Port Vale at home Saturday 7th August 2021

[CobblerForever]

Some random thoughts;

 - Guthrie, Horsfall and Roberts - Very good.

 - toilets in the corner between the North and East Stand - disgraceful condition. Sort it out Thomas. You wouldn't want your family using them.

 - team looks like it needs time to gelll together. Very stop, start today and seemed to go back on to their back foot post the controversial sending off - clear foul but probably a dark yellow.

 - McWilliams and Koiki impressive when they came on. Really good attempt by McW as well as shoring up the team defensively. Koiki will excite the crowd with his runs.

 - Kabamba much better than what we had last season.

 - Ashley-Seal better than last season, vital goal for him and us does a dire interview.

[Mysterious Curle]

Our new keeper looked really good, confident and came and claimed crosses. 8
McGowan at right back, oh dear he’s so slow, will get mullered against anyone with a winger. 4
Horsfall MoM performance 9 MMOTM
Guthrie looked OK 6
Mills defensively looks vulnerable 6
Pinnock looks classy, pacy 7
Flores oh dear looks poor, see why he was hooked for Shaun.4
Lewis played well put himself around 7
Connolly headless chicken 5
BAS took his goal well and then……was BAS 5
Kabamba looks a good signing, BAS take note of his hold up play 8

Shaun has to start, would like to have seen the Suds lad.

 

Generally mirrors my comments post Cambridge!

3 points though so we can’t grumble. Hopefully Brady addresses the weaknesses that are pretty obvious!

[west stand oap]

I cannot see how anybody thinks we were hanging on at the end. A deserved win and the goal came at a good time as PV had a spell of pressure and we had not really tested their keeper. Very fortunate when Wilson missed an absolute sitter but after their 'keeper was sent off for the second time in a week PV offered little offensively. When we got the ball down we played some good football.
How nice to have a 'keeper who knows how to keep the ball on the pitch after some our recent 'keepers. The defence was pretty sound and the midfield will improve when McWilliams is in the starting 11. As in the pre season games Pinnock was impressive and Kabamba won a lot of ball, held it up and laid it off well, also has a few tricks. Koiki did well when introduced running at their defense with good ball control but got a little greedy when he should have played in Rose. All in all a enjoyable game with few negatives.

[everbrite]

Beginning to think some of you watched a different game to me!

Roberts looked steady and reliable. To me both full backs played ok, McGowan looks a real find. Bit disappointed with Flores who for me did not do enough in midfield.Lewis the stronger of the two and came to the fore second half. Koiki when he came on did some strong surges upfield and was difficult to knock off the ball. Pinnock always looked capable of beating his man. Connolly*, speed is his strongest asset and if we can get the ball to him more often he will unsettle many Div 2 defences. Kabamba looked dangerous with the ball at his feet and can play a pass or two. Rose when he came on certainly unsettled their defence and put in  some tough challengers. The underlying fact to me was the simple fact we were the better team which is why we won! Also we should have had at least 1 further goal. As for their Goalkeeper . Didn't really understand why Benny was hauled off but McWilliams when he came on added a bit of steele to the midfield. Port Vale looked a reasonable tough tackling,  mud or bust League two side who cant score for toffee.

* The new Robson?

[everbrite]

I cannot see how anybody thinks we were hanging on at the end. A deserved win and the goal came at a good time as PV had a spell of pressure and we had not really tested their keeper. Very fortunate when Wilson missed an absolute sitter but after their 'keeper was sent off for the second time in a week PV offered little offensively. When we got the ball down we played some good football.
How nice to have a 'keeper who knows how to keep the ball on the pitch after some our recent 'keepers. The defence was pretty sound and the midfield will improve when McWilliams is in the starting 11. As in the pre season games Pinnock was impressive and Kabamba won a lot of ball, held it up and laid it off well, also has a few tricks. Koiki did well when introduced running at their defense with good ball control but got a little greedy when he should have played in Rose. All in all a enjoyable game with few negatives.

Their no 3 was man marking Connolly all game who also put in a great cross from which we should have put away. Port Vale were defensively strong and their midfield ...err tenacious. Nobody up front for them!

[guest3338]

Only my second game since May 2019.
Roberts 7
Horsefall 7
Guthrie 5
Mills 5
McGowan 3
Flores  5
Lewis 6
Pinnock 7, my motm
Connolly 5
BAS 4
Kabamba 5, not getting the love in atm
Rose 5
MacWilliams 5, he might be one of our own but still not getting the love fest.
Koiku 9, from what little time he was on, could be another Holmes or another Hilderberto.

I'm not as positive as some on here. We got lucky today. Awful miss by Vale and a fcuk up by their keeper (good decision imo by the ref to send off) Thought Sowerby would have done a better job than either central midfielders. Think we'll do well to finish midtable.
Genuinely refreshing to see a squad without super Sam. I wish him a speedy recovery and return to full fitness, but the thought that he's gonna be once again undroppable when fit really doesn't sit well.

McGowan trying to do a Charlie Goode first half and falling over instead of just getting rid. Crowd berating ref for not giving a foul haha. Oh how I've missed the partisan and totally biased Sixfields atmosphere.
Where did the ref get six minutes from at the end and why did he blow up when the ball struck him only to blow again for fulltime literally a few seconds later. Otherwise generally I thought his debut was a good one.

I worry that if Brady gets the boot and CC gets the job it'll become even more like watching paint dry. We have to give them time to gel but I didn't see an awful lot of creativity out there and fear we will be relying on not conceding and sneaking 1-0 wins.

Biggest miss for me was  Feelgood and Baldy. Wtf?
I didn't get where I am today without knowing we will need plenty of garments ironing and rubber tree dusting this season.

[west stand oap]

Now what happened the last time we won our opening game of the season 1-0?

[filbertstreetcobbler]

Now what happened the last time we won our opening game of the season 1-0?

what happened? this is my first season

[guest3338]

Now what happened the last time we won our opening game of the season 1-0?

Was there a coronation?

[ntfclad]

Only my second game since May 2019.
Roberts 7
Horsefall 7
Guthrie 5
Mills 5
McGowan 3
Flores  5
Lewis 6
Pinnock 7, my motm
Connolly 5
BAS 4
Kabamba 5, not getting the love in atm
Rose 5
MacWilliams 5, he might be one of our own but still not getting the love fest.
Koiku 9, from what little time he was on, could be another Holmes or another Hilderberto.

I'm not as positive as some on here. We got lucky today. Awful miss by Vale and a fcuk up by their keeper (good decision imo by the ref to send off) Thought Sowerby would have done a better job than either central midfielders. Think we'll do well to finish midtable.
Genuinely refreshing to see a squad without super Sam. I wish him a speedy recovery and return to full fitness, but the thought that he's gonna be once again undroppable when fit really doesn't sit well.

McGowan trying to do a Charlie Goode first half and falling over instead of just getting rid. Crowd berating ref for not giving a foul haha. Oh how I've missed the partisan and totally biased Sixfields atmosphere.
Where did the ref get six minutes from at the end and why did he blow up when the ball struck him only to blow again for fulltime literally a few seconds later. Otherwise generally I thought his debut was a good one.

I worry that if Brady gets the boot and CC gets the job it'll become even more like watching paint dry. We have to give them time to gel but I didn't see an awful lot of creativity out there and fear we will be relying on not conceding and sneaking 1-0 wins.

Biggest miss for me was  Feelgood and Baldy. Wtf?
I didn't get where I am today without knowing we will need plenty of garments ironing and rubber tree dusting this season.

BAS 4? The match winner? 4? I’m not his biggest fan but that’s a stupid rating

[guest3429]

How good did Koiki look when he came on at left wing? Was defensively poor at Cambridge, but looks the business on the wing.

Oh the Hokey Koiki Koiki. 

[Welly Cobb]

All about opinions as I dont remember Pinnock doing anything myself, and thought Kabamba is that missing piece of the jigsaw Curle was searching for.

[guest3063]

BAS 4? The match winner? 4? I’m not his biggest fan but that’s a stupid rating

As is 3 for McGowan and 5 for Guthrie. I think Guthrie was a 7 and McGowan 6.

[guest3063]

what happened? this is my first season

We won the league with 99 points.

[Mysterious Curle]

Beginning to think some of you watched a different game to me!

Roberts looked steady and reliable. To me both full backs played ok, McGowan looks a real find. Bit disappointed with Flores who for me did not do enough in midfield.Lewis the stronger of the two and came to the fore second half. Koiki when he came on did some strong surges upfield and was difficult to knock off the ball. Pinnock always looked capable of beating his man. Connolly*, speed is his strongest asset and if we can get the ball to him more often he will unsettle many Div 2 defences. Kabamba looked dangerous with the ball at his feet and can play a pass or two. Rose when he came on certainly unsettled their defence and put in  some tough challengers. The underlying fact to me was the simple fact we were the better team which is why we won! Also we should have had at least 1 further goal. As for their Goalkeeper . Didn't really understand why Benny was hauled off but McWilliams when he came on added a bit of steele to the midfield. Port Vale looked a reasonable tough tackling,  mud or bust League two side who cant score for toffee.

* The new Robson?

Very interesting that you pick McGowan out the pack as being a ‘real find’.

Whereas everyone else seems to have picked him out as the weak link. Some even score him as low as 3/10!

It’s got me wondering, are you seeking attention again?

[guest3086]

Noticed Ayda was nursing in the Director's bay. Chukwuemeka was not.

[guest3338]

BAS 4? The match winner? 4? I’m not his biggest fan but that’s a stupid rating

What you really mean is he scored the goal that gave us victory.
As CF that's his job. No more match winner than Horsefall then?
I'll admit I was down the other end in the North so didn't have the best of views of the goal but it looked like it dropped to him in the box and he smashed it in to me. It didn't look like he would have been the only player in ourside capable of putting it away.
What else did he do throughout the game? Did he win many headers or hold the ball up particularly well? Did he rum the channels  or create much?
He got pulled for Rose second half, who from my perspective was much more of a nuisance for the opposition than BAS.

[Tabasco Kid]

cj is in one hell of a negative mood tonight.
We won with a clean sheet. Chillout. Take the dog for a walk, kick the cat, whatever.

[guest3338]

All about opinions as I dont remember Pinnock doing anything myself, and thought Kabamba is that missing piece of the jigsaw Curle was searching for.

Context Teacher, that's what you are missing.
I gave 7 to my man of the match, so giving 3 to MacGowen in that respect is a more realistic figure imo. If I was going to give my motm 9 then 3 would probably be unfair but I didnt. Why the fcuk would I? If you think our best individual performance today warranted anything more than a 7 we are in for a difficult season.

[guest3086]

cj is in one hell of a negative mood tonight.
We won with a clean sheet. Chillout. Take the dog for a walk, kick the cat, whatever.

Don't kick the cat. That is reprehensible behaviour.