Port Vale v Northampton

[leedsvaliant]

A pretty poor start to the season for us but it's early days and we got a decent point at FGR last week who have started strongly.

We've started to get some of our key players back from injury which should help to replace our previously pedestrian midfield. We need to play Miller from the start and maybe accommodate Whitfield somewhere in the line up. Need to be attacking at home and let the opposition worry about us. If Legge is back , bring him straight back in to the side - Smith has looked a shadow of his former self.

Aspin now needs to settle on a side and a way of playing as nobody knows whether they are coming or going. He's made too many changes and we just haven't settled at all into any consistency.

Northampton haven't settled very well into life back in League Two, which is a surprise as they have a pretty strong squad on paper. JJ O'Toole, Foley, Van Veen have all been good players in the league above but they seem to have struggled with consistency much like us. Foley should get a good reception as he was a decent player for us in a pretty poor side - I always liked him.

I'm optimistic that we will win this weekend which is unlike me! 2-1.

 

[jbet]

Genuinely thought Northampton would be title contenders with their personnel, yet they've gone from battering teams and not getting the breaks to looking fragile.

At home they battered Lincoln but got beat, threw it away against Cambridge, fought back to get a solid point against Tranmere but then had a shocking result at home to Cheltenham. Maybe they'll be looking for some solace on the road given they picked up probably the most impressive result in the whole division by going to Colchester and winning.

I'd love to hear from Northampton fans on what's going wrong with them? Is it just the case of an inexperienced manager or the big names not firing?

Bookies have us as outsiders for this which given we've been strong at home in recent times looks a bit weird - i think it's a genuine 50/50 game.

 

[valefan16]

In Kefalonia so will miss this one but hopefully of a positive result as they’ve been as bad as us and we seem to be on the upturn after a decent performance against Newport and a solid point against FGR.

Be positive attack their fragility and see what happens is what we should do... we will probably play defensive and one up front knowing Aspin!

Miller and Pope up top, Whitfield on the flank with Gibbo at right back and Hannant wide midfield with Conlon or Joyce and Manny. Not hard really to set up correctly.

 

[Buxton Vale]

It's about time we picked up a win, so I'm going for 2-1 Pope and Miller.

 

[LordJord]

Genuinely thought Northampton would be title contenders with their personnel, yet they've gone from battering teams and not getting the breaks to looking fragile.

At home they battered Lincoln but got beat, threw it away against Cambridge, fought back to get a solid point against Tranmere but then had a shocking result at home to Cheltenham. Maybe they'll be looking for some solace on the road given they picked up probably the most impressive result in the whole division by going to Colchester and winning.

I'd love to hear from Northampton fans on what's going wrong with them? Is it just the case of an inexperienced manager or the big names not firing?

Bookies have us as outsiders for this which given we've been strong at home in recent times looks a bit weird - i think it's a genuine 50/50 game.

Its a bit of both really. We have set up 442 most games and have been pretty expansive. The problem is we have tended to dominate the game in the middle of the pitch but lost out in both boxes. Our wingers are extremely wasteful in terms of crossing / final pass otherwise i have no doubt we would have scored way more. Its particularly frustrating as all the fans knew this for the last 2 years, been the same since we lost Ricky Holmes and Nicky Adams.

In terms of defending Ash Taylor who should boss this level keeps forgetting to defend for a moment in a game and we always seem to get punished at the moment, but its not just him as the whole defence is culpable.

We should be pushing up the top end but i think including last season we have won 3 of 23 or something insane, something big needs to change but im not sure it will.

Ill go for a 2-2 draw, Pope will cause havoc against us.

 

[jbet]

Its a bit of both really. We have set up 442 most games and have been pretty expansive. The problem is we have tended to dominate the game in the middle of the pitch but lost out in both boxes. Our wingers are extremely wasteful in terms of crossing / final pass otherwise i have no doubt we would have scored way more. Its particularly frustrating as all the fans knew this for the last 2 years, been the same since we lost Ricky Holmes and Nicky Adams.

In terms of defending Ash Taylor who should boss this level keeps forgetting to defend for a moment in a game and we always seem to get punished at the moment, but its not just him as the whole defence is culpable.

We should be pushing up the top end but i think including last season we have won 3 of 23 or something insane, something big needs to change but im not sure it will.

Ill go for a 2-2 draw, Pope will cause havoc against us.

Thanks for the lowdown.

I think we'll start with a genuine front two tomorrow in Pope and Miller which should mean we cause a few more problems than normal. We have generally lost the midfield battle so far this season but the return of Manny Oyeleke will hopefully mean we can compete in there. With the addition of Ben Whitfield, Aspin has the strongest squad of the season to choose from with only Montano ruled out.

Set up for a cracking game given what you've said about your wingers, who will match up against full backs on our side who aren't natural full backs. Hoping that we can finally come out of the blocks quickly and take control of a game at home.

 

[darren gregory]

can't remotely get excited about going to Vale at the moment.
Probably a draw but i'm so apathetic already it's unreal

 

[kieran_vale]

Back to playing a centreback in Rawlinson at fullback so it seems. That old saying about the definition of insanity springs to mind with Aspin.

Midfield looks decent enough though in mitigation.

 

[valefan16]

Back to playing a centreback in Rawlinson at fullback so it seems. That old saying about the definition of insanity springs to mind with Aspin.

Midfield looks decent enough though in mitigation.

My hope considering we have better options at right back is that it’s the 3-5-2 option with maybe Hanno and Clarke as wing backs and Whitfield in a kind of free role.

If it’s 3-5-2 easily the most attacking we’ve played this season if it’s 4-4-2 surely Gibbons or at worst Hannant plays at full back with Clarke the other side!

 

[valefan16]

1-0 Whitfield. Sounds as though we’ve dominated but should of conceded then scored soon after.

 

[kieran_vale]

Probably the second best move (behind upgrading the keeper) we have made bringing Whitfield back as he is capable of flashes of brilliance which many others at this level are not.

 

[valefan16]

Probably the second best move (behind upgrading the keeper) we have made bringing Whitfield back as he is capable of flashes of brilliance which many others at this level are not.

Sounded a stunner. Sounds like we could of added just before half time but overall a decent performance. Cobblers getting the odd decent chance mixed in so probably need at least another goal.

 

[kieran_vale]

Northampton down to 10 men. We really need to put the foot on the gas now and go for the second. Somewhat nervy though as it would not be the first time we've made a dogs breakfast of it after the opponents have had a man sent off.

 

[valefan16]

What a massive win that is for us! Manny is a beast and no coincident we are a different animal when he’s fit.

Beat the Alex and it’s a good start to the season all of a sudden after a stutter.

 

[kieran_vale]

Very good result against a team who I suspect are a lot better than their current league position suggests. To win relatively comfortably and not rely on Pope for the goals is a huge tick in the box I'd say.

Still stand by the view that a full back should play in the full back position rather than Rawlinson but that aside today is a lot more encouraging than anything else we've done this season.

 

[valefan16]

Finally seen the highlights, two very good goals it has to be said, especially Mannys.

The little winger for Cobblers got some decent crosses in but their strikers couldn’t hit a barn door, the one where he’s pushed a little wide I don’t think it even got the side netting! They have Van Veen who’s always looked garbage whenever we’ve played against him to be honest.

Red card looked fairly straight forward as a second yellow as Miller is about to get into a great position to have a chance of scoring, doesn’t show the first one but Vale fans were moaning he was fouling all the time.

Hit the bar a couple of times and didn’t show Bens chance on half time to make it two but looked much more positive from us, in fairness three good performances, mugged against Newport could of beaten FGR last week and today and assume that’s partly down to having our midfield available from injury in Conlon and Manny as well as the quality Whitfield has so his signing has helped.

Sounds like Clarke was different gravy again too, Villa fans spitting blood that he was sent on loan rather than given a go with them and seems to be showing as he is clearly way above league two. Shame we’ve only got him until the New Year as will be hard to keep him by the looks of it for the season.

Big game next week against Crewe which we could do with getting something from before some real tough games with Exeter, MK and Lincoln to come to Vale Park after that. Head into that one far more confident than two weeks ago.

 

[Randolph Haggerty]

Despite the aspin bashing , I thought Rawlinson was the better of our 2 full backs today.
Hoskins was tearing the villa lad apart 1 st half.
They easily could’ve scored 3, all from his side, he looked very shaky.
2 nd half was totally different, cobblers looked all at sea, heads dropped, clarke was doing what he’s good at, attacking!
Miller worked his balls off, he needs a goal.
Manny played very well.
That was as close to our best 11 as we’d could get.
We looked reasonably solid.
Mid table beckons.
I can’t wait!

 

[leedsvaliant]

I thought we were competent today. Not scintillating but good enough. Northampton aren't a bad team and created a couple of great chances in the first half. The trouble is they were more interested in trying to foul pope and Miller (it looked like they had been instructed to rough them up a bit). I always thought that van veen causes us problems in the past but he was too busy moaning or worrying about his hair today. Poor performance from him.

I thought the sending off was harsh. The first wasn't even a foul but the perpetrator was one of those who had manhandled and fouled pope throughout, so maybe he got his just desserts.
Referee and linesmen dreadful as usual for both sides. They really are struggling for decent referees at this level. We need to push on and beat crewe now.

 

[jbet]

An excellent win and shows that with two up top and legs in midfield we are a decent side at this level.

9 points from 4 at home, let's just sort that away form out please (starting at Crewe would be nice)

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Pierre was manhandling Pope all game, it was embarrassing, how you didn't get a pen first half I don't know! Agreed, the official was terrible for both sides, lacked consistency in anything he did and his foul detection was atrocious, a bit like our performance.
Had hopes for this season but we don't appear to be performing in either box, if this continues we are hoping there are two others who are worse come May.

 

[valefan16]

Interesting article in regards to the Cobblers manager moaning they are a pure football team and have no devilment...

https://www.onevalefan.co.uk/2018/0...pure-football-team-this-photo-says-otherwise/

 

[Topher]

slightly concerned that the goals relied on moments of individual class to get past Northampton but it's good to have match winners in the squad of I guess. The defence didn't look that convincing in the highlights I saw either but I didn't go so I'm not gonna read too much into it.

 

[mozzavale]

slightly concerned that the goals relied on moments of individual class to get past Northampton

That's one of the weirdest reasons to be concerned I think I've ever seen. You're concerned, because the goals we scored were moments of individual class? You're not really a glass half full kind of guy I'm guessing?

 

[valefan16]

To be fair if our box to box midfielder can finish like that we shouldn’t be too worried after the last couple of years of failing to score enough.

With Pope, Miller and Whitfield all on the field we have much more for teams to worry about than previous years when it was just mark Pope out the game and we’d have little else, the issue so far has been feeding them chances but the last three matches with Oyeleke and Conlon shoring up the fragile centre we had when they were injured during the losing run we seem to be more expansive and able to create more.

Hopefully it continues, we’ve got a few tough games at home coming up so really need to pick up the away form as those games look kinder through to late October than the home ones.

 

[Topher]

That's one of the weirdest reasons to be concerned I think I've ever seen. You're concerned, because the goals we scored were moments of individual class? You're not really a glass half full kind of guy I'm guessing?

can't really expect us to do that every game though can you? I'd be more relaxed if our goals came from a consistent style of play the players have honed in training with the coaching staff. Maybe we just practice shooting from distance constantly though eh

Looks like me might finally have found a replacement for Loft in Oyeleke though, although Loft never got called a beast. Can't think why.