Just back from Port Vale

Awful. These players didnt look like they wanted to be there tonight
We made Port Vale look like Man City
Only 2 who can take any credit for me were 2 subs Edwards and Kane
Martin was horrific
Felt sorry for front 2 had no service at all
Cundy slower than a tortoise
Walton madd a few decent saves but kicking was awful

 

My sympathies. I think the Club have taken the pi$$ with this one. The fans who travelled deserve better.

 

You deserve a refund & an apology , it was totally disrespectful to you & the other 183 fans who forked out hard earned money to support a team that just went through the motions & the fact that we only made one substitution when we were chasing the game highlighted that our manager & coaching staff had no real interest in the competition unlike you & the other fans who were badly let down .

 

Hmmm. Feel sorry for the fans who went, but fielding a reserve side was not exactly unexpected.

 

Why does he deserve a refund? It was a poor performance, but if we were offering refunds for that, we'd have gone bust circa 1887.

If he wanted guaranteed good football, he'd have bought a ticket for Man City or Arsenal.

 

Simply because when we put that team out we had no real intentions of winning the game , 184 fans paid out good money to travel & support the team , we made no attempt to change things when we were losing & with only one striker on the bench who is our most experienced player not even brought on to try & do something it became clear that we were simply going through the motions . I am a big fan of Mr Duff but I got the impression last night that he was not bothered & that is total disrespect for the travelling faithful who deserved better.

 

With all due respect, it was a similar team to the ones we put out in our previous 3 PJT games. They just didn't perform. I did find it strange that we didn't make a change. I guess Duff decided he didn't want to risk injury to Cole and Connell in particular with the congested Christmas period coming up. He may have made that decision during the game, probably after seeing the state of the pitch. I don't think that warrants a refund though, I'm not sure. I very nearly went last night, and I certainly wouldn't be expecting one.

 

Also, win and it gives another chance for some of the 2nd string to play in real matches.

 

I didn't go can I still have my refund?

 

They couldn't even be arsed to find a towel for Edwards to take long throws even though he shouted over twice asking them to sort it.

 

They'd already thrown it in.

 

At least we were allowed in their social club,very hospitable.

 

Was it wood panelled and upholstered?

 

TBH , I see it as an utterly pointless trophy that we participate in because we are obliged to.
If we progress through using youngster and fringe player fair enough, but I just don't see why anybody would travel to a game like that expecting anything else.
Our priority should always be a serious attempt at promotion and then the FA cup chasing a big draw.

 

Being utterly pointless I take it that you didn't go to the Johnson paint final then which in my opinion gave us vital experience for the play off final

 

Me too, I watched it on iFollow, might as well have done a Lycett with my tenner....

 

Just basic but still better than owt we`ve got.

 

With all due respect it's a micky mouse competition and based on some of the line ups we've played in the previous games then it's obvious the club has little interest in the competition. Your choice to go like...

 

Dont get me wrong i agree its a pointless competition and wouldnt be bothered if he played under 9s
All we asked for was effort which no one gave

 

Of course that is true - in the same way it is true that if Man City or Liverpool get to the Carabou cup final they’ll play the first team or close to it - but dont in the second round away at Harrogate town. That JPT campaign was a catalyst for a lot that season but don’t rewrite history - we didn’t play very much of the first team in the early rounds that year either. And remember it was knockout all the way through back then so less games played in it by this point.

Priorities. We have a thin squad; a busy period upcoming and no (or little) money to add to the squad.

It may also have been a carefully calculated method of highlighting to the owners how bad we are when you take half a dozen core players out of the team - might do something to get a player or two in. To be honest I’d like to cash in on four or five fringe players to fund one or two first team squad additions if that’s the only option.

We also have a second round fa cup game in a couple of days, which gives the opportunity of a third round game, possibly against a very big and famous opponent, with a big pay day as reward.

I do sympathise with the 180+ who travelled - but none should have gone with the impression they’d be seeing a side made up of the core 13 or 14 who regularly feature in league games. It was always going to be a lot of the fringe.

They were ***** on the night - but had they sneaked it 2-1 rather than lost, would the same complaints be heard?

It’s not like he picked a team to lose, he picked a team which should have been better able to compete but we had an experienced goalkeeper who couldn’t kick a ball straight, a centre back and captain for the night who looked out of his depth against league two opposition, two forwards deprived of any support or service and some very lazy ‘can’t be arsed’ players behind them, one of which, currently on loan from norwich city, in my view ought to be sent back there at the first opportunity - though ironically it was an earlier game in this competition in which he showed his most promise.

We lost the game. That’s a shame.

Nothing wrong with the team selected though when all the circumstances are taken into account.