Pompey: Brian Murphy Ben Davies Christian Burgess Matt Clarke Enda Stevens Nigel Atangana Michael Doyle (c) Gareth Evans Gary Roberts Kyle Bennett Matty Tubbs Subs: Paul Jones Adam Webster Brandon Haunstrup Danny Hollands Adam McGurk Conor Chaplin Jayden Stockley
First booking for Luke Rooney for fouling Kyle Bennett. Mostly Pompey at the moment, with 70% of possession.
0-0 at half time. We should really be ahead, with 8 first half shots, to their 2, and 5 corners to their none.
Hi dev - was it nice and warm in Cyprus today ? Warmish, but overcast over here. Cowes Week was literally a "wash out". Where has our Summer gone ?!
Pompey substitution is Adam McGurk on for Ben Davies, who has apparently had a slight knock according to Express FM.
Pompey making a double substitution, bringing on Conor Chaplin and Jayden Stockley for Kyle Bennett and Matty Tubbs.
Apparently the fans clapped their team as though they'd won. Still, a point away 3 days after the last game.
please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Steve Crawley fans celebrating like they have been promoted - honestly, I'm not joking
just got home, I only live an hour away. It was an odd game, it was like lambs to the slaughter......with out the slaughter Crawley had one intent, dont conceed, they were more than happy to park their big red bus right in front of goal....and although we dominated the entire game we simply had no answer as to how to break them down, was a little surprised Cooky didnt switch it about a bit earlier once he saw their set up.....our formation was never going to break them down......and a few of our lads looked a bit tired by half time......still, its a point, we are unbeaten and we move on to the next........as they say its a marathon not a sprint
Results apart, reports from all games played so far imply we are playing good attractive positive football. While acknowledging your comment Bornpompey about changing things around earlier, my impression in the past has been that there has been too much meddling and changes of format with substitutions. While making substitutions around the 60 min mark to utilise the energy on the bench seems part of the modern game, too often the changes try to change the pattern of play. This may be the only alternative if 2-0 down but may not be appropriate when the score is 0-0. It is better to have an established pattern of play that substitutes slip into. This invests in developing an understanding between the players that may pay dividends in coming weeks. Cook scores marks with me for having a conservative attitude to trying to change the format of play. Even while sticking to the same pattern the different style of the substitutes from the players they replace gives the opposition different problems to confront.
In essence I agree with you pompdu, but you had to be there to see it, I cant remember ever going to a game where the opposition from the kick off literally legged it back to the 20 yard line and sat there In all our games so far we have played some really good football, the build up is good, fast and generally precise........its more than encouraging to be 7 from 9 with a squad that has been together for 12 weeks or so
