Pompey Post Match

[Guest Col city fan]

how is the over reaction pathetic??

we was shit..

you can say we could have and should have all day but we DIDNT...

how many shots were actually on target??

Agree with you entirely - as I said last week after QPR - what is the point of keeping bleating on about what we could and should have done? We are losing matches, not gaining any points and not scoring enough goals. .. FACT

[Thracian]

What a sad excuse this was for a football performance in which we were supposed to be striving for a place among football's elite. We looked indifferent to the whole idea of being ambitious.

Someone mentioned our higher ratio of shots and corners but I can barely remember us getting a shot of any kind on target.

The worst aspect to me was not losing but scoring "nil". You can't get anywhere scoring "nil" and if it were possible we’d have scored even less.

Sven needed to stir the crowd early on but he’d clearly lost his spoon. We’ve had enough warning … QPR, Cardiff Coventry and Norwich were hardly goals bonanza’s but we did score three away at Scunthorpe and what did we do. We dropped a reputed £12m-rated player who scored twice from centre-back and helped us keep a much merited clean sheet.

Some meritocracy we’ve got.

And yet while our strikers at Sunny only added to the sad returns previously mentioned we effectively said to them, “that’s fine, same again”.

Yakubu huffed, puffed and missed – including from a couple of particularly promising positions. Vassell threatened momentarily but made crossing a ball accurately look like the hardest task in the game and all-but disappeared, Kingy had a couple of chances from headers but no great urgency, Wellens and Abe said their usual “no thanks” to shooting and Waghorn did what Waghorn does – blasting his big chance over the bar. Such a pity they don’t put the goals in the air. He’d be a star.

Portsmouth took the lead because Sven won’t accept that the fans are right about Ricardo in saying he’s a weakness. Portsmouth knew it well enough as evidenced by their long throw-ins and the Achilles heel was found with a cross which skimmed the edge of the six-yard box and Ricardo never looked like getting it.

Once upon a time Leicester City goalkeepers were expected to dominate their penalty area but not now it seems. A bit of fancy distribution is the Holy Grail and sod the rest. Well our keeper went awol when needed and it's not the first time he's looked lost dealing with crosses..

The chants for Weale were weak and half-hearted and for all that people argue we had chances to take a point the truth is that Portsmouth had the simplest of chances to make it 2-0 when they cut through our defence like a guillotine through flesh and remarkably wasted the final tap in by pulling it wide.

We didn’t play as a team at all and, odd moments excepted, our passing was poor, our approach laboured and our willingness to move for each other virtually non existent.

Portsmouth just contained us when we got the ball and defied us to penetrate, knowing we had no-one with the pace or skill to do much damage and that we’d never put much threat into the box even if there was the odd cross which flashed low across goal instead of heading for the corner flags as if released into orbit.

It was a game that called out for courage, belief, commitment and good passing to stop them wasting time but we had none of those things.

Naughton had our best shot – another screamer - and while many thought Gallagher should have scored when right through I thought their keeper did well and only blame Gallagher for not controlling the pass a bit closer.

For all that and for all his lousy free-kicks apart from one which was acceptably close, Gallagher was one of the few players we had who seemed to show some urgency and willingness to try to make something happen.

Kings seems to have lost most of his edge and authority since Yakubu’s arrival and Vassell the same. They just don’t seem able to read what Yakubu’s going to do, if anything and seem to have lost the spaces they used to run into.

It’s barely necessary to mention our passing. What there was disappeared with Portsmouth’s goal at least until the last few minutes which is beginning to seem like the only time we show any urgency these days.

And passing is connected to support and times today I saw players all but isolated on the ball instead of having one or two runners to consider and three or four options.

Put simply we weren’t good enough, we aren’t good enough and we’re getting lousy value for money from some people.

[Lester LXXIV]

At least none of you feckers live and work in bloody Portsmouth! Looking forward to going home tomorrow... NOT!!

[Guest Col city fan]

What a sad excuse this was for a football performance in which we were supposed to be striving for a place among football's elite. We looked indifferent to the whole idea of being ambitious.

Someone mentioned our higher ratio of shots and corners but I can barely remember us getting a shot of any kind on target.

The worst aspect to me was not losing but scoring "nil". You can't get anywhere scoring "nil" and if it were possible we’d have scored even less.

Sven needed to stir the crowd early on but he’d clearly lost his spoon. We’ve had enough warning … QPR, Cardiff Coventry and Norwich were hardly goals bonanza’s but we did score three away at Scunthorpe and what did we do. We dropped a reputed £12m-rated player who scored twice from centre-back and helped us keep a much merited clean sheet.

Some meritocracy we’ve got.

And yet while our strikers at Sunny only added to the sad returns previously mentioned we effectively said to them, “that’s fine, same again”.

Yakubu huffed, puffed and missed – including from a couple of particularly promising positions. Vassell threatened momentarily but made crossing a ball accurately look like the hardest task in the game and all-but disappeared, Kingy had a couple of chances from headers but no great urgency, Wellens and Abe said their usual “no thanks” to shooting and Waghorn did what Waghorn does – blasting his big chance over the bar. Such a pity they don’t put the goals in the air. He’d be a star.

Portsmouth took the lead because Sven won’t accept that the fans are right about Ricardo in saying he’s a weakness. Portsmouth knew it well enough as evidenced by their long throw-ins and the Achilles heel was found with a cross which skimmed the edge of the six-yard box and Ricardo never looked like getting it.

Once upon a time Leicester City goalkeepers were expected to dominate their penalty area but not now it seems. A bit of fancy distribution is the Holy Grail and sod the rest. Well our keeper went awol when needed and it's not the first time he's looked lost dealing with crosses..

The chants for Weale were weak and half-hearted and for all that people argue we had chances to take a point the truth is that Portsmouth had the simplest of chances to make it 2-0 when they cut through our defence like a guillotine through flesh and remarkably wasted the final tap in by pulling it wide.

We didn’t play as a team at all and, odd moments excepted, our passing was poor, our approach laboured and our willingness to move for each other virtually non existent.

Portsmouth just contained us when we got the ball and defied us to penetrate, knowing we had no-one with the pace or skill to do much damage and that we’d never put much threat into the box even if there was the odd cross which flashed low across goal instead of heading for the corner flags as if released into orbit.

It was a game that called out for courage, belief and commitment but we had none. Naughton had our best shot – another screamer and while many thought Gallagher should have scored when right through I thought their keeper did well and only blame Gallagher for not controlling the pass a bit closer.

For all that and for all his lousy free-kicks apart from one which was acceptably close, Gallagher was one of the few players we had who seemed to show some urgency and willingness to try to make something happen.

Kings seems to have lost most of his edge and authority since Yakubu’s arrival and Vassell the same. They just don’t seem able to read what Yakubu’s going to do, if anything and seem to have lost the spaces they used to run into.

It’s barely necessary to mention our passing. What there was disappeared with Portsmouth’s goal at least until the last few minutes which is beginning to seem like the only time we show any urgency these days.

And passing is connected to support and times today I saw players all but isolated on the ball instead of having one or two runners to consider and three or four options.

Put simply we weren’t good enough, we aren’t good enough and we’re getting lousy value for money from some people.

As usual a very good summation Thrac...

[stix]

Rubbish.

Absolutely. Bruma had a great game against qpr even though we lost. Granted it was a bit harsh on Vitor but to say Bruma isnt good enough is an actual lie!

Naughton our MOM today for me, Yakubu is beginning to frustrate me, i really rate the guy and nobody can deny that on his day he is an incredible player, it just seems that he isnt that arsed alot of the time lately and he doesnt take constructive critisism from his team mates very well at all.

We had alot of chances today and couldnt net any of them. It is a worry.

Never say never and all that but its gonna be a tough ask for playoffs with this kind of form.

[ScouseFox]

We weren't great. Pompey came with a game plan and it worked to perfection. Naughton stood out again, nobody else did really.

Abe's mind didn't seem on the game really, credit though, pretty sure he was in tears after the minutes silence.

[Guest ttfn]

Today was absolutely pathetic. That's the only word I can think to sum it up - pathetic.

Portsmouth were not a good side but they did everything a well-organised team should do. They pressed very high up the pitch and got stuck in.

That they were allowed to get "stuck in" was down to the referee. At least 4 or 5 poor or cynical tackles went unpunished by the referee, who seemed more intent on maintaining his ludicrous quiff than disciplining any of the Portsmouth players.

As for City, we were atrocious from front to back. The decision to drop Vitor was an exceptionally poor one, and proves once and for all that Sven is not running a meritocracy here.

Yakubu's continued presence on the field is infuriating. To think that we sold Fryatt to pay for his wages is, with hindsight, almost inexcusable. Sure, it showed ambition, but ultimately at the end of the season we have one less permanent squad member and a net effect of zero cash.

Very little effort, and as Thracian says, it's unbelievable that with so much to play for, so little fight was shown. It's games like that where Wellens needs to stand up and be counted, as the most experienced homegrown member of the squad. He, like King, was missing today.

[Fosse Boy]

Oh and some of our fans once again confirmed themselves as being amongst the most fickle in the league today. Barely heard L and K at all (what the **** were K 'cheering' at just after half-time, sounded disabled-tacular), Kop was deadly silent and don't get me started on hearing any semblance of noise from the Fosse Boys... Some many moaners and boo boys who would do better to stay at home.

Admit we had a couple of moments of silence, were far from on form today. But there was only a dozen odd of us bothering to go at it for 90 minutes with no one else in the entire ground interested.

I take it you were constantly raising your voice yourself to try and get songs going?

Do take your point about fickle fans though. Would happily have our lads play in front of 8k at home every week if it cut out that section of our support.

[Heart-Shaped Fox]

He was woeful against Norwich, he shouldn't have got an extension as he is clearly past it. Next season will be interesting saying that we have no fullbacks worthy of note and only Bamba who seems to be in in Sven's plans at the back. Naughton will be off to QPR imo and I wouldn't blame him, he has been the shining light in most of the bad performances.I just want some continuity in the team, Sven just brings in players for the sake of it. Bruma was a nothing loan, we certainly didn't need him and he refuses to play people who aren't 'his' players no matter how they play. I wouldn't be suprised if Kamara came in, but imo it is 10 games too late, he should have been brought in instead of Bruma.

Berner wasnt woeful against Norwich at all. Ok, nbot as good as he usually is, but not rubbish. Who set up Wellens' goal that gae? Berner. Cant ever see Mee producing a cross like he did for that goal.

And to say he is past it is unfair. He has hardly played lately, so when he is a bit off the pace at first you say he is past it! Not fair really is it? I'd rather havea past it Berner playing than a make shift left back in Mee playing there. Least he can pass to a blue shirt a few yards away.

Feel free to piss off and not come down the Walkers anymore this season then, save us having to read your dross week in week out (assuming of course, you bothered to go).

We are not poor, we played Scunny off the park last week and virtually the same starting line up went on a fantastic run in January and some of Feb. We could and should have scored at least 3 (King, Yak and Gally) and Naughton was unlucky with his screamer too. If those first three had gone in, we'd all be sitting here smug as anything about 'playing scrappy to win', happy with 3 points.

Our finishing was abysmal, but we were a final touch and a bounce the other side of the post from winning comfortably. Certainly, we were at our best, but the over-reaction (as usual) is pathetic.

Yes I did go today, unfortunately. And I will continue to go regardless of how poor we are.

Did you go to Scunny? We beat a very poor team on a shocking pitch and 3-0 flattered us. They had a goal disallowed and we cleared a coupe off the line. We hardly played them off the park.

What on earth are you talking about when you say 'if those three had gone in'?!?! IF being the key word. IF Kermorgant hadnt chipped a shit penalty we might have made the PO final last season but we didnt. You cant talk about IF's all the time. They didnt score the chances because they werent good enough to score them, and not clinical enough.

I have lost count of the amount of chances Gallagher has missed this season, but hey, he scores a free kick every now and again, so thats alright isnt it?! It is with most of our fans for some reason.

The over reaction isnt pathetic at all, its just pure frustration at Sven as he has cost us a chance of the Playoffs due to ever messing about with the team. Thats why we havent kept a clean sheet at home since November, because the defence and keeper is never settled. I have never known a manager to play players he wants to play, despite every fan disagreeing with him.

The fact Vitor didnt play is a joke, and he gave no real reason why he changed the team. Bruma certainly isnt better than him.

[sbfox]

Yes I did go today, unfortunately. And I will continue to go regardless of how poor we are.

Did you go to Scunny? We beat a very poor team on a shocking pitch and 3-0 flattered us. They had a goal disallowed and we cleared a coupe off the line. We hardly played them off the park.

What on earth are you talking about when you say 'if those three had gone in'?!?! IF being the key word. IF Kermorgant hadnt chipped a shit penalty we might have made the PO final last season but we didnt. You cant talk about IF's all the time. They didnt score the chances because they werent good enough to score them, and not clinical enough. My point, if you'd bother to try and understand, is that we are NOT a crap team. On another day, those 3 chances would have gone in and we'd be celebrating. We were off target too often today and paid for it. However, this does not make us a bad team and it is no reason why you should be getting your knickers in a bunch.

I have lost count of the amount of chances Gallagher has missed this season, but hey, he scores a free kick every now and again, so thats alright isnt it?! It is with most of our fans for some reason.

The over reaction isnt pathetic at all, its just pure frustration at Sven as he has cost us a chance of the Playoffs due to ever messing about with the team.We lost our play-off chance mid-October, anything close to the top-6 since then has been and will be, miraculous. Thats why we havent kept a clean sheet at home since November, because the defence and keeper is never settled. I have never known a manager to play players he wants to play, despite every fan disagreeing with him. Pearson - Oakley, right wing, every sodding match.

The fact Vitor didnt play is a joke, and he gave no real reason why he changed the team. Bruma certainly isnt better than him.

[ajthefox]

Today for me has been nothing but a disappointment.

First game in a few weeks and we just gave nothing. Naughton was pretty solid as ever and I think Gallagher did well but on the whole it was poor.

Pompey's goal was soft and they didn't threaten our goal but they got stuck in -all be it a little unfairly at times- stopped us from passing and we struggled to threaten seriously.

The team that played today is far from as good as what we were before the streak ended, and if we have any hope of promotion we'd need to get back to that form ready for boro, but I just don't see it happening.

Whatever happens this season has still been really good and to be honest, I think either way I won't be too displeased.

[Legend_in_blue]

Yet again the results that have come in today show how woefully poor this league is this season.

We were terrible yet the points difference to 6th remains the same.

The teams that get promoted this season will get relegated next, there is no question of that.

[funkyrobot]

Sbfox, Pearson dropped Oakley last season in the new year and he was rarely seen after that.

[leicesterseddon]

They were shit, we were shit. Typical Steve Cotterill team - try as hard as possible to stop the other team (and themselves) playing football.

If we were truly worthy of a PO position, however, we would have had enough to beat them. But we didn't and too many players - King, Vassell in particular - went missing. Best tactic from now until the end of the season is surely to send back all the loan players who won't be with us next year and start to take stock of what we've actually got to work with. Will save a few quid whilst we're at it too.

[CupidStunt]

I have been out of Leicester all day, didnt even catch the commentary

Disappointing result, when a win takes us within grasp of a play off place

why wasn't Vitor playing,after his MON performance last week?

Sven has done this a few times now (dropped players after they play well) and then frustrates the **** out of me by playing players who are playing like shite, notably the front 2 are are not firing on 1 cylinder never mind all of them

[The Doctor]

Berner wasnt woeful against Norwich at all. Ok, nbot as good as he usually is, but not rubbish. Who set up Wellens' goal that gae? Berner. Cant ever see Mee producing a cross like he did for that goal.

And to say he is past it is unfair. He has hardly played lately, so when he is a bit off the pace at first you say he is past it! Not fair really is it? I'd rather havea past it Berner playing than a make shift left back in Mee playing there. Least he can pass to a blue shirt a few yards away.

Yes I did go today, unfortunately. And I will continue to go regardless of how poor we are.

Did you go to Scunny? We beat a very poor team on a shocking pitch and 3-0 flattered us. They had a goal disallowed and we cleared a coupe off the line. We hardly played them off the park.

What on earth are you talking about when you say 'if those three had gone in'?!?! IF being the key word. IF Kermorgant hadnt chipped a shit penalty we might have made the PO final last season but we didnt. You cant talk about IF's all the time. They didnt score the chances because they werent good enough to score them, and not clinical enough.

I have lost count of the amount of chances Gallagher has missed this season, but hey, he scores a free kick every now and again, so thats alright isnt it?! It is with most of our fans for some reason.

The over reaction isnt pathetic at all, its just pure frustration at Sven as he has cost us a chance of the Playoffs due to ever messing about with the team. Thats why we havent kept a clean sheet at home since November, because the defence and keeper is never settled. I have never known a manager to play players he wants to play, despite every fan disagreeing with him.

The fact Vitor didnt play is a joke, and he gave no real reason why he changed the team. Bruma certainly isnt better than him.

he's also our second top scorer this season (8 league, 1 cup - only King has more with 13 league, 1 cup) and second most creative player (6 assists - only wellens has more with 7)

In fact he's either scored or created 25% of our league goals this season.

Is that a good enough set of reasons for him to be playing?

[Haydos]

he's also our second top scorer this season (8 league, 1 cup - only King has more with 13 league, 1 cup) and second most creative player (6 assists - only wellens has more with 7)

In fact he's either scored or created 25% of our league goals this season.

Is that a good enough set of reasons for him to be playing?

No. He needs to score more. More! So does King. And Yakubu and Vassell. And Abe and Wellens don't chip in enough. Dyer as well.

I get what people are saying, I do. But if every criticism was fixed then we'd win every game and we'd have the 11 joint top scorers in the division. 99% of the time a goal will always be someone's fault. and 99% of time you're not going to take every chance that comes your way in a game.

[Ricey]

We don't deserve to go up, we aren't good enough.

Yakubu and Vassell rarely ever move off the ball and it results in having no attacking options.

King looked Ill/injured/tired today, when he sprinted he looked painfully slow. Yet Sven brings Abe off and not him.

All in all, very frustrating and 2 weeks to dwell on what could have been.

[Heart-Shaped Fox]

he's also our second top scorer this season (8 league, 1 cup - only King has more with 13 league, 1 cup) and second most creative player (6 assists - only wellens has more with 7)

In fact he's either scored or created 25% of our league goals this season.

Is that a good enough set of reasons for him to be playing?

You cant go on those stats alone though. So he has scored 8 in the league, fair enough. How many havent been penalties or free kicks? 2 of my knowledge, 3 at most, so 2/3 goals from open player from the 'best technical player at the club'. What a laod of bull that phrase is.

It has actualyl got to the point like it did with Beckham, if it was possible its only really worth bringing him on for set pieces. He cant tackle, he is scared of being hurt when attempting to header the ball, and certainly cant finish well under pressure.

But yet people on here are blinded by the fact he scores set pieces. Great, so he does, but he could offer so much more to the team.

[skinnydipper]

1. The ref was a two-bob tosspot.

2. We can play good football - if we aren't out muscled.

3. If we're going to get out of this division we need one or two nasty little oiks like Tiatto or Dickov.

4. I like Kingy but he's not captain material. When the going gets tough we don't have anyone on the pitch to stir us up.

5. The Yak - no thanks, whichever division we're in next season. A Simon Cox type would be nice.

6. Ricardo = no no. Don't like to see any player scapegoated but he's just not physical or commanding enough for the rough and tumble of the Championship. He'd be better off ending his career somewhere like Qatar.

7. The last 4 home performances have been shite. Plodding ,slow and predictable football. We showed against Millwall that we have it in the toolbox to play well against a physical side. We just don't manage it very often.Our ability to attack on the break is poor. Too often a ponderous approach leaves us having to break down two banks of four.

8. About time to give Vassell a run in the team in Yak's position. Yak should be benched.

9. Waghorn rarely offers anything when he comes on. That said so little game time may have affected his confidence.

10. Naughton is a strong candidate for player of the season.

11. Portsmouth are cheating , time wasting scum. Kitson deserves to be that ginger.

12. We had a good spell with some glimpses of brilliance but overall under Sven, for all the money spent, I can't see that we're any better than last seasons team.

13. Given their investment I feel a bit sorry for the Thais but I wonder how they'll feel if Pearson gets Hull up via the play-offs

[Wymsey]

Ben Mee and Yakubu (absolute shambles) were the worst performers, whilst Gallagher was my MOTM. Defence seems to patchy at set pieces and too many opportunities are being wasted.

[Fox92]

Any manager shouldn't change a team that hasn't lost the last match, ecpsecially when the player who has been dropped scored 2 goals in the previous match.

We don't offer no fight. Too many players, such as King and Gallagher are don't fight/tackle.

We have no other threat when Yakubu isn't playing well.

[Corky]

So frustrating, we could've built on an important win and with the others directly above us making no significant improvement we've missed a big opportunity.

We lacked tempo, lacked urgency and aggression as well. I was surprised to see Vitor on the bench, he should've started. Very poor goal to give away, one of two real chances they had.

Yet we only had a couple ourselves. Not good enough as a team.

Such a shame.

[carterfox90]

a piss poor passionless performance !!!!! other teams have sussed us out big time norwich showed us how to play the game a team with no real stars in it but played as a team that wants promotion not like ours who just seem to want their summer holiday.!!!!!

play offs not a chance in hell & if a miracle happens & we get to them we wont do well at all time to play some of the fringe players to see how they want to play for our club!!

[Drift]

I was at the game so saw it first hand, but the Sky Sports highlights say it all:

http://www.skysports.com/video/inline/0,26691,16489_6825983,00.html

Portsmouth had two chances. We had a load and missed the lot. Wasted opportunities once again.