Away Match Day Thread +++ 25/03/2018 PORTSMOUTH v OUFC +++

[MattyGreensLeftBoot]

P**s poor defending
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Yep Lego we are looking at you being flat footed just as for Wimbledon's second goal where he was caught idling for the short corner. really this sums up our season. Even the quality players are turning off and being lazy even after 4 mins!

 

[MattyGreensLeftBoot]

Not a defender in sight!

Well Kane and Dickie were both jumping and failing for the same ball from memory. Eastwood could have been quicker/more alert as the ball went through his six yard box twice for the goal.

 

[uptheus]

I think once Lego got booked it took the spark out of his game. He knew he could not go steaming into tackles and it affected his performance. Maybe after a few games Robbo would have known this and subbed him? Agree with a poster above that Henry was our best player and he looked pretty p!ssed off at being taken off.

Ledson’s done that far too often. He had no need to go in reckless at that stage of the game and in that position. Like you say, he basically had to walk a tightrope for the rest of the game.

He’s got to learn from this quickly, and also learn to be more composed on the ball, very erratic at times.

 

[windmill]

Yes we did have acres of room in midfield. The lack of useful movement by Thomas was appalling.[/QUOT

 

[uptheus]

I was at Fratton Park and couldn’t believe Henry was subbed off - he was our best player!

A terrible decision - however to concede a goal from Portsmouth’s first ball into the box from
a corner after 4 mins was scandalous. Under pressure Pompey, without a home win in 2018, were handed
a big boost. Could Eastwood have come for the ball?

We’re pretty with the ball and easy on the eye but the lack of quality up front Is worrying.
Both full backs concern me too - I just hope we can scramble a couple of wins.

Don’t think Eastwood could have come for that ball. Dickie was wrongly positioned bodywise so didn’t give himself the best chance of competing for the first ball, and god knows what the others were doing on the 2nd ball, especially Ledson as he’d completely switched off.

Dickie was also at fault for their 2nd. Again he was wrongly positioned e.g. on his heels not anticipating the cross.

Having said that, it’s a team game and you attack and defend as a team, so not an individual mistake as such.

 

[uptheus]

Well Kane and Dickie were both jumping and failing for the same ball from memory. Eastwood could have been quicker/more alert as the ball went through his six yard box twice for the goal.

It was well over Eastwood, no chance.

 

[Pompeyyellows]

I know it don't mean anything or change anything but over on the pompey forum they are slating Thompson for the way he went at Mowatt when he missed the penalty. One fan even went as far as to say he hopes Portsmouth FC fine him for his actions. But it doesn't excuse Mowatt for reacting. Saying that if it was me I would of knocked Thompson out not just tickle his chin.

 

[windmill]

I did not see this fixture so cannot comment on it. However, the criticism Thomas is receiving is somewhat disturbing. I have always felt he is ploughing a lonely furrow up front, mostly with his back to goal, with little or no support (Obika, forget it). Was I right in thinking he was quoted as saying he has had many clubs in the past, and will have many in the future. If this is true, then his time is up with OUFC. I like his movement latching onto a through ball, and not a bad finisher either. Injuries have meant we have not seen the best of him, but how many times have we said that . It is time for him to move on. On football ability I rate him far higher than Hemmings.

 

[guyellow]

Thompson went down looking for a sending off. He was lightly slapped, but made out as if he'd been punched by Anthony Joshua....
The lying on the ground face down with his leg going up and down, pathetic.
He is an ex-scummer and was a dirty little s**t during the game at the county ground

Plenty on the Pompey forums describing him as a nasty little cheat and can't wait to get rid of him. (Of course plenty also hailing him for getting the match turned round).

 

[ZeroTheHero]

The problem with Thomas is that in reality he has had one excellent season - seven years ago in league 2. Otherwise his scoring record is not very good. He has always spent a lot of time injured. Those records have been completely reflected in his time with us. As well as that, he offers very little apart from the goals he puts in from within the six yard box. If we had other, better, strikers then I suspect we would be even more critical. But Thomas, Obika, Mehmeti, GvK and Hemmings? What a selection!

 

[Sheik djibouti]

Utterly lamentable defending for their first goal though. I've seen Under 10's defend better than that!

Dickie had been taken out far too easily in the knock-back (with he and Kane nearly competing for the same ball), Smith-Brown inexplicably loses Naismith on his run in, Lego is in no-mans land, ball watching and picking up nobody and nearly ends up going for the same player as Mous. Eastwood didn't stand a chance.

May as well have given them a penalty, except that would've been harder to score!

 

[Dubai Yellow]

I know it don't mean anything or change anything but over on the pompey forum they are slating Thompson for the way he went at Mowatt when he missed the penalty. One fan even went as far as to say he hopes Portsmouth FC fine him for his actions. But it doesn't excuse Mowatt for reacting. Saying that if it was me I would of knocked Thompson out not just tickle his chin.

Just out of interest, is there a larger punishment given for a punch rather than a slap?

 

[Peterdev]

Only if we go on the pitch and do it on his behalf

 

[LowerSouth]

Well we’ve scored a lot of goals this season, how’s that then?

Agreed.
We were top goals scorers for quite a while last year.
But,you must admit,our scoring rate has dropped dramatically.
We seem at times afraid to shoot,always needing that extra touch or pass.
Also,our current squad and set up seem unable to feed the forwards.
So if our two strikers are not scoring, we need to change the system and or the lineup-like we did away at Charlton,when a Thomas and Obika could not play.
Just saying.

 

[Peterdev]

Punching might be regarded as violent conduct with longer bans

 

[OxfordBoy]

Just out of interest, is there a larger punishment given for a punch rather than a slap?

I'd imagine if a punch lands remotely cleanly then you're in a hell of a lot more trouble than you would be for the little slap he gave him

 

[Dubai Yellow]

I'd imagine if a punch lands remotely cleanly then you're in a hell of a lot more trouble than you would be for the little slap he gave him

Ah okay well at least he made one right decision during that moment of madness - We all know he reacted in the wrong way, but i still get the feeling this will have a positive effect on him and he will make up for his mistake before the end of the season.

 

[Paul Cannell]

i still get the feeling this will have a positive effect on him and he will make up for his mistake before the end of the season.

The triumph of hope over expectations.

 

[Osei Yaw]

That was the stats at 90 minutes.Up to the penalty miss and then sending off we were way ahead on every stat.more possession,shots, shots on target and corners.

Agree.

It's always important to consider the context when looking at stats. According to the BBC:

Possession:
Portsmouth 48%
Oxford 52%

Shots (on target):
Portsmouth 17 (6)
Oxford 11 (4)

Mowatt's penalty was our 9th shot in the 60th minute. Portsmouth had 10 of their shots after Mowatt's red card.

So at the time of the red card, we were (slightly) ahead with shots on goal. No way of finding the possession stats for that period in time, but given that Portsmouth had most of their chances in the last 30 minutes, it's reasonable to assume that's when they also enjoyed the most possession.

Seems fairly obvious to me that the red card massively changed the game and when you are looking back at the stats, you have to consider that 59% of Portsmouth's shots came in the 33% of game time that we were down to 10 men.

 

[Dubai Yellow]

The triumph of hope over expectations.

The miserable have no other medicine
But only hope. ~William Shakespeare

Hope rises like a phoenix from the ashes of shattered dreams. ~S.A. Sachs

Hope is the lone bloom in the desert. ~Terri Guillemets Dubai Yellow