Port Vale (H) Match / Exiles Thread

[Mistadobalina]

All of our best football has come playing 4-4-2, we have the attackers to do well at this level. Marsh and Wright actually look like a decent pair in midfield as well. It's the back 5 - and really it's every position within it to differing extents - that is troubling. Widdowson and Coulson are really struggling.

Still. That was fun in the end.

[redintheface]

So much for the many on here who dismiss Wright as nothing more than a sideways passer of the ball !

Fair point Sid. He is the only midfielder we have that looks anything like scoring.

[gshaw]

So much for the many on here who dismiss Wright as nothing more than a sideways passer of the ball !

Fair point Sid. He is the only midfielder we have that looks anything like scoring.

I like Wright, just needs a dynamic CM partner alongside him. Get that Dawson / Vincelot player in and you'll see the best of him.

[LeytonOstone]

All of our best football has come playing 4-4-2, we have the attackers to do well at this level. Marsh and Wright actually look like a decent pair in midfield as well. It's the back 5 - and really it's every position within it to differing extents - that is troubling. Widdowson and Coulson are really struggling.

Still. That was fun in the end.

I'd add Ekipeteta - always worried when he's on the ball. And any cross causes absolute mayhem for all of them.

[Sid Bishop]

So much for the many on here who dismiss Wright as nothing more than a sideways passer of the ball !

Fair point Sid. He is the only midfielder we have that looks anything like scoring.

I like Wright, just needs a dynamic CM partner alongside him. Get that Dawson / Vincelot player in and you'll see the best of him.

Agree, you see It and I see it and not since Adams went ( By the way, I notice that Adams scored today in Forest Green's shock 4-0 away win at Salford ) have we had a decent central holding midfielder,

[Sid Bishop]

All of our best football has come playing 4-4-2, we have the attackers to do well at this level. Marsh and Wright actually look like a decent pair in midfield as well. It's the back 5 - and really it's every position within it to differing extents - that is troubling. Widdowson and Coulson are really struggling.

Still. That was fun in the end.

I'd add Ekipeteta - always worried when he's on the ball. And any cross causes absolute mayhem for all of them.

Ekipeteta reminds me of what the great Brian Clough once said about defensive play, it went something like this......If one of my defenders is under pressure in in the penalty box, I dont want to see any dithering on the ball or ''Fancy Dan' stuff, no messing about, just find the back row of the stand, the opposition don't score from there !! !!

[PoundhillO]

Thank god Stevenage and Scunthorpe threw away leads.

We have enough attacking talent to get a few goals. We have scored more goals than 1st place Exeter this season.
Problem is we just look like giving away goals every game, and that is what counts. Worst defence in the League and it seems that all the keeper and full-back places in the team are nailed down.

Think the way we decided to set up cost us the game in the end, it was winnable but we surrendered the initiative in the first half.

Thank god a new manager is on the way but can't afford to get it wrong.

Absolutely this. As soon as they're freed from the negative tactics we seem to have enough to get some goals. Leaking them for fun at the back though needs sorting asap.

I still think that RE was the worst choice of the 3 who could have stepped in as interim manager ( Jobi perhaps ruled out as not yet completed his coaching badges ) Danny Webb, far more inspiring a choice than Ross.

Totally agree.

[Disoriented]

Marsh booked again.

Is it every game now?

No

[Disoriented]

All of our best football has come playing 4-4-2, we have the attackers to do well at this level. Marsh and Wright actually look like a decent pair in midfield as well. It's the back 5 - and really it's every position within it to differing extents - that is troubling. Widdowson and Coulson are really struggling.

Still. That was fun in the end.

I'd add Ekipeteta - always worried when he's on the ball. And any cross causes absolute mayhem for all of them.

Has been poor all season.

[MrB]

Deserved point but how we tried to throw it away! Same side where we conceded a late winner on the last home game..Just clear the frigging ball!!!

[MrB]

All of our best football has come playing 4-4-2, we have the attackers to do well at this level. Marsh and Wright actually look like a decent pair in midfield as well. It's the back 5 - and really it's every position within it to differing extents - that is troubling. Widdowson and Coulson are really struggling.

Still. That was fun in the end.

I'd add Ekipeteta - always worried when he's on the ball. And any cross causes absolute mayhem for all of them.

Has been poor all season.

But wasn’t involved in that feeble play which lead to Vale’s third!!

[Disoriented]

I'd add Ekipeteta - always worried when he's on the ball. And any cross causes absolute mayhem for all of them.

Has been poor all season.

But wasn’t involved in that feeble play which lead to Vale’s third!!

Didn’t say he was, but I repeat, he has been poor all season.

[MrB]

Has been poor all season.

But wasn’t involved in that feeble play which lead to Vale’s third!!

Didn’t say he was, but I repeat, he has been poor all season.

Just saying

[BIGRON]

Att. 5490.

Didn't look anything like that many in today

[lordgriff]

FT well that was eventful. Players all out on the floor from both sides.

One for the stattos, when did we last have a CM as our top scorer? Wright just pips Harrold for MOTM with that goal.

Probably Steve Castle!

[RedDwarf 1881]

It's time to drop five and the back because playing with four at the back suits us better . Apart from the our goal I thought we were really awful in the first half . Second half Harrold came on and it was a different game . I hope Ross has learned something today with his substitutions . I have to say that today's game was the most entertaining game of the season so far . Thank God we have Josh Wright .

[RedDwarf 1881]

All of our best football has come playing 4-4-2, we have the attackers to do well at this level. Marsh and Wright actually look like a decent pair in midfield as well. It's the back 5 - and really it's every position within it to differing extents - that is troubling. Widdowson and Coulson are really struggling.

Still. That was fun in the end.

It looked like Vale were targeting Widdowson in the first half because David Worrall was giving him a torrid time . Coulson looks like he's struggling with the extra pace of League Two . He looked like he was blowing out of his arse early in the second half

[HenleyO]

Unfortunately Josh Coulson is way off the pace in League 2.
So far.....

[essexfootball]

What a cracking game for the netural/Orient slight bias

Went as per really, first 15 Orient attacked looked great, Wilkinson brilliant perfect ball for Wright, bizzarely unmarked with a good header, then Orient went 7-0-2 for the next 30 minutes just aimlessly hoofing the ball up top and Port Vale getting every time and sending it back, cue two goals as per and Port Vale are infront.

Harrold comes on, an actual target man made a massive difference, gave a focal point, if he didn't win the ball he stopped the defender getting full contact so it went around that area, Brophy added some legs, Maguire Drew added that class/creativity for the goal. Wilkinson first few weeks I thought was awful, last few weeks I've worked out he is a footballer, people just think he can hold it up and be a target man as he is six foot plus but he is far better on the ball.

Epekita was awful, Ling offered no real natural width first half, next week Harrold has to start and Maguire Drew/Dennis, when Orient are on song Wright can get on the ball, spray it, play neat passes give an outlet, it looks good football big problem is the Orient defence looks suspect every time someone goes forward and even more so in the air considering you have three CB's back there to win it.

It's odd you can see the players clearly still giving their all and believing in Ross despite the results, it almost needs Ross to make sensible decisions more ie no Alabai, 4 at the back, press, press and high press, don't let players pick their passes and stand off and then a defensive coach come in and whip the defence into shape of how to actually clear the ball, the second and so forth, as on paper Orient games average what 3 goals every week it's great viewing but with a little bit more structure, less errors and better defence a lot of these results would swing the other way. Salford and Orient are both very similar both were good attacking threats at corners last year, Coulson and Piergani, both pretty blunt this year, both had good defences and now Orient are conceding for fun and same at Salford, it shows there is certainly a very slight difference between this league and the national league

Next week I would go with

Brill
Ling/Judd Coulson Happe Widdowson maybe Ogie
Marsh
Wright Gorman
Wilkinson Harrold JMD/Dennis

Coulson is definitely feeling that extra bit of pace compared to last year, almost look like all of them could do with a bit fitter I think

[Smendrick Feaselberg]

Absolutely diabolical, Embleton has to be replaced immediately from choosing the team and the tactics.

Are you capable of following a game without lashing out at every setback?

How on earth do you cope with life?

[Smendrick Feaselberg]

All of our best football has come playing 4-4-2, we have the attackers to do well at this level. Marsh and Wright actually look like a decent pair in midfield as well. It's the back 5 - and really it's every position within it to differing extents - that is troubling. Widdowson and Coulson are really struggling.

Still. That was fun in the end.

I'd add Ekipeteta - always worried when he's on the ball. And any cross causes absolute mayhem for all of them.

I've been talking about Ekpiteta's poor distribution all year but it seems to get overlooked for some reason. Now his defending is seriously in question too.

[Disoriented]

All of our best football has come playing 4-4-2, we have the attackers to do well at this level. Marsh and Wright actually look like a decent pair in midfield as well. It's the back 5 - and really it's every position within it to differing extents - that is troubling. Widdowson and Coulson are really struggling.

Still. That was fun in the end.

I'd add Ekipeteta - always worried when he's on the ball. And any cross causes absolute mayhem for all of them.

I've been talking about Ekpiteta's poor distribution all year but it seems to get overlooked for some reason. Now his defending is seriously in question too.

He is having a ‘mare so far.

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

Scandalous assessments of Marvins performance today. The back 2/3 are under so much pressure, it’s ridiculous. A keeper behind them that refuses to come and help them by claiming anything, a non existent midfield in front of them that offers absolutely no protection and full backs that fail to stop crosses coming in.

Plus they’re being made to be the playmakers because none of our 3 central midfielders demand the ball off them.

[Smendrick Feaselberg]

Scandalous assessments of Marvins performance today. The back 2/3 are under so much pressure, it’s ridiculous. A keeper behind them that refuses to come and help them by claiming anything, a non existent midfield in front of them that offers absolutely no protection and full backs that fail to stop crosses coming in.

Plus they’re being made to be the playmakers because none of our 3 central midfielders demand the ball off them.

Does Ekpiteta have naked photos of you or something?

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

Yes. No idea if he looks at them or not but I’m going to keep on sending them