Smith dropped for this game. Forde Stevens, Barton, Burgess, Talbot Doyle, Rose Bennett, Roberts, Baker Main Subs Davies, Lalkovic, O'Brien, Chaplin, Hunt, Linganzi, Evans Walker, Brindley, Eastman, Prosser, Kinsella, Slater, Loft, Lapslie, Guthrie, Dickenson, Johnstone Subs Wright, Porter, Szmodics, Vincent-Young, Wynter Bonne, Bransgrove
Looking at the match text here in Mallorca, not a lot is happening. Pompey displaying their neutered cat tactics yet again. PS: If these players are really that good, do you think they are beginning to turn on Cook by producing such naff performances. Do they have to play in Cook's prescribed manner or is there room for manoeuvre and using their imagination?
I know it is not football and not worth a thread, but guess who still rules the waves in Rugby Union? Bledisloe Cup: New Zealand thrash Australia in Rugby Championship opener
If Pompey continue to fire blanks, maybe it proves that teams play on Pompey's frustrations, Pompey are not good enough, or the manager's tactics are not good enough!!
Well what are your thoughts? Let's play fair and see how things are at the end of September. If the situation is still mediocre with Pompey still languishing in the lower half, still struggling for goals, then the board will need to reassess. For what it is worth I would go for Brian McDermott, the ex-Reading manager. He would lift those players, of that I am sure as he has good player management skills and well as being a decent coach.
BBC Solent Sport @solentsport 14s14 seconds ago GOAL: #pompey 1-0 Colchester (Roberts, PEN, 80') please log in to view this image 0 retweets 0 likes
Fingers crossed, squeaky bum time. Quite often an untidy game like this and scrambled win and kick start a season.
please log in to view this image Portsmouth FC @officialpompey 6s7 seconds ago GOAL!!! #Pompey 2 (Roberts 84) Colchester 0 please log in to view this image
I've not been able to get down to FP so far so can only go on what I hear and read. But.... it seems that the players are still individuals and not reading each other yet. Whether Cook makes them play in his prescribed way or not I don't know, suspect there is some of that though. He does rely on certain players, like Gary Roberts for example. Michael Smith isn't known to be a prolific scorer but he does a job. I still have faith in Cook. It's far too early in the season - 4 games - to decide he is a problem. He has got a record for getting teams up so I'm all for giving him time.
2-0 win - just what the doctor ordered! Cookie did drop Smith, but his replacement in Curtis Main was "not at the races". First 75 minutes very frustrating, and then the defining moment when Main and Kyle Bennett were replaced by Conor Chaplin and Noel Hunt. Boy, weren't we all of a sudden a different team. Gary Roberts and Carl Baker were 'reborn', and we were now an attacking force playing with a purpose. Conor Chaplin's sublime pass to Gary Roberts for the second goal was magnificent. Hopefully, this will kick start our season.
