Port Vale v Barrow Match Thread

[Jim]

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.

There were times earlier in the season when I thought that a fully fit Zanzala would be a menace to defenders and would prove a better striker than Cook. However, apart from that goal against Oldham, he has been largely disappointing. Did Cooper sign him or was he on the books before his arrival? If signed by Cooper, I would think the manager can see a decent player in him and will be working to bring it out.

[Hitthebar22]

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.

What the hell does "just saying" really mean? It's pointless and asinine.

[Hadrian]

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.?

Likewise Cook.

[Middleton Nick]

Just saying Elaine.

What the hell does "just saying" really mean? It's pointless and asinine.

Right then. In other words we need a striker of Quigley's quality. Zanzala isn't the answer and neither is Sea. However, we have enough to do ok in this diviision. There's not much difference in the sides in this league IMO.

[andyg]

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.?

Likewise Cook.

Hadrian you give me the impression you are to Cooky's favourite fan!

[Suffolk Blue]

It was an odd as well as disappointing game. Apart from the Banks goal the first half was full of well nothing - played at a pedestrian pace by both teams.

Second half Vale upped their pace, we did not. First goal was well finished after an Ellis error. Second goal I think resulted from a Gotts missed tackle. This was during a period when we were repeatedly giving the ball away in defensive positions.

Even after that we played with application but not much desire. The number 9 question will be raised again because we did use the wide pitch to get into decent attacking positions but never looked like converting any of them.

Losing at PV is not a catastrophe by any means but the mentality of the performance was unusually poor and not very Cooper like. Can be rectified on Tuesday but not likely if their attitude does not improve.

[andyg]

We wanted to play the game at that pace in the first half and it worked as the score proved at half time. Our big problem was their subs bench. They have a squad that has the ability to change games if so required. We do not at present. We knew at half time they'd come at us moving the ball more quickly. We failed to nullify that change but it was obvious PV were going to adopt that tactic. If I knew that was going to happen then better footballing people in the Barrow dugout obviously knew that too.

So what does that say about us? We probably playing our style of football will come unstuck against footballing teams at the top end of this division at times as we did today. As you say Suffolk we began to give the ball away in defensive positions early in the second half and paid the penalty- bit similar to what happened against Fleetwood.

Cooper plays this style of football and is not going to change. People like Devitt and others are going to have a part to play. As for the No 9 situation losing Quigley so late in the summer was a blow. It would be to any team at this level. We do need further options there maybe in January but that is the most difficult position to fill. Like many others at the back I am concerned. For me Ellis is OK but that's all. Jones is still a bit of a rookie and Grayson makes too many careless errors for my liking. Maybe a dip into the centre back market is also required this winter. But as Cooper says they must be of the right caliber. Coach Ogden has his work cut out!

We are improving but we must prove that with a ruthless performance on Tuesday. Not a pathetic 1-0 home defeat against bottom of the the league opposition. Something we have all suffered all too much over the years supporting our beloved club.

[Middleton Nick]

Devitt will be the first out of the door for me. Contract up at the end of the year. Too inijury prone.

[andyg]

Devitt will be the first out of the door for me. Contract up at the end of the year. Too inijury prone.

Maybe so but he's here at the moment and we need him (until he gets injured again ). We need options now not in the new year.

[Sonofsam]

Lets face it we were beaten bye a good team today i was dissapointed with grayson he's not a division 2 player

[Methuselah]

What people need to.realise.if they listened to Mark Cooper's interview on the podcast is that it takes at least three years for a manager to stabilise and improve a club he has just joined.It is remarkable that Barrow are still holding their own despite all the trials and tribulations since we came back into the Football League.
Ok we lost today,but our manager has had to play most of this season with only 13 fit players to use.I think it is remarkable that we are where we are,so stick with Mark Cooper and I don,t think you will.have anything to worry about.This is a guy who knows what he wants to do ,so just hold tight and enjoy the ride.

[Desmond2-2]

It was an odd as well as disappointing game. Apart from the Banks goal the first half was full of well nothing - played at a pedestrian pace by both teams.

Second half Vale upped their pace, we did not. First goal was well finished after an Ellis error. Second goal I think resulted from a Gotts missed tackle. This was during a period when we were repeatedly giving the ball away in defensive positions.

Even after that we played with application but not much desire. The number 9 question will be raised again because we did use the wide pitch to get into decent attacking positions but never looked like converting any of them.

Losing at PV is not a catastrophe by any means but the mentality of the performance was unusually poor and not very Cooper like. Can be rectified on Tuesday but not likely if their attitude does not improve.

You my friend droll on like some unintentional know it all. To actually say “after an Ellis error” is embarrassing. That guy has been an absolute colossus for us this season, your a joke, who’s obviously never kicked a ball in anger.

[boyliegladbach]

Beat by a good team
Lucky to be one up at half time, just a step to far for us that today.
Kids in black with with weird goggles in their hoods being as embarrassing as ever.

[Adam29]

If the 3-1 had been port vale 3 up at half time nobody would have batted an eye lid

They were better than us full stop

They wasted chances in the first half - the amount of times they got in behind us but wasted that final ball - they were never going to do that all game and sadly that was as the case 2nd half

Hopefully Scunny get the “reaction”

[Fazered]

[/quote]
You my friend droll on like some unintentional know it all. To actually say “after an Ellis error” is embarrassing. That guy has been an absolute colossus for us this season, your a joke, who’s obviously never kicked a ball in anger.
[/quote]

Ellis has been good most of the season as you say but the goal was a result of his error and it was a bad one.
Platt please get well soon