It;'s a crying shame that it's all gone pear-shaped since Xmas. Most fans would argue the situation we are now in was, sadly, entirely forseeable, with an injury backlog and no proven strikers signed in January. And that's what so depressing about it all. In all cases, we needed to act much earlier than we have done - a case in point being what happened last night - but we are where we are and still, just about, in with a glimmer of light. Let's hope we can take it down to the wire and - more importantly - have learned lessons from the past 18 months that will not get repeated.
I for one am not surprise at the departure of Flitcroft. As I’ve said before and due diligence done on him would have shown up a pretty unpopular person with not a great CV. We can credit it him for the academy players, but the point is he brought in the team that developed them, he didn’t develop them himself, so for me it’s Will and his team that deserves the credit. No one can defend the poor transfer windows over the last few seasons, and as he is responsibly for on the pitch then the blame does fall at his feet. There is no buttering this all up, it’s a poor squad that probably deserves to go down with the performances that they have put in recently.
I didn’t go to the meeting on Thursday, but I’m sure Matt Hancock left with his head spinning and he was put in a very difficult position. As always it seems he handled himself well. So where do we go from here? Will a new DOF come in to assist the owners on the football side. Who knows, I would imagine that is what they would want. But it’s essential that they appoint the right person this time. It would be a miracle if we stayed up, and it appears that the club is almost admitting we will be in a lower league next season. But while it’s not over till the fat lady sings, let’s back the lads and see where it takes us.
He brought in Will Ryder who is bringing in young want to be the best footballers I believe in flitcrofts tenure one went Villa and one went Man City bringing in thousands to the club and the academy seems to me to be going from strength to strength.
However he will be judged on 3 poor transfer windows however after first one there with things going on what we're out of his control, (DC etc players playing diabolically)meaning we finished season very poorly and annoyed a fair few supporters who have not renewed meaning less money going into the club to buy the quality we obviously have needed as a fair few were unhappy that DC after hearing the rumours why he had to go they had no choice .
He bough in Arblaster and Devine and I feel up until olllie got injured v Boro we tried play football the right way and at times it was a very good watch, yes at times it seemed slow and boring but better than what being subjected to lately with missing midfield out altogether in fact it's gone completely the other way dinosaur football really poor and that may be down to inpatient fans, who want see up and at them football and you can tell some fans are stuck in there ways change to them is alien well you tell me how is J Wilson ever going benefit from a high ball down the middle he isn't and he hasn't.
So I admire Flitcroft for trying change the way we play .
On the ground with movement /speed is the way play not pass back to goalie to hit Masseys head another player who's heading ability is non existent or lately worse than that straight into touch .
All in all we got promoted one season too soon.
However for me the reason we are in the position we are in league is down to not bringing that striker in who scores goals .
We should have speculated to accumulated.
Just think if Billy Sharp was signed before season started.
I guarantee you Vale Park be buzzing.
The fact it isn't is down to a number of things not just Flitcroft .
You cannot tell me these players ain't good enough I've seen with my own eyes they are very capable .
So to me they should take 67 per cent of the blame .
I don't like the body language of a lot of these players .
They have a lot to do make any kind of forgiveness from the Vale paying public
Good luck to Flitcroft in his next job .
In future walk before you run .
Off the pitch and the academy brilliant .
But ultimately as Vale lovers we only care what represents us on the pitch .
It better he a damn sight better from this day forwards
OK ... on David Flitcroft - Hindsight is easy but when Darren Moore was appointed I recall looking at the composition of his team. He has a “Lead” 1st Team Coach plus a 1st Team Coach *and* an Assistant Manager. I thought two things for a start - well three actually (As my mum would say, “How much?!!’ That was first). So, second thing: ‘Don’t the players see such information and think, ‘Goodness! These people (the Shanahans) are bloody serious [that is, in investing in such a team] maybe we should just pull our finger out - at least a bit.’ 3rd thing - With a “cast of thousands” to support Darren Moore I wonder what Rudgie thinks as he, metaphorically as it were, stands there with his paint brush in his hand?!! I now realise that I should have wondered, ‘So, Darren himself, two 1st team coaches and an Assistant Manager. Who needs a Director of Football? …. In League 1?! A bit of common sense seems to have prevailed. Now, where’s that file marked: “Likely Aussie youngsters” - David Flitcroft must have lost his copy😊😊”
OK ... on David Flitcroft - Hindsight is easy but when Darren Moore was appointed I recall looking at the composition of his team. He has a “Lead” 1st Team Coach plus a 1st Team Coach *and* an Assistant Manager. I thought two things for a start - well three actually (As my mum would say, “How much?!!’ That was first). So, second thing: ‘Don’t the players see such information and think, ‘Goodness! These people (the Shanahans) are bloody serious [that is, in investing in such a team] maybe we should just pull our finger out - at least a bit.’ 3rd thing - With a “cast of thousands” to support Darren Moore I wonder what Rudgie thinks as he, metaphorically as it were, stands there with his paint brush in his hand?!! I now realise that I should have wondered, ‘So, Darren himself, two 1st team coaches and an Assistant Manager. Who needs a Director of Football? …. In League 1?! A bit of common sense seems to have prevailed. Now, where’s that file marked: “Likely Aussie youngsters” - David Flitcroft must have lost his copy😊😊”
Hm, so if the decision was well thought out why was Matt not able to answer questions about who would do the hiring and firing football wise; surely that scenario had to be the main focus of the decision to remove Flitcroft? Just seems a bit odd to me.
Thanks for the swift update, Mike.
It;'s a crying shame that it's all gone pear-shaped since Xmas. Most fans would argue the situation we are now in was, sadly, entirely forseeable, with an injury backlog and no proven strikers signed in January. And that's what so depressing about it all. In all cases, we needed to act much earlier than we have done - a case in point being what happened last night - but we are where we are and still, just about, in with a glimmer of light. Let's hope we can take it down to the wire and - more importantly - have learned lessons from the past 18 months that will not get repeated.
I for one am not surprise at the departure of Flitcroft. As I’ve said before and due diligence done on him would have shown up a pretty unpopular person with not a great CV. We can credit it him for the academy players, but the point is he brought in the team that developed them, he didn’t develop them himself, so for me it’s Will and his team that deserves the credit. No one can defend the poor transfer windows over the last few seasons, and as he is responsibly for on the pitch then the blame does fall at his feet. There is no buttering this all up, it’s a poor squad that probably deserves to go down with the performances that they have put in recently.
I didn’t go to the meeting on Thursday, but I’m sure Matt Hancock left with his head spinning and he was put in a very difficult position. As always it seems he handled himself well. So where do we go from here? Will a new DOF come in to assist the owners on the football side. Who knows, I would imagine that is what they would want. But it’s essential that they appoint the right person this time. It would be a miracle if we stayed up, and it appears that the club is almost admitting we will be in a lower league next season. But while it’s not over till the fat lady sings, let’s back the lads and see where it takes us.
I never trusted the bloke from day 1.
Although a pile on is never nice, he was absolutely full of it.
The proof is in the pudding.
Thanks for the report as always Mike.
Well I for one wasn't shouting for DF to go .
He brought in Will Ryder who is bringing in young want to be the best footballers I believe in flitcrofts tenure one went Villa and one went Man City bringing in thousands to the club and the academy seems to me to be going from strength to strength.
However he will be judged on 3 poor transfer windows however after first one there with things going on what we're out of his control, (DC etc players playing diabolically)meaning we finished season very poorly and annoyed a fair few supporters who have not renewed meaning less money going into the club to buy the quality we obviously have needed as a fair few were unhappy that DC after hearing the rumours why he had to go they had no choice .
He bough in Arblaster and Devine and I feel up until olllie got injured v Boro we tried play football the right way and at times it was a very good watch, yes at times it seemed slow and boring but better than what being subjected to lately with missing midfield out altogether in fact it's gone completely the other way dinosaur football really poor and that may be down to inpatient fans, who want see up and at them football and you can tell some fans are stuck in there ways change to them is alien well you tell me how is J Wilson ever going benefit from a high ball down the middle he isn't and he hasn't.
So I admire Flitcroft for trying change the way we play .
On the ground with movement /speed is the way play not pass back to goalie to hit Masseys head another player who's heading ability is non existent or lately worse than that straight into touch .
All in all we got promoted one season too soon.
However for me the reason we are in the position we are in league is down to not bringing that striker in who scores goals .
We should have speculated to accumulated.
Just think if Billy Sharp was signed before season started.
I guarantee you Vale Park be buzzing.
The fact it isn't is down to a number of things not just Flitcroft .
You cannot tell me these players ain't good enough I've seen with my own eyes they are very capable .
So to me they should take 67 per cent of the blame .
I don't like the body language of a lot of these players .
They have a lot to do make any kind of forgiveness from the Vale paying public
Good luck to Flitcroft in his next job .
In future walk before you run .
Off the pitch and the academy brilliant .
But ultimately as Vale lovers we only care what represents us on the pitch .
It better he a damn sight better from this day forwards
OK ... on David Flitcroft - Hindsight is easy but when Darren Moore was appointed I recall looking at the composition of his team. He has a “Lead” 1st Team Coach plus a 1st Team Coach *and* an Assistant Manager. I thought two things for a start - well three actually (As my mum would say, “How much?!!’ That was first). So, second thing: ‘Don’t the players see such information and think, ‘Goodness! These people (the Shanahans) are bloody serious [that is, in investing in such a team] maybe we should just pull our finger out - at least a bit.’ 3rd thing - With a “cast of thousands” to support Darren Moore I wonder what Rudgie thinks as he, metaphorically as it were, stands there with his paint brush in his hand?!! I now realise that I should have wondered, ‘So, Darren himself, two 1st team coaches and an Assistant Manager. Who needs a Director of Football? …. In League 1?! A bit of common sense seems to have prevailed. Now, where’s that file marked: “Likely Aussie youngsters” - David Flitcroft must have lost his copy😊😊”
OK ... on David Flitcroft - Hindsight is easy but when Darren Moore was appointed I recall looking at the composition of his team. He has a “Lead” 1st Team Coach plus a 1st Team Coach *and* an Assistant Manager. I thought two things for a start - well three actually (As my mum would say, “How much?!!’ That was first). So, second thing: ‘Don’t the players see such information and think, ‘Goodness! These people (the Shanahans) are bloody serious [that is, in investing in such a team] maybe we should just pull our finger out - at least a bit.’ 3rd thing - With a “cast of thousands” to support Darren Moore I wonder what Rudgie thinks as he, metaphorically as it were, stands there with his paint brush in his hand?!! I now realise that I should have wondered, ‘So, Darren himself, two 1st team coaches and an Assistant Manager. Who needs a Director of Football? …. In League 1?! A bit of common sense seems to have prevailed. Now, where’s that file marked: “Likely Aussie youngsters” - David Flitcroft must have lost his copy😊😊”
Hm, so if the decision was well thought out why was Matt not able to answer questions about who would do the hiring and firing football wise; surely that scenario had to be the main focus of the decision to remove Flitcroft? Just seems a bit odd to me.