Match Thread vs Port Vale 02.03.2019

[drillerpie]

There are a lot of people on here who seem consigned to us being relegated today.

Not me though. I still believe that we can get out of this because I know things can happen in football and change very quickly especially at the bottom. Also until such a time comes that we were to be mathematically down that is when I will give up.

Today we have not lost ground on the others and despite all of Port Vales effort kept a clean sheet. If we can gain a point on the others over the course of this month each week we will be level on the 22nd placed team before Easter with two or three games remaining. That’s not impossible by a long shot.

It will probably go right to the wire. With 11 games to play that is a lot of football still left. We may be down, but we are certainly not out.

You're right, there are plenty of points left to play for and I think we were further behind at this point in the Derry escape season with more teams to overtake, but when the performance is so lacklustre and the tactics so futile like today it just makes it hard to see where the wins are coming from.

[slack_pie]

Maybe it's time to just bring it all on. At least admin would mean we wouldn't be stuck with Hemmings on a 3 year contract. Even AFC Notts County would be no worse than this ****.

Has anyone else got a Plan B team? Mine's Man United, which I have to say is at least better than Forest. Football doesn't have to be this miserable and I enjoy watching them under OGS.

Mine's Bohemians 1905, one of the smaller teams in Prague. I plan to get a season ticket if we go down (as I won't be able to watch via iFollow) or go out of business.

Funny really - I had a free pick for my local team. Went to watch Sparta (the biggest club in the country) and felt nothing. Went to watch Bohmians, a club with no money and zero hope of winning anything, and felt at home.

[slack_pie]

There are a lot of people on here who seem consigned to us being relegated today.

Not me though. I still believe that we can get out of this because I know things can happen in football and change very quickly especially at the bottom. Also until such a time comes that we were to be mathematically down that is when I will give up.

Today we have not lost ground on the others and despite all of Port Vales effort kept a clean sheet. If we can gain a point on the others over the course of this month each week we will be level on the 22nd placed team before Easter with two or three games remaining. That’s not impossible by a long shot.

It will probably go right to the wire. With 11 games to play that is a lot of football still left. We may be down, but we are certainly not out.

We have lost ground though, because we now have one less game to close the gap. Staying five points behind after another game will mean more ground lost. See the 'points required' thread.

[freemuzzy]

I really didn’t understand the lack of urgency and seeming acceptance with a point. You only have to look at the table to see that it was a must-win for us and must-not-lose for Vale, but Schofield was taking his time on goal-kicks (and not being rushed by the bench) and there was no hurry in possession. Ardley really needs to realise quickly that draws won’t keep us up. For all the positivity in interviews, the ‘tactics’ are very negative and it’s hard to see what the plan is.

Big worry for me is the midfield two, who a few weeks ago looked like *the* reason we’d stay up. O’Brien was dreadful today and Doyle has been poor for three matches in a row; he even pulled out of a couple of 50/50s today. If Ardley is going to insist on keeping them both on for 90 mins in a 4-4-2 we’re in trouble; teams have already worked us out.

Ardley has options in his squad that other clubs at the bottom would kill for - just watch how many move to other L2 clubs in the summer - the excuses have to stop now; even 8 points behind this would be a disgrace for the squad he had from Feb to be relegated (assuming we somehow avoid admin of course).

[ncfcog]

As much as I like Ardley I’m beginning to think he is part of the problem. Yes there are issues off the pitch but we are in a dogfight on it. His tactics were left wanting and not for the first time. I also wonder f the mood in the changing room has dropped again. Doyle and O’Brien have stopped talking in the same way they did in those first few games and heads are starting to drop again all over the pitch.

Someone has compared our current position as being similar to the great escape under Derry. Difference is Derry for all his tactical naivety would wear his heart on his sleeve and players would run through brick walls for him, I’m concerned that’s not the case with this lot and Ardley.

So many bad performances all over the pitch yesterday and I would say Milsom and Stubbs the only two to come out of it with any credit.

Finally a special mention to the guy I chatted with on the way to the ground who had travelled up from Torquay for yesterday’s game, I’m sure he was well happy with that!

[drillerpie]

As much as I like Ardley I’m beginning to think he is part of the problem. Yes there are issues off the pitch but we are in a dogfight on it. His tactics were left wanting and not for the first time. I also wonder f the mood in the changing room has dropped again. Doyle and O’Brien have stopped talking in the same way they did in those first few games and heads are starting to drop again all over the pitch.

Someone has compared our current position as being similar to the great escape under Derry. Difference is Derry for all his tactical naivety would wear his heart on his sleeve and players would run through brick walls for him, I’m concerned that’s not the case with this lot and Ardley.

So many bad performances all over the pitch yesterday and I would say Milsom and Stubbs the only two to come out of it with any credit.

Finally a special mention to the guy I chatted with on the way to the ground who had travelled up from Torquay for yesterday’s game, I’m sure he was well happy with that!

I agree with you (and freemuzzy) and it was me who mentioned the Derry escape. The tactics and formation that time were similar to what we're doing now, just that we had a proper target man in Spencer who was virtually unplayable in those last 10-12 games and who made the ball stick almost every time. The service up to him was better too, my abiding memory of that escape is long balls arriving to Spencer in a fairly deep position around the halfway line, on the bounce and him either trapping it or controlling it on his chest and playing our creative players in or drawing the foul. The contrast with yesterday was like night and day.

Apart from Doyle and O'brien not playing well they also seem to be very subdued. Not getting in the refs ear, not geeing people up.

Another difference from the Mansfield and Forest Green performances is that then I quite often noticed our attacking players covering in very deep in defensive positions, which sounds negative but actually meant they could break forward with the ball at their feet and play passes in front of each other which accentuates their strengths. Yesterday we saw that once when Enzio sprang forward and forced their player to take a booking to bring him down. The rest of the time we just seemed to park them in the opposition half, detached from everything, while launching hopeful balls that they were never going to win.

I agree about Ardley. Nice guy and I want him to do well but now it's time for him to earn his money and show a bit more creativity and nous. 90 mins of futile hoof ball and like for like substitutions will not cut it.

[ncfcog]

I agree with you (and freemuzzy) and it was me who mentioned the Derry escape. The tactics and formation that time were similar to what we're doing now, just that we had a proper target man in Spencer who was virtually unplayable in those last 10-12 games and who made the ball stick almost every time. The service up to him was better too, my abiding memory of that escape is long balls arriving to Spencer in a fairly deep position around the halfway line, on the bounce and him either trapping it or controlling it on his chest and playing our creative players in or drawing the foul. The contrast with yesterday was like night and day.

Apart from Doyle and O'brien not playing well they also seem to be very subdued. Not getting in the refs ear, not geeing people up.

Another difference from the Mansfield and Forest Green performances is that then I quite often noticed our attacking players covering in very deep in defensive positions, which sounds negative but actually meant they could break forward with the ball at their feet and play passes in front of each other which accentuates their strengths. Yesterday we saw that once when Enzio sprang forward and forced their player to take a booking to bring him down. The rest of the time we just seemed to park them in the opposition half, detached from everything, while launching hopeful balls that they were never going to win.

I agree about Ardley. Nice guy and I want him to do well but now it's time for him to earn his money and show a bit more creativity and nous. 90 mins of futile hoof ball and like for like substitutions will not cut it.

Have to say I’ve never seen a player like Spencer for ball control, Velcro comes to mind.

[ncfcog]

I agree with you (and freemuzzy) and it was me who mentioned the Derry escape. The tactics and formation that time were similar to what we're doing now, just that we had a proper target man in Spencer who was virtually unplayable in those last 10-12 games and who made the ball stick almost every time. The service up to him was better too, my abiding memory of that escape is long balls arriving to Spencer in a fairly deep position around the halfway line, on the bounce and him either trapping it or controlling it on his chest and playing our creative players in or drawing the foul. The contrast with yesterday was like night and day.

Apart from Doyle and O'brien not playing well they also seem to be very subdued. Not getting in the refs ear, not geeing people up.

Another difference from the Mansfield and Forest Green performances is that then I quite often noticed our attacking players covering in very deep in defensive positions, which sounds negative but actually meant they could break forward with the ball at their feet and play passes in front of each other which accentuates their strengths. Yesterday we saw that once when Enzio sprang forward and forced their player to take a booking to bring him down. The rest of the time we just seemed to park them in the opposition half, detached from everything, while launching hopeful balls that they were never going to win.

I agree about Ardley. Nice guy and I want him to do well but now it's time for him to earn his money and show a bit more creativity and nous. 90 mins of futile hoof ball and like for like substitutions will not cut it.

Interestingly, this was the team that played that last game at Oldham:

Bart Bialkowski
Mustapha Dumbuya *
Alan Sheehan
Curtis Thompson
Gary Liddle
Haydn Hollis
Jamal Campbell-Ryce
Josh Vela
Ronan Murray
James Spencer
Jack Grealish

*Sub: Callum McGregor

The team that played against Gillingham away when we got relegated following season:

Roy Carol
Jordan Williams
Hayden Mullins
Haydn Hollis
Blair Adams
Garry Thompson
Gary Jones
Liam Noble
Graham Burke
Jimmy Spencer
Baling Bajner

Subs used: Mustapha Dumbuya, Paddy McCourt, Leroy Lita

Next season Minis, gets the sack, Fullarton gives a good PowerPoint presentation and we welcome a certain Mr Cooper.

[BigFatPie]

Interestingly, this was the team that played that last game at Oldham:

Bart Bialkowski
Mustapha Dumbuya *
Alan Sheehan
Curtis Thompson
Gary Liddle
Haydn Hollis
Jamal Campbell-Ryce
Josh Vela
Ronan Murray
James Spencer
Jack Grealish

*Sub: Callum McGregor

The team that played against Gillingham away when we got relegated following season:

Roy Carol
Jordan Williams
Hayden Mullins
Haydn Hollis
Blair Adams
Garry Thompson
Gary Jones
Liam Noble
Graham Burke
Jimmy Spencer
Baling Bajner

Subs used: Mustapha Dumbuya, Paddy McCourt, Leroy Lita

Next season Minis, gets the sack, Fullarton gives a good PowerPoint presentation and Sheridan’s kids don’t get any Christmas presents!

No wonder that team got relegated, it’s awful. That Oldham side should have been fighting for promotion!

[ncfcog]

Interestingly, this was the team that played that last game at Oldham:

Bart Bialkowski
Mustapha Dumbuya *
Alan Sheehan
Curtis Thompson
Gary Liddle
Haydn Hollis
Jamal Campbell-Ryce
Josh Vela
Ronan Murray
James Spencer
Jack Grealish

*Sub: Callum McGregor

The team that played against Gillingham away when we got relegated following season:

Roy Carol
Jordan Williams
Hayden Mullins
Haydn Hollis
Blair Adams
Garry Thompson
Gary Jones
Liam Noble
Graham Burke
Jimmy Spencer
Baling Bajner

Subs used: Mustapha Dumbuya, Paddy McCourt, Leroy Lita

Next season Minis, gets the sack, Fullarton gives a good PowerPoint presentation and we welcome a certain Mr Cooper.

*Moniz