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

[MC Yellow]

And Napa

Best I’ve seen of Napa ?

 

[Shaun Rice]

Rothwell. Good option but think we need a better box to box midfielder in there

Shouldn't play again. A pathetic scape goat there. Mowatt let his passion get better off him.

Mowatt admittedly shouldn't have took notice of the scumbag and struck him but ref is as much to blame. Sends Thompson off for second yellow like he should've it's 10 v 10 and we probably win.

Ref was poor today.
He actually books Naismith after the incident, who was booked on 5 minutes so should’ve walked! I’m sure he ment to book Thompson for his actions but got it all Pete Tong. Then for some reason says he booked the keeper who I didn’t see do anything. I’ve watched it 3 times on Sky and he even points at Naismith. What’s worse is he should actually put the name in the book but obviously didn’t.

 

[MC Yellow]

KRs post match rant absolutely stitched up the Ref and FA. Something Clotet didn't do enough. This is the 2nd away game in a row we've been screwed over by a mistake by the Ref. It happens and they are human, but it's proving to be the margin that is materially tipping the scales to the opposition.

I'll be interested to see if KR changes the team around to make us bigger. We need some beef in the team.

Enjoyed that interview.

After that performance my concerns for the remainder of the season are diminishing, regardless of what happens against Scunthorpe and Shrewsbury.

 

[Concretebob]

Best I’ve seen of Napa ?

I thought Napa was excellent.

 

[BigCrompy]

Ref was poor today.
He actually books Naismith after the incident, who was booked on 5 minutes so should’ve walked

Naismith SCORES on 5 minutes, he wasn’t booked.

Lego was given the first yellow in the match.

 

[TailsWeWin]

Thomas. An absolute piece of puff pastry. For goodness sake, let him go. Please.

 

[RATC]

Naismith SCORES on 5 minutes, he wasn’t booked.

Lego was given the first yellow in the match.

Naismith WAS booked on 47 minutes for the tackle on Henry around the centre circle when we were on a counter attack and he came in from behind and tripped henry.

 

[BigCrompy]

Naismith WAS booked on 47 minutes for the tackle on Henry around the centre circle when we were on a counter attack and he came in from behind and tripped henry.

OK, rephrase...Naismith scores in the 5th minute, he is not booked, in the 5th minute.

I take the point entirely that the referee was entirely card-happy and could have despatched three or four.

 

[RATC]

OK, rephrase...Naismith scores in the 5th minute, he is not booked, in the 5th minute.

I take the point entirely that the referee was entirely card-happy and could have despatched three or four.

Oh okay my bad. I thought you meant he never recieved a booking. REF seemed to be acting for the cameras lets hope The ref on Friday is a lot more consistent.

 

[uptheus]

I thought Napa was excellent.

Really? He was good, but was knocked off the ball too easily. Think he’d be better on the wing.

 

[RATC]

Just looked on the SKY Sports feed and it's saying their keeper was booked in that incident. How?

 

[LowerSouth]

Barring injury,Thomas and Obika must have a clause in there contract,that stipulates at least one of them must be selected to start in every game-this must be why we keep playing them upfront,in a formation that week after week fails to deliver goals and points.
One thought would be to drop them both and start with Rothwell,Napa,Henry,they all have the ability to run with the ball towards the opposing defence and create chances in and around the box.

 

[uptheus]

My take on the game, for what it's worth.

Defensively an absolute house of cards. Even when we were in the ascendency there were hearts in mouths whenever it came down our way. Defending of free kicks, corners and crosses abysmal. Dickie and Mousinho guilty of tracking the same man on a few occasions. Mousinho a good ball player and works the ball out nicely but defensively all over the place. Dickie ever present at front and back and still young, I am happy we have him. The two loanees neither "Fisch" nor "Fleisch", little rapport with the players around them and not decisive enough going forward or backward. Dickie plus Nelson (if not sold) and two new boys in for next season.

Midfield actually looked good. Bossed it between the boxes until Mowatt's brain fart. Like the way we are moving the ball one touch with a clear forward motion instead of sideways and back. Doesn't always work but was fine today. Lego hamstrung by the yellow (dark yellow it was too) but overall good. Brannagan needs to play further forward. Henry played well, probably my MOM. Mowatt in and out of the game and then cost us dearly. Only thing I would complain about is the final ball, especially when played at head height. As if Napa is going to conjure something out of that. Think, gentlemen! Glad that Rothwell is back fit again.

Up front Napa with bright spells, very nippy. Thomas a couple of nice touches facing away from goal but absolutely toothless as a striker. Shame GvK was on international duty as I'd liked to have seen him have a go at the Pompey back line.

Pompey neither here nor there to be honest, caught us cold, sucked up what pressure we could build and would have been in trouble if the penalty went it. Brett Pitman just your typical lower-league unit sh*thouse goalhanger, but my word it would be nice if we had one.

Robbo animated on the bench, taking notes, showing emotion. Wins you nowt of course but good to see, he will have seen immediately what needs to be done.

A word for the ref. If indeed he did book their guy twice then it is of course inexcusible. That said I actually thought he had a fairly good game apart from that and got the other decisions all correct.

Ledson, Mowatt and Brannagan were poor today. Ledson needs to show composure on the ball, but he’s erratic. Mowatt just offers nothing, e.g. no pace, no real trickery and Brannagan just doesn’t seem as effective playing the deeper role.

We are poor all over the place, strikers, wingers, fullback and working relationships in midfield don’t work.

Mass exodus in the summer needed.

Just hope we can scrap over the line and stay as a league 1 team.

 

[uptheus]

And another thing. Thomas looks like a player that will never score another goal. I thought he was rubbish.

He didn’t have another striker up top with him so invariably ended up trying to hold the ball up with no support.

 

[CornishOx]

Right I've calmed down a bit so thought I'd write about the game now and wind myself up again.
Mowatt, I understand it's an emotional game and all that jazz but he was terrible all game, penalty miss summed it up. We must have the worst penalty conversion rate in Europe it's absolutely woeful.
Felt sorry for napa, he made a few things happen but the majority of the time the passes were hit so hard at him it was hard for him to control as he also seemed to have two pompey players on him most of the time.
Bar napa we have zero pace. Absolutely none. We seem to get two thirds up the pitch and then stop and pass back. So frustrating.

I am actually a Wes Thomas fan but he was terrible today.

Henry for me was our man of the match.

 

[Oxford84]

Yes - but defending and scoring are pretty major elements of the game.
We have some good players in central midfield, but are weak defensively and weak upfront.
If a golfer is good with his irons, but a poor driver and putter he will not often score well.
I didn't see this game that we dominated. The possession stats are marginally in our favour, but shots on and off target significantly in their favour.
I think that overall it was reasonably encouraging, in that if we play that way for the rest of the season we should get the odd ball bounce go our way and get the couple of wins we need. But we are due to play four of the top five sides - three away - so we are not 'there' yet. Which, at Easter time, is a bit disconcerting.
Reassuring afterwards to hear Robinson so passionate. I never bought into Pep's bizarre management speak (And nor, I think, did the players).

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.

 

[werthersoriginal]

Barring injury,Thomas and Obika must have a clause in there contract,that stipulates at least one of them must be selected to start in every game-this must be why we keep playing them upfront,in a formation that week after week fails to deliver goals and points.
One thought would be to drop them both and start with Rothwell,Napa,Henry,they all have the ability to run with the ball towards the opposing defence and create chances in and around the box.

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

 

[cecantena]

Ref was poor today.
He actually books Naismith after the incident, who was booked on 5 minutes so should’ve walked! I’m sure he ment to book Thompson for his actions but got it all Pete Tong. Then for some reason says he booked the keeper who I didn’t see do anything. I’ve watched it 3 times on Sky and he even points at Naismith. What’s worse is he should actually put the name in the book but obviously didn’t.

I, too, was certain he showed the yellow card to Naismith.

 

[bazzer9461]

He didn’t have another striker up top with him so invariably ended up trying to hold the ball up with no support.

Hardly ever had the ball so not much hold up from him

 

[holdsteady]

Is Mowatt the first ever player to get sent off missing a penalty? Can’t be many who have done that, the bloke is an idiot, it’s the sort of thing we used to laugh at the divvy ex Swindon goalie doing, except somehow worse. If he scores we win that game, if he misses then stays on the pitch we still get a draw I reckon, those defending him for this are so bias that it’s hard to take them seriously from now on.

 

[milburn]

Ref was poor today.
He actually books Naismith after the incident, who was booked on 5 minutes so should’ve walked! I’m sure he ment to book Thompson for his actions but got it all Pete Tong. Then for some reason says he booked the keeper who I didn’t see do anything. I’ve watched it 3 times on Sky and he even points at Naismith. What’s worse is he should actually put the name in the book but obviously didn’t.

I, too, was certain he showed the yellow card to Naismith.

Yeah I was sure it was Naismith. Can’t believe there was no replay as the commentators were not sure either.