Thoughts on Vale

[TFDM]

Just got back from Port Vale and we are in big trouble as it stands.

We started brightly and finished the first half reasonably well as well. In between though Port Vale could have had about three more goals than they did. Marc Richards missed a sitter when our defense decided to leave an aimless ball to no one in particular.

We did better in the final ten minutes but that was about it. Obviously we missed the penalty as well but that doesn't really mater. We can't go on expecting to get penalties in the final few minutes to bail us out all the time.

We were beaten today by a Vale side who weren't all that good. All they had was a big lump ball through the middle. Still good enough to beat us though.

Central defense is okay. Full backs I'm not sure about. The wingers aren't getting enough crosses into the box and Nathan Porritt was a big let down. He doesn't look fit enough and doesn't get past his man enough. The forwards don't look capable of scoring either. The keeper always looks likely to make a mistake. The one bright point was Jamie Chandler. Works hard, covers every blade of grass and has a bit of quality about him. Deserved way better today.

Todd needs to get this sorted and quick. He needs to decide on his best side and start getting results quickly. At the moment it ain't good enough.

[wylam_rangers]

Just got back from Port Vale and we are in big trouble as it stands.

We started brightly and finished the first half reasonably well as well. In between though Port Vale could have had about three more goals than they did. Marc Richards missed a sitter when our defense decided to leave an aimless ball to no one in particular.

We did better in the final ten minutes but that was about it. Obviously we missed the penalty as well but that doesn't really mater. We can't go on expecting to get penalties in the final few minutes to bail us out all the time.

We were beaten today by a Vale side who weren't all that good. All they had was a big lump ball through the middle. Still good enough to beat us though.

Central defense is okay. Full backs I'm not sure about. The wingers aren't getting enough crosses into the box and Nathan Porritt was a big let down. He doesn't look fit enough and doesn't get past his man enough. The forwards don't look capable of scoring either. The keeper always looks likely to make a mistake. The one bright point was Jamie Chandler. Works hard, covers every blade of grass and has a bit of quality about him. Deserved way better today.

Todd needs to get this sorted and quick. He needs to decide on his best side and start getting results quickly. At the moment it ain't good enough.

Chandler's 3 yellows are another worry. Last thing we need is him suspended when we get an easier fixture.

[we_8_poolie]

easier fixture ? that'll be next year in the conference !!

[DARLO360]

Agreed, I think Lumsdon in for G.smith next match, just to see if him and chandler make a better combination in the middle. I think J.smith should start then mid way through the second half Porritt should come on to torture the opponents defence (although making an opposition defence at the moment seems unlikely!) drop thorpe, and again bring him on mid way through the second half and start with either Main or Dowson with Windass up front.
But at the moment like what the previous poster said, we are in trouble. Even though it's only very early in the season I think we should have at least a point, but obviously we haven't. Little mistakes are proving to be very costly this season, where as last season and the season before we had the quality to recover from those mistakes. Now i'm only 14 and i've been supporting darlo for more than 8 years, and although I've not seen many seasons, I have never felt so low. Even through 03/04 I knew we wouldn't do that badly because we were scoring goals, but that we are not this season. Now compared to other posters who are just going to unfaithful and abandon the club when we are going through a bad time, I will continue getting to matches that I can and supporting the team. Now for fucks sake get behind the club for once people!

[andydarlo]

Well where to begin ..... we started brightly or was that just those yellow shirts ? Not sure how Knight got away with the gold GK kit behind that !!!
You can certainly tell that we have no genuine out and out full backs just a line of 4 central defenders - too many times PVFC we able to get into space wide right or left, just watch how much space their guy had for the cross for their goal.

As previous posters have said Chandler had a sound game in the middle, just a pity he has a knack of getting a card each game.
Cook seems to have been well schooled in dribbling and wriggling at Sunderland but still has a knack of forgetting to keep control of the round white thing at his feet.

Age may be playing tricks on my memory but I cannot recall either Cook or Porrittt actually managing to beat the full back and get round the back so all the delivery was from before 18 yard line and dead easy for there central defenders to walk onto and head out at will.

PVFC were not a good team and a draw would probably have been fair, we were able to play about quite nicely until we got to about 20-25 yards out then we ran out of nous to get through.

Again this might be due to not having "proper" full backs who are confident/experienced even to run on beyond the winger or provide width when the winger comes inside to give extra man.

We all knew, if we are honest, that it was going to be a long hard season. Looks like it will be a case of watching for the likes of Macc, Morecambe, Barnet, AccStan to lose and forget Notts County and any other rich kids at the top.

[darlomilo]

chandler to start the next game????? did you not see him pull up about 10mins from the end with what looked like his hamstring had gone. He has been our best middfielder in all games so far this season puts his foot in and chases down lost causes and hastles players and if he is missing next home game we will be lightweight in the middle.

[LoidLucan]

A pattern has emerged already. We usually have an absolutely shite first half in which we create nowt while the opposition usually have a chance to virtually have the game tied up. We improve for a late spell in the game but still hardly ever look like scoring and one goal from a mediocre team is more than enough to see us off. I have no doubt even at this stage that we are fucked this season. There is just not enough in the personnel and the way we play to suggest that we can win games with any consistency... or even at all! No doubt the head in the sand, rose tinted spectacles brigade will simply bellow their usual blindly optimistic: "Keep the faith, it'll come good some sunny day. It'll be all right when we play such and such...." but I've kicked around long enough in football's sump to know a relegation side when I see one. And this dire side and management has all the hallmarks.

[Quakerz]

Its all very Dave Booth, very, very.

[comeondarlo]

If Qz you are still suggesting 'Todd out' having slept on it, then you're an idiot!

[Quakerz]

Then I'm an idiot. I was prepared for us to be poor this season, but I just don't think Todd is cut out for this anymore. He has no answers.

[DARLO360]

I remember hearing when Todd was appointed that it's not the players that he brings in that are s***, most of the time he brings in a good squad, but it's his training methods and tactical ability that let him down. But lets just give him more time.

[TalbotAvenger]

Then I'm an idiot. I was prepared for us to be poor this season, but I just don't think Todd is cut out for this anymore. He has no answers.

Bring back Tommy Taylor

[LoidLucan]

I remember when the appointment was made and a Bradford City fan came on the board and said: "Thank God, that's bottom spot taken care of." We thought they were just avin a larfff!

[Spyman]

My thoughts on yesterday.

Defensively we're solid enough - we're losing games by the odd goal, but the problem is not with conceding the goal, its the fact we are toothless upfront and can't get back into a game.

Plummer looks good. Bains looks good enough. Knight is not good enough no matter what - we need to look elsewhere fast.

Chandler and Smith can do a job at this level - as can Lumsdon.

The main problem yesterday was the tactics, and the decision to start with Thorpe and Windass. As effective as Thorpe is at winning balls in the air, at the moment it just isn't working. Whether this is because Thorpe isn't good enough, or the players partnering him aren't good enough, is irrelevent really. The fact is it's not working playing long balls up to him.

We looked far more threatening with Dowson and Main on, getting balls into feet and trying to beat them on the ground. Everyone in the team looks more comfortable with this approach and its the only way we seem to look like scoring. Same thing happened at Aldershot.

If we're going to play Windass and Thorpe, we need to be getting the ball to them in the box, not 30 yards out, and we didn't use the wingers enough for this to happen yesterday. There's no other way Thorpe will be effective I'm afraid.

Next week we should start with Dowson and either Windass or Main. Get the ball into feet, use the wingers, and get Smith and Chandler playing right in behind Windass and overlapping. As far as I can see this is the only way we'll threaten teams. Thorpe can come on if we need to mix it up late on a nd fling some long balls forward, but its too predictable for 70-80 minutes.

[fat tony]

Nice report Spyman, and it pretty much reinforces what are the two main problems for me:

Tactics
What are they? Todd seems to be a bit too old-skool: Stick 11 players out, ask them to 'give 110%', put a big-man up front (i.e. Thorpe who has started every game) and hope for the best. All his post-match comments are about how the lads have worked hard today. Thats the minimum we should expect! We need to establish a pattern of play that suits the team. We've actually got some players that are good on the ball and we look at our best when pressing teams by keeping posession. So why does the next game come around and we've lost that same spark.

Team
I know there's been injuries etc. but yesterdays starting 11 had 5 changes from the one that started opening day. When you've got a squad of 20 strangers we need to get them used to each other and establish a way of playing. It looked like we had something to work on after the Leeds game - yet then we get beat by Bury and the next game he starts with two loan lads who only met up with the team that very day?

Its two pretty fundamental things but Todd needs to quickly work out a way of playing in this division with what we've got, and then get a consistent team out there that we can build results on. Changing things round every week with nobody seeming to know their role has got us heading for disaster.

The conference fodder of this division - Macc, Barnet, Accrington etc. - have got worse squads than us, but they'll be well drilled and have picked up results already. It also annoys me that last season they basically had a practice run at escaping relegation because of the points deductions and Chester being so crap. We need to man-up, get our team right and get some wins on the board quickly.

[Robbie Painter]

My thoughts on yesterday.

Defensively we're solid enough - we're losing games by the odd goal, but the problem is not with conceding the goal, its the fact we are toothless upfront and can't get back into a game.

Plummer looks good. Bains looks good enough. Knight is not good enough no matter what - we need to look elsewhere fast.

Chandler and Smith can do a job at this level - as can Lumsdon.

The main problem yesterday was the tactics, and the decision to start with Thorpe and Windass. As effective as Thorpe is at winning balls in the air, at the moment it just isn't working. Whether this is because Thorpe isn't good enough, or the players partnering him aren't good enough, is irrelevent really. The fact is it's not working playing long balls up to him.

We looked far more threatening with Dowson and Main on, getting balls into feet and trying to beat them on the ground. Everyone in the team looks more comfortable with this approach and its the only way we seem to look like scoring. Same thing happened at Aldershot.

If we're going to play Windass and Thorpe, we need to be getting the ball to them in the box, not 30 yards out, and we didn't use the wingers enough for this to happen yesterday. There's no other way Thorpe will be effective I'm afraid.

Next week we should start with Dowson and either Windass or Main. Get the ball into feet, use the wingers, and get Smith and Chandler playing right in behind Windass and overlapping. As far as I can see this is the only way we'll threaten teams. Thorpe can come on if we need to mix it up late on a nd fling some long balls forward, but its too predictable for 70-80 minutes.

I agree with you on the attack, on the defence you are completely off the mark though Spyman.

We might have lost these games 1-0 but in each we should have conceded 3 or 4 in each.

Knight is guaranteed to make 1 howler per game.

Bains & Bower are CB playing FB, they have zero ability going forward and get sucked into the centre of the pitch far too often. Not once have the overlapped the winger yet this season (not that we get into the final 1/3 of the field much).

Plummer is going to be an excellent player but we need Fosters experience.

Todd is setting his team out like its still the 1980s, long straight balls forward and two banks of 4. He is well past his sell by date, backroom staff are already unhappy and you can guarantee the players know it too!

[divas]

Bains & Bower are CB playing FB, they have zero ability going forward and get sucked into the centre of the pitch far too often. Not once have the overlapped the winger yet this season (not that we get into the final 1/3 of the field much).

Todd is setting his team out like its still the 1980s, long straight balls forward and two banks of 4. He is well past his sell by date, backroom staff are already unhappy and you can guarantee the players know it too!

I wish Bower had got sucked central on Saturday, he might have cut out Richards run.

I was always a bit worried that Todd may turn out to be a tactical dinosaur - football moves so rapidly that unless you keep up to speed, your tactics can be outdated very quickly. I dont think its a coincidence that most of the successful teams at this level have up and coming managers. Bradford fans more or less told us Todd's tactics left a lot to be desired but I was hoping that the Windass would bring some ideas to freshen things up - sadly it doesnt look like this is happening, least not yet - if he wants to make a name for himself in management he'll have to take a bit less notice of Todd methinks.

[LoidLucan]

There's no plan B in the locker as each game so far has gone the same as the last and I think we will continue to plummet until we are out of touch and have one or both feet in non-league football. I'm not sure I can stand another 20-odd game of this sheite. In fact anyone want a cheap/free season ticket within shouting distance of the dugout? Trouble is the view of the game is so good it is extremely damaging to your health and mental wellbeing.

[comeondarlo]

IMO Plan B should be Thorpe, hoofing it up to his head.

Thorpe should be coming from the bench when we need a change in tactics.

As I've said in other threads we finished the game against Vale very well playing some good football. We should start on Saturday with as near as poss the side that finished that game.

If that doesn't work, Plan B; bring on Thorpe.

[divas]

IMO Plan B should be Thorpe, hoofing it up to his head.

Thorpe should be coming from the bench when we need a change in tactics.

As I've said in other threads we finished the game against Vale very well playing some good football. We should start on Saturday with as near as poss the side that finished that game.

If that doesn't work, Plan B; bring on Thorpe.