Port Vale v Wycombe

[leedsvaliant]

Our old hero and one of my all time favourite players returns to Vale Park in the shape of Gareth Ainsworth. Pleased that he's done well in management and was awesome for us as a player.

Don't know what to expect here as Wycombe appear to be a fairly solid League Two side, should be looking at the top half rather than the bottom. They haven't brought many in but Tyson has been a decent player and I've yet to see any of our defenders deal with Akinfenwa efficiently. They had a solid draw against Lincoln, who I fancy to be up there at the end.

We had a good start but didn't play particularly brilliantly on the opening day, however we do have a completely new team, so it will take a while before we click into gear. However, scoring 3 without playing well is a good sign!

The new highly rated left back Denton from Leeds should start in place of the suspended Gavin Gunning and I expect us to play 2 up front with Pyke coming in, probably alongside Pope or Forrester. I hope Montano and Harness are back in the side, as I feel that they offer the pace and creative spark that we lack in the middle of the park. I would probably swap Pugh with DeFreitas at home but I don't think Brown sees it that way.

Our central defence looks pretty solid with Smith and Kay. Wilson didn't have the greatest of debuts, but he's a good footballer who has played consistently at a higher level, so should come good.

It's all down to application for me. As long as we work as hard or harder than the opposition, in this league it makes up for the lack of quality. We also need to keep the ball away from Akinfenwa so that he can't hold it up. I'm going to go for a close 2-1 win.

 

[valefan16]

Hopefully we continue our relatively decent home form of the past couple of years going at this level and signing the wingers to take advantage of the wide expanses of Vale Park should help that.

Wycombe will be a good test of where we are at. Solid top half side generally who will be looking for a play off challenge.

Akinfenwa has caused us all sorts of problems down the years so need to deal with him, will be another good test for Nathan Smith's credentials if he can handle the Beast Mode.

Hopefully Monty is fit as think he will be a big player with us and we can get another positive result after a decent win last weekend and decent hour last night with a relatively changed side.

Hornby (if Lainton is out)

Wilson
Smith
Kay
Denton

Montano
ADF
Tonge
Harness

Pope
Pyke

Not a bad looking XI that.. I would go 2 up front and certainly not play both Pugh and Tonge together after a tough night last night.

2-1 Vale Akinfenwa for them, Pope and Kay for us.

Have a soft spot for Wycombe, Ainsworth aside they were extremely welcoming in hosting our promotion party (knowing unless we lost 28-0 it was a done thing) and their fans were decent that day to us... plus recall some decent bants in the pub with their fans a few seasons back when I went down there for a game.

 

[Indian Dan]

That Denton is a cracking signing for you

 

[Buxton Vale]

I'm going for a home win 2-1 with ADF and Pyke on the scoresheet.

 

[gijsbert_bos]

Really? This deserves its own thread?

Mods, didn't we have a vote and decide that unless it was a derby or two sides with decent numbers on here, it should go on the single match thread? This is just Vale fans talking to each other...

 

[valefan16]

Does it really matter? If loads of Vale fans on here why can't we discuss it?

 

[gijsbert_bos]

Its been duscussed sd nauseum but ill go over ut again.

It clogs up the forum and it was agreed we'd do A single match thread unless there was a big game which merited its own thread. A lot of us like to get to know the rest of the league and don't want to read 12 different threads to see what's going on. A single match thread means more interaction between different fans.

If you want to just chat to Vale fans about the game, why not just do it on your own forum?

 

[valefan16]

It was debated last week and I believe agreed if fans want they can make their own thread. No disrespect to the other clubs but I don't want to be scrolling through pages of other teams to find a reply about the Valiants and that seemed the general consensus.

There are Wycombe fans on here and will be interested to hear their views and reviews on the game and dare say come kick off this will accelerate the thread.

Trust me you guys don't want a single thread when the infamous Vale v Crewe 9836 post thread begins in a week or so ahead of their big cup final that means nothing to us... ok well maybe a little debate.

 

[mowgli]

I haven't posted in this thread yet as i still don't know who is out injured although Scott Kashkett will be out for months rather than weeks. This will be the 2nd League game on the trot Ainsworth will be going back to a club he played for. I'll be happy with a point away from home.

 

[valefan16]

Tonge who's been like Zizou since he came in rested on the bench, ADF replaces, Montano and Harness both start as does Denton and Wilson.

Two up front with Pyke and the Pontiff. Happy with that bar would of liked Tonge to have made it.

 

[IanPVFC]

Positive line up and hopefully we can continue last week's good start. Unfortunately missing it as I've booked a long weekends fishing but will be listening via valiant player

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[valefan16]

This is shockingly bad!

 

[kieran_vale]

Had the feeling that Crawley game was a false dawn and sure enough today is proving it. Utter shambles.

 

[valefan16]

Had the feeling that Crawley game was a false dawn and sure enough today is proving it. Utter shambles.

Feels like the dark days of pre Adams again. Against teams like Sheff United and Wolves you have an excuse. Not today!

 

[valefan16]

Massive massive questions to be asked here this afternoon. Stunningly diabolical. Two free headers and let's be honest we've not even looked interested.

Thought the nightmare ended at Fleetwood late April when we went down and seems to have gone to a whole new level.

If Chris Morgan knocks half of them out at half time il not be arsed.

Complete and utter cowardly performance.

 

[mowgli]

 

[KevinMcallister]

oh dear has Denton been bad?

 

[valefan16]

oh dear has Denton been bad?

All XI have been X rated. Denton hasn't been as bad as Lawrie Wilson mind. How the fuck did he play at Bolton!

The main worry is the complete lack of fight, the side was built on that and saw plenty of it last weekend and on Wednesday but we have given zero today. That's what's causing the fury of the home ends more than anything else we just don't look interested in the game.

 

[Buxton Vale]

Brown can't blame anyone this season except himself. This is poor by any standards.

 

[kieran_vale]

Really begs the question how bad must Crawley be?

The game is lost but it would be welcome if they could at least justify their wages to some degree and try to compete a bit more.

 

[valefan16]

Too little too late. Furious with the level of performance it was bang out of order to put that in.

 

[kieran_vale]

As said way too little and way too late but am somewhat placated by them at least fighting until the end. Should really take a long hard look at themselves for getting into that position in the first place, not acceptable.

 

[valefan16]

As said way too little and way too late but am somewhat placated by them at least fighting until the end. Should really take a long hard look at themselves for getting into that position in the first place, not acceptable.

Everything I'd seen in the first two games just seemed missing! Wilson isn't fit that's obvious, Pope didn't look right. Issue is the two goals paper over how digustingly bad we played, I haven't seen a first half that bad in years which considering how shit we were last season takes some doing.

Slight positive is that Turner scored again and Whitfield did well when he came on, oddly a better connection and we could of got a crazy point but we can't gift teams a 3-0 lead. This is league two and we got bullied today, they were built like a rugby side, got the 3 goals then dived, time wasted etc and it was game over. Really really streetwise and we can't be that bad again. Play like that over the season we will be a non league outfit in 12 months it's as simple as that.

 

[Andy Proctor]

Based on today's shite Wycombe will walk the league and vale will be relegated with a record low points total. All I will say is I was going go chesterfield next week but there's no chance in a million years I'm going now and I hope no fucker goes as it's what this wank team and management deserve.

 

[Randolph Haggerty]

Very impressed with Wycombe today.
Slick movement and passing, it was men against boys first half.
I was surprised they didn't just lump it to akinfenwa, if this is the standard in this league, my pre season prediction of 16th is justified.
Even more surprised with the vale, very one dimensional, we did just lump it up to the double marked and off the pace pope.
Browns mantra of effort, determination,and organisation is not enough, especially when all of those things are missing!
Despite our 3 minute rally at the end, had we sneaked a point, it would've been utterly undeserved.
Top marks for ainsworth to walk around the ground at the end and clap the remaining fans,
The man is a legend.
Good luck for the rest of the season, you won't need it, we might.

 

[valefan16]

Although difficult to judge Wycombe on that due to how desperately poor we were what you could see was the difference a settled side makes.

They've built on a squad over a few seasons now just tweaking it in the summer.

We've completely rebuilt a squad again for the second time in a year (third if you account for the changes in January too).

Had Norman not forced Page out and the likes of Duffy, Dodds, O Connor, AJ etc to start his wild European experiment a year ago and done what Wycombe have done and just tweaked it we may well have challenged the top end of league one and not be getting dicked in this hell hole of a division.

We looked so disjointed, we lost Lainton for weeks, Barnett is out for months and Forrester and Pugh look set to be out long term today which again raises the question of what is going on to see us pick up so many injuries under Brown!

Pope, Wilson and Monty are not fit either and having to play, it's turning into a collasal mess again!

Said today would be the better yardstick against a side that's more likely than not going to be top half and we've come up massively short in attitude and application today.

 

[Dan Phillips]

Based on today's shite Wycombe will walk the league and vale will be relegated with a record low points total. All I will say is I was going go chesterfield next week but there's no chance in a million years I'm going now and I hope no fucker goes as it's what this wank team and management deserve.

Wow. It's one game.

They've got the opportunity to put it right at Chesterfield.

 

[valefan16]

Wow. It's one game.

They've got the opportunity to put it right at Chesterfield.

Justified anxiety in the manner of defeat though. Granted had a shocker like this happened mid season then no one would have batted an eyelid but first home game will make people nervous.

 

[Dan Phillips]

Justified anxiety in the manner of defeat though. Granted had a shocker like this happened mid season then no one would have batted an eyelid but first home game will make people nervous.

Two quick early goals and the whole mentality changes. Look how well we started at Crawley. How bad did they look in that first half? We just didn't get to grips with Akinfenwa whatsoever.

It'll be a learning curve for the side and Michael Brown I'm sure. Did well to get two late goals to make the scoreline seem more respectable and I'd like to see the two goalscorers starting on Saturday, if I'm honest. I'd drop Pope for Saturday. We need quick feet and movement against the likes of Hird and Evatt. Evatt will just bully Pope and force him into conceding silly free kicks.

Pleased Wiseman is suspended for Saturday as that's a little help. Don't like the prospect of going to Chesterfield with our poor record on the back of two defeats in the opening three games though. Three losses out of the first four games doesn't make pleasant reading at all.

It's early days though and I'm not going to lose any sleep. I just want to see a reaction on Saturday at Chesterfield. Put today right, roll their sleeves up and dust themselves down and get stuck in and show it was one of those days.

A similar level of performance and I'm sure things will be seen a lot differently come 5pm a week today but I'm not going to get too concerned after just the second league game of the campaign.

 

[UTS]

How are the ex-Bury players doing for Vale, Lainton, Pope and Kay?

Kay and Pope are terrible, not sure if Vale fans have realised this yet.