rjdgull
TFF member
Admin
Posts: 12,227 
|
Post by rjdgull on Aug 27, 2012 8:52:17 GMT
After two cracking home games, it is another long trip up North but at least there are no mid week fixtures either side of this match. After our first win of the season, we will be looking to keep the momentum going against a Vale side that have had a good start to the season despite remaining in administration. A bit like Plymouth, Vale, have had to endure a businessman, this time in the form of Keith Rydar not proceeding with the purchase of the club despite being named preferred bidder back in April. It does seem likely that Vale will continue to operate over the season regardless although they desperately need new parties to take over the club! However, with Mickey Adams in charge, Port Vale are a tough nut to crack and despite their problems some fans are still looking to a possible promotion campaign. Port Vale are fresh from a 1-3 away victory to Morecambe on Saturday and although they lost 2-0 at Accy, never an easy place to go, some fans feel this was a tad unfortunate and a good 3-0 opening day victory home to Barnet actually sees them above us in the table. They have lost the dangerous Richards over the summer but Pope continues to be a threat already scoring a couple of goals and Dodds needs to be watched closely. It was a cracking match at Plainmoor on Saturday and the replacements Easton and Thompson slotted seamlessly into the team. It is likely that Danny will be back for this but it would be very harsh to drop Thompson and I suspect Danny will be there to add a bit of strength on the bench, particularly as he has been out for a month. The real question is how to plug the large Downes size hole at the back. A loan is definitely an option but after saying he wanted to trust in youth first last week, it is a bit difficult to not select McKenzie for this one off game. The defender did OK in the PSFs and if he does proves his spurs, it gives Ling that back up option without having to dip into the loan market for the rest of the season.  This is another difficult game but looking at the two teams respective fixtures, we certainly have had the tougher start and I think that we will be asking some difficult questions and have a good chance of coming away with all three points for our first away win. |
|
rjdgull
TFF member
Admin
Posts: 12,227
|
Post by rjdgull on Aug 28, 2012 6:13:27 GMT
|
|
JamesB
TFF member
Posts: 1,526
|
Post by JamesB on Aug 28, 2012 10:43:12 GMT
The admission of a mistake there. When he signed Cruise he said he was signing what he wanted: someone who could cover centre-back and left-back. We've now been left with no senior centre-back back-up. I'd say any signing ought to be longer term, not just to cover this one match, especially given Downes' injury history
The first big mistake of Ling's reign so far, if you ask me
|
|
|
|
Post by Swanny on Aug 29, 2012 8:44:25 GMT
With such a small squad we need players to be adaptable. It appears Cruise is not as adaptable as Ling thought. It seems a similiar story with Jarvis, Ling recently admitted he needs to play central striker as he is not a winger. I can't help feeling at this stage that the players Cruise and Jarvis replaced, namely Rowe-Turner and Atieno, WERE more flexible and made more of an impact when used. For example, Jarvis does not seem to be able to hold the ball up for a central striker, he has a habit of falling over! Time will tell and I hope Cruise and Jarvis improve with time. Otherwise this could prove to be our undoing this season by not having adequate cover in key positions.
Personally I hope MacKenzie is given a chance against Port Vale, afterall it's just for one game and the player and squad as a whole will learn a lot from the experience. I liked what I saw of MacKenzie against Leeds in the PSF - he was not bad scoring with his first touch!
|
|
petef
Match Room Manager
Posts: 4,626
|
Post by petef on Aug 29, 2012 9:04:44 GMT
With such a small squad we need players to be adaptable. It appears Cruise is not as adaptable as Ling thought. It seems a similiar story with Jarvis, Ling recently admitted he needs to play central striker as he is not a winger. I can't help feeling at this stage that the players Cruise and Jarvis replaced, namely Rowe-Turner and Atieno, WERE more flexible and made more of an impact when used. For example, Jarvis does not seem to be able to hold the ball up for a central striker, he has a habit of falling over! Time will tell and I hope Cruise and Jarvis improve with time. Otherwise this could prove to be our undoing this season by not having adequate cover in key positions. Personally I hope MacKenzie is given a chance against Port Vale, afterall it's just for one game and the player and squad as a whole will learn a lot from the experience. I liked what I saw of MacKenzie against Leeds in the PSF - he was not bad scoring with his first touch! In all fairness Cruise hasn't had enough games to really show his worth and has been out of the game with injury for a good while though I do fear for his languid style. Jarvis wont get a run in his preferred position unless Rene is injured or suspended, god forbid. Personally I would have taken Rowe Turner, who had improved dramatically and is physically stronger, and Atieno over both players. Lingy , for whatever reasons thought differently, which may not all be for footballing reasons and will hopefully prove me wrong. Our hopes of going one step further this season will surely rest on the quality of our bench. |
|
davethegull
TFF member
Posts: 1,094
Favourite Player: Dave Caldwell
|
Post by davethegull on Aug 29, 2012 9:24:59 GMT
Well at least we don't get a load of old pony as we did from the previous bloke (i won't call him a manager). ML has proven so far that he knows how to call it and if he's made a mistake to rectify it. I doubt there is enough time to get a loanee in that would be able to gel straight in. Therefore it's time for young MacKenzie to get his chance. It's not ideal but he knows the team, tactics, set up and what's expected of him. If he got the chance to play his debut in such an important game then I'm sure he'd bite your arm off. I doubt ML will put any pressure on him and just tell him to milk it in and enjoy himself. So go for it young'un, show us all what a good player you are!!
I think we'll nick this one 1-2 with Mac getting MOM.
|
|
JamesB
TFF member
Posts: 1,526
|
Post by JamesB on Aug 29, 2012 11:53:27 GMT
Rowe-Turner has apparently been playing centre-back under Buckle at Luton
Also, I've only seen Mackenzie play once and that was from a distance in the Stoke match, but from what I've heard, he doesn't seem to be a prospect of the Thompson mould - different type of player, I know, but he's not rated as highly
I would definitely sign someone - not a loanee, someone permanent. There are plenty of good centre-backs out there and it's clear that we need one. Money should not be a problem as there is (or should be) £500,000 sitting there that we made this summer plus freed up money from Eunan's wages
|
|
rjdgull
TFF member
Admin
Posts: 12,227
|
Post by rjdgull on Aug 30, 2012 12:34:20 GMT
|
|
Rags
TFF member
Posts: 1,210
|
Post by Rags on Aug 30, 2012 15:25:17 GMT
Rowe-Turner has apparently been playing centre-back under Buckle at Luton Not as first choice, more to do with Luton having both first-choice centre-backs out suspended and injured. He's played LRT at centre-back, left-back and left-midfield so far; and has continued in his modern tactical approach of the false-right-back (no False-9's with BuckleVision) by sticking Alex Lawless there. Alex much prefers attacking midfielder to the defensive role he played last season, and the RB role at Luton does give him the opportunity to attack more so maybe he's happy there. But LRT is not yet of Football League standard at centre-back, make no mistake. |
|
chelstongull
TFF member
Posts: 6,759
Favourite Player: Jason Fowler
|
Post by chelstongull on Aug 30, 2012 17:00:17 GMT
Still think we should have got a more experienced CB earlier and a winger to replace Thompson who is covering for Macklin, still what do I know. |
|
Rags
TFF member
Posts: 1,210
|
Post by Rags on Aug 30, 2012 17:31:22 GMT
Still think we should have got a more experienced CB earlier and a winger to replace Thompson who is covering for Macklin, still what do I know. Or someone who could spell their name correctly. Kirtys? 6 letters and 3 of them are wrong. Whatever happened to a proper grammar school education? Harrumph!  Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells (ret'd) |
|
rjdgull
TFF member
Admin
Posts: 12,227
|
Post by rjdgull on Aug 30, 2012 17:32:51 GMT
Still think we should have got a more experienced CB earlier and a winger to replace Thompson who is covering for Macklin, still what do I know. I will tell you after Saturday!  Fairly relaxed about wingers though, Thompson and Macklin to supplement Danny and Bodin should be enough IMO. |
|
|
|
Post by ohtobeatplainmoor on Aug 30, 2012 21:52:59 GMT
I think it's a sensible move from Lingy. To announce now that McKenzie will be starting the game shows a lot of faith in him - I think that having the experience of Saah and Nicholson with Easton, Mansell and Poke around him will be fantastic. If he goes out there and makes a mistake then he will some strong characters around to support him and bring him through. If we lose, so it be, but I don't think that it will come down to one single player.
We haven't had many players come through our youth side to make big moves and have long established careers at much higher levels than we can ever expect to play at, but you only have to look at Mike Williamson, Darren Moore, Wayne Thomas and Garry Monk to see that there have been some fantastic centre-halves. We can't *expect* any player of such a young age to turn-out to be like any of the aforementioned, but McKenzie is very highly spoken of.
The option simply wasn't there to get an experienced centre-half for a one-off match. Maybe Ling will add someone tomorrow (if he does I'm fairly sure that it won't be a centre-half) but I don't think that he will. We've got so many younger players who have probably proved in a training situation that they could make it in the game but getting match time is something totally different - they are the ones that need to get to show Ling one way or another whether they can add to the first team. Adding a youth team player from another club that we have no prospect of bringing to the club for the longer term is counterproductive - if the time comes that the players that we have are not ready to play just yet then I'm sure that he will make a move. For every young player like Adam Smith (who I though was excellent) there are ten players that will come and will not be ready for first team action.
|
|
rjdgull
TFF member
Admin
Posts: 12,227
|
Post by rjdgull on Aug 31, 2012 6:23:24 GMT
Although we could be starting with a couple of 18 year olds, there is a nice age spread to the side. Oastler and Bodin are in their early 20s and their second full season. Poke, Saah, Morris and Rene are in their mid 20s with the more experienced Manse, Nico and Easton among the fittest members in the squad.
Ling is always upfront with his selections ands I'm sure Kirtys will be targeted, possibly in a Port Vale 4-4-2 formation. We need our midfield to dominate to provide that protection and release the front three to keep them on the back foot i .e more of a home attacking performance.
|
|
rjdgull
TFF member
Admin
Posts: 12,227
|
Post by rjdgull on Aug 31, 2012 11:11:37 GMT
www.torquayunited.com/news/article/danny-still-doubtful-343863.aspxA bit more team news with Danny still a doubt, only able to participate in half of a training session yesterday and with but an outside chance of making this trip, I think Thompson is now guaranteed to start regardless. He should be back for the Plymouth game next week though. On a more positive note, Macklin, Lathrope and Halpin are only weeks away from coming back as opposed to months with the first two's injuries not being as bad as first feared.
|
|
