Something had to be different in the second period. I felt we needed Jack Vale on as early as possible and perhaps Danny Mandroiu as well. Haks wasn’t working as a striker, and whilst his throw-ins are a weapon, we’ve struggled to do much with them since Charlton. I didn’t think Ali Smith was having a bad afternoon, but the 3-5-2 didn’t work (in my eyes), and we needed a more balanced 3-4-3 to offer a bit of width. However, you’ll notice 3-5-2, 3-4-3, 4-4-2, and 4-3-3 all have something in common. They add up to 11. Which means you need 11 players on the field.
I don’t think there can be any complaints from Port Vale about their red card. When you’re on a booking, a late challenge like Arblaster’s has got to be punished. Last season, they had a man harshly sent off against us, but this time out, it was absolutely justified. He tried to impose himself on both of our midfielders, Hamilton with his elbow and Erhahon with a late, rather crude challenge. He’s slid in, the ball was gone, it’s a yellow. End of discussion.
All you need at that point is a cool head. There’s been a red card; tempers might be up a bit, but with the man advantage, there was a chance we could go and get something. Danny Mandroiu stripped off straight away, Lasse and Ali Smith had half chances, and the crowd were getting up again. This was it. Finally, City had arrived in the game; all we had to do was play it cool. “Think we’re on a winner here, Trig… play it nice and cool, son, nice and cool….”
Cue the barman lifting up the bar hatch, or in this instance, Paudie O’Connor lifting up his arm. Probably. It’s hard to see what went on, mainly because it wasn’t caught on the iFollow camera, but after Smith’s shot was tipped over, Ikpeazu was seen lying on the ground in our defensive half. The fourth official felt they saw enough to suggest a red card, and Mandroiu heard the decision before O’Connor, stripped and ready to come on, went back to the bench before Hicks pulled out his red for a second time.
Was it a red? You’ll have to ask the club. I didn’t see it, 99% of the people around me saying O’Connor was brainless didn’t see it, and neither did three of the four officials. If Ikpeazu had been hit by a rogue elbow, a proper one, he certainly got up quickly. That’s not to say it didn’t happen, of course, but very quickly, we were back on level terms at 10v10, but the score remained 1-0.
At 10v10, we were not brilliant. I am not going to suggest we were all over Vale, but I will say we were much the better side in the second half, and we absolutely deserved a point at the end of the game. The xG suggests we were worth all three – 1.46 to us and 0.77 for them. Their goal was 0.27, meaning despite Jensen making two good first-half saves and another in the second half, their three chances were only worth 0.50. Okay, our goal was worth 0.69, and Smith’s early chance 0.46, so anything else we created was a half chance at best, but the notion we were (and I quote) ‘woeful’ or ‘a shambles’ is, in my opinion, woefully and shambolically misguided.
We tried a bit of everything in the second half, and whilst I felt the team selection and shape hindered us in the first 45, we got better with each change in the second period. Mandroiu came on and showed some nice touches and a desire to get us back on terms. Jack Vale came on and added not only energy but intelligence to the forward line. He made the right runs in behind, chased down the right balls and did so with a terrier-like tenacity that instilled a belief in me. I told Matt (for new readers, he’s my mate I sit with, legs spreading into my seating area like Paulo Wanchope driving a mini) that I felt we’d score and that we were worth a point. My Dad, sitting behind me (and doing well, thank you for asking), said we could play for another 90 minutes and not score. I just disagreed.
I felt the red cards knocked the referee’s confidence a bit. I’ve always liked Craig Hicks, but I felt he missed a stonewall foul on Jack Vale, a short throw to the keeper ending in him being bundled to the floor right on the edge of the area. There were a couple of later challenges he let go as well. Now, he is a ref who has done that in the past, letting the game flow, and the lack of yellow cards (there was only one outside of those I’ve described) back up that theory. Maybe my rose-tinted glasses had me seeing things that weren’t there. Maybe.
We just edged our way into the game, getting more control but still not quite unlocking the defence. Danny Mandroiu’s flick from a corner almost crept in, but as it rolled wide, the stand around me emptied. Nine minutes of injury time went up, but there was a feeling we wouldn’t score in 999, let alone 99 minutes. I stayed in my seat, I still believed there was something for us. Vale and Duffy added a purpose to the forward line, and a rare appearance for the lesser-spotted Shodipo had me praying. I really like Mide, I liked him from his last time here, and I always feel there’s something in him, a run, a shot, a chance.
Luckily, I was right. Credit Duffy and Jack Vale, two players I sincerely hope we see next weekend against Stevenage. They’re both energetic, and the former played a pass to the latter as the clock wound down. The Blackburn loanee, fresh from scoring on Tuesday night, dropped a shoulder and fooled the defender, then took his time to get to the by-line, pulling the ball back across goal. It evaded Makama, but Mide arrived at the back stick to stroke the ball home. Duh, duh-duh, duh-duh-duh, duh-duh, Shodipo.
One of the Stacey West team (I shall name no names) believed we should have had a mask and a bag, such was the robbery of a point, but I can’t disagree more. Port Vale offered little to nothing in the second half, and whilst we were disjointed, slow in the attack and too narrow at times, we 100% deserved something from the game. The xG, possession and other stats suggest so, and anyone watching through balanced eyes, not wanting just to see the best or worst of the side, would have to agree. It wasn’t great, not at all, but it wasn’t woeful or shambolic. It was the performance of a team lacking five of their best-attacking players from the start, and it morphed into something a little more watchable as two of those players got on the field.
Mind you, after Dylan Duffy’s two outings this week, I might have to take back the ‘best five attackers’ line. Do you know what I see in Duffy, or rather, who I see? A young Harry Anderson, able to get on the ball, run at players and play without fear. He doesn’t let losing the ball knock his confidence, he’s brave, and whilst it doesn’t always come off, it’s nice to see a young player not only wanting to make things happen but also not going into their shell and passing backwards the next time he gets the ball.
That was that – a draw that was followed by talk of desperately needing a new head coach when we consolidated our position in ninth. When the two strikers first got injured, the one stipulation from me was for us to stay tucked in the play-off race, on the fringes, but there, hanging on, and it’s where we are. Tom Shaw has managed for 25 days, and if there is an announcement tomorrow, he will equal the 26 days that Simon Clark was in charge back in 2009. He’s won three matches, which is as many as every other caretaker manager we’ve had since the seventies combined, and his win ratio of 43% is better than all but three of our permanent managers (Graham Taylor, Danny Cowley and Joe McClelland). I’d say that’s half decent, wouldn’t you?
What I did like was the atmosphere at the end. Social media have been a bit toxic, but the stand certainly wasn’t after the goal. Any new manager watching on would only need to hear that noise, the 617 in full swing, to understand what can be achieved here. The fans want to back the players, and aside from a small percentage of vocal supporters on social media, I think everyone can see we’re in good shape, on and off the field. However, nothing quite rubber-stamps that like the Coop Stand (is it still that? I can never remember) in full swing. It was nice to hear as I left the ground and headed back to the car.
Attention now turns to a seemingly big week for the club – there’s a suggestion we could have a new man in place, all being well, meaning a new era can be ushered in at the club. Despite a stodgy display yesterday, I think we’re in a good place. Remember, under MK, we were just hoping to limp up to Christmas without those key attackers, and under Tom Shaw, we have strode back towards the top six with just one defeat in five league games and an average of 1.6 points per game. That would, in theory, lead to 73 points in the league, enough to hit the top six in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 (and doubtless many seasons before I can’t be arsed to check).
Hardly what I’d call woeful or a shambles.
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As you say Gary, “we were stodgy and slow in attack, we had possession but without any real purpose.” All supporters I speak to are praying for a new manager ASAP, one who believes in attacking football even at the risk of the odd disaster at the back. We want a coach who will ensure that players pass accurately, take corners properly i.e. loft the ball into front of goal and, most of all, teach/encourage the lads to take on an opposition player and get past him rather than hang about on the ball and then pass it to the nearest player for want of anything better to do. I’m 81 now and saw many players of yore who could go past a couple of players by sheer footballing skill. (I saw Matthews right at the end of his career still able to mesmerise a full back, slip past him and cross the ball to an oncoming forward. It was sheer joy to watch.) Our forward play – with the exception of Jack Vale – is disjointed and lacking in skill. So disappointing! Even though we are a relatively financially-strapped 3rd division side, we still have players whose footballing skills could be so honed. Why is our default playing position with a back to the opposition goal?
Great balanced piece Gary. And thank you for name checking my Great Uncle Joe McClelland.