Conor Wilkinson | Page 2 | Vital Football

Conor Wilkinson

Ogilvie certainly almost won the game single handed for Pompey, because of the time he wanted on the ball and uncertainty in decision making. Whereas Wilkinson had no support from midfield, he didn't appear to me to contemplate using other players if he did.
The difference was shown when List came on - he won the ball and turned their defenders, looking either to go in on goal or bring others into play. After that game List should be given a start and the midfield given a bollicking.
 
The point of hoofing the ball to a big striker is you have another player or two near him to get the second ball. All our players are as far away from getting a second ball as Hitler was,
 
Lark - 9/10/2017 00:25

OneSirKeefy - 8/10/2017 22:08

Hang on. Was I watching another player last night?

Who's the lanky one with the shaved sides? That Wilko? I think the commentators kept getting him and Clare (or someone) mixed up which confused the heck out of this TV watcher.

If so, every time the ball was "lumped to him" (especially first half) he came in off the left and won the ball in the air.

The fact there was no one up with him to get the 2nd ball was not his fault.

I think as punishment you should all watch the replay entirely to confirm he wasn't useless. Although corporal punishment might be more lenient than that...

If I'm wrong with the id , sorry.
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No you're right the commentators are quite sympathetic to Wilkinson basically having impossible long hoofs to try and win and chase all match, and they comment it's not surprising he hasn't scored if that's the service he gets.
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You were watching a different game to me, Baz. I had quite a good view of Wilkinson's first half performance, being bang in line with the penalty box we were attaching from the GRS and (sad as I am) watched the match again in the evening. Wilkinson has no pace or skill, and is there to win the ball in the air and put himself about. I thought he won very little and caused few problems. Fair enough, he did get quite a few long balls, but he is a 6'3" 14 stone cart horse - that should be exactly what he wants. If people were pinging in passes expecting one touch one-twos, flicks or expecting him to run on to a balls over the top, then I'd have sympathy for him, as that's not his game - heading and winning physical battle should be and he wasn't up to scratch.

The problem is, his replacement in Eaves isn't much better IMO. He may win a bit more in the air, but really is a League Two player. In short, AP has left us with two cart horses up front, a prolific non-league prospect and youngsters. So, it ain't rocket science that our goal tally is so low. The new manager is going to need to work wonders in the loan market and transfer market when it's open! I'd also add that the current interim manager must take blame, maybe as much if not more than AP, for the squad we have, as well as Scally.
 
Maybe us exiles were shown a different game, because I saw the same as Baz, I thought first half in particular, Wilkinson won quite a lot in the air. I'd disagree with Steve too, I don't think he is your typical carthorse type target man, I think he's better with the ball at his feet. Look at the highlights of our game v Chesterfield last season (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQLfos7w5Dw). That run of his to win the penalty for their 2nd goal, and his 2nd goal (Chesterfield's 3rd) are not exactly your typical carthorse play.

I agree we've certainly not seen anywhere near the best of him, but I do see him as a player short on confidence in a poor side, which probably isn't the greatest combination. Times like these it would probably be helpful to have a reserve side, chance to build up a bit of confidence for players like Wilkinson and Nash.

On the subject of seeing different games, I also appear to be the only one on here that thought Hess played well too (first half at least). Every time we broke up any Portsmouth attack, he always seemed to be involved. Surprised to read so many comments on here saying how poor he was, for me he was probably our best player in the first half, although admittedly he faded away in the 2nd.
 
To be fair to Wilkinson he doesn`t get much in the way of decent progressive passes and, apart from heavily defended set pieces he doesn`t get much in the way of curling crosses. That said, he is far too easily shoved off the ball and his compete level seems to have diluted as we move further into the season. He`s really struggling, and so is the rest of the team. I blame those in charge of recruitment.

 
I find myself half agreeing with a lot of posters.

Firstly, I'm with you LGR in that I thought Hess did ok in the first half - although it was all defensive. I got the impression he (and a few others) had been shackled to try and stop Portsmouth getting through. He was less effective in the second half.

I totally agree with Steve Treacle on Wilkinson. I saw him play 45 mins at Rochdale (alongside Eaves until Eaves got sent off) about 70 mins against Blackburn and the whole match yesterday.

The second half against Rochdale we were better than the first half, the last 20 mins against Blackburn we were better than the previous 70 and yesterday we were just awful.

Wilkinson is incapable of winning the ball in the air, holding the ball up or creating anything. Whilst Eaves may not be much better than League 2 standard, Wilkinson makes him look like Alan Shearer. We are better side with Eaves in the side than without him in my opinion. That said we don't really have any strikers worthy of the name.

The only thing we all seem to agree with is that Ogilvie was terrible, O'Mara looked like a decent prospect and that Jack Tucker did quite well after being thrown into a team as terrible as ours yesterday.

 
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