Port Vale (h) 30th March

[GrangeParkCobbler]

I agree that being over £2m in the red is very worrying, they covered it pretty well on the latest It’s All Cobblers to me podcast and amazingly we are about mid table in the debtors league table - Colchester are something like £18m in the red and MK are £7m in debt to name but 2, it just goes to show how football is the most bonkers “business” going.

We are actually £5.5m in the red.... "CREDITORS....Amounts falling due within one year £5,576,108"

The £2.2 million was losses from LAST SEASON........The £5.5m is accrued since Thomas and Bower took over the club.

Apparently we have an asset worth over £2m...namely the East Stand which is somehow classed in the accounts as a tangible asset as it is an improvement to the leasehold property.
I don;t think the club can tear it down and sell it for £2m...so that's a bit of creative accounting right there.

Anyway...this is the match thread.......someone will tell us soon to keep this sort of stuff in the Redev thread!

I believe the pitch looked nice and green today.......

[Irchy cob]

Fair enough, that’s why I try to stay away from the redevelopment/financial side of things - I willingly admit to not understanding it enough to comment with any certainty.

[Coolcat]

Well playing ugly is not getting results now is it? As others have said you could maybe tolerate it if we were winning, but his luck of the last few weeks has finally run out.

He is so negative it's unbelievable!  To be drawing at home against 10 men and withdraw a forward is frankly unacceptable in a game we needed to win to keep faint play off hopes alive.

And yes I would, end of the season, shake Keith's hand and thank him for keeping us up, but I'm no way would I trust him to recruit over the summer and as I've said before I do not believe he is the man to take us forward, so shake hands and part ways.

I don't expect that to happen btw, not unless we are taken over. So we're stuck trusting he gets recruitment right and makes wholesale changes and totally changed his style of play. Otherwise it will be another season of mid table mediocrity  mixed with a flurt or two with relegation.

Also if he doent change watch people vote with their feet and attendances plummit

Agree with this!
No, the absolute lightweight Morgan Roberts et-al are not the answer...well not yet certainly!

Every ball seemed to go back to Pierre today - who did nothing wrong but not the way forward obviously!
Taylor...

[BMON]

On the other hand, from our inception KT has been committed to starting with what we actually experience in the cup, not with product categories or marketing considerations or fashion. It is true that we took into account some extrinsic factors like value, rarity and sustainable intentions into account when we narrowed the number of very high-rated player from about 15 to 10, but ultimately,the quality and distinction in the skill, is determined by blind-tasting and as reflected in rating, was the entry point to consideration for the list and the primary influence on where team landed on it.

I am sharing my experience about the game.i bought this season ticket in 1994.the style and design of this club is poor and this club is really comfortable in not achieving .but this means there are better teams and this policy is not long lasting because the soul of my club has been removed in only 25 years .so I complained to the club but they don't give me positive response. the customer service of NTFC  is not so good.this club is not value for money.and i  suggest many are staring to believe the samething  

[Coolcat]

We are actually £5.5m in the red.... "CREDITORS....Amounts falling due within one year £5,576,108"

The £2.2 million was losses from LAST SEASON........The £5.5m is accrued since Thomas and Bower took over the club.

Apparently we have an asset worth over £2m...namely the East Stand which is somehow classed in the accounts as a tangible asset as it is an improvement to the leasehold property.
I don;t think the club can tear it down and sell it for £2m...so that's a bit of creative accounting right there.

Anyway...this is the match thread.......someone will tell us soon to keep this sort of stuff in the Redev thread!

I believe the pitch looked nice and green today.......

Beds told me as much today as we made our way from the pub to today's game Northampton Town v Port Vale...thread back on track!  

[everbrite]

I take your point and I posted before that interview .
However , KC takes no responsibility himself .
Part of it is how we are set up . We have no plan B and nil creativity.
I didn’t hear him answering why he took off Williams and left in Sordell who did nothing all game.
He also flooded the midfield with players that did absolutely zilch when they came on .
That is Curle’s fault and maybe it’s him that needs to go to the bus stop as he puts it

The trouble is that if the subject is about Curle or even an excuse to launch an 'opinion' on him your opinion comes across as a bit manic.  Now I am not calling you a bigot or even a biased joker but you ignore the facts. KC has guided us to League safety when we looked potentially to do a 'Chesterfield'. He even got us looking enviously at the play offs! He has inherited an unbalanced side worsened by inconsistent players and forced to move on our luxury players. I for one am grateful for what he has achieved for NTFC; there has been some dark moments like today but there has also been some good moments too. Not too many tho'.

[everbrite]

As I have posted elsewhere.......he is a bang average manager without a promotion on his CV.

And seriously, we are losing £40k a week, that is not sustainable. Without a significant cash injection from Bower/Thomas or someone else, next year will be all about cutbacks. I can't see much quality incoming over the summer.

CW achievement was not much better and KC reminds me a little of CW!

[Coolcat]

The trouble is that if the subject is about Curle or even an excuse to launch an 'opinion' on him your opinion comes across as a bit manic.  Now I am not calling you a bigot or even a biased joker but you ignore the facts. KC has guided us to League safety when we looked potentially to do a 'Chesterfield'. He even got us looking enviously at the play offs! He has inherited an unbalanced side worsened by inconsistent players and forced to move on our luxury players. I for one am grateful for what he has achieved for NTFC; there has been some dark moments like today but there has also been some good moments too. Not too many tho'.

But if Curle had all his 'own players', we'd be Carlisle Utd... brilliant! Good results at Tranmere today... good win for the Spires!

This 'not his players' excuse, rolled out every time we get a new manager... quickly followed by 'lets see what the January transfer window brings' is lame, tiresome bollox!

[everbrite]

He's explained the reason for that, the players can't play a pass and go game. He admitted to get results we've had to play ugly.
What do you suggest, sack another manager?

I admit we were awful today without spark or proper leadership with the side especially in the second half seemingly falling apart. Lot of hindsight opinions with at least two posters overdoing the criticism. What ever the thinly disguised insults hurled at KC and the players does
not mitigate the fact that as soon as the players kick off the Manager influence is diminished. I found his team selection ok; in hindsight (the curse of this message board) it is all too easy to criticize especially in an nonconstructive manner. As a sop to his critics would have retained Hoskins, Bridge was disappointing as was Goode who was clueless at times. Taylor was at least committed and tried but not always in the right direction. As for the poster who said Pierre was set for bigger things (Aston Villa) .....................  . Not on that showing he isn't! Thought that Sordell was remarkably ineffective and Williams not much better whose display was marked by slips and hesitation. Only Cornell performed with any distinction.

[everbrite]

Curle shrugs his shoulders and reaches for a Red Bull. He steps back, takes a slug and farts noisily. The plastic football he has been carrying falls to the floor and lands with a dull thud. The colour disappears from his cheeks as the game / interview peters out. It is now time for the smell from his rotten fart to reach the nostrils of an apathetic chairman but that guy is soft on turds and refuses to acknowledge the stench that engulfs him.

Terrible comments are you of sound mind?

[Mathius]

Curle shrugs his shoulders and reaches for a Red Bull. He steps back, takes a slug and farts noisily. The plastic football he has been carrying falls to the floor and lands with a dull thud. The colour disappears from his cheeks as the game / interview peters out. It is now time for the smell from his rotten fart to reach the nostrils of an apathetic chairman but that guy is soft on turds and refuses to acknowledge the stench that engulfs him.

I can smell it from here.

[Cordwainer2]

As we are safe in mid table with no chance of going up or down, I was quite looking forward to the game as I had nothing to worry about. Hoping for some decent football and a good game. What I saw was one of the most inept performances with complete inability to do even the simple things. How can professional players be so incompetent? I have never left early but nearly did yesterday.

[TownOwl]

That incident was disgraceful. Pierre gave him a bit of a blast and Taylor visibly went into a sulk and sauntered back with his head down as the counter attack disappeared down the field. Luckily it was snuffed out by others because Taylor wasn't back in position until after we'd regained possession. Grow up, man! He's quick enough to dish it out but obviously can't take it back.

I somehow forgot to comment on that. From what I saw, Pierre and Taylor were equally culpable for the initial incident.
Pierre then rants at Taylor whilst the opposition counter. That's both our centre backs off the field at the wrong (attacking) end while Vale pour men forward.
However, immediately after his rant, Pierre storms back down the field whilst Taylor has a sulk.
By the time the counter is finally snuffed out, Pierre is more or less back in position. Only two of our players at that point are still back in the Vale half. Sordell (fair enough he's playing up top and holding position on the half way line), and Taylor. He'd made no more effort than a token jog. At that point he was fully 40 yards further behind play than Pierre, who he'd been stood too close to moments earlier. And to think he was captain. I know which one I'd rather have representing the club.

Also... Given the look on Williams' face when he came off I'd be very surprised if he was the one complaining of fatigue.
Whoever it was, Curle should have subbed them at half time and gave them the next month to do double fitness sessions before they can play again.
Wilder's in depth homework to learn the character of a potential signing is something we need to copy in future to avoid signing so many without the mental character to succeed.  The best teams of Carr, Atkins and Wilder were players who knew they weren't world beaters, understood and embraced their strengths and weaknesses, and so worked hard and played as a team to succeed. This lot clearly think they are a lot better than they are, even after a relegation and a crappy season in the basement division.

[guest2995]

I somehow forgot to comment on that. From what I saw, Pierre and Taylor were equally culpable for the initial incident.
Pierre then rants at Taylor whilst the opposition counter. That's both our centre backs off the field at the wrong (attacking) end while Vale pour men forward.
However, immediately after his rant, Pierre storms back down the field whilst Taylor has a sulk.
By the time the counter is finally snuffed out, Pierre is more or less back in position. Only two of our players at that point are still back in the Vale half. Sordell (fair enough he's playing up top and holding position on the half way line), and Taylor. He'd made no more effort than a token jog. At that point he was fully 40 yards further behind play than Pierre, who he'd been stood too close to moments earlier. And to think he was captain. I know which one I'd rather have representing the club.

Also... Given the look on Williams' face when he came off I'd be very surprised if he was the one complaining of fatigue.
Whoever it was, Curle should have subbed them at half time and gave them the next month to do double fitness sessions before they can play again.
Wilder's in depth homework to learn the character of a potential signing is something we need to copy in future to avoid signing so many without the mental character to succeed.  The best teams of Carr, Atkins and Wilder were players who knew they weren't world beaters, understood and embraced their strengths and weaknesses, and so worked hard and played as a team to succeed. This lot clearly think they are a lot better than they are, even after a relegation and a crappy season in the basement division.

Taylor is nowhere near fit enough . Nowhere near .
He blows out of his *rse .

[Quintonside]

I somehow forgot to comment on that. From what I saw, Pierre and Taylor were equally culpable for the initial incident.
Pierre then rants at Taylor whilst the opposition counter. That's both our centre backs off the field at the wrong (attacking) end while Vale pour men forward.
However, immediately after his rant, Pierre storms back down the field whilst Taylor has a sulk.
By the time the counter is finally snuffed out, Pierre is more or less back in position. Only two of our players at that point are still back in the Vale half. Sordell (fair enough he's playing up top and holding position on the half way line), and Taylor. He'd made no more effort than a token jog. At that point he was fully 40 yards further behind play than Pierre, who he'd been stood too close to moments earlier. And to think he was captain. I know which one I'd rather have representing the club.

Also... Given the look on Williams' face when he came off I'd be very surprised if he was the one complaining of fatigue.
Whoever it was, Curle should have subbed them at half time and gave them the next month to do double fitness sessions before they can play again.
Wilder's in depth homework to learn the character of a potential signing is something we need to copy in future to avoid signing so many without the mental character to succeed.  The best teams of Carr, Atkins and Wilder were players who knew they weren't world beaters, understood and embraced their strengths and weaknesses, and so worked hard and played as a team to succeed. This lot clearly think they are a lot better than they are, even after a relegation and a crappy season in the basement division.

I just gave him MOM, i forgot about this incident.   I agree we would rather have Pierre, but aside from this incident, i actually thought Taylor was better on Saturday.  At least he wanted the ball.

We are desperate for a centre midfielder who actually wants the ball!!!  People slated Grimes last season but regardless of how he was playing or what the score was, he consistently asked for the ball and tried to make things happen!

[pattcobb]

So first game for a while...
For a start we scored too early and although we had decent bit and pieces in the rest of the first half, the players thought it would be easy.
I could make a case for offside for the first Vale goal as the guy came back from offside and that's who the pass was meant for, watch it again to prove my point. But there was hardly a whimper from our players, same as for the penalty, that I take as a sign of them being not too bothered.
What summed the game up for me was the attitude to the free kick after the sending off. None of the "forward players" stamped their authority on it hence Goode took it.

The second half looked like players who had had a bollocking but were sticking two fingers up to KC because of it. "how dare you bollock me I'm a decent player you know"

Yes the subs were a bit strange but quite frankly any one of eleven could have come off and Curle wanted to change the system. Trouble is first thing Jonjoe did was give the ball away and commit a foul, hardly an impact sub!
I liked Curle's post match interview and I suggest that with his own players he will come in on or slightly above his budget in terms of league position. So over to KT then what's that budget gonna be?

[Coolcat]

I just gave him MOM, i forgot about this incident.   I agree we would rather have Pierre, but aside from this incident, i actually thought Taylor was better on Saturday.  At least he wanted the ball.

We are desperate for a centre midfielder who actually wants the ball!!!  People slated Grimes last season but regardless of how he was playing or what the score was, he consistently asked for the ball and tried to make things happen!

Hate to single out but, whenever the whole talk of players not giving a s**t, on here, social media, Chron arises, it's Taylor who always springs to mind first!
Also (possibly unfairly on just highlights) noticed Crooks ambling around doing little or nothing for a good four of Derby's six goals against Rotherham on Saturday.

[guest2995]

It’s all very well KC saying that the players aren’t good enough and they change or he changes them but the players have no forum to defend themselves .
Some may think his style of football is shocking and they don’t want to aimlessly leather it all the time .
He may be saying that to protect his own sorry *rse .
Some of those players after all are his choices . The players he has brought in have made little impression and so he has himself to blame .
It would be interesting to know what some of those players think to his comments .
Don’t get me wrong - I am not protecting some poor performances but Curle has to take some blame

[threeinabed]

It’s all very well KC saying that the players aren’t good enough and they change or he changes them but the players have no forum to defend themselves .

If only they played a game once a week, that would give them a chance to prove him and the 4 previous managers wrong.
Sadly they do, and they been dog s*** as a squad both football wise and mentally for almost 3 years now.
f*** them all off and start again.

[Irchy cob]

It’s all very well KC saying that the players aren’t good enough and they change or he changes them but the players have no forum to defend themselves .
Some may think his style of football is shocking and they don’t want to aimlessly leather it all the time .
He may be saying that to protect his own sorry *rse .
Some of those players after all are his choices . The players he has brought in have made little impression and so he has himself to blame .
It would be interesting to know what some of those players think to his comments .
Don’t get me wrong - I am not protecting some poor performances but Curle has to take some blame

Is that an April fool?! We are talking about the same players who have constantly been on social media or interviews over the last couple of years talking themselves up and deflecting blame?