Port Vale v Exeter City match day thread

[andrew p long]

Strange being at the other end

but turned out to be the right end to be at....?

 

[BigBanker]

Feel like this side is starting to forge it's own identity after the break up of the promotion team

Some very good players and characters in there now - desperately need to get Woods in for next season

Agree with this but will we lose too many through the short term-ist transfer strategy and need to start again?

 

[grecIAN Harris]

Great photo. And yes, good team spirit, but it's easy to have good team spirit when you're winning. What's really impressive about this lot is how they stuck together in those long, fruitless autumn and winter months when I was in total despair. No dissent, no silly comments, no blame game. Set the foundations for our recovery. The players deserve credit for that, but GC sets the culture and deserves even more.

He stuck to his principles whilst most all around failed to see. With every improving game it becomes clearer and clearer why Caldwell set so much stall on why we were a good fit for him because the club was prepared to give him time during his first interview.

 

[Bridgy 81]

Right, let’s start by saying that I was in Tenby earlier today.
I was in the National Trust’s Tudor Merchant’s House when our match started.
By the time I was eating my, very nice, scrambled eggs on brown toast for lunch afterwards we were two down.
I strolled around the old walled town and bought Arsène Wenger’s autobiography in a charity shop (£1.99) although I’ve read it before (My Life in Red and White - good title) it seemed like an omen to me.
As we walked back along the lovely beach to where we’d parked we stuffed four goals passed Port Vale.
Thoughts from today:
1. I suspected Milli would be good for us and reckon he’ll be brilliant next season.
2. What an absolutely brilliant third goal (again as I suspected Pedro could be a great player for us).
3. Tenby is lovely but I’m sure Burslem was equally as nice today, if not even a bit better

 

[BigBanker]

He stuck to his principles whilst most all around failed to see. With every improving game it becomes clearer and clearer why Caldwell set so much stall on why we were a good fit for him because the club was prepared to give him time during his first interview.

I'm not sure everyone failed to see him sticking to his principles. Rather we felt that those principles weren't worth sticking to.

He was right, of course.

 

[Super Ronnie Jepson]

Great photo. And yes, good team spirit, but it's easy to have good team spirit when you're winning. What's really impressive about this lot is how they stuck together in those long, fruitless autumn and winter months when I was in total despair. No dissent, no silly comments, no blame game. Set the foundations for our recovery. The players deserve credit for that, but GC sets the culture and deserves even more.

There was definitely mentions of words being said in the dressing room, which is only to be expected. And don't forget the Sweenz interview he gave saying he was protecting people, or whatever.

 

[grecIAN Harris]

Agree with this but will we lose too many through the short term-ist transfer strategy and need to start again?

We will always have a rotation of players, such is the nature of the game. We will have a basis of a squad who have a full understanding of what is required next season where we had no foundation at all this. It makes slotting the new players in so much easier.

 

[grecIAN Harris]

There was definitely mentions of words being said in the dressing room, which is only to be expected. And don't forget the Sweenz interview he gave saying he was protecting people, or whatever.

I think Sweenz was taking the lead role as a senior player whilst we were going through that torrid spell between September and December and protecting the younger, less experienced players from some very awkward interviews.

 

[Martin Lawrence]

View attachment 15270

This photo tells me that the manager "gets us" and "gets it".

 

[fred binneys head]

What a fantastic turnaround today was! We had a few enforced changes but first half we were really poor, their big striker caused us (particularly Cheick) real problems and we were second to every ball and being bullied physically. I could only see a heavy defeat at half time.

But the second half was the complete opposite, we played with purpose, we ran more and we had an aggression that was missing in the first half. Our subs were excellent (their timing and their performance) but a big turning point was when Darren Moore took off their big unit and replaced him with a midfielder - that gave us even more impetus and we dominated from the first minute of the half to the last.

Four superb goals too - particularly the 3rd - and the scenes at the end were amazing to be part of. What a club, what a team and (eventually) what a manager! Bloody love this club, me.