Port Vale Post Match Thoughts

[RU66]

Didn?t go i was sat on the plane waiting to go on holiday. My son kept texting me, he said Jules was shocking and our subs didn?t seem to help. I think beating Vale is a good result and this is a new and young team, remember a lot of these new players have not had a pre-season or worked under our fitness coach so it is as many have said in the last few weeks we will not get a real feel for the team or the players until mid to late September. The club have brought in players now we only have one or two missing, all before the season started and one month before the window closes, this is good. I still expect one or two to leave us and end up a couple light of a good squad. That is the Rotherham way to hope injuries don?t impact us, even though year after year we suffer with injuries, but we will see. We are crying out for a quality CB to take control of the defence, Jules isn?t that man. If that young lad Duncan is as good as everyone says I would like him to be brought through via the cup games to see if he can give us some cover at the back. Other clubs do not worry about age if a player is good enough. A great result and let us see how it goes over the next 5 or 6 games.

Was there Jules he's slow in the head. Rafferty I'd go to war with. Agbaire apart defence midfield have no leaders to support the younger players.

[GlennMiller]

For those wishing to have a positive take on yesterday, try this;

The first half was a revelation and we played some great football and scored two good goals. If the lads can replicate that kind of performance and the new players can work their way into the team and add to the quality we showed in those first 45 minutes, we could have a very decent side on our hands.

Now all this comes after a season of torment and disorganisation under SE; after a very underwhelming pre season and with a side that cannot have been high in confidence due to various comings and goings and new management. It was also the first match of the season where we would expect there to be issues and playing a newly promoted side, we would be expected to struggle.

The second half can be written off as one of those freakish events where playing against 10 men appears much more difficult than against 11 - it happens very frequently! Add to that the number of new players introduced as subs, some who had never played together before, and it's not so surprising that things went south.

So take your lead from the first 45 minutes and hope to build on that. My glass is overflowing!!

[Ronners]

A nice, but frustrating, win for us that's for sure. The first half hour we looked sharp and full of running, but after their player got sent off we seemed to think that with a 2 goal lead and a player extra, we didn't have to do anything with the ball but keep it, and we just passed it, mainly sideways, back one way and then the other.
Darren moore's 3 subs at the start of the 2nd half gave Vale momentum, even with 10 men, and the goal they scored seemed inevitable. However, I thought after the goal they didn't push on as I expected them to do, yes they did a fair bit of attacking, but the bombardment from the start of the 2nd half subsided a bit, but we carried on playing more of the keep ball and in a way it was working as they were chasing after the ball and tiring themselves out. As frustrated as I was with our keep ball, I really thought we defended well nearly all game, and whilst Nombe got MOM for his 2 goals Agbaire, for me anyway was the star performer, commanding in the air, mobile and passed the ball well, he looks a real find. Raffert, James, and yes Jules until his sending off also played well at the back, and we defended for our lives that last half hour plus added time. Put Vale are a decent experienced side with a decent manager, and I can see them eyeing a play off spot, but our young side will learn one hell of a lot from that game yesterday. UTM

[MILLERSTALE]

Reflecting on yesterday's match, was it really that bad and indicative of a team who will struggle? I thought the first half was very positive and was pleasantly surprised how strong we looked.
The second half was influenced massively by the 'stick or twist' question. We came out with 'Don't give anything away" mentality. Vale came out with 3 fresh sets of legs and a "let's take some risks" attitude.
It reminded me of the MK Dons game in 2022 under Warne where we were leading against 10 men at half time, only to be beaten. That was a Rotherham team that could have gone 13 points clear of 3rd place that day, so were very used to seeing out games. Yet they struggled.
I've seen a few comments online criticising the standard of the players coming on in the second half. I don't agree, I think it is very hard to come on in those circumstances and change the teams mentality, especially after we conceded. I thought everyone battled well, but that was all they could do.
Benson tried to keep the ball, passing rather than looking to create a chance. It stands out because one of those extra passes led to the Jules sending off. I think in a different match situation he would be just fine in our midfield.
I watched back the last 30mins and when theres no nerves of losing you can see what players are contributing. Yearwood put himself about and got in quite a few tackles. Apart from not being alert enough for Benson's pass, I'd be happy for him to be in the starting 11.
Kaleta also thrust into a more defensive role showed flashes. He looked quite quick and got one or two good blocks in. Again I'd like to see him when the team is in a more attacking mindset.
I've seen dogs abuse for Etete, but watching back. He made a couple of tidy first time passes. He missed an opportunity to spread the attack cross field, once, when we had men wide open down the right, taking the safer option. Another time he failed to chase a ball over the top which he would have never got even if he had chased. One other time he was beyond the defender and elected to run to the corner. I think he'd have been slated if he'd crossed it and given position away. I don't think the ball over the top to run on to is why he is here though!
I'm reasonably happy with recruitment based on what I've seen, too many times over the last 2 seasons we've been bringing on youth players from the bench. I think we do need another Centre Back (as options are limited now Jules is suspended) and another Striker with pace, in case Nombe gets injured.
Whilst that second half wasn't pretty, the lads got the points against opposition that weren't too shabby. Great start to the season for me

Yes agree with most of that but new striker looks very awkward, not sure if that will work ? agree we need a centre back, left sided but above all we need a strong fast wide left sided player, left back, or left midfield ! we were absolutely murdered down that flank the entire second half !

[Ericsladkilnhurst]

Best player to me was Agbaire, he looks a good confident player, pity those around him
are not the same, took note he switched to left back in the 2nd half due to the subs
used.
Jules & Dawson messing about, got Jules his first yellow card, then Benson messing about
got Jules his 2nd yellow card, & sent off.
Benson should have put the ball upfield to our forward line, to me he did not show any
football skills to warrant being in the side.
Dawson pulled off a really good save, Hughill I thought had a good game, he kept on his
feet & seemed to have some hunger for the ball.
I thought Kelly played well in the 1st half, he seemed to be in all the good play by the team.
The 2nd half it seemed like some one had spiked our lads half-time drinks, they were slow,
no hunger fo the ball, & lost in the game.
We were lucky to hold onto the 3 points at the end.
Hopefully Matt Hamshaw will fetch some more players in & get the team to play for 90 mins.

[Old_time_miller]

Young? Rafferty, james, kelly. The real young ones were not on long enough. ��

[Old_time_miller]

Best player to me was Agbaire, he looks a good confident player, pity those around him
are not the same, took note he switched to left back in the 2nd half due to the subs
used.
Jules & Dawson messing about, got Jules his first yellow card, then Benson messing about
got Jules his 2nd yellow card, & sent off.
Benson should have put the ball upfield to our forward line, to me he did not show any
football skills to warrant being in the side.
Dawson pulled off a really good save, Hughill I thought had a good game, he kept on his
feet & seemed to have some hunger for the ball.
I thought Kelly played well in the 1st half, he seemed to be in all the good play by the team.
The 2nd half it seemed like some one had spiked our lads half-time drinks, they were slow,
no hunger fo the ball, & lost in the game.
We were lucky to hold onto the 3 points at the end.
Hopefully Matt Hamshaw will fetch some more players in & get the team to play for 90 mins.

Eric, look at how many players we have now?..and here?s the guidance. He is going to have to offload first.

Championship clubs can have squads of up to 25 players, of which a minimum of 8 need to be home grown (we'll come to what that means in a moment). For League One and League Two clubs, it's a maximum of 22 players, of which at least 8 need to be home grown.

And I think we struggle on the 8.

Recruitment has finished.

[Millerman_II]

Agbaire, Kaleta and Gore don't count towards 22 outfield squad size as they are under 21.

[RU66]

Agbaire, Kaleta and Gore don't count towards 22 outfield squad size as they are under 21.

Coincidence they look the more likely of the new signings. Hall but not sure if he's more of a right back.

[Timbertop]

Need some “meat” in the spine of the team otherwise the Stockports of this division will bully us to death. Feel there’ll be a higher percentage of home wins in this league this season.

[Ericsladkilnhurst]

Need some “meat” in the spine of the team otherwise the Stockports of this division will bully us to death. Feel there’ll be a higher percentage of home wins in this league this season.

I think we will need some ' Hard as Nails ' mate to hold this defence together.

[DonPageFanClub]

Why is Benson getting., the blame for Zak jules getting sent off ... I've already mentioned it on here. . Benson played a ball inside to Yearwood .. it wasn't a short pass it wasn't a bad pass , Yearwood miss controlled the ball , it ran to a port Vale player ,and jules brought him down, . Some fans already have the knifes out for some players , Benson wasn't great he played a few bad passes , but don't berate the lad to fit your narrative, before his rotherham career has started .

[Old_time_miller]

Why is Benson getting., the blame for Zak jules getting sent off ... I've already mentioned it on here. . Benson played a ball inside to Yearwood .. it wasn't a short pass it wasn't a bad pass , Yearwood miss controlled the ball , it ran to a port Vale player ,and jules brought him down, . Some fans already have the knifes out for some players , Benson wasn't great he played a few bad passes , but don't berate the lad to fit your narrative, before his rotherham career has started .

Well said. Jules was out of position, wasn’t last man, panic. I don’t think much of Jules but it is based on games doing the same thing.
Benson etc have hardly played.
Did anyone cover themselves in glory in the second half? No not really.

[RU66]

Mcwilliams didn't make the match day 18 man squad. Would have lasted longer than Kelly & better to bring on than either Benson & Yearwood.

[avondalemiller]

Mcwilliams didn't make the match day 18 man squad. Would have lasted longer than Kelly & better to bring on than either Benson & Yearwood.

McWilliams was on the bench.................................polish your Magic eye