Fan's View - Portsmouth

[Paul B]

Finally got round to writing this.
Quite likely I will bundle the two games over Easter up together, unless I'm fuming enough after Scunny to let rip.

Fan's View - Portsmouth

 

[Lundinsponytail]

Finally got round to writing this.
Quite likely I will bundle the two games over Easter up together, unless I'm fuming enough after Scunny to let rip.

Fan's View - Portsmouth

Good summary. We cannot claim to have dominated a game when the opposition creates comfortably more good chances!
Next two games (Scunny and Shrews) are pretty important. 4 points or more and we should be ok. 3 points will probably see us keep our cushion, with games running out. 2 points is fingernail bite territory, 1 or 0 points will see us dragged into the last six game dogfight.

 

[Whingit]

Good summary. We cannot claim to have dominated a game when the opposition creates comfortably more good chances!
Next two games (Scunny and Shrews) are pretty important. 4 points or more and we should be ok. 3 points will probably see us keep our cushion, with games running out. 2 points is fingernail bite territory, 1 or 0 points will see us dragged into the last six game dogfight.

Let's hope it's the latter, for the sake of your bank balance.

 

[Victor1986]

Really excellent Paul - as usual. I also worry about Eastwood - he seems to have got even more reluctant to come for crosses since all the Barnsley talk. Talking to Mick Kearns recently you can see how tall, big & commanding a keeper needs to be & Eastwood is not that.

 

[Oxford84]

Finally got round to writing this.
Quite likely I will bundle the two games over Easter up together, unless I'm fuming enough after Scunny to let rip.

Fan's View - Portsmouth

At last!ive been waiting 3 days for this.

 

[Jerome'SAle]

Nailed it as usual Paul. We were fine again in the middle third but not good enough in either box.

 

[DannyW]

Thomas can be a bit frustrating with his body language sometimes not helping, it's like a neon sign which says yes I'm up for it or not today thanks. That said he has received some abysmal service for most of the season, often makes good runs which no one seems to aknowlege particularly our midfield most of the time. When he gets a good through ball to run onto he usually does pretty well with it. We so miss Lundstrum.

 

[Berliner]

Really excellent Paul - as usual. I also worry about Eastwood - he seems to have got even more reluctant to come for crosses since all the Barnsley talk. Talking to Mick Kearns recently you can see how tall, big & commanding a keeper needs to be & Eastwood is not that.

The comparison with Slocombe is an interesting one. In our promotion year Slocombe didn't lose out from a single cross, purely because he never came for one. Büchel on the other hand certainly wasn't going to die wondering on that score. Both options of course had their negative sides. I remember one scene (can't remember against whom) with Büchel that went down as an error where he came for a cross very similar to the one against Pompey, missed it and it was put in followed by a goalmouth scramble. Argument back then "why did he come for it". Argument now "why didn't he come for it". Fine lines indeed.

 

[Manorman]

A fair summary Paul with all the now familiar weaknesses exposed. We all seem to know what is wrong and the management team are also very aware.
The problem is that we don’t have the players to be able to improve the position. Obika, Mehmeti, GVK are not the answer up front and Williamson and Martin are not the solution at the back. As much as I like Brannagan I just wish he were 6 inches taller. We desperately need more height and strength in the team.

 

[TailsWeWin]

A fair summary Paul with all the now familiar weaknesses exposed. We all seem to know what is wrong and the management team are also very aware.
The problem is that we don’t have the players to be able to improve the position. Obika, Mehmeti, GVK are not the answer up front and Williamson and Martin are not the solution at the back. As much as I like Brannagan I just wish he were 6 inches taller. We desperately need more height and strength in the team.

I think Brannagan needs to be partnered with a Bully Boy in the middle. Ledson will be off, I assume and the centre midfield will miss his bite. Brannagan needs to be given the freedom to be the box-to-box we need too.

 

[Sheik djibouti]

Excellent summary as per Paul. I too noticed how wayward some of our passing was at time - the word that came to mind at the time was "brainless". to many misplaced, or rushed, or underhit or overhit, or not read by the receiver. Maybe I am expecting too much for League 1 players, but it would seem fairly basic to be able to get your pass to it's intended recipient more often than not. At times in the game, that simply wasn't happening at all.

And I kind of agree about Eastwood, but worth bearing in mind that he is being woefully exposed by his defence (and those players expected to perform defensive duties at set pieces) at times, that maybe it just makes him look worse. No doubt he has pulled off some fantastic saves this season, but the fact that he is reluctant to come for a cross maybe suggests that there is a lack of overall understanding/communication/leadership in that defence as a unit?

 

[Paul B]

Excellent summary as per Paul. I too noticed how wayward some of our passing was at time - the word that came to mind at the time was "brainless". to many misplaced, or rushed, or underhit or overhit, or not read by the receiver. Maybe I am expecting too much for League 1 players, but it would seem fairly basic to be able to get your pass to it's intended recipient more often than not. At times in the game, that simply wasn't happening at all.

And I kind of agree about Eastwood, but worth bearing in mind that he is being woefully exposed by his defence (and those players expected to perform defensive duties at set pieces) at times, that maybe it just makes him look worse. No doubt he has pulled off some fantastic saves this season, but the fact that he is reluctant to come for a cross maybe suggests that there is a lack of overall understanding/communication/leadership in that defence as a unit?

That's a debate I've had with my mates. I argued that the centre halves were not doing their job and the defence being a bit shambolic makes him look worse. The counter argument which I can see is that in such circumstances the keeper should be doing a lot of talking, shouting and organising. Pity he's not got the gob of Billy Turley. (Or should that all be the captain's responsibility?)