Team for tonight... | Page 4 | Vital Football

Team for tonight...

Lark said:
Do I hear cowbells over the commentary? Have the Pompey bench got some in the ground?
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Yes. It was bad enough watching that shite and then we had to listen to the Pompey cowbells for almost the entire 2nd half. Why???? Insult to injury. At Priestfield ffs!!!
 
Easiest MOTM Bonham will ever get. Deserved it but had absolutely no competition. Could easily have been 4 0 without him. I'm not sure I can justify to my missus disrupting Saturday by watching that tripe again. She's been very understanding over many years but there are limits.
 
Portsmouth won`t have many easier wins than tonight`s ! Gills poor and disjointed at the back and no bite, at all, in midfield and apart from Graham and the odd one from Eccles, we were devoid of any effective passing. Mystery why Robertson was on the bench, even more of one that he neither he nor Coyle feature at all. Bit odd, selection wise, from SE tonight.

Very disappointing. Two games until we reach the telling ten-marker. We`d better get our act together for Saturday or we could be seriously undone.
 
Sorry but I enjoyed this evening. 2-0 down, when a mate from Ashford phoned up - turned the volume off, carried on watching the match (and continued drinking: Fuller's ESB 6.3% and Doom Bar) but talked to him for the rest of the match. Talked about his allotment and family etc. Just glad I did not pay £10 for this (although indirectly I probably have). Still onwards and upwards, although I think we will get F****** again on Saturday. Still UTG.:confused:
 
Utter, utter horse shit that. We made an average Pompey side, not known for playing football, look very good and comfortable on the ball.

Evans and the team rightly received credit for some good results and performances and rightly got some slack for what we hoped was a one-off poor performance on Saturday when we were well beaten by an average MK Dons side, but I am afraid a repeat tonight is going to get the natives restless. I said after Saturday's defeat that the problem with managers like Evans is that playing an unattractive, physical direct style is tolerated when you get results, but when you don't, there is little to take home from the match - especially if you're not the most liked bloke like Evans (the same applied to Pulis both in his style of football and personality, but thankfully he won most things with us!)

What was worse about tonight's performance was the defence set up. I am surprised Evans allowed us to have such a weak and shoddy looking defence - Maghoma and Drysdale just don't look up to it - I pray we go with our best defenders in Ogilvie and Tucker next game at centre back. Oliver and Akinde looked clumsy up front and Samuel - a talented player - needs to up his game. We need to see Dempsey and seriously hope that he's not yet another sicknote. The first half was dreadful - two terrible goals from a defensive point of view with the defence completely opening up and allowing two soft goals. We could have conceded more in the second half, but Bonham made a couple of decent saves and Pompey were wasteful. What I was most disappointed with was that Pompey largely sat back, sat on their lead, and invited us on to them. We had a huge amount of corners, set pieces, crosses and passes in to the box, but created barely anything until a late Eccles' couple of chance which he should have done better with.

We need to get more solid at the back and make the most of pressure and opportunities up top. That was poor - a limited team in Pompey, not known for keeping the ball, did just that in the second half.

A win is a must on Saturday with tough games to come.
 
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What did you all expect. We have an inexperienced squad, the club have signed or loaned the best they can afford. Steve Evans is trying to make what he has he work and after a fairly good start we are beginning to be found out. The difference between a good professional footballer and run of the mill lower league player is consistency, our players don't have it that is why they are playing in League 1. At risk of sounding pompous. As I have said before this season is about staying solvent and remaining in League 1, we will have days like this they must be taken in our stride 52 points plus is our first and most important aim. After that let's see what we can do.
 
The defensive set up might have been about who was truly fit to play with a sickness bug around. With Mellis ill at the weekend, it was a bit of surprise that he was immediately back in the side. Tucker might have been one affected and might only have come on in extreme circumstances, who knows. It was the defensive set up that took time to get sorted last season and yet turned out to be our strength.
 
Disappointing, yes but some of the reaction a bit OTT. We got a bit carried away after the early games but have lost the two main men in midfield and our inexperience is beginning to show and is being exploited. I'm guessing Evans will have to keep making changes because half the side have never played a run of games before and probably don't yet have the stamnina for it. I don't buy the Portsmouth poor/average tack either they are a good team with a canny manager and will finish near the top.

Saturday looks a tough fixture and Evans and Raynor will have their work cut out to raise the team and pick a side to rebound. We didn't cave in after the first 18 minutes and did have some positive spells and will have to start from that modest base.
 
The Roone said:
What did you all expect. We have an inexperienced squad, the club have signed or loaned the best they can afford. Steve Evans is trying to make what he has he work and after a fairly good start we are beginning to be found out. The difference between a good professional footballer and run of the mill lower league player is consistency, our players don't have it that is why they are playing in League 1. At risk of sounding pompous. As I have said before this season is about staying solvent and remaining in League 1, we will have days like this they must be taken in our stride 52 points plus is our first and most important aim. After that let's see what we can do.
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Are you Peter Lloyd?
 
jogills said:
Disappointing, yes but some of the reaction a bit OTT. We got a bit carried away after the early games but have lost the two main men in midfield and our inexperience is beginning to show and is being exploited. I'm guessing Evans will have to keep making changes because half the side have never played a run of games before and probably don't yet have the stamnina for it. I don't buy the Portsmouth poor/average tack either they are a good team with a canny manager and will finish near the top.

Saturday looks a tough fixture and Evans and Raynor will have their work cut out to raise the team and pick a side to rebound. We didn't cave in after the first 18 minutes and did have some positive spells and will have to start from that modest base.
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I don't think Pompey are a poor side, but their style is very much direct and based on closing down and physical play - that's our strength - and we didn't match that tonight. You don't need ultra finances to do that and that's what's disappointing. Further, Pompey with their style, have been outplayed and outpossessioned in several of their games so far this season, but they kept the ball fairly well tonight, which I find a bit worrying as we've been easily outplayed by a team whose natural game is not necessarily to pass the ball around. I personally don't care how we play or approach he game on Saturday as long as we win!
 
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You can't replace the experience and nous of Fuller and Ehmer easily; they were the 'glue' in the defence last year - young Tucker's mistakes (understandable) were covered up by F & E, which lead to a ridiculous assessment by SE and others of his ability - he should still make a good Lge 1 defender with good handling and an experienced head alongside. Best option is to put Ogilvie alongside Jack and let O'Connor play left back where he looks good.
While I like Samuel and pleased to see his return I think moving Graham to the left has been a problem; he looked so much better on the right
A problem with young loanees is that their parent club wont be happy to see them on the bench, especially if they're paying part or all their wages; so Arsenal may be on the phone to SE next week if Medley and Coyle look unlikely to start - I like the look of Eccles who will be alongside Dempsey and Robertson if all fit; looks more consistent than Mellis
Bottom line - dont expect too much too soon
 
We've sold /got rid of Barry Fuller and Max Ehmer. We've brought in some very talented very young defenders who without guidance simply don't have the nous to keep a tight defense.
 
Broncos77 said:
You can't replace the experience and nous of Fuller and Ehmer easily; they were the 'glue' in the defence last year - young Tucker's mistakes (understandable) were covered up by F & E, which lead to a ridiculous assessment by SE and others of his ability - he should still make a good Lge 1 defender with good handling and an experienced head alongside. Best option is to put Ogilvie alongside Jack and let O'Connor play left back where he looks good.
While I like Samuel and pleased to see his return I think moving Graham to the left has been a problem; he looked so much better on the right
A problem with young loanees is that their parent club wont be happy to see them on the bench, especially if they're paying part or all their wages; so Arsenal may be on the phone to SE next week if Medley and Coyle look unlikely to start - I like the look of Eccles who will be alongside Dempsey and Robertson if all fit; looks more consistent than Mellis
Bottom line - dont expect too much too soon
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Got there before me and did a better job
 
One tiny positive is that only Sunderland are unbeaten in our league (and they have drawn 2 of 6). Ipswich got tonked tonight so it is looking that anyone can beat almost anyone in these fan free stadium days.
 
We didn't sell or get rid of Max he left for a better deal. Like almost all professional players his career came first a free transfer with a nice signing on fee and higher wages was better than staying with us. It is what any player would do. Such as John Egan Tom Eaves or Thomaz Holy, money and their careers come first.
 
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