Sunday 29th & Monday 30th December

[Cloudy]

Chesterfield (h) -



Hoping for a decent win and performance.

3-0

Att: 19,148

Will that be tickets sold or actual attendees?

 

[BarraMatt]

Save a good performance against Fleetwood a week ago we've been largely dreadful. We were awful at the back at Salford and we'll still be without Canavan for weeks, and we'll most likely be missing our two best midfielders tomorrow who haven't even been that good. Toothless in attack, error prone in defence, can only see us losing by the odd goal.

Listened to Clemence's interview and it sounds more threadbare than I initially thought, patched up squad with tired players, can't see anything other than a defeat.

 

[Crewelad87]

MK look like they've been very hot and cold. Whereas we've been pretty consistent for months, every game seems to follow a similar pattern of being a close game with few chances at either end of the pitch, probably why we've drawn so many games.

I'm not confident about this one though, just have one of those feelings we might get bit of a gubbing today, no real logic behind that prediction as we've only lost 1 game by more than 1 goal, that being the Chesterfield mauling on our 1st home game.

MK Don's 3-1 Crewe (White, Hogan, Offord, Lankester)

 

[mozzavale]

I don’t think it is awful, just that virtually every team is terribly inconsistent. String a few results together and you are virtually guaranteed a top 7 finish.

500 would be very poor for such a big club. Swindon was over a 7 hour round trip last week and we still managed over 600. Not that far and still being ‘holiday time’ I thought you would top 8/900 minimum. ( hopefully the 40/50+ year old idiots who wanted to fight the world last visit will stay at home)

Where's this view we're such a massive club come from? Most we'vetaken to Bradford in living memory was "shit" and I can't remember the last time we took over 400 to Grimsby. The time all hell broke loose there was only 300 there that day, and that was inflated by 100 idiots who went intent on trouble. I guessed 500, not sure where the 700 figure has come from but I'd be impressed with that considering the 3 away games over 10 days we've had to fork out for.

As for the game. Our run has to end soon. Until we get our big players back we're just bumbling along. The only thing that may go in our favour is it's anyone's guess how we'll line up, so a hard one for Grimsby to prepare for.

This game could end with any possible score. Genuinely have no idea which way it will go. Depends which version of each side shows up on the day.

 

[Valeite]

Difficult to see anything other than a defeat today, no central midfielders available hopefully one or two decisions will go our way after robbing us of points lately.

 

[valefan16]

Where's this view we're such a massive club come from? Most we'vetaken to Bradford in living memory was "shit" and I can't remember the last time we took over 400 to Grimsby. The time all hell broke loose there was only 300 there that day, and that was inflated by 100 idiots who went intent on trouble. I guessed 500, not sure where the 700 figure has come from but I'd be impressed with that considering the 3 away games over 10 days we've had to fork out for.

As for the game. Our run has to end soon. Until we get our big players back we're just bumbling along. The only thing that may go in our favour is it's anyone's guess how we'll line up, so a hard one for Grimsby to prepare for.

This game could end with any possible score. Genuinely have no idea which way it will go. Depends which version of each side shows up on the day.

Vale tweeted we had sold 650 I think a couple of days ago so with 24 hours plus pay on the day seems about right, awful trip at this time of year, terribly out of form and a horrific injury and illness crisis I would say that’s a very decent following today.

We may as well have a go today, although Moore won’t, Grimsby are poor defensively looking at their stats, especially at home and we have no central midfield available (nor Sang who can cover at least) so pointless trying the 2 holding midfielders if we don’t have any.

Only hope is Croasdale wasn’t as bad as it looks and maybe Garrity or Byers have recovered enough to give us an hour but seems unlikely.

Also doubt Stockley can play from the off as he rarely does two in three days.

Cover who we could use in midfield might be needed out wide with Sang suspended and John crocked but guess it does mean a start for Mitch Clark which is a boost. Cover and Grant maybe in the middle? Big ask on Lowe to do two in a three day spell.

Expect this will be only the second defeat in the electric lime and pink kit today probably 1-0.

 

[kieran_vale]

Vale tweeted we had sold 650 I think a couple of days ago so with 24 hours plus pay on the day seems about right, awful trip at this time of year, terribly out of form and a horrific injury and illness crisis I would say that’s a very decent following today.

We may as well have a go today, although Moore won’t, Grimsby are poor defensively looking at their stats, especially at home and we have no central midfield available (nor Sang who can cover at least) so pointless trying the 2 holding midfielders if we don’t have any.

Only hope is Croasdale wasn’t as bad as it looks and maybe Garrity or Byers have recovered enough to give us an hour but seems unlikely.

Also doubt Stockley can play from the off as he rarely does two in three days.

Cover who we could use in midfield might be needed out wide with Sang suspended and John crocked but guess it does mean a start for Mitch Clark which is a boost. Cover and Grant maybe in the middle? Big ask on Lowe to do two in a three day spell.

Expect this will be only the second defeat in the electric lime and pink kit today probably 1-0.

From what Osh on OVF who tends to know what he’s talking about says looks like John could be back in the squad today. In which case I’d go with your midfield suggestion of Cover and Grant, we might actually successfully complete more than two passes in a row in that part of the pitch then.

Ripley
Smith Heneghan Hall
Clark Cover Grant John
Richards
Tolaj Paton

Not saying we’ll win or owt like that as obviously Grimsby done something right this season to be up there but it ain’t the worst team we could name all things considered.

 

[Son of Cod]

Haven't seen the level of attempted reverse Gypsy cursing currently on show from the Vale fans since that "woeful" Carlisle side somehow got promoted a few seasons ago.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

Why do Carlisle keep playing 3 central defenders, it hasn’t worked now for 18 months and yet apart from an odd game it’s constantly persisted with.

Try 4-5-1, 4-3-3 or 4-4 bloody 2…….what is there to lose at the moment trying something else.

Granted I used to say it’s because we have no full backs but we have no blooming wing backs either and half the time play defenders midfielders or wingers there

 

[FiRTHYY]

Few Chesterfield at Forresters in Wibsey.

Strange sight.

 

[valefan16]

From what Osh on OVF who tends to know what he’s talking about says looks like John could be back in the squad today. In which case I’d go with your midfield suggestion of Cover and Grant, we might actually successfully complete more than two passes in a row in that part of the pitch then.

Ripley
Smith Heneghan Hall
Clark Cover Grant John
Richards
Tolaj Paton

Not saying we’ll win or owt like that as obviously Grimsby done something right this season to be up there but it ain’t the worst team we could name all things considered.

John would be a big boost and mean we could play our first choice wingback pair for the first time this season.

Grant played there in Plymouths side didnt he so not sure why we haven’t tried it and Cover was signed as a midfielder.

 

[Randolph Haggerty]

Any other vale fans heard the Byers is out for the season rumour?
I think Moore will set us up for a one nil defeat.
I reckon he’ll get it.

 

[Wootball]

I can see us getting a kicking today at MK. We look low on confidence and our games have been lacklustre with us creating very few chances. Obviously we've got Marschall in goal who has been fantastic for us but going back to MK will either see him have the game of his life or completely fall apart.

I'm just not confident about this at all, Cheltenham showed just how easily we can fall apart and I'm not sure today will fare much better.

 

[OneDecentLester]

15 (fifteen) first team injuries

 

[valefan16]

Croasdale fit which is a huge boost, so we have one midfielder! Looks like Chislett in midfield with him as per Morecambe in our last win.

No Stockley though…

 

[RavenBish]

Jodi Jones back on the bench is lovely, Grant back too.

Starting XI is a nightmare though with Tsaroulla ill. We seem to be attempting to play a football match without any full backs or wingers

 

[jacobncfc]

Omg Jodiiiii

 

[Crewelad87]

No Lankester today for us, even more pessimistic about our chances now, he's been by far our best player the last couple of months and is the only one that looks like scoring our creating a goal for us currently.

 

[kieran_vale]

15 (fifteen) first team injuries

Wow thought we were bad. Not sure if it’s just a product of the game being more intense these days or sport science / analysts getting involved but does seem a lot more teams in general are increasingly injury hit.

As for us it could be worse the lineup. Paton and Hackford the two strikers is different. Could work so long as we don’t revert to type and just whack it long and high but we’ll see.

 

[valefan16]

Wow thought we were bad. Not sure if it’s just a product of the game being more intense these days or sport science / analysts getting involved but does seem a lot more teams in general are increasingly injury hit.

As for us it could be worse the lineup. Paton and Hackford the two strikers is different. Could work so long as we don’t revert to type and just whack it long and high but we’ll see.

Got to play on the deck with no Stockley, Croasdale is a warrior, looked bleak with no midfielders so his recovery is huge.

Good to see Hart and John on the bench and a first league start this season for Clark after his neck break in pre season.

Wonder if it Chis in midfield or more out there Paton? Didnt he go there v Bradford late on?

 

[BarraMatt]

Thought all this would've been on Sky but I assume it's due to the 3pm PL kickoffs.

 

[1862]

Jodi Jones back on the bench is lovely, Grant back too.

Starting XI is a nightmare though with Tsaroulla ill. We seem to be attempting to play a football match without any full backs or wingers

Yeah, I expect we will look a bit lost on the ball. Cheltenham should just stick two on Crowley and we will struggle. This looked a tough game after Boxing Day and I'd be very happy with a draw after seeing that lineup. Could be 4 at the back but that seems worse with no wingers, think we will be better off with Austin and Macari as wing backs.

 

[kieran_vale]

Got to play on the deck with no Stockley, Croasdale is a warrior, looked bleak with no midfielders so his recovery is huge.

Good to see Hart and John on the bench and a first league start this season for Clark after his neck break in pre season.

Wonder if it Chis in midfield or more out there Paton? Didnt he go there v Bradford late on?

Can only guess with Croasdale it must have been cramp at Bradford as he does the running of two people usually. We have to be careful though not to drive that lad into the ground.

My guess is Croasdale sat in a holding role and Chislett in centre mid alongside him. It’s true that DM did put Paton in a quasi midfield role when he came on and he did ok but that is certainly not sustainable in terms of starting with that.

 

[GTFCfish]

Guessing Vales coaches must've got held up in traffic somewhere as I just dropped my lad off at the game and on the drive home 3 of them passed me still not at the ground yet, cutting that a bit fine.

 

[RavenBish]

Convinced Maynard’s picked this team using some sort of online randomiser

 

[Randolph Haggerty]

Moores game plan is working a treat.
Hackford is simply awful.
Picked over Tolaj , again.

 

[Randolph Haggerty]

Moores game plan is working a treat.
Hackford is simply awful.
Picked over Tolaj , again.

 

[kieran_vale]

Debrah looks a red card waiting to happen. He’s so clumsy.

 

[Randolph Haggerty]

Moores game plan is working a treat.
Hackford awful.

 

[FiRTHYY]

Can’t help but think Alexander has completely over-thought this game.

Too many changes, and none of them have a clue what they’re doing out there.