Portsmouth 3-1 Bolton

Another game tonight and i think this may be a struggle. We looked tired on Saturday and to play again tonight will be a real test especially with the injuries we have at the moment.

I'm going for a 1-1 draw but would obviously love another away win.

Pompey are just recovering from a brief dismal spell, so we need to pressure them

I think Pompey might have flattered a bit on Saturday against Cheltenham who I’m sure were still suffering huge disappointment at missing out on a Wembley visit. It means a lot to us but for a club like Cheltenham, their players and fans, no disrespect meant, but they may never get another chance to make it? However, tonight is important for us as a win keeps open the hopes of still making the automatics, whilst anything less may mean having to settle for the play offs. Barnsley are the ones who worry me for that as they’ve been on a stellar run since we beat them and with so many games in hand and Plymouth appearing to stumble, they’re beginning to look as good as anyone? So it just has to be a win for me tonight and I think we’ll get one so I’m going to be brave and say 1-2 to Wanderers. 🥳

I can see us getting a bit of a dicking here. 3-1 to Pompey.

We completely chucked that away with the subs especially, but some of the decision making on the pitch and some of the fouling and time wasting from us was not our kind of style and all we did was disrupt our own game.

Didn't see that coming. 3 goals in 13 minutes. Got away with one on Saturday, but just threw this away.

We looked tired and the defence was all over the place. Why change Toal and Jones around when they haver been doing well? It just disrupted the back line in my opinion.

We couldn't handle their press and it will be something more and more teams will do against us now.

Norpig wrote:We looked tired and the defence was all over the place. Why change Toal and Jones around when they haver been doing well? It just disrupted the back line in my opinion.

We couldn't handle their press and it will be something more and more teams will do against us now.

Spot on Norpig, I can’t believe Evatt didn’t swop Toal and Jones over after ten minutes when it was obvious Pompey were targeting Toal who has no left foot. Mind you he didn’t seem to see anything else last night either constantly getting closed down with this ridiculous play it out from the back routine. We should have won that last night Portsmouth were poor but our complete ineptitude gave them confidence and made them look good. I can’t comment on the defending because I have no words nor Evatt’s removal of Shorty for Kachunga just as Shorty seemed to be getting into the game?

Absolutely dreadful performance.

Looks like the bingo machine is back in play, and Evans went one better and played a right footer on the left side of central defence. Genius.

And once again we lost to a team who got in our faces from minute one. We aren't going to bully anyone with a central midfield of Dempsey & Morley. Lack of steel in midfield has been this manager's achilles heel since he took over.

But the manager can't take all the blame, the players were rubbish. Shoretire looked decent up to the Charlton game, but he's been anonymous since then. I'm no fan of Adeboyejo but he should have been on the pitch from the start, he has a bit of strength about him. Defence was a shambles, midfield soft, and the attackers didn't control a ball all night.

On this form we aren't finishing in the top 6, and with 3 tough games to come the picture is bleak.

Bottom line is they were better than us - that's all there is to it.
Last couple of games we are unable to pass or control a ball. All teams are tired  - that's no excuse for poor passing and kicking the ball straight out of play.
That playing out from the back when the press is on will cost us as it almost did again last night. When a man is on hoof it clear - we are not Man City just yet.
Saturday now becomes a must win.

Natasha Whittam wrote:I'm no fan of Adeboyejo but he should have been on the pitch from the start, he has a bit of strength about him.

I don't really understand why we bought Adeboyejo?

Apparently we paid £500k for him, which is a lot of money for us.

I thought he would therefore go straight into the team alongside Charles but that hasn't really happened.

I can understand the Shoretire is the more gifted player but I thought he was really a short term gap to fill in until Adeboyejo was up to speed with us and then rotate with Lee for the number 10 position.

Even if Evatt prefers Shoretire to Ade up front, I can't understand why Nlundulu was brought on as a sub in front of Ade (unless Ade was injured and was never going to play this game at all?).

Hope we've not got ourselves another dud like we did with Sordell?

Ade should be starting the next game and if not then I suspect something hasn't gone to the plan we had when we bought him.

The little bits of him I've seen on video at Burton I like, he reminded me of a young Michael Ricketts - so I've still got hope for him yet .

At the end of the day we are a third division team, with a third division manager, with third division players, so shit like this can and does happen.

We were beaten by the better team on the day but we certainly didn't help ourselves with some of the team selections that were made (including no apparent need to swop Toal and Jones around?).

Anyway its gone now, we move on and hope we've learned something from the defeat, although it usually takes about three months with Evatt for things like this to sink in before he does something...

Sluffy wrote:Hope we've not got ourselves another dud like we did with Sordell?

You're slipping, that was the perfect opportunity for your catchphrase - thanks, Owen!

Natasha Whittam wrote:

Sluffy wrote:Hope we've not got ourselves another dud like we did with Sordell?

You're slipping, that was the perfect opportunity for your catchphrase - thanks, Owen!

I did consider saying it but I think the jokes worn a bit thin by now.

I've moved on to 'onwards and upwards' don't you know!