90 minutes up - 10 minutes added on ! The referee is having a laugh surely ? The Radio Solent commentators can't believe it !
4th sub for Pompey (due to Kieron Freeman's concussion injury): Reeco Hackett for Denver Hume. 90 +5 minutes.
Final whistle. 3-2 win for Oxford. We deserved at least a point for our performance, but unfortunately the referee's decisions were mainly in the home team's favour. I do hope we decide to question the red card against Joe Morrell. Apparently, even the home side's radio commentators were amazed it was a red and not a yellow card awarded.
Final Match Stats:- Home Team: Oxford Utd ..............Away Team: Portsmouth Possession: Home 78% Away 22% Shots: Home 17 Away 3 Shots on Target: Home 6 Away 3 Corners: Home 9 Away 1 Fouls: Home 7 Away 9
Obviously a disappointing game marred by the sending off. The positives were the the spirit shown, the two very well worked goals, and the performance of Jacobs in a No 10 roll instead of being on the wing. It is interesting to conjecture that had the 3 at the back plus wing backs system been envisaged at the start of the season Ryan Williams may well of found a role worthy of his retention with Pompey. However, it was probably about the money he was on - not his abilities. In the week Cowley said in the press that he intended to sign young players that still had improvement potential in the summer. Such as Close and Whatmough I thought - but then again it was about the money. The owners are clearly shrewd business people without a soccer background and the typical business model of a soccer club must be quite alarming to them. They probably see player's wage structures as unsustainable long term and they are correct. The typical club needs cash injections to standstill and bigger cash injections to progress. Last summer the Covid crisis made stark the short comings of the soccer club business model - particularly in the lower tiers where gate money is a bigger proportion of income. My impression is that the owners felt that those clubs that acted quickly to reduce expenses would be the ones to survive. Basically they appear to have asked the Cowleys to achieve at least equal success at less cost. They have reduced costs but the success of the team has dropped off (they will not make the play-offs). In the mean time the owners have kept their word with regard to long term investments in purchasing the training ground and financing ground improvements. They have acted with fiscal responsibility as they promised the supporters club owners they would. The problem is by the time the long term approach pays off Pompey may have languished mid table or worse for several seasons and season ticket sales etc will have diminished. Right now the more cautious approach is probably the correct one until Covid uncertainties reduce. However, in the medium term, a delicate balance has to be struck between improvement on the field and longer term investment. Unless the former occurs what is the point of a football club? PUP
