Vale of tears or happy valley? Port Vale (A) Sat 22 Apr 3pm

[Billbob]

Is it me and does anyone else look forward to ken s column. Let's be loud let's be proud

[Worthy4England]

I am encouraged and no longer worried about our likelihood of promotion after reading that. I notice Mr Madine didn't get any sort of a mention.

[LeverEnd]

Looking at it objectively these lot aren't in anything like the kind of form Scunthorpe and Oldham were in, and won't be able to pack their defence and play for a draw like chesterfield and bury because they need at least 3 points to get out of the bottom 4. They have to win this game because they finish with 2 away games and are terrible away from home. That should suit us and i think we will win. I'm more confident than against bury for sure.

[jmjhb]

Strangely confident of a 2-0 win

[Burnden Paddock]

Looking at it objectively these lot aren't in anything like the kind of form Scunthorpe and Oldham were in, and won't be able to pack their defence and play for a draw like chesterfield and bury because they need at least 3 points to get out of the bottom 4. They have to win this game because they finish with 2 away games and are terrible away from home. That should suit us and i think we will win. I'm more confident than against bury for sure.

What a difference 24 hours makes!

[Peter Thompson]

After my brief few weeks of being confident (prior to the Bury game), by my standards anyway !!

I've now reverted to type and can't see us winning this with the way Parkinson is setting the team up, if we are really lucky and somehow play well we may just get a draw.

[LeverEnd]

Looking at it objectively these lot aren't in anything like the kind of form Scunthorpe and Oldham were in, and won't be able to pack their defence and play for a draw like chesterfield and bury because they need at least 3 points to get out of the bottom 4. They have to win this game because they finish with 2 away games and are terrible away from home. That should suit us and i think we will win. I'm more confident than against bury for sure.

What a difference 24 hours makes!

feck off. Had a bad back and was in a foul mood!

[officer_dibble]

See part of me thinks we're due some luck on the goal front. And no matter what I am always confident we can keep clean sheets. Surely no team can be as shit as us in front of goal when yoi are second in the league with the players we have.

But then you look at it and you think where the hell is the next goal coming from? Morais is now being doubled up on, and his set peices have dropped off. Madine is clearly a massive fckin fanny who wont play through the pain. And Vela seems to have gone off the ball. And thats it! Other than the centre backs (qnd there are 4 in the team) we cant buy goals between the rest of the side!

It requires a tactical rethink. And Parky thinks we "lost our way" when we changed it in the last 15-20 mins tue...by all accounts that was put best bit of the game?

So on that basis I cant see us scoring again!

[BWFC_Insane]

Not worth trying to predict it. On paper we should win. Sadly our recent results on grass would indicate we won't.

For me Saturday is time for everyone to show up. First team, subs, manager, fans, owners etc....

Everyone has a part to play. Fans have to not get on the players backs. Not be nervous. Sing their hearts out. Not be overconfident pricks like the past few weeks and proclaim promotion from the start. But concentrate on backing the players for 90 minutes. Cheer them on every second.

Players have to realise they are big boys and can't shirk this. Can't hide from the ball. They have to take responsibility for dragging us over the line. Each and every one of them.

Manager has to ensure we have a balanced team out there with enough of each characteristic to win the game.

Owners have to try and make sure they take the pressure off as much as possible.

Club has to come together, because generally my feeling is that there are still too many fans who want to whinge and moan and berate individuals as soon as something goes wrong, and too many players who will look for easy excuses when something goes wrong. Everyone has to show that we are all in it together. And we all succeed or fail together. No gloating or showboating or assumptions until we manage to get that P by our name in the league table. No booing or hissing if something goes awry. No players ducking out of opportunities for the ball. Players should want to make themselves heros. Fans should be willing to accept them as such.

This is quite literally, it.

[Peter Thompson]

See part of me thinks we're due some luck on the goal front. And no matter what I am always confident we can keep clean sheets. Surely no team can be as shit as us in front of goal when yoi are second in the league with the players we have.

But then you look at it and you think where the hell is the next goal coming from? Morais is now being doubled up on, and his set peices have dropped off. Madine is clearly a massive fckin fanny who wont play through the pain. And Vela seems to have gone off the ball. And thats it! Other than the centre backs (qnd there are 4 in the team) we cant buy goals between the rest of the side!

It requires a tactical rethink. And Parky thinks we "lost our way" when we changed it in the last 15-20 mins tue...by all accounts that was put best bit of the game?

So on that basis I cant see us scoring again!

Honestly Parkinson said that ?

The last 15-20 mins was the only part of the game when we went for it when Henry came on, the players passed the ball better & quicker, more lively, much quicker tempo and we started to create a few chances - it was the only period of the game when it looked like the players really wanted it.

He must have been mis quoted....

I do agree though that its hard to see us scoring another goal this season with the way Parkinson sets the team up to play so defensively.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

And Parky thinks we "lost our way" when we changed it in the last 15-20 mins tue...by all accounts that was put best bit of the game?

Honestly Parkinson said that ?

The last 15-20 mins was the only part of the game when we went for it when Henry came on, the players passed the ball better & quicker, more lively, much quicker tempo and we started to create a few chances - it was the only period of the game when it looked like the players really wanted it.

He must have been mis quoted....

Per BN:

We got better as the game went on but in the last 15-20 minutes we lost our way a bit. It was a difficult decision to make because we chased it on Saturday, got picked off at beaten on the break. As I said after that game sometimes when you really chase it you lose the balance of your team and it’s not the best way to get the winner anyway.

Same source:

Supporters are only nervous because they care. They want it as badly as we want it. But we are all in it together. We’re going for the same thing and we’ll give it absolutely everything to get there. There is no lack of effort, the lads are giving us everything.

If something had dropped for us and we’d got a goal against Oldham or Bury this would be a very different conversation. We’re two points clear and we’ve just got to keep chipping away. Whatever it takes we’ve got to get ourselves over the line.

Points are hard to come by at this stage of the season. Maybe something will go in for us at the weekend? We need to keep doing the right things, concentrate on working like we have done all season.

In games like that the first goal is so important because it would have meant Bury had to change something. If we had got that the game would have opened up. We didn’t get that goal so all we can do is keep chipping away.

[officer_dibble]

Go figure.

He's got us here so he is clearly no clown but the things said after Tuesday have me concerned he hasn't got the foggiest what to do to get us up now.

[Prufrock]

Yeah that sounds worrying. Sounds like head down and we'll be setting up the same on Saturday.

I'd better get my pitch invasion.

[Harry Genshaw]

Spearing, Vela and Pratley should be screaming for the ball and champing at the bit to show theyre championship quality players. If they can't out play and out pass their league 2 bound counterparts they can all feck off for me.

2-1 win

[Armchair Wanderer]

Spearing, Vela and Pratley should be screaming for the ball and champing at the bit to show theyre championship quality players. If they can't out play and out pass their league 2 bound counterparts they can all feck off for me.

Harsh but fair.

It's crazy that the midfield is so bad that balls get hoofed over it, yet those three all have EPL experience. Spearing and Pratley in particular are senior players bought/free-transferred from Liverpool and Swansea. They really shouldn't be the weakest link. (...in league one!)

[Worthy4England]

After my brief few weeks of being confident (prior to the Bury game), by my standards anyway !!

I've now reverted to type and can't see us winning this with the way Parkinson is setting the team up, if we are really lucky and somehow play well we may just get a draw.

I'm feeling better already. I was worried sick, PT.

[cmbfc_90]

Expect the worse and hope for the best!

[LeverEnd]

Not be overconfident pricks like the past few weeks and proclaim promotion from the start. But concentrate on backing the players for 90 minutes. Cheer them on every second.

Whoa! (That's English for stop a horse)
That your fellow forumites you're talking about there. Harsh man.

[LeverEnd]

PS and me.

PPS we'll win 6 nowt

[Hoboh]

Not be overconfident pricks like the past few weeks and proclaim promotion from the start. But concentrate on backing the players for 90 minutes. Cheer them on every second.

Whoa! (That's English for stop a horse)
That your fellow forumites you're talking about there. Harsh man.

Nothing less than I expected