Crawley v Vale

[leedsvaliant]

This could go one of two ways. Either we'll come out all guns blazing and win by 2 or 3 goals, or we'll concede meekly and lose without a whimper.
I genuinely don't know what to expect. We have a virtual new team, and preseason has been up and down, although we've only lost once.
We've also picked up injuries already, which doesn't bode well, as we had a ridiculous amount last season.

It all depends on how it comes together on the day, and I suspect we will be up and down for the first month or so.

Still lacking pace throughout the side, but experience should see us through.

Don't know much about Crawley to be honest, but they're one of the favourites to be down at the bottom. That means nothing on the first day.

We need a good start I suspect, otherwise everyone is going to get twitchy.

 

[valefan16]

14 years since our last defeat on the opening league game so hoping this continues.

If we get a half decent left back and an attacking midfielder this week Il be much more confident. Tough to call us with so many changes but I'm hopeful we can get a result in this one.

 

[Casey]

Don't worry too much. We are favourites to go down for two reasons.

1/ We are one of the smallest clubs in the league.

2/ We're shit!

We are playing a 3 centre back system where we try to play out from the back. Our centre backs are if the cloggers variety and so we will pass the ball to you in our half.

We are also slow up front so we will not score many.

I really can't see us winning many games this season but I'm hoping there are two teams worse than us.

Casey

 

[Dan Phillips]

Still lacking pace throughout the side

Montano? De Freitas? Turner? Pyke? Harness?

 

[valefan16]

Montano? De Freitas? Turner? Pyke? Harness?

Doesn't look like Monty will be fit which is a blow.

ADF by the sounds of it has thrown himself into contention last night, got a feeling he is going to have a stellar season.

 

[Andy Proctor]

Have Yates and tongue signed and eligible to play or sit on the bench?

 

[valefan16]

Have Yates and tongue signed and eligible to play or sit on the bench?

Lord knows Andy, only Vale could put players in the team photo who they haven't announced yet!

Tonge apparently signed a short term deal with it being more leaned towards coaching than financial... for what it's worth I think he will start with Pugh even though it's not what I'd want us to start with.

Yates I think will be signed on a pay and you play deal due to the long injury... if that's financially viable for Adam personally I guess we will see... assume he will get a basic wage though.

Still a left back short which is a worry ahead of Saturday.

 

[Buxton Vale]

0-2 to us after 26 mins

Just the start we needed.

 

[valefan16]

Fan streaming it from away end.

Solid away performance only managed to score twice away once last season!

Crawley struggling with our aerial power going forward and Tonge scored and set one up.

Gifted them a couple of chances but they've ballooned them.

Third goal to settle nerves please!

 

[valefan16]

Great result! Made hard work of that second half but great headed goal from Turner to see us through. The redemption gets off to the best start!

 

[kieran_vale]

Welcome to get our first 3 points on the board and also following last seasons abysmal away record to do it on the road too. Not going to read too much into this though as without wishing to be too disrespectful to Crawley it's fair to say they are hardly the most fearsome opposition we will face.

 

[valefan16]

Crawley looked woeful first half but better second all be it there goal was dire from our point of view. They seemed very reliant on the number 7 though who strangely got taken off!

Kewells post match interview was odd, fairly disrespectful but probably sour grapes.

Three goals for us though especially young Turner and the relief after the past year clear to see in the scenes when it went in.

Bigger tests to come but crucial win all the same!

 

[IanPVFC]

I'll take that. We wouldn't have won that last season regardless of the quality of the oppo. So that's a step forward in my eyes

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[valefan16]

I'll take that. We wouldn't have won that last season regardless of the quality of the oppo. So that's a step forward in my eyes

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Definitely was built on the foundations of those last two away games, sit in and soak up pressure and take our chances when they come.

Thought when they did get into the game Crawley played some neat football (all be it from watching a fan stream) just had nothing up front... they signed a Dutch striker on the back of scoring a few in the second tier... and we of all teams know how that usually goes after Big Reg last season!

Be interesting to see how we set up at Vale Park next week, assuming two up front with Pyke coming in for Tonge or Pugh.

 

[Casey]

As I said in the preview we try to play out from the back.

The first two goals were a direct result of us fannying around at the back, giving away the ball and then committing fouls trying to win it back. I quite like possession football when you try to keep possession in the opponents half. Asking your average league two centre back to also play like a creative midfielder is just asking for trouble.

When we moved Yorwerth forward to a defensive midfield role and started playing in the Vale half we looked ok. Got a goal (good from our point of view but no challenge on a run from the half way line) and then subbed everyone who was doing well! Started fannying around at the back again and looking and behold we let in another goal from a cross to an unmarked player in the box.

We were not as bad as I feared but we will struggle playing this system.

Good luck for the rest of the season.

Casey

 

[Andy Proctor]

First away win I've seen since winning at Fleetwood away in September 2015.

 

[leedsvaliant]

As I said in the preview we try to play out from the back.

The first two goals were a direct result of us fannying around at the back, giving away the ball and then committing fouls trying to win it back. I quite like possession football when you try to keep possession in the opponents half. Asking your average league two centre back to also play like a creative midfielder is just asking for trouble.

When we moved Yorwerth forward to a defensive midfield role and started playing in the Vale half we looked ok. Got a goal (good from our point of view but no challenge on a run from the half way line) and then subbed everyone who was doing well! Started fannying around at the back again and looking and behold we let in another goal from a cross to an unmarked player in the box.

We were not as bad as I feared but we will struggle playing this system.

Good luck for the rest of the season.

Casey

A fair assessment.
We were decent for 25 minutes, poor for 50 and then decent again for the last 15.

Crawley played some decent stuff at times but then took off their best player. Even someone with no knowledge of football can see that's a bizarre decision.

We learnt the last time we played in this league, it's not about being pretty and playing it out from the back. It's about scrapping it out, making the most of set pieces and defending ugly when needed. It's not great to watch but if we win away by two clear goals every time, I won't complain.

Us and Gillingham typified this approach last time, make yourselves hard to break down, have a few experienced and wily veterans and scrap it out. We'll win more than we lose with this method.