Without seeing your games, I find that very hard to believe.

I do see why you’re worried though. The teams down the bottom are picking up points finally and Vale are in free fall.

I’ve just done a league predictor and have it ending like this though:

18th Vale 48
19th Cambridge 48
20th MK Dons 46
————
21st Oxford 44
22nd Morecambe 41
23rd Accy 41
24th FGR 29

I stuck the last game of Oxford Vs Accy as a draw though, having seen the table after and if Oxford had to win at home to stay up, I imagine they’d probably get the win though

I think where that would be coming from is allegedly a number of players have already been told they won’t be at the club next season so downed tools. Personally I just think a number of our fans go reaching for this shit every time we lose and it’s more simply that there’s better and equally as important smarter teams than them.

DC for his part does look like someone who could do with a break from football as soon as the season is over regardless what happens. And quite frankly after the last 14 months in his life you’d have to be a robot not to be drained by it all.

Edit - Just to note even if we did go down to me DC is absolutely the right man next season. One thing we do know with him is his track record of getting promotion from L2.

 

[YEO YEO YEO]

Agreed it’s not a lack of fight, it’s intelligence and composure that much of this team is deficient in. Having seen the goals back I have to give credit to your player for that pass on your first goal, I still think Benning was a bit weak but nice to see someone look for a forward ball not sideways like a lot of ours do.

That was Mandriou who we signed in the summer from Ireland. Finally started finding some consistency. He also set up our 2nd after the lovely move.

 

[Luke Imp]

They’ve a tough run in but I’ve never seen a team be 9 points above the drop with 5 games to go, lose it and a lot of their fanbase seemingly believe they’re 100% down.

We were 8 above with 6 to go back in 2010/11 in L2. Not quite where Vale are now but not far off!

 

[valefan16]

We were 8 above with 6 to go back in 2010/11 in L2. Not quite where Vale are now but not far off!

Yeah and we pretty much relegated you by throwing in the towel against Barnet last game which prompted our assistant to want to bring them in for training the week after the season finished!

Seen the highlights back this morning.

First goal… great through ball (one of three in the game) but absolutely dire from our point of view, Mal has to be stronger there and prevent the goal.

Keeper red card… tricky one this, is a man behind but then I suppose the keeper becomes the last defender and the lad behind the keeper in terms of last man rules, the Lincoln manager said he had no problem with it but it’s probably one you don’t always see given.

Decent penalty from Taylor.

Second goal, beautiful ball from Taylor that, pass of the game probably and surprisingly decent strike from Butts.

Conlon red, no video of it, seems their lad kicked him and when the goals gone in he has celebrated in his face, if that’s a red then you’re getting many a week but depends on the level it went, officially Foul and abusive language but as captain you’ve got to be less petulant, if their lad has kicked out at worst the referee should send both off but TC needs to look at himself there as the games likely in the bag at 2-1 v 10 men.

Second goal for Lincoln is the one that angers me the most, sums up our keeper issues, great through ball again so credit for that but it’s a poor finish and Stone half arsed sticks his arm out he easily saves it, he keeps his arms in and it’s literally an inch past his torso.

Sammy second yellow, no complaints. Inexperience and will suffer more for it because he told the fans to “f off” at Accrington last week so hasn’t really much rope.

Third goal, poor again but standard type we concede, almost like selling our only 6 foot plus centre half was a good idea.

Line up was wrong; resting Ellis for Ipswich was stupidity, he’s top scorer, one of the few who are decent in the air.

Subs wrong, get Holden as we had no midfield options once the red but throwing Sammy on for Worrall is bonkers, again Ipswich in mind? Win today and Ipswich is irrelevant DC!

Wrong time to throw Plant on as well, granted he’s had rave reviews at Salisbury and he will be a good one for us but at 2-2 in a key game it’s the wrong time to throw a youth on who’s has 10 minutes of senior league football.

 

[valefan16]

I think where that would be coming from is allegedly a number of players have already been told they won’t be at the club next season so downed tools. Personally I just think a number of our fans go reaching for this shit every time we lose and it’s more simply that there’s better and equally as important smarter teams than them.

DC for his part does look like someone who could do with a break from football as soon as the season is over regardless what happens. And quite frankly after the last 14 months in his life you’d have to be a robot not to be drained by it all.

Edit - Just to note even if we did go down to me DC is absolutely the right man next season. One thing we do know with him is his track record of getting promotion from L2.

I don’t think all are playing for DC. The discipline and effort that is the least you get from his sides is not there at all.

It’s becoming split on keeping DC, some even want him gone by Rovers and give Crosby 3 games to save us.

Personally I’d be gutted, I love the man but 2 wins in 17 anywhere else questions would be asked.

He doesn’t look up for it either, could be the Pompey stuff as our form went after that but could equally be needing time away after what happened.

Ideal world we scrape survival, he goes to somewhere sunny with his family for a few weeks and we start again with a new squad next season and move on.

 

[kieran_vale]

I don’t think all are playing for DC. The discipline and effort that is the least you get from his sides is not there at all.

It’s becoming split on keeping DC, some even want him gone by Rovers and give Crosby 3 games to save us.

Personally I’d be gutted, I love the man but 2 wins in 17 anywhere else questions would be asked.

He doesn’t look up for it either, could be the Pompey stuff as our form went after that but could equally be needing time away after what happened.

Ideal world we scrape survival, he goes to somewhere sunny with his family for a few weeks and we start again with a new squad next season and move on.

I think any decision to sack him would be incredibly foolish. Let’s just say if we went down I guarantee save about 4 or possibly 5 clubs in L2 the rest would be queuing round the block to take him over their current manager and Mansfield would be at the front I would wager. These are the same people who no doubt wanted Crosby fired when we had our wobble last season. And don’t get me started on this myth going round now that it was Crosby not DC who led us to promotion…

I’m not sure it’s he’s not up for it he clearly wants to do well but it’s getting blood out of a stone with some of these players for whom L1 is a step too far now they’ve been found out a bit.

 

[Luke Imp]

Yeah and we pretty much relegated you by throwing in the towel against Barnet last game which prompted our assistant to want to bring them in for training the week after the season finished!

Seen the highlights back this morning.

First goal… great through ball (one of three in the game) but absolutely dire from our point of view, Mal has to be stronger there and prevent the goal.

Keeper red card… tricky one this, is a man behind but then I suppose the keeper becomes the last defender and the lad behind the keeper in terms of last man rules, the Lincoln manager said he had no problem with it but it’s probably one you don’t always see given.

Decent penalty from Taylor.

Second goal, beautiful ball from Taylor that, pass of the game probably and surprisingly decent strike from Butts.

Conlon red, no video of it, seems their lad kicked him and when the goals gone in he has celebrated in his face, if that’s a red then you’re getting many a week but depends on the level it went, officially Foul and abusive language but as captain you’ve got to be less petulant, if their lad has kicked out at worst the referee should send both off but TC needs to look at himself there as the games likely in the bag at 2-1 v 10 men.

Second goal for Lincoln is the one that angers me the most, sums up our keeper issues, great through ball again so credit for that but it’s a poor finish and Stone half arsed sticks his arm out he easily saves it, he keeps his arms in and it’s literally an inch past his torso.

Sammy second yellow, no complaints. Inexperience and will suffer more for it because he told the fans to “f off” at Accrington last week so hasn’t really much rope.

Third goal, poor again but standard type we concede, almost like selling our only 6 foot plus centre half was a good idea.

Line up was wrong; resting Ellis for Ipswich was stupidity, he’s top scorer, one of the few who are decent in the air.

Subs wrong, get Holden as we had no midfield options once the red but throwing Sammy on for Worrall is bonkers, again Ipswich in mind? Win today and Ipswich is irrelevant DC!

Wrong time to throw Plant on as well, granted he’s had rave reviews at Salisbury and he will be a good one for us but at 2-2 in a key game it’s the wrong time to throw a youth on who’s has 10 minutes of senior league football.

The last man rule disappeared years ago.

The ball just seemed to pop up between Taylor and Rushworth, no-one was ever really in control of it to do anything with it and and got caught between both of them. Seemed a clumsy coming together more than anything.

 

[Luke Imp]

Do any of you Vale fans post on OVF by the way? There's an interesting post from TJHValiant about infrastructure investment rather than in the playing budget but he's got it slightly wrong with us because we do, we just don't build new, shiny stands (until the summer anyway ).

 

[kieran_vale]

The last man rule disappeared years ago.

The ball just seemed to pop up between Taylor and Rushworth, no-one was ever really in control of it to do anything with it and and got caught between both of them. Seemed a clumsy coming together more than anything.

On that incident I understand the red card but I think we got a bit lucky with it being given a penalty as just from the camera angle it seemed to initially start outside the box so probably should have been a free kick. I’ll be honest my biggest pet hate is teams in this league passing it along the backline so maybe invited trouble doing that?

Just to add I think your manager came across as a very decent person on his interview after the game. One of the more likeable ones I’ve heard,

 

[Luke Imp]

It's not too often we do it to be fair, but Rushworth is (usually!) exceptional with the ball at his feet and in his distribution. Can't work out if it's a bad touch, mis-timed the pass or a bit of both!

 

[YEO YEO YEO]

It's not too often we do it to be fair, but Rushworth is (usually!) exceptional with the ball at his feet and in his distribution. Can't work out if it's a bad touch, mis-timed the pass or a bit of both!

I think he took his eye off the ball once received, and the Vale player was on him in a flash. Very rare to make such a glaring mistake

Wonder if we will appeal as that would mean Rushworth would be available Tuesday?

 

[valefan16]

Do any of you Vale fans post on OVF by the way? There's an interesting post from TJHValiant about infrastructure investment rather than in the playing budget but he's got it slightly wrong with us because we do, we just don't build new, shiny stands (until the summer anyway ).

Not sure I’ve seen the post, I’d say Lincoln have been more or a role model as what can be done in terms of investment from cup runs into growing the club, if you’d said 10 years ago when 150-200 away fans are in the Hamil and 3-4000 home fans you’d be getting well over 8000 a game you’d be laughed at the room probably by your own fans.

The relegation to non league and reset seems to have worked wonders and it’s the way to go really.

The worry for us is the extra 1500-2000 we are now getting Jack it in if we go back down.

 

[valefan16]

The last man rule disappeared years ago.

The ball just seemed to pop up between Taylor and Rushworth, no-one was ever really in control of it to do anything with it and and got caught between both of them. Seemed a clumsy coming together more than anything.

It did but if you don’t play the ball and go for the man it comes into play.

It’s one I would be peeved about against us, but oddly the Lincoln manager was quite accepting of the decision.

 

[valefan16]

On that incident I understand the red card but I think we got a bit lucky with it being given a penalty as just from the camera angle it seemed to initially start outside the box so probably should have been a free kick. I’ll be honest my biggest pet hate is teams in this league passing it along the backline so maybe invited trouble doing that?

Just to add I think your manager came across as a very decent person on his interview after the game. One of the more likeable ones I’ve heard,

I liked the way he was comforting about defending Sammy in his interview but watching the highlights he’s waving the card to the referee! Heat of the moment stuff but did make me chuckle!

 

[Luke Imp]

Not sure I’ve seen the post, I’d say Lincoln have been more or a role model as what can be done in terms of investment from cup runs into growing the club, if you’d said 10 years ago when 150-200 away fans are in the Hamil and 3-4000 home fans you’d be getting well over 8000 a game you’d be laughed at the room probably by your own fans.

The relegation to non league and reset seems to have worked wonders and it’s the way to go really.

The worry for us is the extra 1500-2000 we are now getting Jack it in if we go back down.

The posters point was more about how we divert money into the playing budget rather than infrastructure improvements (mostly the Stadium), and thinks Vale should do the same, but that isn't actually the case.

In the last few years we've spent on two new restaurant areas, new Club Shop (also had one in the City centre at one point but that's closed now), bar and lounge areas around the stadium, concourses, the Fanzone, 5G pitch, adding to the capacity where we can, £500k+ on a new pitch a couple of years ago, and will be spending around £3m on a new stand over the summer (the current away end, and also why there's that bus shelter type thing). And that doesn't take into account what I suspect is now around £2m on the training ground since it was built either. We probably spend £200k+ every year on continuous infrastructure improvements on top of main projects.

Can't just throw everything into players, you've got to build from the bottom up.

 

[valefan16]

The posters point was more about how we divert money into the playing budget rather than infrastructure improvements (mostly the Stadium), and thinks Vale should do the same, but that isn't actually the case.

In the last few years we've spent on two new restaurant areas, new Club Shop (also had one in the City centre at one point but that's closed now), bar and lounge areas around the stadium, concourses, the Fanzone, 5G pitch, adding to the capacity where we can, £500k+ on a new pitch a couple of years ago, and will be spending around £3m on a new stand over the summer (the current away end, and also why there's that bus shelter type thing). And that doesn't take into account what I suspect is now around £2m on the training ground since it was built either. We probably spend £200k+ every year on continuous infrastructure improvements on top of main projects.

Can't just throw everything into players, you've got to build from the bottom up.

That’s what we are trying to do (as shown by the accounts) but some of our fans don’t see it and want it all on players.

When Carol and Kevin purchased the club the ground was a mess and has cost a fortune to sort out so far.

We’ve put seats in the Lorne Street, new turnstiles in the Paddock, made the Robbie Williams Suite, we’ve got 6 figure work on the pitch in the summer and a new big screen scoreboard plus the cost of swapping the away end which apparently is going to be a large outlay to have the access done.

Add in the proposed new Vale Campus, similar idea to what you’ve mentioned in the new 4G pitches and college and you can see what we are trying to do but at a huge cost it will take time problem is fans want money on the team now!

 

[valefan16]

Tom Conlon red card over turned… all good and well but 2-1 up against 10 men that decision has cost us likely three points and potentially relegation.

 

[kieran_vale]

All you can do is laugh at this point. A fitting ending to what was already one of the most bizarre 90 minutes of football can remember.

 

[valefan16]

All you can do is laugh at this point. A fitting ending to what was already one of the most bizarre 90 minutes of football can remember.

You can but I’m furious, thats a huge decision and what have they seen to give it? That’s potentially cost a man his job and a club its league one status. It’s a disgrace.

 

[Soz]

You can but I’m furious, thats a huge decision and what have they seen to give it? That’s potentially cost a man his job and a club its league one status. It’s a disgrace.

my thoughts too. how can you see something that hasn't actually happened? heads need to roll for these kind of mistakes. but they wont.

 

[valefan16]

my thoughts too. how can you see something that hasn't actually happened? heads need to roll for these kind of mistakes. but they wont.

They’ll need to forward the apology letter to DC. Disgrace, that and the Accrington decision are two massively costly ones.

 

[bigfatron]

We’ve had two official apologies from the FA this season - it seems to be a new transparency thing (I don’t recall ever hearing of such a thing before).
I guess acknowledging manifest cock-ups is good on balance…

 

[BRFC_Gas]

We’ve had two official apologies from the FA this season - it seems to be a new transparency thing (I don’t recall ever hearing of such a thing before).
I guess acknowledging manifest cock-ups is good on balance…

I'm not sure what good it does, nothing changes just makes everyone who was wronged even more pissed off

 

[Luke Imp]

Tom Conlon red card over turned… all good and well but 2-1 up against 10 men that decision has cost us likely three points and potentially relegation.

Still find it baffling that no-one seems to know what happened or even saw it at the time (linesman and/or fourth official aside).

 

[valefan16]

Still find it baffling that no-one seems to know what happened or even saw it at the time (linesman and/or fourth official aside).

Well they clearly didn't see it as they got it wrong!

We've only heard what a couple of fans saw but obviously as it happened as the ball was played and goal scored no one was watching i guess.