Port Vale v Barrow Match Thread

[Pedro]

I expected us to get thumped and told my mate.
Let's be honest still hampered by the Platt being injured along with others
It's disheartening scoring then going on to get beat.
Realism required
we needed to sign Andy Cook

[Methuselah]

Disappointed today,but this is what Mark Cooper said could happen.I think we have to just take it on the chin and move forward.We need to start scoring from open play aka Josh Gordon.We are stiil not tight enough at the back and the players need to start getting on the end of crosses.
I keep wondering if Zanzala is still not 100 percent and that is why Mark Cooper put him on the bench.Too many schoolboy errors.Hopefully Tuesday night will be different.

[blue nige]

I reckon platt should be ready for light training soon because stress fractures usually take 6 to 8 weeks total rest so hopefully another month but we really need him back! we really need a forward who can hold the ball up far too often we lose the ball in bad areas and then we get caught out too easily because the middle 3 at the back for me seem to lack any kind of understanding!

[Middleton Nick]

If Quigley was in this set up we would be challenging at the top imo.

[Holkerbird]

If Quigley was in this set up we would be challenging at the top imo.

Quigley has gone. For how much longer are we going to see him mentioned? Why can't we just forget about him and the past and move forward.?

[Hadrian]

Mark Cooper has said the pitch is no bigger than most others.

Where has he said that? On his ifollow pre-match he said the opposite and made reference to it being a very big pitch (which it clearly is).

On a pre-match interview, broadcast last night on BBCRC.

The EFL seem to not publish official sizes and refer to independent sources. According to the Football Stadiums website Port Vale's pitch is the third largest in League Two by area - 7280m2 (Barrow 8th - 6868m2) 5th= by length - 104m (Barrow 14th= - 101m) and 2nd= by width - 70m (Barrow 4th= 68m)

[Middleton Nick]

If Quigley was in this set up we would be challenging at the top imo.

Quigley has gone. For how much longer are we going to see him mentioned? Why can't we just forget about him and the past and move forward.?

Just saying Elaine.

[Jim]

Cooper post-match interview acknowledged all the weaknesses. The key point for me was that he said we have dropped 13 points from winning positions, which is the most in the league, and something needs to change.

[janwilder]

Zanzala is the perfect example of a luxury player...someone who is expendable, despite his obvious ability. When he's on his game he's a wonderful threat in the final third and a joy to watch bamboozling defenders (such as his goal vs Oldham). Yet he doesn't work hard enough for me. If things aren't falling his way, you may aswell be playing with 10 men. He fouls folk left, right and centre and carries himself around without much interest. Then there's his selfishness. I'm all for a goal scorer doing this in the 18 yard box but his head goes down whenever he's within 25 yards of goal and he always ignores the better pass on, just in search of a yard of space to score a worldy.

Since day one he's had a big question over his head for me. He's incredibly inconsistent...It's no wonder he's had 4 permanent teams in the since 2018.

[spirit of 1990]

Disappointing but not totally unexpected, they are a decent team and obviously up there for a reason.
We’ve also been badly hampered by injuries and the lack of another good striker, MC can see what we can see but like he said earlier in the season - anyone coming in must be better than what we have, and that’s obviously the problem.
I said a couple of weeks ago that Zanzalla was more impressive when unfit…if he is fit now then that’s got to be a worry.

Although not great a point against two well established EFL teams isn’t a total disaster. We do need to make sure of three points on Tuesday though.

[saltcellar]

Mark Cooper has said the pitch is no bigger than most others.

Where has he said that? On his ifollow pre-match he said the opposite and made reference to it being a very big pitch (which it clearly is).

Last night on Radio Cumbrua.
He was making out it is the stadium lay out that makes it look bigger than it is.
Said teams only complain about its size if they don't come away with the points.

[saltcellar]

4th at HT and now back down to the bottom half!
How many times have we thrown away a lead

Dropped 13 points from a leading position so far this season.

[Tommylad]

The back 3 need shooting, [SwearFilter] dreadful

[blue nige]

The back 3 need shooting, [SwearFilter] dreadful

my views on a back 3 are well known it's an absolute myth that it makes you defensively stronger, I'm almost certain if we went to a flat back 4 we'd be a much tighter unit !

[andyg]

The back 3 need shooting, [SwearFilter] dreadful

my views on a back 3 are well known it's an absolute myth that it makes you defensively stronger, I'm almost certain if we went to a flat back 4 we'd be a much tighter unit !

Firstly Cooper won't do that unless we go down to 10 men like the Bristol game. Disappointed today but there 2 subs made a big difference and their quicker passing in second half. Make no mistake PV are a decent side and their subs bench proved that. We do lack another forward and yes the back 3 worries me they can be quite hesitant - and I'm being nice to them here. We simply must try to be professional and ruthless on Tuesday. Scunny are a potential banana skin ad we must no presume we only have to turn up to win. Feel Cooper will make them aware of this and least i hope so. Lets not forget last seasons Southend and Grimsby games!