Match Thread: Lincoln City v Portsmouth | Page 18 | Vital Football

Match Thread: Lincoln City v Portsmouth

Disappointed last night, but having thawed out and slept on it, still disappointed! I was worried about this match and even with their poor away record, suspected this could happen. Don’t know why Walker and Edun didn’t start? We just didn’t get started, poor passing, long balls to no one. I thought Hopper looked decent and give him a few weeks he’ll prove his worth...UTI!
 
NickH said:
Disappointed last night, but having thawed out and slept on it, still disappointed! I was worried about this match and even with their poor away record, suspected this could happen. Don’t know why Walker and Edun didn’t start? We just didn’t get started, poor passing, long balls to no one. I thought Hopper looked decent and give him a few weeks he’ll prove his worth...UTI!
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Walker had not trained due to a dead leg, so didn’t start as a precaution.
 
Also with Appleton's potential style of play, why have Payne and Pett been frozen out? Both tidy footballers, combative and energetic. Both signed to LCFC. And I feel would do a job at least in comparison with the young loanees.
 
elkimp said:
Also with Appleton's potential style of play, why have Payne and Pett been frozen out? Both tidy footballers, combative and energetic. Both signed to LCFC. And I feel would do a job at least in comparison with the young loanees.
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In what position would you play them in the 4-4-2?
 
elkimp said:
Also with Appleton's potential style of play, why have Payne and Pett been frozen out? Both tidy footballers, combative and energetic. Both signed to LCFC. And I feel would do a job at least in comparison with the young loanees.
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MA sees these lads every day and they are both lightweights but our current midfield are also in the same physical mould(2 loanees) so that would not account for their lack of game time.
The issue for Pett and Payne must lay elsewhere and maybe only MA can answer your question fully but he has made remarks regards Payne that he needs to earn the right to get on the bench for a Saturday so that points possibly to attitude issues.
I feel that Payne may be on big dough ,previously being with HTFC and MA just does not fancy him and wants him out,still only 25
checked his twitter recently and he uploaded Southend`s only goal at Donny last night,he used to play for them and could go back there on loan?
My comments regards Pett have no answers so that is open to further discussion.....just he was a signing of the previous regime and not good enough for league 1.
 
Billy the Imp said:
What pressure?
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Whether we kicked it out from Vicks (we didn't) or played it out through the back and lobbed it forward, they controlled those attacks. They kept their shape and defensively capability.

Raggett must have had at least 30 headers last night to clear the defensive line etc.

We didn't have sustained, intense, thumbscrew pressure- but they absorbed our endeavours to put pressure on them and hence we looked impotent.
 
tell_it_like_it_is said:
Second game running beaten by a team that hasn't needed to get out of first gear. This is the time of the season where you usually start to get some separation between better teams and the average and Portsmouth are certainly improving.

Run a risk when rebuilding a side mid season. Looked like a bunch of players that had been thrown together recently who were not quite sure of the game plan.
I would have thought with two two mobile forwards, who for the most part were making good runs, you should get the ball forward quickly. Did do that a little better at times in the second half but Appleton does seem to have confused the defenders a little as to what to do when.
Morell didn't have such an influential game as usual but that was because the opposition didn't allow it.
Also doesn't help when you have essentially no wide threat. The left back easily dealt with Anderson and Grant needs an overlapping fullback and the understanding isn't there yet.

There are enough poor teams in this league to keep picking up enough points though and I guess the medium to long term plan is coming along ok
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Not sure I entirely agree- last two games have been lost solely from set pieces (corner, free-kick and penalty).

We have only conceded one goal to open play in the last 5 games (Bolton at home).
We do have to stop giving needless penalties and free-kicks away though.

I completely agree the wheat and chaff are being seperated and we are chaff not wheat, this is our first season in L1- it isn't supposed to be easy.

Would come back to Pompey who are the L1 "in form" team and are significantly better than the Imps both in form and function.

I didn't enjoy last night but I didn't enjoy losing to Gateshead at home in 13/14 or Barrow at home in 16/17 or Crewe away on Boxing day last season or......etc etc.

We have lost some very good players and we have some young players with incredible potential stepping up but it will take time and patience.
 
Imp13 said:
We don’t play with a 10 though and I personally wouldn’t have Pett above Morrell, Edun, Coventry, or Chapman.
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Maybe I would play with a 10. And I would play Pett over Coventry, perhaps not the others. I just think they should be looked at more than they have.
And I don't like the modern loan system. Yes, we have Morrel and Walker, but I still don't like it.
 
elkimp said:
Maybe I would play with a 10. And I would play Pett over Coventry, perhaps not the others. I just think they should be looked at more than they have.
And I don't like the modern loan system. Yes, we have Morrel and Walker, but I still don't like it.
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you might like it less by tomorrow,but i am with you on loanees,don`t rely on them they could be gone in the morning.
 
I like most was disappointed with last night's performance. I understand that the players are getting to know each other. However I would expect them all to be able to pass the ball and play with some sort of intensity. It seemed to me everything was very slow.
Onwards to Saturday UTI!!
 
Taken me a couple of days to watch the game on I-Follow. Dreadful game with neither team really playing well or creating anything clear cut. Once again we’ve been undone with two set pieces but what worried me more was a lack of discipline, especially by the senior players who should be setting the example. Shackell giving the ball away too often and too easily. Eardley seemed to be caught out of position two or three times, especially for the penalty. Morrell - love his passion but he needs to be more disciplined - his booking was unnecessary - he’d given the FK away but he should have walked away instead of getting involved with their player. The one thing which stood out for me as the difference in the two sides was that Portsmouth have a little more confidence, were pressing harder, playing to our weaknesses and generally more used to playing together as a team. We have a team which is basically restructured and unused to playing together, and it showed, though it could have been worse against a free-flowing attacking team. Let’s hope we can do better on Saturday.
 
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