Hur står det till i Port Vale ?
Stämningen är inte på topp bland supportrarna allt eftersom spelet på plan går allt sämre. Den tidigare så klara topp tre platsen är inte längre en självklarhet utan nu börjar managern tala om att man får sikta in sig på en play off plats istället. 5 poäng och 3 mål på de 7 senaste matcherna säger att allt inte står rätt till i truppen.
En del fans har börjat drabbats av panik och krävt Mickey Adams avgång. Vår kollega Rob Fielding på onevalefan.co.uk har skrivet sin syn på sakernas tillstånd på Vale Park.
Här följer den:
I’ve been a Port Vale supporter for 33 years. In all that time, I’ve only seen four promotions and I’m determined not to lose out on the opportunity of a fifth.
I don’t think Micky Adams is infallible. That probably explains why he is managing Port Vale and not Real Madrid. But I do think some fans are dead set against him simply because of what Adams has done in the past. Some fans won’t forgive him leaving Vale for boyhood idols Sheffield United (I do, I can understand and sympathise with that move) and many won’t forgive Adams for shoring up Valiant 2001 by joining the Vale board in 2011.
I must admit that I wasn’t impressed with Adams at the time of his boardroom stint and I was enraged enough to send him a letter complaining. I also haven’t been overly impressed with his willingness to blame all fans’ negativity on Internet sites (what about the booing on the terraces, Micky?) But you don’t have to worship at his feet to appreciate Micky Adams’ qualities.
He’s still a damn fine League Two manager and in my view, the best manager we’ve had since Brian Horton. Not only that but he’s put our club into promotion contention despite starting the season in administration and not even able to offer the players the contracts they were promised. So forget the past and consider what Adams has done this season. He’s delivered second place, a fine goalkeeper, winger-based attacking football and a prolific (OK, so not right at the moment) striker.
Yes, the wheels have fallen off since January and personally I would not have signed Lee Hughes (after all, Louis Dodds and Ben Williamson were both proving good foils for Pope as it was). But look at some of the other signings Adams has brought in this season? Daniel Jones is a revelation at left-back. Chris Neal is probably the best keeper since Mark Goodlad. The two wingers, despite their current dip can, at their best, terrorise League Two defences. Adams deserves a lot of credit for those signings.
Like Adams, none of our players are perfect. That’s why they play at League Two level. It’s unfortunate that several have lost form at this crucial time. At this point, you may be saying – “I understand all that but what’s your solution to getting the club promoted?” And the simple answer is – I don’t have one.
I think that people can exaggerate the effect supporters can have. In reality, none of us fans (neither the “happy clappers nor the “terrace moaners”) can actually directly influence things (and for the record, I certainly don’t agree with booing a team currently second in the table). And that’s precisely why I think people are getting frustrated - because it is out of our hands.
But while I can’t directly influence things, I will still be hoping and hoping that we do go up and I will be as delighted as the next fan if we manage to achieve it.
