Ben Waine (Port Vale | England)

Niche Cache. Not an encouraging read I'm afraid.

Waine’s made seven appearances spread out across three competitions and is still awaiting his first goal. The workrate has been great but his rhythm and confidence aren’t quite there... and he doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room after the club signed Devante Cole on deadline day to add to an already bloated frontline.

Sometimes they pick two strikers, sometimes they go with a front three. Between Cole, Waine, Jayden Stockley, Mo Faal, Ronan Curtis, Ruari Paton, and Dejaune Brown there are effectively seven guys challenging for 2.5 places in this forward line. Plus subs. That explains why Waine didn’t even make the bench for the 3-2 defeat against Leyton Orient in which Devante Cole scored on debut. Cole and Fall started. Paton and Brown came off the bench. Curtis was an unused sub. Waine and Stockley weren’t involved.

Considering that Stockley was injured, you could interpret that as Waine being at the bottom of the pile... although he had played ninety minutes midweek in the EFL Trophy which none of the others had done.

Port Vale travel to Exeter

No Waine for PV who win 2-0.

Port Vale host Mansfield Town. At least at MT, Waineo was getting some off the bench cameos. Not sure that is going to happen at PV, given all their new signings.

No Waine, as PV win 2-1.

Next a League Cup tie hosting Arsenal.

Hope Waineo scores against Arsenal!

Wednesday

League Cup 3rd Round. Port Vale host the Gunners

Has he been dropped from the squad? Think a few called it.. he might as well come back to the A-League now.

FYI - after being winless in their first seven L1 games (2D & 5L) Port Vale have won their last 2 league games. 

Lots of new attacking players signed recently, and don't think Waineo is injured, just not picked in the  match day squad for those 2 wins. Reading Niche Cache's summary at the top of this page he may be as low as about 7th in the current pecking order of their forwards.

Hopefully his agent is making some enquiries.

coochiee

FYI - after being winless in their first 7 L1 games (2D & 5L) Port Vale have won their last 2 league games. 

Lots of new attacking players signed recently, and don't think Waineo is injured, just not picked in the  match day squad for those 2 wins. Reading Niche Cache's summary at the top of this page he may be as low as about 7th in the pecking order of their forwards.

Hopefully his agent is making some enquiries.

If he's not scoring at this level, I think he's looking at League of Ireland, A league, or Serie C at this point.

Elemenop

coochiee

FYI - after being winless in their first 7 L1 games (2D & 5L) Port Vale have won their last 2 league games. 

Lots of new attacking players signed recently, and don't think Waineo is injured, just not picked in the  match day squad for those 2 wins. Reading Niche Cache's summary at the top of this page he may be as low as about 7th in the pecking order of their forwards.

Hopefully his agent is making some enquiries.

If he's not scoring at this level, I think he's looking at League of Ireland, A league, or Serie C at this point.

?
He's currently in L1. Having watched him in the flesh a few times while still at Argyle, he has what it takes in the UK but realistically he'd be better off in L2, getting lots of minutes and goals into those legs and building his way up.

Marto

Elemenop

coochiee

FYI - after being winless in their first 7 L1 games (2D & 5L) Port Vale have won their last 2 league games. 

Lots of new attacking players signed recently, and don't think Waineo is injured, just not picked in the  match day squad for those 2 wins. Reading Niche Cache's summary at the top of this page he may be as low as about 7th in the pecking order of their forwards.

Hopefully his agent is making some enquiries.

If he's not scoring at this level, I think he's looking at League of Ireland, A league, or Serie C at this point.

?
He's currently in L1. Having watched him in the flesh a few times while still at Argyle, he has what it takes in the UK but realistically he'd be better off in L2, getting lots of minutes and goals into those legs and building his way up.

I'm meaning he needs to drop a level again, or come back to the A-league which we know he can perform at.

I listed the LOI and Serie C as they seem to be favs for some kiwis abroad.

Oi Oi Edgecumbe

Hope Waineo scores against Arsenal!

Yeah good luck with that. Nowhere to be seen today.

Buffon II

Oi Oi Edgecumbe

Hope Waineo scores against Arsenal!

Yeah good luck with that. Nowhere to be seen today.

4th game on the trott he's not been included in the match day squad. He's currently at best PV's 6th choice attacker

Fark, come home Waineo.

PV lost 0-2.
"Free the Waine Train"

Port Vale named 20 players, and even with 9 subs, no place for Waine. IMO his touch is poor, and he never really proved he was A league quality. Got goals, but that's not the full story. Likely he's improved but how much?
Careful what you wish for!

Elemenop

Marto

Elemenop

coochiee

FYI - after being winless in their first 7 L1 games (2D & 5L) Port Vale have won their last 2 league games. 

Lots of new attacking players signed recently, and don't think Waineo is injured, just not picked in the  match day squad for those 2 wins. Reading Niche Cache's summary at the top of this page he may be as low as about 7th in the pecking order of their forwards.

Hopefully his agent is making some enquiries.

If he's not scoring at this level, I think he's looking at League of Ireland, A league, or Serie C at this point.

?
He's currently in L1. Having watched him in the flesh a few times while still at Argyle, he has what it takes in the UK but realistically he'd be better off in L2, getting lots of minutes and goals into those legs and building his way up.

I'm meaning he needs to drop a level again, or come back to the A-league which we know he can perform at.

I listed the LOI and Serie C as they seem to be favs for some kiwis abroad.

I agree with this. A League will be good for him now, but even when he left 3 years ago he never really proved he was too good for the level either. Showed flashes of great finishing and running in behind etc to make the UK clubs come biting but never really the in between stuff. 

Definitely should be looking to come back to NZ. No shame in whatsoever if he does, come back and put everything you’ve learnt in the UK to work here in the A League. He’s fighting for that 3rd striker position after Wood and Kosta on the plane to the WC. 

If I'm Baze, I'm not even looking at Waine or Mata at the moment for the third striker spot, I'd be counting McCowatt as the third option for the 9 instead and using the space to strengthen somewhere else. I just don't see either of them providing anything unfortunately

Totally agree. McCowatt should be the second no9 behind Wood. Waine is wasting his time. At his age he needs to be playing regularly. Time for his agent to get a move on and find a transfer/ loan to League 2 or a smaller European league.

Harsh on Mata! 
Not a great goal scoring record, but helped unleash the attack for FC and was difficult for defenders to contain, leading to space for May and Rogerson. 
Mata is a good understudy for Wood physically and certainly better than daft tactic we had against Aussie of punting long to Kosta, who lost every single kickoff competition. Hardly his fault though, but Mata would do that better. 

No problems with Mata and his abilities. But he needs to be playing regularly. If hes not then he misses out on the international games and goes doen the pecking order. 

austin111

No problems with Mata and his abilities. But he needs to be playing regularly. If hes not then he misses out on the international games and goes doen the pecking order. 

Agree, if Mata finds another gig and is playing regularly then I have no problem with him being in the squad. As wild as it is, I don't even know if I could say the same about Waineo

Surprised that Andre DeJong isn't in the same conversation as Mata and Waine. If those guys aren't playing and or scoring goals surely DeJong comes into the picture.
Seems to be the forgotten guy of NZ football.

If he was providing goals and assists like the start of the last SA season, there would be ADJ chatter. But he’s not doing much at all. Was on the bench for his last game with a struggling Stellies 

Jazzy Jeff

austin111

No problems with Mata and his abilities. But he needs to be playing regularly. If hes not then he misses out on the international games and goes doen the pecking order. 

Agree, if Mata finds another gig and is playing regularly then I have no problem with him being in the squad. As wild as it is, I don't even know if I could say the same about Waineo

When he's fit I'd agree with Mata being selected too. And it's not exactly like Mata has been prolific himself, so overall it's a pretty damning indictment of Waine's downward trajectory over the last couple of years.

Waineo's stocks are at an all time low, and both him and his agent need to pull their heads out of their arses for the next transfer window - They're both kidding themselves if they think his future lies in England.
 
Also worth keeping in mind he has rebuffed advances from both the Nix and Auckland before signing with Port Vale...

I don't think it was a bad idea to have one more crack at the UK. His parents are English, he has family there, and it was clear when he signed with Plymouth it was a child hood dream to play pro football in Blighty. Not an easy dream to give up on.

Port Vale were promoted from L2, and when he signed there had a pretty thin squad for the jump up. But he just didn't take his early season chances over 4-5 games. And brutally his opportunity there is now gone already.

As someone else penned in the last few weeks, the really disappointing thing is that after nearly 3 seasons in the UK he doesn't seem to have progressed much if at all with his football. The same weaknesses/work ons that he had as a young callow player at the Nix, still seem to be there as a 24 yr old.

I'm not sure he would go much better down in L2. Will still be pretty physical like L1, just a bit slower, opposition CBs not as good. 

He does though have some time on his side. He had a few team mates at Mansfield Town last season like Lee Gregory and a Welsh guy, with solid L1 careers who were still playing National League or Welsh League at about age 24. 

Needs to leave Port Vale ASAP, but where to I don't know. He would yes go into a known, patient and caring environment at the Nix

PV travel to Barnsley

No Waine

I still maintain, he left the Nix a season too early in his development. 1 more might or would have given him some consistency and proved he had the goods. How many goals has he score in England?? I like him, rate him but I feel like I am watching a career deteriorate for poor choices.

LG

I still maintain, he left the Nix a season too early in his development. 1 more might or would have given him some consistency and proved he had the goods. How many goals has he score in England?? I like him, rate him but I feel like I am watching a career deteriorate for poor choices.

Some Waineo stats since leaving the Nix. Obviously the raw numbers are fairly rudimentary and generally aren't great for judging how he's going - minutes would be a better comparison but couldn't be arsed finding them - but here it is:

11 goals in 84 matches in all comps

League One: 3 in 39
Championship: 2 in 33
EFL Trophy: 1 in 4
EFL Cup: 4 in 4
FA Cup: 1 in 4

League form: 5 in 72
Cup form: 6 in 12

3 goals scored in the past 12 months at club level.

PV won 2-0 for their 3rd consecutive league win. You feel it’s just a question of when Waineo is leaving 

Hopefully a mutual termination in the International Window. It’s just getting worst for the lad. Seems he doesn’t want to come back to the Nix either as I think he would’ve by now surely. 

Got no clue at this point on what move could be on the cards. I can’t see him leaving the UK but he may have no choice. 

Mutual termimation now makes no sense. Still wouldnt be able to sign anywhere unless their transfer window was open. A-League window doesn't open until mid Jan. 

If you were him though, there is no way you would turn down a move to Plymouth when he did.

LG

I still maintain, he left the Nix a season too early in his development. 1 more might or would have given him some consistency and proved he had the goods. How many goals has he score in England?? I like him, rate him but I feel like I am watching a career deteriorate for poor choices.

Port Vale host Northampton

No surprise, no Waine.
0-0 draw

Port Vale travel to Wigan

No Waine, as PV lose 1-0.

He needs get out of there. Even the LOI for a loan..