When: Tuesday 19th December

Where: 

(Vale Park, so we're literally going to find out if our players can in fact, do it on a cold Tuesday night in Stoke. Let's hope they can!)

K.O: 19:45 or 7:45pm if you're old school (or ignorant of the 24hr system.)

Is it on telly? No, but there should be some streams kicking about as it's been selected for them foreign peoples (ESPN+ in Americacaca and on Viaplay for the Danish oneBoro contingent...you lucky people.)

I really didn't want to author this MDT, seeing as I don't have the best track record and if we lose i'll probably be hounded off the forum (or you can get me to 10k likes, don't forget!)

Port Vale have won the last two on the bounce and are at home, our squad is already severely depleted with the potential loss of Seny Dieng (although Glover was always likely to start this, being our "cup goalkeeper" this season) so it's going to be a tough one. I'm expecting Port Vale to come straight at us from the off and be physical, hopefully we have enough quality on the counter to cause them problems.

On paper we should still have enough to win, however this is the league cup...

ʸᵉˢ ᴵ ᵏⁿᵒʷ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ᵗʰᵉ ᶠⁱⁿᵃˡ ⁿᵉˣᵗ ʸᵉᵃʳ ʷⁱˡˡ ᵐᵃʳᵏ ᵗʰᵉ ²⁰ᵗʰ ᵃⁿⁿⁱᵛᵉʳˢᵃʳʸ ᵒᶠ ᵘˢ ˡⁱᶠᵗⁱⁿᵍ ᵗʰᵉ ᵗʳᵒᵖʰʸ ᵃⁿᵈ ʸᵉˢ ᴵ ᵏⁿᵒʷ ᵗʰᵉ ᶜᵒᵐᵐᵉⁿᵗᵃᵗᵒʳˢ ʷⁱˡˡ ᵖʳᵒᵇᵃᵇˡʸ ᵐᵉⁿᵗⁱᵒⁿ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ᶠᵃᶜᵗ ᵃᵗ ˢᵒᵐᵉ ᵖᵒⁱⁿᵗ ᵈᵘʳⁱⁿᵍ ᵗʰᵉ ᵐᵃᵗᶜʰ ᵇᵘᵗ ᴵ ᵈⁱᵈⁿ'ᵗ ʷᵃⁿᵗ ᵗᵒ ᵐᵉⁿᵗⁱᵒⁿ ⁱᵗ ʰᵉʳᵉ ᶠᵒʳ ᶠᵉᵃʳ ᵒᶠ ʲⁱⁿˣⁱⁿᵍ ᵘˢ ᵒʰ ᵍᵒᵈ ʷʰᵃᵗ ʰᵃᵛᵉ ᴵ ᵈᵒⁿe....

Fun Facts about Port Vale!

Port Vale were founded in 1876, the same year as us. However Port Vale have never played in the top flight of English football. Unlike us, they have never won the League Cup. This is also their first ever Quarter Final appearance in the competition.

Robbie Williams supports them, so much so that they were first included in EA's "FIFA" series in the 2000 installment, as part of an agreement with Mr Williams to provide an original song for the game's soundtrack.

FIFA 2000 was a terrible game, for what it's worth.

There is no such place as Port Vale, just like my other club Arsenal (booo, hiss, etc)

Talking points:

Team lineup/Score Prediction (Greenwood is cup-tied after appearing in the competition for Leeds, don't forget)

If we win, can we go all the way, as it were?

Are you going to this game?

@PVFC61, as our pet Vale fan, please feel free to weigh in on this thread with any facts and figures yourself!

I do worry that Glover will be the equivalent of a goal start for Vale. He didn't seem ready to din the gloves yesterday, either literally or figuratively. And how do we rest players when we can barely muster up a matchday XVIII as it is?

Are there replays or extra time at this stage of the cup, or do we go straight to penalties after 90 minutes?

Edited December 17, 20232 yr by RiseAgainst

I will be very surprised if Glover, Clarke, Engel, Rogers and Silveria dont start this one. If Hackney is fit I can see him starting.

imagine team will be something like:

Glover

Dijk VDB Clarke Engel

Hackney/Howson, Barlaser

Jones Rogers Silveria

LL

Hopefully enough there to aww us through.

48 minutes ago, RiseAgainst said:

I do worry that Glover will be the equivalent of a goal start for Vale. He didn't seem ready to din the gloves yesterday, either literally or figuratively. And how do we rest players when we can barely muster up a matchday XVIII as it is?

Are there replays or extra time at this stage of the cup, or do we go straight to penalties after 90 minutes?

Straight to penalties after 90 minutes

Extra time & Penalties in the semi final and final.

Think we need to refresh the squad but also this is the time to finalise who we're looking to buy in the January window so we need to have one eye on who really isn't going to cut it in the second half of the season.

Glover

Dijksteel - RVDB - Clarke - Engel

Howson - Barlaser

Silvera - Greenwood  - Rogers

Lath

 

Defence. Give Fry a rest. I assume Engel & Clarke were being rested in advance of this match.

Midfield. Not a lot of choice here. If Hackney's fit put him on the bench. 

Forwards. Rest Jones and Crooks. Give Greenwood a chance to show what he can do at #10. Lath will be knackered but hopefully bring on Kavanagh or Nkrumah fairly early. Silvera hasn't looked great on the right so there's definitely an argument for starting Jones. Gilbert should also get an early appearance if possible. Forgot Greenwood was cup tied so may Jones - Rogers - Silvera then.

Even at our worst at the beginning of the season we were beating lower league opposition in the cup fairly straightforwardly so we ought to have enough to see us through but I expect it will be a bit of a grind.

Edited December 17, 20232 yr by Bruce
Greenwod's cup tied

@Bruce. Greenwood is cup tied pal. 

3 hours ago, RiseAgainst said:

I do worry that Glover will be the equivalent of a goal start for Vale. He didn't seem ready to din the gloves yesterday, either literally or figuratively. And how do we rest players when we can barely muster up a matchday XVIII as it is?

Are there replays or extra time at this stage of the cup, or do we go straight to penalties after 90 minutes?

Can you please explain exactly what Glover has done wrong  ?

 Looking forward to this one and also dead nervous. Massive game for us. All I ask is we turn up and set up like a team who knows how big this game is.

Going for a 2-1 win. Us taking the lead then inevitably letting them back in before grabbing a late winner.

Glover

Dijksteel Rav Clarke Engel 

Barlaser (or 🤞Hackney) Howson

Jones Rogers Silvera

Lath (but could be a youngun)

COME ON BORO. Let's get in the semis.

2 hours ago, locoman1958 said:

Can you please explain exactly what Glover has done wrong  ?

He just doesn't give me confidence in his abilities. I don't think he gives defenders confidence either. He conceded two goals against Huddersfield and two against Exeter, and I'd say he has to accept at least partial responsibility for three of them. He wasn't anywhere near ready to come on when Dieng got injured yesterday. Even in the warm-ups, I don't see him pulling off the sort of saves I'd like to see from a first reserve keeper. And Australia fans seem perplexed that he got a transfer to the Championship.

It's not that he's spooned an easy backpass into an empty net or sat on the ball only for it to squirt into the goal, but he doesn't seem comfortable in or out of possession. Just my take on it, and I do appreciate he's had limited opportunities to impress. He certainly hasn't taken the ones he's been given, and his only clean sheet was against a totally defanged Bradford.

Play the strongest team available, although God knows what that actually is right now.  It's a League Cup quarter final though, and I'd prioritise it over the West Brom game on the weekend.

Edited December 17, 20232 yr by Changing Times

Have to agree with CT, get this one won by our best team available 

They're off the back of a good home win and don't want another Burton repeat 

Edited December 18, 20232 yr by LBP

This is a massive opportunity to reach an historic cup semi final and set up a two leg tie against a Premier league side in the new year with all the revenue and exposure that brings. However Portvale are a banana skin and have started to pick up form. I believe they are a physical direct team who like to pump balls into the box.  The type of side we struggle against to be fair. I would rotate the side but not too much.

                           Glover.  

        Dijksteel. Clarke. RVB.  Engel

               Barlaser. Howson

Rogers.            Crooks                   Silvera. 

                       Latte Lath  

 

Agreed we need our strongest team possible and no doubt with Kavanagh et al on the bench.

Fantastic distraction from the norm for the Boro and us fans guarenteeing a cash injection for the semi finals.

With regards to streams someone put up a stream for the Exeter match which was superb, virtually in sync with the game itself and no issues at all with buffering. It was not one of those through the normal channels so hopefully it will be put up on here for all to use.

Mind you I do not see why Boro could not offer the game as a pay to view would happily have paid the ten pounds.

Lucky old @Borodane and @SmogDane being able to watch it I guess @ladyspite should be able to do so as well, could be relying on you guys.

Goals as they go in on Sky but not the same is it and I guess we could listen to the Radio Tees commentary.

Looking forward to this game I have to say and certainly falls into THE MOST IMPORTANT CUP GAME OF THE SEASON.............so far!!!!!

1 hour ago, Downsouth said:

Agreed we need our strongest team possible and no doubt with Kavanagh et al on the bench.

Fantastic distraction from the norm for the Boro and us fans guarenteeing a cash injection for the semi finals.

With regards to streams someone put up a stream for the Exeter match which was superb, virtually in sync with the game itself and no issues at all with buffering. It was not one of those through the normal channels so hopefully it will be put up on here for all to use.

Mind you I do not see why Boro could not offer the game as a pay to view would happily have paid the ten pounds.

Lucky old @Borodane and @SmogDane being able to watch it I guess @ladyspite should be able to do so as well, could be relying on you guys.

Goals as they go in on Sky but not the same is it and I guess we could listen to the Radio Tees commentary.

Looking forward to this game I have to say and certainly falls into THE MOST IMPORTANT CUP GAME OF THE SEASON.............so far!!!!!

You'll easily be able to get a stream from the usual sites tomorrow night Al

19 hours ago, locoman1958 said:

Can you please explain exactly what Glover has done wrong  ?

Yeh it’s strange the hate he gets of some people. I think after what we seen from akpom last season people would give players more chances to prove them wrong. Seen someone on here yesterday criticising him because he took a while getting ready to come on at the weekend 😂