Same old story

[Here comes AFC]

One shot the entire game

[richisbradders]

Are we allowed to moan yet on here, or is everything still looking rosy? One of the most dire games I've been to in a while.

[Here comes AFC]

Are we allowed to moan yet on here

No idea, let's see

or is everything still looking rosy?

No. We simply don't know how to break teams down

Interestingly, according to the BBC, we didn't even win the possession game today

[phat_chris]

Let's hope this is the last time cook drops bennett. Without him we don't look like creating anything. Far too defensive in the middle of the park too. I wonder how much we are missing Roberts.

[Here comes AFC]

I wonder how much we are missing Roberts.

A huge amount. He's out at least until January though so we have to find another way.

Let's hope this is the last time cook drops bennett.

A cynic could say this was an exasperated manager making a point to the crowd about Bennett and 442

[Hermann]

Agree with phatchris & '85. It seemed Cook 'bowed to pressure' (although of course our home form hasn't been good enough), and to the moaners, and did both things that the loud 25% have been baying for: 4-4-2 and Bennett to be dropped.

BUT: Bennett & Roberts are our 2 most creative players (in very different ways), and we created nothing.

Also 4-4-2 was now played, but we've two defensive midfielders in the middle (of course), but Doyle (who is very good) & Hollands have to defend some, they can't push up, which is what he'd been working on, as a 'tweak' to the 4-2-3-1. It means two things:

1) Big pressure on the wide men (Evans & McGurk) to give the width and create chances, neither are really that sort of player, though both have a brain, and both are useful in the 3 behind a single striker.

2) With 4-4-2, the full-backs stay back more, yet Davies & Stevens have been a big part of our attacking drive, 4-4-2 blunts them.

Also, with who we had available, the two loan men up front, not played together before, and it showed. They were too far apart, and didn't link well (not that they did anything wrong). But Tubbs (when he was fit) and Stockley (when he was too!), together, might've worked. But it means less possession and more pressure to deliver from 'standard' football.

We switched to 3-5-2, and I thought looked a bit more happy. Bennett came on to (first game he's not started), and we looked more dangerous. We have the personnel to play 3 at the back, but I understood Cook not wanting to overload the players with too many formations, especially as we're playing 4-2-3-1 throughout the club, academy, youth teams etc... 3-5-2 (and if we get Whatmough back & fit), is a possible plan b).

In the meantime, Tubbs & Roberts are out. But he has brought in McNulty, who is probably the best all round player to be the "1" up front - in a 4-2-3-1. I don't think we should ditch the formation, sure we have now lost on the road with it, but our away form is generally good. A few tweaks to the home version, and we can stick with it, maybe switching to 3-5-2 when necessary?

But Bennett HAS to be in - him and Roberts ARE our creativity, plus the overlaps from Davies & Stevens. There is nothing wrong with our back 4. Cook needs to make his mind up re: who plays next to Doyle, and at the moment it's Hollands. But would prefer to see Atangana, who can drive on. No coincidence for me that our form has dropped off since he's come out, that and the injuries mounting.

[<dj.>]

We could easily have lost this match and it would not have been an injustice. We were very poor today. I thought we looked better with Bennett and Atangana on the pitch, but they really needed to be on from the start. Hollands was poor, McGurk was way below his best, I was surprised to be told at half time that Doyle was playing - I hadn't noticed him, Evans was poor, McNulty was unimpressive. I'm at a loss to explain how a very promising team at the start of the season has turned into a rather drab side who can't create enough to trouble Wimbledon's goalie. Meanwhile, the division's highest scorer last season, I was told today, is off to Bristol Rovers - a done deal apparently.

I'm normally rather optimistic and cheerful, but today was just dismal football, made worse by the embarrassment of a large number of morons' islamophobic chanting.

[Here comes AFC]

made worse by the embarrassment of a large number of morons' islamophobic chanting.

Not just embarrassing, I believe the FA still act on bigoted chanting.

With TV cameras there I'm guessing there'll be evidence so it may well come back to bite us.

[pompeymick]

Not one Pompey player stood out for me, and that wouldn't have been hard given the overall standard. We are totally incapable of stopping opposition forward forays, we haven't got one tackler in the whole team. They picked up near on 100% of all the loose balls and our defensive 'clearances', we were chasing shadows at times and it was embarrassing to watch. There is no togetherness in the team they play like strangers at times and to be fair some of them are. We couldn't handle the windy conditions at all in both halves.
I'm afraid there is no light to be seen at the end of a very dark tunnel. All in all a very despondent day at Fratton and the ball is in Cook's hands now, he has got to decide on our best team and try and get some confidence & cohesion in the squad because at the moment they are totally flat and disjointed as are the fans.

[pomp 'n circumstance]

Jayzuz - that was a dreadful, dreadful game! We were lucky to get 0 - all over the pitch, our only plan seemed to indicate lumping it into air and 4-4-2 simply doesn't work with the players we have. As for the two loanee strikers, frankly neither of them look like they know what the net looks like, much less how to strike. The Wombles had much the better chances and the defence looked unbalanced and nervous - agree with all the comment and a good appraisal from Hermann. Bennett has to play and we have to get back to what we do best. Possession football and a little more creativity is needed - and if our main striker is off to Bristol Rovers, I can understand why! We still have suspect keepers, but the real problem is creativity and belief and it's time PC understood that!

[pompeygunner]

Not one Pompey player stood out for me, and that wouldn't have been hard given the overall standard. We are totally incapable of stopping opposition forward forays, we haven't got one tackler in the whole team. They picked up near on 100% of all the loose balls and our defensive 'clearances', we were chasing shadows at times and it was embarrassing to watch. There is no togetherness in the team they play like strangers at times and to be fair some of them are. We couldn't handle the windy conditions at all in both halves.
I'm afraid there is no light to be seen at the end of a very dark tunnel. All in all a very despondent day at Fratton and the ball is in Cook's hands now, he has got to decide on our best team and try and get some confidence & cohesion in the squad because at the moment they are totally flat and disjointed as are the fans.

We do have a tackler & all round bundle of energy in the squad though. Ben Close & he was simply outstanding against Championship opposition in the league cup. Plus he does some very canny forward passes. He is a far better player now than Hollands or Barton will ever be. Then we have Nigel who IMO is being short changed & again is a better player than the aforemention 2 plodders. He can drive the team on & gets to the opposition pen area.

[Pompey1985]

Today we went 442 like many fans have been demanding.
Today we got the ball forward more quickly which many fans demanded.

Today was a result of those two things.

I keep seeing reference to us playing 7 defensive players. We don't you can't call either full back defensive. Today on the few occasions wimbeldon loomed to trouble us was when they got in behind the full backs.

Wimbeldon didn't deserve to win the game nor did we.

We need to play cooks preceded 4231 formation because that's where we keep the ball and where we are able to press. If that early half cbance goes in its a different game.

Instead we drew and its all negative. Well there were more completed passes for us today than most of last season. And we were ******. We dont have some God given right just to turn up and win

Booing at the end... Ffs.

[richisbradders]

The booing was much less widespread as it has been of late. I think people were a but exasperated by the whole thing today.

[eltorrro]

I have to agree with Hermann - the way we play there is so much space between our front runners its ridiculous! There is no control of the ball because everybody is hoofing it 20/30yds, they need to get closer, triangles, speed. We didn't look like scoring a goal and in fact only had one shot on target - simply pathetic considering the strikers we have - but then they did not get any service from midfield. Something has to change, and soon!!!

[cowespompey]

Let's hope this is the last time cook drops bennett. Without him we don't look like creating anything. Far too defensive in the middle of the park too. I wonder how much we are missing Roberts.

Bennet is our most creative player . Huge mistake leaving out today