Well we were simply outbattled. The second half was a complete load of garbage. Pompey’s players were so much more up for it and quicker and fitter. Too many of our players just were not anywhere near theirs. Pompey came out of the traps whilst our players were way off the pace and made too many basic errors. They pressed harder and caused our players to be rushed and waste possession. Pompey were a more organised and better motivated team. Riza’s management skills, tactics and selections will be rightly criticised.
Gutted, I missed the opening 15 mins, flicked on just in time to see O'Dowda score... Thought overall we were marginally the better side but were outscrapped for too many second balls and once again too wasteful in possession. Ultimately we had chances to equalise but didn't take them. Fair play to Pompey, they fought like terriers throughout. Another bad day at the office but still some glimmers of hope... Mannsverk looks like a good acquisition.
What I found frustrating was that everyone knows what to expect when they go to Fratton Park and you know they're going to be in your face from the first second. We, for some ungodly reason seemed totally surprised by it. Not sure the selection was right to start with and then we left it too late. There needs to be some acceptance that we're in a scrap for survival. I don't like having a go at managers, but I wonder how many more lessons are needed. Some real work to be done now. Bloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooobirds
Not going to raise it as an excuse as we lost the game for more fundamental reasons but when do we ever get penalties? A nailed on handball.
Given the location of our defeat this evening and the fact that royal ascent is no longer needed, I've decided once again to splice the mainbrace while I ruminate.
Have we had one this season? Part of the problem has been the lack of wide players getting into the box and forcing defenders to make challenges. I'm hoping Alves will change that.
Done some rumination myself. I felt uncomfortable with us packing 3 in the middle of the park when I saw the teamsheet. Not sure why Riza felt the need to go that way. We seemed to have settled on a 4231 formation as plan A, we now have additional resources to play that way and we throw plan B out there. The bench was packed with attacking options that would have suited plan A. If the idea was to congest the midfield and keep Portsmouth quiet for the first half, it didn't work. I know some players will have had some miles in their legs after extra time on Saturday, but I think we missed an opportunity last night.
Ironically this could have been a game for Siopis. Never mind ball skills, get stuck in and match fire with fire. It appears Mannsverk was our MOM, according to WoL. I haven't seen him but maybe Robertson would have been more combative. I guess he was ill/injured. Omer has said the players lacked bravery. Surely he prepared the players for the early Pompey onslaught we all knew was coming. If he did then a few of them weren't up for it and need to give their heads a wobble.
As a game it's best forgotten other than to learn from it. Poor exploitation by Riza of the resourses available to him facing a well known entity on their own ground. They blitzed us in the first 20 minutes, and it's as if we didn't know that's what they were going to try to do. The system was wrong. The players didn't adapt to it and throwing on of a bench full of substitutes in the second half in an effort to save it shouldn't have been necessary. Their 2 goal lead was deserved at the time, but you could see O'Dowda's goal affected them psychologically - they froze and we should have gone in at half time at least all square. I'm deeply hurt because I lost £20 @ 11/4 on City winning that. However, when I saw the team with O'Dowda playing further forward and Bagan behind him, I thought I'd have a tenner on him scoring............ please log in to view this image
