Back from the game - A load of Cobblers

[Pompey1985]

I like this because it is so true. Some players are energy bunnies who can run constantly and you need players like that in your team. But you also need calm heads who can seize an opportunity when it presents itself. Westcarr is a clever forward who produced a nice calm finish on Tuesday night lifting the ball over the keeper.

Besides, its early in the season and players aren't up to speed yet. Its too early to judge. As Frank Burrows (name-drop) said to me at the Boys of 79 evening: players need a little patience from fans.

I honestly believe if we had signed Benjani when we signed Nugent and vice versa. Nugent would be loved and Benjani would be hated because at the time we signed Benjani we needed a hardworking forward it didn't matter that chances were squandered but we wanted to see graft because we were deep deep in the mire. Give me one Westcarr and one Taylor any day over two limited ability grafters.

[This Time Next Year]

You do realise we are now onto our third page of a footballing thread, and nobody has strayed off topic yet... this is worrying indeed.

Whoever knew that a good all round team performance and a convincing win could spark such debate!?

I blame the Lib Dems / gun crime / Darwin...

[<dj.>]

You do realise we are now onto our third page of a footballing thread, and nobody has strayed off topic yet... this is worrying indeed.

Whoever knew that a good all round team performance and a convincing win could spark such debate!?

I blame the Lib Dems / gun crime / Darwin...

Well, gun crime is a natural outcome of the evolutionary process. I'm not so sure about Lib Dems though - they may have been created by a superior being. Or maybe it's the other way round, I forget now...

Anyway, I've never understood the Pompey fans' dislike of "lazy" strikers, among whom have been Gerry Creaney and John Aloisi, both of whom scored loads of goals - especially Aloisi. For my money, I want a striker who can be in the right place at the right time a couple of times in a match and convert one chance in four. That's about 20 goals a season: lovely! The thing is, being in the right place at the right time only takes a moment and it looks as if they're doing nothing much for the other 90 minutes. It actually takes vision, pace and strength, but most of all vision - understanding where everyone else is, where they'll be in a few seconds time and what they can see. Running about randomly is very unlikely to lead to the right place at the right time, although I suppose it could eventually.

Another thing about Taylor and Westcarr I really like - they know that they can't be offside from a goal kick.

[Selsey Bill]

OK, going forward, I promise not to label Westcarr (or any other Pompey player) lazy, unless of course they are!

I completely get all your 'arguments' about strikers strolling about, but Craigie can still 'jog on' a little for me

[Earl Grey]

Another thing about Taylor and Westcarr I really like - they know that they can't be offside from a goal kick.

Talking of offside ignorance I must admit I always thought the ball had to be played forward to count as offside.

But on Tuesday night, Atangana passed out wide but slightly backwards to Holmes who was racing back from an offside position and it was flagged.

I thought it was wrong but I subsequently looked it up and it doesn't mention whether the ball's played forward or back - if the recipient was offside at the time of passing, he's offside - even if it was played backwards.

I think my mistake was drawn from seeing occasions in the past when two fast forwards burst through to be confronted with just the goalie, the most forward guy draws the keeper over and passes backwards to his mate (who is beyond the last defender) and slots it in - no offside even though the second guy is in an offside position as defined by the defenders i.e. only one defender (the keeper) between the recipient and the goal line.

So I had made the conclusion that if you pass backwards, it's OK.....but clearly not so - in the case of two forwards and a keeper, it's the ball's position at the time of passing that defines the final line beyond which the recipient can't cross at the time the pass is made, even though the other outfield defenders are still further from the goal line than either forward.

Ah well, you live and learn.

Talking rules, I was surprised the ref allowed both keepers to wear identical kit.
If one side needed a goal and, in the last minute their keeper went up for a corner, surely the ref would be in trouble trying to identify a handball if both keepers are challenging for it, one to head it, the other to catch or punch it.
Indeed it would've been reason enough to demand a kit change due to the colour - I mean....pink?

[travellingpompey]

I thought that the first basic of the offside rule was that if the ball is closer to the opponent's goal line than the player when it is played then the player is not offside. Or has that changed now?

[travellingpompey]

I thought that the first basic of the offside rule was that if the ball is closer to the opponent's goal line than the player when it is played then the player is not offside. Or has that changed now?