Relegation Dogfight Thread

[valefan16]

Next season is another discussion altogether. Should we survive, next season will be our 10th consecutive season at this level and with Fleetwood going down, we’ll be the longest serving.

The jump from League Two to League One is one of the biggest in the footballing pyramids imo. We’re not a good team yet we battered Wrexham in the Cup and they were very fortunate to beat us in the end. All of those teams will struggle unless they sign League One ready players. Not many teams survive this league more than three seasons after getting promoted these days.

Now that we have a competent manager at the helm again, plus a solid core of players under contract for next season, I doubt we’ll go down. Of course this is all very premature as we could still go down this season plus I’ve not seen our summer recruitment yet should we stay up. Have confidence in Paul Hurst here either way though.

Yeah but thats the point, Wrexham and the like will almost certainly have the finance to buy L1 ready (and above) players you'd expect.

Stockport as per Wrexham, and sure Gills and MK will have big budgets, certainly more than most of the struggling sides this season that survive.

Mansfield will be interesting though, should make for a very competitive L1 but these sides will have more power financially (Mansfield aside maybe) than Orient, Northampton, Stevenage who have all come up and done fairly well.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Have Port Vale played anyone who leedsvaliant doesn't think are shite?

Genuinely....Bolton for a half, Barnsley for a half and Leyton Orient for a half, that's about it. The rest have either been workmanlike (Pompey, Derby), non league tactics (Stevenage) or a lot of very average/poor teams (including us). It's an absolute calamity that we have been worse than 99% of the teams in the worst league one in living memory.

It's frustrating from our point of view because we didn't even need a particularly good squad to be mid table. Look at Bristol Rovers fans, Northampton fans....they've absolutely slated their squad at times, yet sit comfortably in mid table.

Instead we've got these bunch of dossers who get presented winnable games week on week and can't even manage that. A complete failure from the club.

 

[valefan16]

Genuinely....Bolton for a half, Barnsley for a half and Leyton Orient for a half, that's about it. The rest have either been workmanlike (Pompey, Derby), non league tactics (Stevenage) or a lot of very average/poor teams (including us). It's an absolute calamity that we have been worse than 99% of the teams in the worst league one in living memory.

It's frustrating from our point of view because we didn't even need a particularly good squad to be mid table. Look at Bristol Rovers fans, Northampton fans....they've absolutely slated their squad at times, yet sit comfortably in mid table.

Instead we've got these bunch of dossers who get presented winnable games week on week and can't even manage that. A complete failure from the club.

Oxford were probably the best side we've placed which ironically we won!

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Genuinely....Bolton for a half, Barnsley for a half and Leyton Orient for a half, that's about it. The rest have either been workmanlike (Pompey, Derby), non league tactics (Stevenage) or a lot of very average/poor teams (including us). It's an absolute calamity that we have been worse than 99% of the teams in the worst league one in living memory.

It's frustrating from our point of view because we didn't even need a particularly good squad to be mid table. Look at Bristol Rovers fans, Northampton fans....they've absolutely slated their squad at times, yet sit comfortably in mid table.

Instead we've got these bunch of dossers who get presented winnable games week on week and can't even manage that. A complete failure from the club.

Yeah we are proper shite and desperate for the season to be over. Cant believe we are as high as we are tbh

 

[leedsvaliant]

I’ve tried not to bite to Vale fans since Saturday because I know you must be all pissed off to the max about going down, as anybody would, but I’ll bite here.

Two shots!? You must have missed the Bayliss deflected shot that went centre metres wide (we scored from the resulting corner), Bloxham missing a sitter less than six yards out from a cross, Dunkley’s header saved, numerous goal mouth scrambles from corners/set pieces.

Yes we played terrible, but I don’t know what you’re expecting. We’ve not got players like Jude Bellingham and Rodri in the midfield with wingers like Saka and Doku out wide. We’re a League One club scrapping for their lives and doing a better job of it than Port Vale. I really couldn’t give a shiny shit about performances at this stage, I just don’t want to be playing tinpot teams that’ll struggle to bring three figures of supporters to our 1700 seater away end next season. The club will be a couple million down at the very least. The financial implications of relegation from League One to League Two is huge.

Hopefully you bounce back as I don’t mind the Vale as much as other Salop supporters probably don’t as my uncle is a season ticket holder at Vale Park and I go now and then when I visit him. Think you’ll be back in League Two for atleast a few seasons though with the crazy money thrown about down there these days.

I don't recall the chances you mention. I remember Smith giving the ball to your lad to create the corner for the goal but that was down to us more than you. Goal mouth scrambles? You must have been at a different game to me. Your second goal was offside.

You did the job that you needed to do against probably the poorest team you'll play this season. I'd be concerned that you'll be joining us next year though without serious improvements.

 

[valefan16]

The issue for me is we didn't learn lessons... last season we were decent and 9th in January 35 points but looked at Ipswich etc spending big big money and were up front and said "we've got enough to be safe but pointless throwing money to try and push further, we will invest in the summer", Injuries up front, then injuries at the back and we stayed up by the skin of our teeth.

Yet again in January we failed, relied on 2 high quality loans (one now starting in the Premier League, the other the Championship) with no real back up plan (Gore is injured). We have been at this level for 18 months and not yet solved the problem we've had since Fleetwood/Exeter (we started a youth midfielder up top) at the start of 22/23 in that we've not had a decent striker.

Flitcroft has to bear full responsibility but Carol is standing firm behind him despite the huge failings. What he did in 2021/22 is irrelevant now.

 

[Si Robin]

I've said it many times - given the headstart we gave everyone, it's criminal that we aren't already down.

Take off those first 11 games and we'd currently be 14th in the League. And let's be absolutely honest, it was only in one or two of those first 11 that we actually looked like scoring.

 

[Bartonyellow]

Anyone who finishes bottom 4 deserves it. It’s been a poor division this year. Any other season we would be bottom 2.
Part of me is not bothered if we go down as we might win more games but the other half of me is worried that might start a downward trajectory and swap places with Tamworth next season…
We have been so bad this season. Ironically Saturday was one of our better performances but we are dreadful to watch and rightly so our crowds have nose dived even further. I find myself attending non league games more as I just can’t put up with the dross every week. Many think the same so perhaps it’s time to rejoin league 2 after about 8 seasons.

 

[Floreat Salopia]

I don't recall the chances you mention. I remember Smith giving the ball to your lad to create the corner for the goal but that was down to us more than you. Goal mouth scrambles? You must have been at a different game to me. Your second goal was offside.

You did the job that you needed to do against probably the poorest team you'll play this season. I'd be concerned that you'll be joining us next year though without serious improvements.

You must have been at a different game than me if you don’t remember Dunkley’s header pushed wide by Ripley and Shipley’s cross across the six yard box where Bloxham turned wide.

As for offside, there’s a still picture on the Vale vs Shrewsbury match thread on your own forum which shows he’s onside. Majority of your own fans agree that he was on as well. Not that it matters if he was as the points have been taken and brought back to Shropshire now anyway.

We’ve played bad both times we’ve played you yet taken 6 points. Can’t judge a team on how they do next season off two games from a 46 game season. Throw in the fact that the squad will look massively different to next season. I’d only keep 8 or 9 players from this current lot if it was me. Main worry is that Marosi, Dunkley and Udoh are all out of contract but nobody is irreplaceable at this level.

 

[folletto]

We went 17 games without winning and might well end up midtable. That being said, we've been woeful the last 4 seasons and always ended up around midtable.

 

[valefan16]

You must have been at a different game than me if you don’t remember Dunkley’s header pushed wide by Ripley and Shipley’s cross across the six yard box where Bloxham turned wide.

As for offside, there’s a still picture on the Vale vs Shrewsbury match thread on your own forum which shows he’s onside. Majority of your own fans agree that he was on as well. Not that it matters if he was as the points have been taken and brought back to Shropshire now anyway.

We’ve played bad both times we’ve played you yet taken 6 points. Can’t judge a team on how they do next season off two games from a 46 game season. Throw in the fact that the squad will look massively different to next season. I’d only keep 8 or 9 players from this current lot if it was me. Main worry is that Marosi, Dunkley and Udoh are all out of contract but nobody is irreplaceable at this level.

Got to be honest I don't remember Ripper making a single save either (should of kept out the first though). Stats say 2 on target and both of them ended in the net.

The cross and miss set the corner up for the first but that was from our own poor defending, no idea why Smith did what he did to create the whole problem in the first place!

 

[Floreat Salopia]

Got to be honest I don't remember Ripper making a single save either (should of kept out the first though). Stats say 2 on target and both of them ended in the net.

The cross and miss set the corner up for the first but that was from our own poor defending, no idea why Smith did what he did to create the whole problem in the first place!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68454888

Paragraph 4. Thought I was going insane for a minute and must’ve imagined it!

 

[Laker]

Next season is another discussion altogether. Should we survive, next season will be our 10th consecutive season at this level and with Fleetwood going down, we’ll be the longest serving.

The jump from League Two to League One is one of the biggest in the footballing pyramids imo. We’re not a good team yet we battered Wrexham in the Cup and they were very fortunate to beat us in the end. All of those teams will struggle unless they sign League One ready players. Not many teams survive this league more than three seasons after getting promoted these days.

Now that we have a competent manager at the helm again, plus a solid core of players under contract for next season, I doubt we’ll go down. Of course this is all very premature as we could still go down this season plus I’ve not seen our summer recruitment yet should we stay up. Have confidence in Paul Hurst here either way though.

I generally agree with your point of view in this discussion but I watched the cup game v Wrexham and you didn’t “batter them”. They had the bulk of the possession and chances were pretty equal.

 

[Bobbin']

We went 17 games without winning and might well end up midtable. That being said, we've been woeful the last 4 seasons and always ended up around midtable.

Not even been in the bottom 4 at the end of a matchday which is utterly hilarious considering that even before the 17 game winless run, we weren’t exactly great and piling on the points. Incredible how awful the teams below us are.

 

[dwightyorke]

The stats on the live score app for the port vale.game were as follows
Shots on target
Port vale 3, Shrewsbury 2
Shots off target
Port vale 11, Shrewsbury 3
Possession
Port vale 61% Shrewsbury 39%
Corners
Port vale 8, Shrewsbury 7
Goalkeeper saves
Port vale 0, Shrewsbury 2
The most important stat though is the full time score
Port vale 1 Shrewsbury 2

 

[K-Win]

I've seen some decent teams this season. Blackpool and Leyton Orient were good at Fratton.

I reckon Port Vale were the worst though when we played them at their place. 0.15xg and 0 shots on target. At home! Yikes!

 

[Pompeyblueboy]

The only salvation any club in the bottom four is to have is Reading...

Likely to lose 2 more points which may ajar the door for Cheltenham but they also have a situation developing where they have a shortfall (the owner has put the training ground up for sale).

Administration maybe could be their way out? which would open the door for whoever is 21st (more likely Cheltenham or Fleetwood) so may as well keep fighting but its desperate times when your chances depend on that!

How sad is that, relying on another clubs bad luck to try and keep you up

 

[Pompeyblueboy]

You had two shots on target, both in the net the stats show that, you were probably the poorest side at Vale Park this season (i didn't go the away game so cant comment on that one) but as you say you did enough, we should of scored 4 or 5 but confidence is low and we didn't take the chances we should of done, coupled with two pieces of shocking defending (especially the first which started with Smith messing around in our own corner to create both the chance and then the corner) its why we are going down.

As mentioned though our form against sides who are in dire form or down the bottom has been incredibly bad this season and its damning on us and our director of footballs failure in recruitment that we've got into this position.

We don't expect Man City or Real Madrid, but we expect effort, desire and some life in us which is lacking most weeks at the moment. Its not the worst Vale side we've had on paper but its the most lacking in energy and effort i've seen, even the mad foreign experiment Smurf put together had more fight than this lot.

As I have mentioned before with some big budget sides coming up from League Two sides that do survive this season are going to massively have to put their game next season to avoid being caught up because Wrexham, Stockport, Gillingham/MK will likely spend bigger money so a big summer for sides like Cambridge, yourselves and Burton for instance.

Always got an excuse.

 

[Pompeyblueboy]

Have Port Vale played anyone who leedsvaliant doesn't think are shite?

He hasn't got a good word to say about any other club but PV. Then not many about them lately.

I've got nothing against PV until a couple of their cretins started posting regular shite on here. I'll be glad to see the back of them

 

[valefan16]

He hasn't got a good word to say about any other club but PV. Then not many about them lately.

I've got nothing against PV until a couple of their cretins started posting regular shite on here. I'll be glad to see the back of them

Your probably the last person on here who can talk about posting shite

 

[valefan16]

Always got an excuse.

No excuses at all, pretty brutally honest about our failings this season

 

[leedsvaliant]

I've seen some decent teams this season. Blackpool and Leyton Orient were good at Fratton.

I reckon Port Vale were the worst though when we played them at their place. 0.15xg and 0 shots on target. At home! Yikes!

Yep, we were dreadful that day. Literally no attack in us and definitely didn't deserve anything from the game. However, it took a dodgy penalty to beat us.

In fact, I think Pompey have just been very functional. No stand out players really but just consistently grinding out results.

 

[leedsvaliant]

He hasn't got a good word to say about any other club but PV. Then not many about them lately.

I've got nothing against PV until a couple of their cretins started posting regular shite on here. I'll be glad to see the back of them

Hahaha haha! Posting shite coming from the King of shite. Just because you're top of the league, don't get all defensive. You've consistently got results in a terrible league, with probably one of the biggest budgets, considerably dwarfing 90% of theleague. It's an achievement of sorts but as with Wednesday last year, I have a feeling I'd get you into the top 6.

 

[AmberAndy]

We’ve just upgraded our membership level of this club to platinum level. Beyond woeful so far.

 

[thewwfc]

I think we’re out of this now, on 47 pts.

We still have Port Vale, Carlisle, Shrewsbury and Cambridge to play, and whilst Charlton have improved, they are almost certainly going to be on the beach by the final day.

 

[Tom_CUFC]

Bye bye!

 

[Si Robin]

I think anyone above Shrewsbury are safe, and I only include Shrewsbury because if we win our games in hand we're only a point behind them.

Carlisle are gone, so it's 3 spots for 7 teams. If we can get out once, we might be ok. IF we can get out.

 

[codaplenty]

We've lost 2 in the last 11 games, certainly not relegation form, slowly closing the gap but still an uphill struggle. 2 clean sheets in a row which is a massive improvement. Just got to keep going, there's a lot of good lads in the team so plenty of cause to be optimistic

 

[valefan16]

Oddly teams above keep giving us chances to claw it back, still massively unlikely more because we can't win a game but at least adds some interest into Saturday... win that and Burton Away is huge.

Yesterday is probably way too little too late in terms of finding a solid set up.

 

[mozzavale]

I've got nothing against PV

You really have. It's very odd behaviour. Pompey fan, top of the league yet all you post about is Vale.