Player Ratings - Port Vale at home

[Piglet_Phoenix]

Deary me, what an absolute shambles. Our manager proving beyond all doubt (if there was already any doubt) he has absolutely no idea what he’s doing. His contract can’t end quickly enough – he’s given it his best shot and tried his hardest but we all have to face the fact – he’s failed. The performances on the pitch at home for the last twelve months have been nowhere near good enough – our crowds are dwindling away and it doesn’t look like he has any idea how to turn things around – whatever bizarreness he tries – it almost always fails.

Anyway, we worked the ball into some decent areas in the first half, but had no awareness, technical ability or quality to make the most of any of those situations. Our sloppiness gifts the opposition a goal and then we fall apart, our manager makes yet more tactical blunders and the game is put out of our reach. Port Vale were a truly abysmal side, but they were better than us.

Bonham – 5 – His hopeless flapping wasn’t directly responsible for any goals today and he only conceded two – so an improvement. However, his starting position is often poor and he’s very often flat-flooted. I desperately want to blame him for the goals we conceded but in fairness, he was left hopelessly exposed by our lumbering, old, defence.

Miller – 4 – Has that rare ability to kick the ball with the inside of his right boot and make it curve (the wrong way) to his right – maybe that’s why he looks more comfortable at left-back than at right-back. In a back four it’s inexplicable why Brown didn’t start at right-back. Seems to me he’s only in the team for his long throw-ins, as his defending and use of the football are questionable.

Parkes – 6 – Looked generally comfortable on the left although his obvious positional inexperience with the position was exploited a little. Used the ball excellently, got forward well. I know it’s only one game, but I’d like to see him play at left-back ahead of Grainger for a run of games – he brings a lot more to the team and uses the ball far more intelligently than the agricultural swipe of Granny's left boot.

Hill – 2 – Time to retire Clint? Hopefully he hasn’t put to pen to paper for the rest of the season because performances like this week and last are simply not good enough. He 100% improved the defence when he arrived, but now he looks like he’s been completely beasted – and is a ragged husk of the giant who first pulled on the shirt. Five goals conceded in the last two games with a tired looking old man at the heart of our defence. The second goal summed it up today, Hill’s job was to shackle Pope but he should’ve been charged admission for watching him win the game.

Liddle – 2 – Hoof. In fact two of them. Then many, many hooves – a whole herd of them. When Hill plays well, he has time to instruct Liddle. When Hill is blowing out of his behind – he can’t be keeping this mule on the straight and narrow. My next priority in the transfer window – after a genuine goalkeeper, would be a decent central defender who is not a pensioner.

Jones – 6 – Up until the unprofessional moment that cost us the first goal was the best midfielder on the pitch and was running the game. I know Hill put him under pressure with a suicidal pass. However, judging him by his own standards Jones has the capability to do (and should be doing) a lot better in this situation. His importance to the team was telegraphed by the fact our midfield descended into utter shambles when Devitt replaced him. Devitt’s a winger or (arguably) a number ten – to ask him to play as deep sitting central midfielder – what kind of cretin would ask this? We had Etuhu on the bench – sitting deep in the middle of the park is his game. If you really feel the need to substitute Jones you need to be bringing Etuhu on. What happened was that we immediately lost control of the middle of the park, committed too many men forward and handed Port Vale the second goal on a plate. Yes Jones made an error that led to a goal – but he was playing well overall - substituting him was the tactical mistake which directly led to the second goal.

Joyce – 6 – Dovetailed excellently with Jones, won the ball well, kept things simple. Not his best afternoon, but far from his worst. Struggled with the ask of him when Jones left the pitch.

O’Sullivan – 0 – Brought absolutely nothing to the side, looks miles off the pace of the game. His attempts to dribble were embarrassing, his use of the football horrible. At least Hope runs about a bit – I can’t see a single thing of value O’Sullivan brings to the side. We have Lambe and Devitt who I’d prefer to start on the right-wing ahead of this pathetic excuse for a footballer. His most memorable moment of the afternoon was when he manned up and dramatically threw his gloves to the ground in front of the Paddock.

Lambe – 3 – Some smart turns, a few decent dribbles – a shot on target – but very little influence. He’s a winger not a “number ten”, so he should play on the wing. Yes, if he could play against Michael Raynes every week he’s going to look like Lionel Messi, but how many times would you like to waste possession by trying to dribble through a brick wall Reggie? There is more space for him out wide – it’s not rocket science.

Hope – 1 – Someone told Hallam Hope he was a footballer, they were having a laugh. Don’t get me wrong, his movement, work ethic, ability to get on the ball and turn of pace are all excellent – and I can’t fault his commitment to the shirt. However all of this is useless if you are bereft of any technical ability. The amount of times he got on the ball in promising positions then fluffed things completely incompetently was off the charts today. So effort 10, influence and impact minus 10. The decision to leave Hope on the pitch while substituting Jones was moronism of the highest degree – Jones makes one mistake, Hope makes a mistake every single time he touches the football. A Mike Jones with no legs is a better footballer than Hallam Hope.

Bennett – 7* - Begging to play in a genuine front two. Held the ball up excellently. The only way Port Vale could cope with him was to continually foul him. Dominant in the air and with his back to goal distributed the ball superbly. Showed fantastic awareness and composure with his goal – which he deserved for his all round game. It’s a shame for him the rest of our forward thinking players played so poorly today. Looks to be settling in to the groove and hopefully will continue to improve…

Subs:

Devitt – 2 – He’s a winger, play him on the wing please.

Miller – 0 – Lightweight garbage, not good enough.

Grainger – 5 – One or two decent deliveries with his clubbing left boot – but was never going to rescue the game for us.

[griff]

On my way home, Piglet, I was thinking of starting a thread entitled "101 uses for Hallam Hope" but, in truth, I can't currently think of a single one. He is always desperate for the ball, then fluffs his lines when he gets it. I think that Grainger started things moving when he came on. His cross for the header that hit the post was spot-on. I won't say that it was brilliant because it was what all crosses are supposed to be - accurate and with the right amount of pace - and it was the ONLY cross of ours all game that fitted that category. If he had been brought on earlier than we might have snatched a point, but I know that he was returning from injury which ruled that out. Strange though, when he plays the whole game I'm critical of him but he made a difference for the last 15 minutes today. There again, bringing on a myopic camel could only have improved things in today's set-up. No wonder Curle didn't make the BBCRC slot for his interview; I reckon he's fed up with the criticism. I listened to some of the radio coverage during the game and they were saying how Bennett was never reckoned to be a target-man at Barrow and that he's better working off another tall striker. His footwork was quite good today but the ball kept being lumped at him and I think that he did as well as he was allowed to in Curle's vision of what our starting 11 and tactics should be at Brunton Park.

All in all a curates egg that started out good in places but ended up stinking out the whole place. I'm not surprised that folk are finding better things to do on a Saturday. I'll still go though, but the time is fast approaching when I can say that I was the last man standing at Brunton Park. I'll get no pleasure from it though.

[Piglet_Phoenix]

I think I'll actually miss Curle when he goes - at the minute he's so clearly and distinctly the person responsible for this shambles he acts as an obvious conduit to funnel your frustration towards.

When he leaves and all we're left with is the hideous mess he's created - where then do you point the finger?

The word on the street tonight is that he's definitely not going to be offered a new contract - the only way this would happen is if he wins promotion - which on the showing so far this season is the least likely outcome.