Thursday 12th & Saturday 14th September

[Meadow]

MK at home. I'm going away for a few days.

 

[Son of Cod]

It is physically a huge surface but we have brought the lines in a bit this season.

Getting the lines in, a concept the Vale fans are very familiar with!

 

[TheDon]

Given Newport's result on Saturday hoping for the first home win of the season, but going to have to shuffle the few remaining forwards following Smiths stupidity and subsequent ban.

 

[Ainsty]

Doncaster at home, I fully expect to be brayed. We've sold our best players and we just aren't good enough. The lack of a striker is crippling, a situation exacerbated by George Thompson being injured. Mr Weaver Jr has tried different formations and combinations but this group of players don't cut it. The worst thing is they know it and they give up against stronger, taller and faster opposition.

 

[Grimsby Road]

Doncaster at home, I fully expect to be brayed. We've sold our best players and we just aren't good enough. The lack of a striker is crippling, a situation exacerbated by George Thompson being injured. Mr Weaver Jr has tried different formations and combinations but this group of players don't cut it. The worst thing is they know it and they give up against stronger, taller and faster opposition.

Do you think this is the season you struggle ?
From the outside it looked like you got weaker in the summer , are the finances not being put in to the level previously?

 

[saddler78]

Walsall away - arguably our toughest test so far!

Still missing Sarcevic and Baldwin through injury, so I’m guessing it’ll be the same starting XI as per the weekend. Perhaps a little harsh on Alex Pattison, but I thought Clarke Odour did well against Carlisle on Saturday. He’s seems to be the only player who has the vision to unlock defences in the final third at the minute - closely followed by Pointon.

GK: Sam Walker

CB: Cheick Diabete
CB: Niall Bryne
CB: Cieran Kelly

LWB: Tyreik Wright
RWB: Brad Halliday

CM: Jamie Walker
CM: Ritchie Smallwood
CM: Clarke Odour

ST: Andy Cook
ST: Olly Sanderson

There’s always goals in this fixture. Jamie Walker and Andy Cook seem to relish our encounters, so I’m going for 3-1 City.

Cook x2 and Walker

1,500 City

Usually a decent game between us cooky is nailed on to score he always does against us we might be a test if we play as we did before Saturday then it should be a close game i fancy a high scoring draw possibly 2-2 or 3-3.

 

[LS Bantam]

Alex Pattison for Odour seems an obvious one, other than being made out of glass which I assume is behind him being on the bench recently, his (AP) contributions per game since joining must be as good as anyone. Odour might run forward a bit but other than having the legs he’s not at Pattison’s level.
The Sarcevic/Walker/Pattison rotation feels like it has started already (Sarcevic already out), in order to keep at least two out of the three fit at any one time given their previous injury records.

 

[jacobncfc]

We suddenly have a lot of options and it’s quite hard to pick a team if Crowley, Jones and Jatta are all back. Personally wouldn’t rush Crowley at all for this, it’s not his kind of game whatsoever away from home on a tight pitch, but I have a hunch Jones perhaps wasn’t actually injured but instead it’s a dispute around making himself unavailable for Malta. Jatta is definitely back from his bang on the bonce against Grimsby, but might have to do with a place on the bench while McGoldrick is on a purple patch of scoring screamers every week.

 

[Kauto Star]

Alex Pattison for Odour seems an obvious one, other than being made out of glass which I assume is behind him being on the bench recently, his (AP) contributions per game since joining must be as good as anyone. Odour might run forward a bit but other than having the legs he’s not at Pattison’s level.
The Sarcevic/Walker/Pattison rotation feels like it has started already (Sarcevic already out), in order to keep at least two out of the three fit at any one time given their previous injury records.

I'm thinking Pointon for Oduor. Bobby linked up well with Wright when coming on for him last weekend.

 

[Si Robin]

Doncaster at home, I fully expect to be brayed. We've sold our best players and we just aren't good enough. The lack of a striker is crippling, a situation exacerbated by George Thompson being injured. Mr Weaver Jr has tried different formations and combinations but this group of players don't cut it. The worst thing is they know it and they give up against stronger, taller and faster opposition.

We were rubbish on Saturday, but I didn't think Harrogate deserved to win either because both teams were very poor. I think defensively you looked ok, but going forward there was nothing whatsoever. A cracking free-kick and one lad bundling through tackles were literally all you had against very poor opposition. It's still early days, so don't be too down on things.

As for us - we're at Salford this week. We're unbeaten in our 3 league games against them, two wins and a draw, but to be honest, it's hard to be confident at the moment. We just haven't looked very impressive at all yet this season.

 

[Gi Dalor]

19/5 for Newport against Swindon with William Hill seems a bit generous. (on the other end of the scale Skybet are offering a much better price for Swindon (17/20) than everyone else.

I understand that Newport have lost their last 2 matches, (including the League cup match) and apart from the opening day against Donnie, have played teams with relatively low expectations. But it's one league defeat. Seems a case of over recency bias.

 

[Si Robin]

Newport lost to Cheltenham on the opening day

 

[Gi Dalor]

Newport lost to Cheltenham on the opening day

Sorry. My bad.
Maybe they play badly away, but again, i think 19/5 is a bit of an overadjustment, or rather was.

 

[valefan16]

19/5 for Newport against Swindon with William Hill seems a bit generous. (on the other end of the scale Skybet are offering a much better price for Swindon (17/20) than everyone else.

I understand that Newport have lost their last 2 matches, (including the League cup match) and apart from the opening day against Donnie, have played teams with relatively low expectations. But it's one league defeat. Seems a case of over recency bias.

Got a massive defensive crisis now, they had a couple missing against us, then one went off injured after 3 minutes and 2 got sent off so will be banned. They really struggled against Stockley so the one thing which may go for them is Smith being banned as aerially he would probably cause them similar problems.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Better yesterday and a bit more cohesive but still very shaky at the back and players still getting used to each other.

Add to the fact that we've won ONE home game in 2024 and it's not so daunting.

We just need to have a set style and formation and stick to it. Feels like forever since we had back to back victories, so I'm not holding my breath.

I have Chesterfield as one of the favourites, so it's going to be really tough for us, especially whilst we're still getting used to each other. We've played 4 of the current top 10 out of 5 games, so it's been a tricky start to the season.

I'd settle for a point with 2 kinder looking fixtures coming up.

Hurry up and beat someone else there for fucks sake Its almost as bad as losing to FGR at home

 

[Gi Dalor]

Got a massive defensive crisis now, they had a couple missing against us, then one went off injured after 3 minutes and 2 got sent off so will be banned. They really struggled against Stockley so the one thing which may go for them is Smith being banned as aerially he would probably cause them similar problems.

Frankly I just think PV, despite a shaky start, are vastly better than Swindon. Bryn Morris in central defence a possibility for Newport. But good point about the defenders.

 

[valefan16]

Hurry up and beat someone else there for fucks sake Its almost as bad as losing to FGR at home

It's worse for you in that in the 4 games we won at home in the second half of both 2022/23 and 23/24 combined half of them came against you guys! Thats Vale levels of giving teams a leg up!

 

[valefan16]

Frankly I just think PV, despite a shaky start, are vastly better than Swindon. Bryn Morris in central defence a possibility for Newport. But good point about the defenders.

Maybe and we were favourites surprisingly against Newport from the off but what we are on paper is as I keep saying one thing, doing it on grass is a different matter altogether.

Since the 2022 Play Off Semi's I think Swindon have had a few issues so hopefully they can sort them out as they seem to have been like us in the past jumping from one crisis to another off the field possibly? We've finally struck a bit of luck with Carol and Kevin initially paying over the odds for us out of love and then their business coming into mega money investment but plenty of times it could of gone the other way, ironically if we had lost to Chesterfield on our last meeting with them we'd possibly not even exist today as we'd have almost certainly gone down and under the ownership of the time that may well have been not a great outcome.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

It's worse for you in that in the 4 games we won at home in the second half of both 2022/23 and 23/24 combined half of them came against you guys! Thats Vale levels of giving teams a leg up!

I think that was payback for allowing us to get that 3-1 win up there in the promotion season!

 

[valefan16]

I think that was payback for allowing us to get that 3-1 win up there in the promotion season!

Ryan Loft scoring as many league goals that half hour he was on than he did in a season at Vale

 

[leedsvaliant]

Ryan Loft scoring as many league goals that half hour he was on than he did in a season at Vale

That must have been a different Ryan Loft. The one we had would never have been able to do a little dinked finish over the keeper.

 

[leedsvaliant]

I'd imagine 1500 or so from Chesterfield, so I would think over 8000, which isn't bad for us considering it was more like 5-6k attendances last time we were at this level.

Chesterfield seem a little bit up and down within games performance wise but are clearly capable of turning it on (Crewe) and grinding it out (Grimsby). It's the sort of game I would have preferred a bit later in the season when we have gelled a little bit more.

Not a season defining game but it would be nice to beat one of the better teams and go on a bit of a run.

 

[OneDecentLester]

I'd imagine 1500 or so from Chesterfield, so I would think over 8000, which isn't bad for us considering it was more like 5-6k attendances last time we were at this level.

Chesterfield seem a little bit up and down within games performance wise but are clearly capable of turning it on (Crewe) and grinding it out (Grimsby). It's the sort of game I would have preferred a bit later in the season when we have gelled a little bit more.

Not a season defining game but it would be nice to beat one of the better teams and go on a bit of a run.

We’ve generally been ‘up’ rather than ‘down’ this season. Dominated 4 out of the 5 games, and on Saturday we had a tricky first 20 but then had the better of the next 20/25 of the first half, then we had a man sent off with 30 / 35 mins to play in the 2nd half and had to grind out it which we did. Dont think it would have necessarily had to be ‘ground out’ had that not happened but I’m glad we showed we can do it, even without our main CB available

 

[Scum.]

MK at home. I'm going away for a few days.

…and as usual conveniently be back gloating if the result goes your way…

 

[leedsvaliant]

We’ve generally been ‘up’ rather than ‘down’ this season. Dominated 4 out of the 5 games, and on Saturday we had a tricky first 20 but then had the better of the next 20/25 of the first half, then we had a man sent off with 30 / 35 mins to play in the 2nd half and had to grind out it which we did. Dont think it would have necessarily had to be ‘ground out’ had that not happened but I’m glad we showed we can do it, even without our main CB available

Amazing to think that Shrewsbury were glad to get rid of Dunkley. I always thought he stood out as their best player. Now they're getting pummelled every week.

 

[OneDecentLester]

Amazing to think that Shrewsbury were glad to get rid of Dunkley. I always thought he stood out as their best player. Now they're getting pummelled every week.

Haha no that one Shrews fan on here only changed his tune after we signed him. In early May when it was first rumoured I remember a comment from him along the lines of ‘he’ll never drop to league 2’

 

[GTFCfish]

We’ve generally been ‘up’ rather than ‘down’ this season. Dominated 4 out of the 5 games, and on Saturday we had a tricky first 20 but then had the better of the next 20/25 of the first half, then we had a man sent off with 30 / 35 mins to play in the 2nd half and had to grind out it which we did. Dont think it would have necessarily had to be ‘ground out’ had that not happened but I’m glad we showed we can do it, even without our main CB available

To be fair to you I wouldn’t say those last 30 minutes were even you having to grind it out as we never really threatened once you had the man sent off, we looked way more threatening against your 11 men than we did against your 10.

 

[Ainsty]

Do you think this is the season you struggle ?
From the outside it looked like you got weaker in the summer , are the finances not being put in to the level previously?

Yes, I think we'll do well to stay up. Mr Weaver Sn has made it clear over the past few years that the 2024/25 season will be the last one he will fund for the club. I have great respect for the Weaver family; they have brought league football to Harrogate for the first time, transformed the ground and grown the club.

 

[Optipez]

Yes, I think we'll do well to stay up. Mr Weaver Sn has made it clear over the past few years that the 2024/25 season will be the last one he will fund for the club. I have great respect for the Weaver family; they have brought league football to Harrogate for the first time, transformed the ground and grown the club.

It's going to be difficult if he ceases funding without another backer cushioning the blow. Very hard to break even at this level and stay in the league.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Yes, I think we'll do well to stay up. Mr Weaver Sn has made it clear over the past few years that the 2024/25 season will be the last one he will fund for the club. I have great respect for the Weaver family; they have brought league football to Harrogate for the first time, transformed the ground and grown the club.

Unfortunately, league football is all about throwing money into a bottomless pit. Very few clubs are sustainable in the leagues. We've got owners that are willing to write off millions every year but we'd plummet without that. I suspect that you will plummet back down to non league without being propped up, but it's been a hell of a ride! I went to university in Leeds, so I went to Harrogate a few times...lovely place but we've only played you in night games so far and I think it's the same this season too! Hopefully we cross paths next season or in the future.