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Post by davidm on Jan 17, 2020 19:21:56 GMT
Have we now reached the stage where the result of this game doesn’t matter?
Despite the fact that everyone likes to celebrate a win, is it more important that some form of structure and team tactics show through?
The manager has come in for some vilifications after the last 3 games. Hopefully, he has learned lessons from the last 2 weeks.
Presumably Lowe will return and the new left back will appear. I somehow get the feeling that the young players (Darcy, Politic, Edwards) could be sacrificed for this match.
One win in the last 9 games has really knocked the stuffing out of us.
It would be great to see a win but, realistically, it is hard to see anything other than another loss. 0-2.
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Post by whitesince63 on Jan 17, 2020 20:31:02 GMT
Yes, is the answer to your first question David, to me the result tomorrow is irrelevant compared to the performance. I’d like to see Keith put together a settled side, not the chopping and changing we’ve been seeing. I know some of it has been forced but I don’t get the feeling KH thinks some of the players he has can do what he wants but he just has no other options. I want to see him bring in players who could potentially be here next year. This latest left back for me is just a waste because no matter how he performs he will be off in May and we have to fill that spot. It could be Bunney but not having seen him play yet, we don’t know if he’s the answer anyway. Let’s just hope he’s got realistic potential candidates for the other positions we need because now must start the building process not stop gaps. As for tomorrow then, I think you’re being modest with 0-2. Portsmouth look a good side on the up and I fear another turning over so I’ll go for 0-4 I’m afraid but I just hope I’m made to eat that result and we can put up a good performance and get something from the game.
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Post by OohMac on Jan 17, 2020 22:24:08 GMT
I'm still of the impression that this league aint too great so think one good win could turn into two, three and four. In that sense i havent given up just yet.
How about this then. Bolton 3 Pompey 1.
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Post by riochforthereebok on Jan 18, 2020 9:01:19 GMT
Not wanting to be the voice of doom.... We are the proverbial ‘rabbit in the headlights’ but once the first goal goes in and we await Keiths 93rd minute sub bringing Faal on when it’s too late, it’ll soon be ⚽️⚽️ ⚽️⚽️⚽️ ⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️ So sadly, my prediction will be Bolton 0 Portsmouth 4
Have we really got no one better than Matthews?? Is the tea lady free??
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Post by whitesince63 on Jan 18, 2020 10:00:14 GMT
The thing that really disappoints me is the change in determination, or should I say lack of it. At least early in the season when the kids played there was an attitude I’m not seeing now from the more “senior” players who just give up as rftr says. The Coventry game was the best example where every one of those kids gave everything and fully deserved the standing ovation they received at the end of the game. I was almost in tears with pride but now leave games with total apathy at yet another weak, dispiriting performance. I want to see players who want to be here, want to be in the team and want to stay for more than a loan period. Until we get that, players who know they will shuffle off back to their own clubs at the end of the loan will never have that mindset to deliver.
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Post by davidm on Jan 18, 2020 18:59:10 GMT
Similar in some ways to the Rochdale game in that we didn’t play particularly badly but neither did we ever look like scoring.
We still have the same issues:- - Defence has moments of sleepiness and we pay for them with goals,
- Midfield is ridiculously toothless – rarely creates anything going forward and
- Forwards are just too slow off the mark and, if you take away shots from outside the area, we had only one chance.
We have changed so much from Keith Hill’s initial games. Then, Matthews rolled the ball out from the back, the midfield passed and moved well and we were just short of a spark up front. For some reason, we just hoof the ball now. Matthews did not roll the ball out once during the game. Lowe and Murphy just played sideways and backwards and the forwards were just bombarded with high balls which they lost 95% of the time.
The first half, we were second best to Portsmouth who passed the ball well. We conceded much too many free kicks and corners and struggled to defend all of them.
We had a few rare attacks which did not threaten until Dodoo forced the Portsmouth centre half into a mistake and got clean through only to be brought down. I think I may need to see it again but why that was only a yellow card I do not know. Dodoo was clean through on the edge of the box with just the goalie to beat.
Quite a few of the referee’s decision were odd. Portsmouth have definitely learned the devious art of winning free kicks and when yet another one was won, we paid the price. There really was no problem with the ball out of the touchline but someone (was it Emmanuel?) gave away a needless free kick. The ball came in high – a real quality centre – and I thought that Matthews would come out and get it. He didn’t move. Their big centre half out jumped us, as he did all match, and got a header in. Matthews saved it but let it slip from his grasp for the Portsmouth man to follow up and score.
Yet another real poor goal conceded.
And that was it for the first half. We had 2 or 3 off target shots but nothing to concern the opponents.
Edwards was withdrawn at half time injured. Lowe went to centre half and O’Grady came on upfront.
We had much more of the ball second half but that didn’t bother Portsmouth who were winning so had no need to attack us.
We pressed and O’Grady somehow cleared the ball instead of scoring when a Darcy cross beat Dodoo and came to him. His stretch to turn it in somehow sent the ball high in the air away from goal.
Apart from that, it was down to Politic who had 3 good shots all from outside the area. The first two, albeit on target, were easy saves but the third brought a cracking save from the keeper.
We pressed well in the second half but, in all honesty, created little.
Portsmouth just stayed strong and knew they could play out for a 1-0 win – which they did comfortably.
A little better performance but God I am sick of our so-called experienced midfield men who fath around, pass sideways and create nothing.
Marks (which may look extremely harsh but, yet again, we lost!):-
Matthews - 4 Could he not have come and caught the free kick which led to the goal and a good keeper would not have let the ball slip from his grasp. Kicking was appalling.
Emmanuel - 6 One of the few positive thinking players. Got caught a couple of times but at least tried to attack.
Nsiala - 5 A hard game for him.
Edwards - 5 A couple of early nervous mistakes then he got crocked. Subbed at half time injured.
Fleming - 5 Steadyish debut. Completely one-footed but was OK.
Lowe - 3 I know this may seem like a vendetta but this man cannot pass a ball accurately. He plays sideways or backwards passes most of the time and a lot of these were just rank bad. Improved as a centre half in the second half.
Hamilton - 4 A couple of powerful runs but was nothing like the player at Rochdale last week.
Murphy L - 3 A man with his experience at a high level should be able to dominate league 1 midfields but he was totally anonymous. A complete waste of time.
Dodoo - 3 Just could not get anything out of the Portsmouth defence who totally dominated him.
Darcy - 6 Some neat footwork and at least he wanted the ball and got involved.
Politic - 6 Our 3 shots on target, all from outside the box, came from him. Tried.
O’Grady - 5 We attacked better when he was on but he somehow managed to clear the ball when trying to turn a cross from Darcy in.
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Post by andyl on Jan 18, 2020 20:11:31 GMT
The first thing to say is that this was not a bad effort. We clawed our way up the field, offered some presentable attacks and breakaways and pretty much matched Portsmouth all over the outfield.
The second is that henceforward I'm stepping back from watching or listening to our manager. He talks utter drivel. It's not that his verbal diarrhoea condenses into falsehoids but it us painfully long- winded, platitudinous and boring. Yes, Keith, players should improve their skills and your highly paid team should nurture them.
So howsabout you teach Matthews to dive, smother and hold a gently moving header. Or perhaps Lowe could practise passing forward of colleagues or to their feet. Or if needs be you could get him a year's subscription to Specsavers?
Perhaps also you could learn to play men in their best positions. Hamilton left and left centre was so much better than right.
So, you preferred Hall to Faal. But he wasn't worth more than added time. Is Faal that bad? And worse than O'Grady who won no headers and missed two sitters clearing one.
In the end the difference between the teams was Mathews gaffe and their keeper's wonder save from Politic
IBut yes there is progress. Darcy, Politic and Edwards are breaking through. Sadly Edwards major contribution was to go off and oblige KH to break up the dreadful Murphy Lowe combination. Lowe actually did ok at the back. But they didn't try to expose his and Nsailas obvious aerial weakness.
Had Darryl Murphy been available I imagine we'd not have lost- he even at his age is irreplaceable within our squad
Matthews 3 Emmanuel 5 Edwards 5 Nsaila 5 Lowe 5 Fleming 7 Dodoo 3 Politic 8 Darcy 6 O Grady 2 Murphy L 4 Hamilton 6
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Post by bonaparte on Jan 18, 2020 21:23:26 GMT
Stange game, strange referee. Wanderers penalized lots, Portsmouth not. No confidence in midfield, hence long punts, which did produce somme chances, but no one to take them. Good debut from Fleming after a shaky start. Where was Hamilton? Like Nsaila, cool on ball confident passing. Emmanuel confident, over confident, too often caught out. Politic good strikes, but too predictable. Didn't deserve to loose, but didn't deserve to win. Some gren shoots, but alas too late.
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