12 August fixtures

[Moomin]

Yes, I think that’s fair.

I’d been somewhat resigned to this being a season of transition, which you can’t really avoid with a) a rookie manager, b) a significant shift in playing style and c) half a new team.

Still early days, but we have to buck our ideas up sharpish, as conceding three goals a game is just suicide, especially when we look weak in attack and unlikely to score.

Do you think Bloomfield will be given time to see out the transition? Really hate to see young managers written off without being given chance to prove themselves. As you say, early days.

 

[masi51]

In what way were we awful ?

Awful was maybe a little strong, more like just going through the motions.....We was lucky not to concede a couple of times through corners and we just saw the game out.......Sloppy passing showed compared with the first half......We have set the bar high this season

 

[Tallow]

1 - 0 defeat at Oxford.
Moxon missed out due to a bug, also Maguire and McGeouch missing so travelled with a weakened squad.
We seem to lack a bit of confidence, but there's always positives to take from a game. Charters in midfield played well, Lavelle is a solid defender and Edmondson back in the team, that was good to see, hopefully he'll get back to scoring a few.
Nowt to worry about yet.

 

[Bartonyellow]

We had a strong opening 10 minutes, went 1-0 up and should‘ve been 2-0 up moments later. We then capitulated in the first half and had it been a better side then we would’ve been in deep shit. The mind-boggling moments defensively returned with Forsyth looking to loop a header into his own goal and a couple of moments of madness from Bradley.

I wanted to see some changes at half-time, but we came out as we ended and with the very first kick looked like it was going to be very much of the same. However, something then clicked and the team finally looked competent. Bird was excellent, apart from missing an open goal from 2 yards out, but we should’ve had 3-4 more than we scored which is something we’re going to have to work on but it was good to see us create genuinely good opportunities and manage a game. Away from and second half of games plagued us last season so it was good to see the vast improvement in that case. The defence stopped making errors too and Nelson, Bradley and Cashin all looked far more assured. In the end it was a performance that will no doubt give us some confidence and give us something to build on.

You were worthy winners. But I don’t think we played bad - had some decent possession but did nothing with it. Need a striker. We had 5 out Saturday already and it showed.
Our defence is still shaky like last season. Seems we will have to win every game 4-3 or 3-2 as we can’t defend. Trouble is at the moment we have no attacking threat.
Dino is after 3 more players - hope we get them as we need them quick.
Some dickhead derby fans in the home end yesterday, pissed up singing anti forest songs. Saw a couple of fights in the concours. Was always going to happen when our ticket office sell to anyone.

 

[Valeite]

I`m quite encouraged by how Vale improved this week.from disorganised chaos at Barnsley to solid outfit against Reading. We have more pace in the team this season and will cause a lot of defences problems.
The ref had a decent game but I have no idea what the liner disallowed our goal in the 1st half for. any ideas?

 

[The Evil Dead]

I`m quite encouraged by how Vale improved this week.from disorganised chaos at Barnsley to solid outfit against Reading. We have more pace in the team this season and will cause a lot of defences problems.
The ref had a decent game but I have no idea what the liner disallowed our goal in the 1st half for. any ideas?

Offside, surely?

 

[masi51]

1 - 0 defeat at Oxford.
Moxon missed out due to a bug, also Maguire and McGeouch missing so travelled with a weakened squad.
We seem to lack a bit of confidence, but there's always positives to take from a game. Charters in midfield played well, Lavelle is a solid defender and Edmondson back in the team, that was good to see, hopefully he'll get back to scoring a few.
Nowt to worry about yet.

Moxon missed out because he is off simple

 

[EricSabin]

Yesterday summed up the differences in League 1 and 2 for us. Missed an absolutely huge chance at 1-1 and then 10 seconds later Mcmanaman curls into the top bin and we’re heading home with nothing.

Thought we were really positive, stepped onto Wigan and caused them some problems with some neat football. Went ahead deservedly and then were pegged back from a nothing set piece which is frustrating.

Think we need points Tuesday or people will be getting a bit tetchy.

 

[valefan16]

I`m quite encouraged by how Vale improved this week.from disorganised chaos at Barnsley to solid outfit against Reading. We have more pace in the team this season and will cause a lot of defences problems.
The ref had a decent game but I have no idea what the liner disallowed our goal in the 1st half for. any ideas?

How was it with the stand swap? Looked good on the highlights seeing a packed home “end” compared to the sparsely populated Bycars of past! Atmosphere improved?

 

[masi51]

Smith absolutely owned Carroll today. He was visibly frustrated as Smith played him like a fiddle. Our keeper is the best in the league in my opinion.

Last week was just one of those days I think. Everything went right for Barnsley and everything went wrong for us....a once in a generation aberration. We have some very good players, who made some of Reading's players look very silly .

What makes me laugh is that Reading fans on their forum saying that they have lost to a nothing team. Reading! They're the beigest team in the league....nobody cares about them! They haven't got any fans on here either, which says everything about them.

Are you fishing......How can you say your keepers the best in the league a week after he conceded 7

That is up there with theres no gulf in leagues one and two

 

[leedsvaliant]

Are you fishing......How can you say your keepers the best in the league a week after he conceded 7

That is up there with theres no gulf in leagues one and two

Statistically he was the best keeper in the league last year. Last week he had no chance with any of the goals. He made two magnificent saves in the week that won us the game and saved a penalty yesterday which win us the game. So yeah.....he's easily one of the best in the league.

 

[masi51]

Statistically he was the best keeper in the league last year. Last week he had no chance with any of the goals. He made two magnificent saves in the week that won us the game and saved a penalty yesterday which win us the game. So yeah.....he's easily one of the best in the league.

I cannot say he is or is not, it is early........What statistics are you going on??
Would say Cooper, Trafford , Walton and Mitov were way better last season and the Barnsley keeper they got on loan was also good last season.

Doubt Ripley will be above Baxter in any stats this season but that is only guesswork at this stage

 

[valefan16]

I cannot say he is or is not, it is early........What statistics are you going on??
Would say Cooper, Trafford , Walton and Mitov were way better last season and the Barnsley keeper they got on loan was also good last season.

Doubt Ripley will be above Baxter in any stats this season but that is only guesswork at this stage

His save percentage has been one of the top in the league for three of his past four seasons (and he’s had far more to make than most being at Morecambe). Have a feeling it was second in the stats to Trafford last season so in effect the best fully owned league one goalkeeper.

His distribution is generally outstanding as well, literally threw one over the half way line to put Clarke clean through last weekend.

As for conceding 7 with that defending prime Buffon doesn’t stop that. He wasn’t at fault bar maybe could of done slightly better on the 2nd.

Made two world class saves in injury time Tuesday and saved a penalty yesterday… after Aidan Stone and Jack Stevens (who were both statistically terrible last season) it’s a huge upgrade. He will I expect be one of the best in the league again and gain us points we probably wouldn’t have got with the aforementioned two.

Absolute monster as well!

 

[masi51]

His save percentage has been one of the top in the league for three of his past four seasons (and he’s had far more to make than most being at Morecambe). Have a feeling it was second in the stats to Trafford last season so in effect the best fully owned league one goalkeeper.

His distribution is generally outstanding as well, literally threw one over the half way line to put Clarke clean through last weekend.

As for conceding 7 with that defending prime Buffon doesn’t stop that. He wasn’t at fault bar maybe could of done slightly better on the 2nd.

Made two world class saves in injury time Tuesday and saved a penalty yesterday… after Aidan Stone and Jack Stevens (who were both statistically terrible last season) it’s a huge upgrade. He will I expect be one of the best in the league again and gain us points we probably wouldn’t have got with the aforementioned two.

Absolute monster as well!

Sorry but you Vale fans are fantasists......Facts are he let 7 goals in last week, was in a relegated team last season

The two seasons before that he played a total of 7 games mainly on Salfords bench

Cooper at Plymouth was streets ahead of him last season

He may well turn out to be decent but get the facts correct before posting

 

[LancashireTrotters]

This sums up yesterday quite nicely.

 

[valefan16]

Sorry but you Vale fans are fantasists......Facts are he let 7 goals in last week, was in a relegated team last season

The two seasons before that he played a total of 7 games mainly on Salfords bench

Cooper at Plymouth was streets ahead of him last season

He may well turn out to be decent but get the facts correct before posting

I’ve posted the facts that his save percentage has been one of the best in the league… make of the rest what you will…

If he has one of the highest save ratios in a side that’s relegated that surely shows just how good he was as he was far busier than say Trafford who had a better defence in front.

Not saying he is the best keeper in the division but he’s certainly one of them and a huge upgrade.

 

[Marked Ox]

After 10 minutes, the only concern I had about our game with Carlisle was whether we would score or not. We tried to walk the ball into the net for most of the game when we should have shot earlier instead. Pleased Mark Harris scored his first. Carlisle were toothless yesterday, our keeper didn't have a serious save to make.

As mitigation for both teams, the wind tunnel was in full effect yesterday which didn't help.

 

[masi51]

I’ve posted the facts that his save percentage has been one of the best in the league… make of the rest what you will…

If he has one of the highest save ratios in a side that’s relegated that surely shows just how good he was as he was far busier than say Trafford who had a better defence in front.

Not saying he is the best keeper in the division but he’s certainly one of them and a huge upgrade.

His save percentage was in fact not one of the best in the league last season......It was joint 9th

 

[thewwfc]

Do you think Bloomfield will be given time to see out the transition? Really hate to see young managers written off without being given chance to prove themselves. As you say, early days.

I think he has to be.

His appointment is on our owner, who has openly said that Bloomfield was his long-term succession plan for Ainsworth.

I was on board with the appointment also, so I'm not whining yet.

He does need to be given time, but a fair percentage of our fanbase are spoilt impatient c**ts who have grown used to success under Ainsworth, and have perhaps forgotten what it feels like to lose a few games badly - even when we lost under Ainsworth, it's very rare that we got thumped, and 2 shoeings on the bounce was even more rare.

I think 5-3-2 is an odd formation to play if you're going for a more footballing style also, I'd imagine you want more bodies in the midfield to provide the attacking impetus which we're clearly lacking, otherwise you're asking a hell of a lot of the wingbacks.

But as Bloomfield said himself after Saturday, you can point to a lot of new bodies in the squad, new tactics, new formations etc till you're blue in the face, but none of that matters if you don't do the basics right. Which if nothing else is honest.

Personally I would give him until Christmas, if we're still in the drop spots by then, I think serious questions will be asked whether he's the man for the job, since he can't say he hasn't been backed in the transfer market.

But we would need to do really badly for that to be the case - I've said on here before that I'm OK with a dull transition season, and mid-table nothingness this time around, but I don't think my views are shared throughout the fanbase.

 

[SVH]

So Ripley has gone from the best in the league to one of the best in the league in a few posts.

 

[dwightyorke]

Ripley being the best keeper in the league was an actual quote spoke by the vale manager after they lost 7 nil last week

 

[Brox]

Missed the game yesterday but was able to catch the radio commentary. Sounded like the first half was a pretty poor affair, Shrewsbury coming closest with an effort from range tipped onto the crossbar, with our efforts largely being limited to stuff from set pieces.

Think we had the better of the second half, bit of fortune for the first goal, a hefty deflection giving Pressley his first goal for the club. Jamie Reid added a second just before stoppage time to make the 11 minutes added more comfortable - a set piece to the back post with MacDonald's goal bound effort turned in by Reid on the line.

Sounded like Jake Forster-Caskey had a good game, didn't make the impact I'd hoped last season but with a pre-season under his belt looks to have started this season off well, hopefully a sign of things to come with him.

 

[Soz]

So Ripley has gone from the best in the league to one of the best in the league in a few posts.

Two different posters and one said it was an opinion. You did this kind of thing last season and it stuck for some reason, its very strange.

 

[SVH]

Ripley is a top keeper and I was disappointed we didn’t go in for him but as per usual, Port Vale fans go from 0-100 in their posts in a matter of days.

He’s probably one of the best in the league but you can’t say he’s the best in the league after seeing him pick 7 balls out his net the week before and make two top saves the week after.

 

[valefan16]

Ripley is a top keeper and I was disappointed we didn’t go in for him but as per usual, Port Vale fans go from 0-100 in their posts in a matter of days.

He’s probably one of the best in the league but you can’t say he’s the best in the league after seeing him pick 7 balls out his net the week before and make two top saves the week after.

He wasn't at fault but most Vale fans have been banging on about him since last season and he was number 1 on our wish list, my view remains last season Trafford was miles ahead of anyone else last season.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Ripley is a top keeper and I was disappointed we didn’t go in for him but as per usual, Port Vale fans go from 0-100 in their posts in a matter of days.

He’s probably one of the best in the league but you can’t say he’s the best in the league after seeing him pick 7 balls out his net the week before and make two top saves the week after.

I'm sure I'd read somewhere that some of his stats in relation to shots faced was up there. Whatever, I'm of the opinion that he's one of the better ones this season. Trafford head and shoulders above everyone last season. Some of the keepers, including your new number one, are absolute dog dirt. It seems he hasn't let you down yet, but give him time and he will. We had 2 keepers last season that didn't make saves.

 

[SF_]

Surely being one of the best in League One would suggest Connor Ripley could play in the Championship? and trust me, he can't.

 

[valefan16]

Surely being one of the best in League One would suggest Connor Ripley could play in the Championship? and trust me, he can't.

Not necessarily… Tom Conlon was one of the best midfielders in league two didn’t make the step up well.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Surely being one of the best in League One would suggest Connor Ripley could play in the Championship? and trust me, he can't.

No. The step up between league 1 and the Championship is much bigger.

 

[bigfatron]

I'm sure I'd read somewhere that some of his stats in relation to shots faced was up there. Whatever, I'm of the opinion that he's one of the better ones this season. Trafford head and shoulders above everyone last season. Some of the keepers, including your new number one, are absolute dog dirt. It seems he hasn't let you down yet, but give him time and he will. We had 2 keepers last season that didn't make saves.

We generally have faith in our management to spot players with potential who will improve with the right coaching and support - Mullin, Iredale, Ironside, Smith, Jones were all players we were told weren't good enough for League Two, but all did pretty well.
Stevens may let us down, our management don't have a 100% success record, but we'll give him time and see how he goes.
Ripley is one of the best keepers in this division, I can agree on that...