Leicester Pompey Post Match Thread

[inckley fox]

Can people please, please, please get behind the team. I've not rated Wellens in recent weeks, but the reaction he got when he was subbed was pathetic, same goes for Beckford last week. Does not help at all.

The notion that anything other than positive support is detrimental is completely wrong. Fans 'being patient', contrary to what most players tell us, is far more of a problem than fans kicking off. What we actually saw today was the players responding to rising tension in the stadium, performing far better in the final seven or eight minutes and ending up unlucky not to grab the win.

We also saw Beckford putting in his best stint for a month, just a week after that negative reception you talk about. So how didn't it help?

I know we're meant to hate Mark McGhee but when he was manager he once made a very good point - he said it was more important for fans to make noise, even if it's negative, that to be in stunted silence. He said that at the biggest clubs expectation is high and if you're playing a bad game at Anfield or Old Trafford then the fans let you know that it won't do.

We have a problem now with some players clearly in the 'comfort zone' - there's a lack of movement and a lot of backing out of 50/50s. I think fans need to be even more vocal about this, I'm not talking about booing, I'm talking about demanding better. Jolt them out of their malaise.

So McGhee isn't always the best of authorities and I'm well aware that Martin O'Neill would have disagreed with him, but I think that the high expectations of the fans in the early 90s contributed to our rise under Little and O'Neill. It was abhorrent when the fans spat at Little in '94, but he won promotion a few weeks later and joked, years on, that throughout his time at City he'd received angry mail from fans. O'Neill's success was kick-started by that Sheffield United game,as regrettable as the fans' reaction might have been. Sometimes a manager and the players need to be obliged to face up to their weaknesses. I heard Pearson kicking off at Stringer today when he was told fans thought City had been 'clueless'. I like NP but after nine games of denying it maybe he should try taking it on board? Maybe the players should be adult enough to face up to the sorry reality.

Perhaps there's a problem with the atmosphere,but I refuse to accept that it comes from us being too horrible with the poor little players. Alternatively it could be successive managers telling us not to 'get on' at the team. Maybe it's the stewards. Maybe it's the birth of the family atmosphere. Maybe it's the shape of the KP or the smoking ban or the booze ban or the rubbish players or God knows what. One thing's for sure, though, the last thing we need right now is for people at our home games to be keeping quiet, whatever their point of view may be.

[seenitall]

So Nige is as crap as Sven?

[cc_star]

In addition to my earlier comment on the front page

We've played this badly at home on several occasions and lost them all, Brizzle, Reading (when they were shit) & Millwall and lost them all.

Thanks to the Kasper & Konch horror show & Pelts being uncharictaristically absent, Pompey should have 4 or 5 but couldn't get open goals on target

The point today could come in handy at some point

Could be the difference between 12 & 11th at the end of the season

[Tom17LCFC]

The notion that anything other than positive support is detrimental is completely wrong. Fans 'being patient', contrary to what most players tell us, is far more of a problem than fans kicking off. What we actually saw today was the players responding to rising tension in the stadium, performing far better in the final seven or eight minutes and ending up unlucky not to grab the win.

We also saw Beckford putting in his best stint for a month, just a week after that negative reception you talk about. So how didn't it help?

I know we're meant to hate Mark McGhee but when he was manager he once made a very good point - he said it was more important for fans to make noise, even if it's negative, that to be in stunted silence. He said that at the biggest clubs expectation is high and if you're playing a bad game at Anfield or Old Trafford then the fans let you know that it won't do.

We have a problem now with some players clearly in the 'comfort zone' - there's a lack of movement and a lot of backing out of 50/50s. I think fans need to be even more vocal about this, I'm not talking about booing, I'm talking about demanding better. Jolt them out of their malaise.

So McGhee isn't always the best of authorities and I'm well aware that Martin O'Neill would have disagreed with him, but I think that the high expectations of the fans in the early 90s contributed to our rise under Little and O'Neill. It was abhorrent when the fans spat at Little in '94, but he won promotion a few weeks later and joked, years on, that throughout his time at City he'd received angry mail from fans. O'Neill's success was kick-started by that Sheffield United game,as regrettable as the fans' reaction might have been. Sometimes a manager and the players need to be obliged to face up to their weaknesses. I heard Pearson kicking off at Stringer today when he was told fans thought City had been 'clueless'. I like NP but after nine games of denying it maybe he should try taking it on board? Maybe the players should be adult enough to face up to the sorry reality.

Perhaps there's a problem with the atmosphere,but I refuse to accept that it comes from us being too horrible with the poor little players. Alternatively it could be successive managers telling us not to 'get on' at the team. Maybe it's the stewards. Maybe it's the birth of the family atmosphere. Maybe it's the shape of the KP or the smoking ban or the booze ban or the rubbish players or God knows what. One thing's for sure, though, the last thing we need right now is for people at our home games to be keeping quiet, whatever their point of view may be.

I never said we should keep quiet, that'd be even worse for the team. Just explain to me how it helps jeering players off the pitch?

I understand shouting at Beckford when he's on the pitch and not shifting his weight, but how do we help by booing when he's subbed. It's obvious the team (Beckford in particular) are low on confidence, which is why we need to get behind them. Norwich are one example, fans are constantly behind them and look where they are. Also just snatched a last minute equaliser, whereas with us, one little mistake gets scrutinised by nearly everyone. The atmosphere at the KP is absolute poison in my opinion.

[BlueSi13]

Meh. Poor score draw between two poor sides. Big fan of Nigel's but this transfer window could determine his future in football management for the next five years.

[Kitchandro]

I never said we should keep quiet, that'd be even worse for the team. Just explain to me how it helps jeering players off the pitch?

I understand shouting at Beckford when he's on the pitch and not shifting his weight, but how do we help by booing when he's subbed. It's obvious the team (Beckford in particular) are low on confidence, which is why we need to get behind them. Norwich are one example, fans are constantly behind them and look where they are. Also just snatched a last minute equaliser, whereas with us, one little mistake gets scrutinised by nearly everyone. The atmosphere at the KP is absolute poison in my opinion.

They weren't behind them when they lost 7-1 to Colchester. They weren't behind Brian Gunn.

They've only been behind their team since Lambert has been manager and have been playing great for 2 years.

[Tom17LCFC]

They weren't behind them when they lost 7-1 to Colchester. They weren't behind Brian Gunn.

They've only been behind their team since Lambert has been manager and have been playing great for 2 years.

Great point, bringing up a match from over 2 years ago! Pearson's been here for what, a little over a month? And already people are getting restless. Give it time.

[Kitchandro]

Great point, bringing up a match from over 2 years ago! Pearson's been here for what, a little over a month? And already people are getting restless. Give it time.

Fair enough in terms of stick for Pearson, he is getting too much from some people.

But you're talking about at the ground, where I've heard little to no criticism of Pearson. In fact we sang his name for the first 10 minutes non-stop today.

But you've completely missed the point of my post. You praise Norwich's fans but they will be positive and get behind their team beacause they've had a dream 2 years. When they were playing crap and were hopelessly underperforming do you think they were the same then? of course they weren't, they had some fans booing and they complained a lot, they were negative because they felt crap.

Also since Lambert has took charge they've scored an unbelievable amount of late goals. That's good reason for encouragement. When's the last time we even looked like scoring late? When's the last time we showed any urgency in the last 20?

[seenitall]

Fair enough in terms of stick for Pearson, he is getting too much from some people.

But you're talking about at the ground, where I've heard little to no criticism of Pearson. In fact we sang his name for the first 10 minutes non-stop today.

But you've completely missed the point of my post. You praise Norwich's fans but they will be positive and get behind their team beacause they've had a dream 2 years. When they were playing crap and were hopelessly underperforming do you think they were the same then? of course they weren't, they had some fans booing and they complained a lot, they were negative because they felt crap.

Also since Lambert has took charge they've scored an unbelievable amount of late goals. That's good reason for encouragement. When's the last time we even looked like scoring late? When's the last time we showed any urgency in the last 20?

About 4 hours ago!!!

[Kitchandro]

About 4 hours ago!!!

Really? I saw little. Beckford (in fairness) and Schmeichel apart.

[Steam]

From what I saw, no togetherness, no grit and determination to turn it around and a severe lack of confidence across the field.

More emphasis on acting as a unit as well as decision making in training please.

The decision making in particular was attrocious.

[Tom17LCFC]

Fair enough in terms of stick for Pearson, he is getting too much from some people.

But you're talking about at the ground, where I've heard little to no criticism of Pearson. In fact we sang his name for the first 10 minutes non-stop today.

But you've completely missed the point of my post. You praise Norwich's fans but they will be positive and get behind their team beacause they've had a dream 2 years. When they were playing crap and were hopelessly underperforming do you think they were the same then? of course they weren't, they had some fans booing and they complained a lot, they were negative because they felt crap.

Also since Lambert has took charge they've scored an unbelievable amount of late goals. That's good reason for encouragement. When's the last time we even looked like scoring late? When's the last time we showed any urgency in the last 20?

I didn't say Pearson was getting stick at the ground. You've highlighted part of the problem though. Yeah, we sang his name for the first 10 minutes, then what? I was having this conversation the other day, the atmosphere at the KP is absolutely horrific, and at the moment you can feel the negativity. I'm not gonna start an atmopshere discussion here, but I think the players and the fans need to work together. Like, if the players start performing and actually showing commitment to the cause, the fans will get behind them and vice versa.

Do you not think they score late goals in part because of the fans? Remember in the O'Neill days the amount of late goals we used to score with the fans sticking with the team until the final whistle? Now we've got fans flooding out from the 85th minute and fans going crazy about missed opportunities.

I'm sure Pearson will sort it out, remember the togetherness at the club and positivity around during his first stint here? No sign of that at the minute.

[Happy Fox]

We are never getting anywhere with that midfield, get rid of them all out of the first team picture. So much work to do in January if we are to have the remotest chance of getting into the playoffs

[Kitchandro]

I didn't say Pearson was getting stick at the ground. You've highlighted part of the problem though. Yeah, we sang his name for the first 10 minutes, then what? I was having this conversation the other day, the atmosphere at the KP is absolutely horrific, and at the moment you can feel the negativity. I'm not gonna start an atmopshere discussion here, but I think the players and the fans need to work together. Like, if the players start performing and actually showing commitment to the cause, the fans will get behind them and vice versa.

Do you not think they score late goals in part because of the fans? Remember in the O'Neill days the amount of late goals we used to score with the fans sticking with the team until the final whistle? Now we've got fans flooding out from the 85th minute and fans going crazy about missed opportunities.

I'm sure Pearson will sort it out, remember the togetherness at the club and positivity around during his first stint here? No sign of that at the minute.

Well you are, probably because you made comments about the atmosphere and suggested it was contributing to the bad performances. If you do that you WILL start a discussion about the atmosphere.

The atmosphere isn't great and it's getting worse but again, what do you expect when we are being served up such uninspiring and depressing shite? And now that you mention I do remember after they scored the fans got behind the team straight after. It does go quiet quite a lot, especially in the second half because we can only get behind them for so long before we thik 'what's the point?'. And that is the bottom line, there is not bloody point, it doesn't help and nobody wants to sing when they are downbeat.

You're talking about the atmosphere at the ground, i challenged you on it and then you said to get off NP's back. So yes you are suggesting he gets stick at the ground when you say something like that, whether you intended to or not, as I didn't mention anything about the forum. So I ask what's it got to do with NP?

We scored late goals under O'Neill and Norwich score late goals because they've got/had decent players with a great team spirit. The fans can help sometimes but again I have to repeat myself, why did Norwich not score a load of important late goals, and why did their fans not get behind their team as much as now, before Lambert took over? I'll tell you why, they didn't get behind their side as mcuh because they weren't encouraged to. When Lambert got them out of their rut and started to form a good team results came, late winners came and the fans started to believe. The fans didn't cause their great rise to the Premiership, otherwise they wouldn't have been relegated to league 1 with the same fans.

And what about us before O'Neill? What about us under Pleat? Were the fans really positive then, or were they chanting 'Pleat Out' and turning up in small numbers?

The team inspires the fans first, then it can work both ways. The fans are just normal people who really care about their football club, they will not be positive forever with no encouragement.

There's no sign of togetherness in the team and so there's no good spirits from the fans.

[Bert]

Wellens won't shoot from 20 yards but tries from 40. Joker.

[EnderbyFox]

Well you are, probably because you made comments about the atmosphere and suggested it was contributing to the bad performances. If you do that you WILL start a discussion about the atmosphere.

The atmosphere isn't great and it's getting worse but again, what do you expect when we are being served up such uninspiring and depressing shite? And now that you mention I do remember after they scored the fans got behind the team straight after. It does go quiet quite a lot because we can only get behind them for so long before we thik 'what's the pojnt?'. And that is the bottom line, there is not bloody point, it doesn't help and nobody wants to sing when they are downbeat.

You're talking about the atmosphere at the ground, i challenged you on it and then you said to get off NP's back. So yes you are suggesting he gets stick at the ground when you say something like that, whether you intended to or not, as I didn't mention anything about the forum. So I ask what's it got to do with NP?

We scored late goals under O'Neill and Norwich score late goals because they've got/had decent players with a great team spirit. The fans can help sometimes but again I have to repeat myself, why did Norwich not score a load of important late goals, and why did their fans not get behind their team as much as now, before Lambert took over? I'll tell you why, they didn't get behind their side as mcuh because they weren't encouraged to. When Lambert got them out of their rut and started to form a good team results came, late winners came and the fans started to believe. The fans didn't cause their great rise to the Premiership, otherwise they wouldn't have been relegated to league 1 with the same fans.

And what about us before O'Neill? What about us under Pleat? Were the fans really positive then, or were they chanting 'Pleat Out' and turning up in small numbers?

The team inspires the fans first, then it can work both ways. The fans are just normal people who really care about their football club, they will not be positive forever with no encouragement.

There's no sign of togetherness in the team and so there's no good spirits from the fans.

What about the pre-match hugging!?

[Guest ttfn]

Wellens won't shoot from 20 yards but tries from 40. Joker.

That was ridiculous. We had a break - 5 on 4 and he tried a forty yarder which would probably have bounced twice before reaching the goal line.

[cc_star]

No signs of togetherness?

That's what happens if you sign 12 players in the summer, with about 8 out of the 12 being absolute parp

The established players lose what made them established in the first place & because the incoming lot aren't good enough it all falls apart at the seams

The last 15mins we had a go and deffo deserved a penalty, all is not as lost as some would have you believe

[seenitall]

Everyone had a little hug at the start - that must say something

[Oh tommy wright]

Konchesky was indeed our only player today. And how Nugent lives of the scraps that he is getting is beyond me. I personally feel he should be on the New Years honours list, for having to play along side this shower.

[seenitall]

Ahh so Tommy thinks we have 2 good players, all is not lost

[reynard]

The last few home games have simply revealed so many problems it is staggering. I'm afraid the blame has to lie not only with the players but also with the current management team.

Our style of play is simply awful. Under Sven the same players at least seemed able to pass to each other they now seem to have lost that ability almost completely. I lost count today of the number of times we simply kicked the ball long and in doing so just gave back possession to Portsmouth.

Defensively we look a shambles at times. Peltier was poor and out of position so many times. Bamba was at fault for the goal and I'm really no longer certain that we can successfully blend him in a defensive pairing with any of our other centre halves. Mills is just a very poor footballer and not good enough at this level. Konchesky has been sound but some of the match today was a complete liability. Unfortunately our back up doesn't seem to be any use either. SSL was never a very good signing and has now thrown his toys out of the pram and has been placed on the transfer list and Ball is a joke whilst Pantsil will probably leave in January??

The midfield is hopeless. Personally I wouldn't keep any of them long term. It creates nothing and is being bullied off the ball more times than not. Summed up today how bad things are in this department when Wellens is subbed off after another ineffective display and Danns comes on and we look even worse. No width of any quality and no midfielder able to drop their shoulder and go past his opponent.

Up front we should be ok in theory but things just are not gelling. Nugent and Beckford don't look capable of playing together and Beckford looks pretty hopeless though he was better today. Howard is past it, Vassell probably won't play again for us and Schlupp is raw but promising but no more at this stage and Waghorn, well who knows frankly.

What concerns me is there has been no improvement since Sven was sacked in fact I would say we have got worse. We create fewer chances we defend a little better but at the expense of almost any sort of expansive and entertaining football. Substitutions are made too late in games and we seem to nave no plan B. Pearson has to have more time to bring in his own players but I'm no fan of his style of play at the moment.

[Kitchandro]

No signs of togetherness?

That's what happens if you sign 12 players in the summer, with about 8 out of the 12 being absolute parp

The established players lose what made them established in the first place & because the incoming lot aren't good enough it all falls apart at the seams

The last 15mins we had a go and deffo deserved a penalty, all is not as lost as some would have you believe

Yes but actual chances-wise? We're at home and I expect us to have a load of possession. Even when we got relegated we had that. After half-time we didn't create an actual chance until Beckford and King forced saves about 2 minutes from the end. The penalty wasn't really a clear cut chance.

[Narborough_fox]

If you're reading this Jermaine as Grayson said; "Any footballer can have a poor day at office, but unless someone chops your legs off, you can run around.".

[Matt]

Everyone had a little hug at the start - that must say something

Really they were squaring up together.