Pompey v Charlton

[Fido49]

We got what we deserved. Charlton successfully ruined the second half with their antics but during what little decent football was played they edged it. Perhaps I’m to blame. I took two old friends who are Charlton supporters. They enjoyed the result but were embarrassed by the second half performance of their team.

[Earl Grey]

Yes, those contrived injuries were rather obvious but the ref is in a difficult position even if he does suspect that each time another one goes down he's play acting because the next one might actually be genuine.
Having said that the ref was poor in that he did allow play to continue a couple of times when Pompey fouled a Charlton player but did the exact opposite when Pompey had promising goal threats and a foul was committed as he pulled them back for a free kick when we'd much rather have gone on with the ball.
How did Pitman miss that chance early in the second half?

[RubiconCSL]

So can we finally decide that it's another year at least in L1? If we somehow sneaked into the play-offs and got promoted, this team would be ripped to shreds next season (as I don't see the Eisners spending lots on new players).

[uspompeyfan]

So can we finally decide that it's another year at least in L1? If we somehow sneaked into the play-offs and got promoted, this team would be ripped to shreds next season (as I don't see the Eisners spending lots on new players).

I think I felt the air fizzle out of the season during the final minutes yesterday. I don't know what those at the game felt like, but I can imagine the last two games will be early pre-season 2018/9 fixtures where the squad players get a run out.

[Pompey1985]

Part of the outcome when you change your team most weeks.

It's been a good season but the football played has been a disappointment. Equally frustrating is the fact that when we had such a bad run we still kept touch with the play offs all we had to do was turn some of those sloppy defeats into points.

Much improvement to be made next season - I think the pressure will really be on KJ if we have a slow start.

[Milton End]

...Much improvement to be made next season - I think the pressure will really be on KJ if we have a slow start.

Agree entirely. A top six play-off finish will be essential next year. This will be made more difficult because Div 1 will be very competitive with ambitious Championship teams like Sunderland dropping down to L1.

I think that there will be some real changes in the squad over the next few weeks. We were really poor in the first half against Charlton. In spite of massive support from the home crowd.

But that won't last if the team does not perform better.

KJ will surely use the remaining two games to make a final judgement on those players on loan or out of contract. For example, I'm not sure that Naismith will have a new contract. And what about Ronan and some of the other loanees? Deslandes? Kennedy? O'Keefe?

Maybe even some of the existing squad that remain under contract will have hints about departure, e.g. Chaplin who has hardly played. What about Kabamba now out on loan?

In fairness, it took Paul Cook two seasons to deliver promotion. But then he did recruit Michael Doyle, Enda Stevens, etc. Their skills and experience have never really been replaced in the current squad.

In addition to all the above, it will be interesting to hear about the Eisner view of the future.......

But, on balance, Kenny really must deliver next year.

[Selsey Bill]

We were very poor on Saturday. Half of our team looked disinterested which is worrying bearing in mind there was so much to play for - this is one of my concerns with Kenny Jackett - I wonder how much of a motivator he actually is? Our best performance this season was at home to Wigan, and I think that was the players getting themselves up for the occasion, and backed by a magnificent Fratton Park roar. Naismith really annoyed me on Saturday - he was our worst player and looked like he had already left the club he was that disinterested. What also annoyed me is that Jackett must have an idea what is going on yet persevered with him. In Kenny's defense though, his hand was forced by the injuries to Jack Whatmough and Nathan Thompson in the first half, both of whom obviously were struggling and were replaced at half time. As poor as we were, Charlton were not much better, and their play acting was embarrassing at times but, in fairness, they did deserve to win purely on the basis that they wanted it more. The referee didn't help. He was poor, but he didn't lose us the game. He never looked like he had any control and the linesman on the north stand side was useless. He missed two blatant off-sides in the first half, and a couple of throw in decisions were completely wrong. What is also worrying is that if Pitman doesn't score, we don't win! He had three very good chances in the second half, the first of which he would normally bury - it was a sitter. If that had gone in, I reckon we would have gone on to win. However, that would have been an injustice as we didn't deserve to get anything out of the game. Back to the players, Donohue had a shocker (although he played in MF in the first half), and I can't understand why he gets in the team ahead of O'Keefe who actually looked up for it when he replaced Haunstrup in the second half. Ronan also looked like he cared. Clarke was his usual outstanding self and deservedly MOTM, but unfortunately that was probably the second to last time I'll see him play for us. I just hope we get good money for him - got to be worth a couple of million surely? Anyway, that is our season over for this year. I can't remember exactly where I predicted we would end up, but I have a feeling I said somewhere between 7th and 10th which looks bang on.

[Pompey Penguin]

Overall, I think we can be happy with the outcome of our first season in L1. However, probably less happy with many of the performances that got us to this point; even when we won, I didn't often think that we were really convincing, and our record against the "better" teams speaks for itself. I (and others) have often mentioned the youth of the team and injury rate as reasons, but also bear this in mind...

Portsmouth 2 Rochdale 0
McGee, Talbot, Whatmough, Burgess, Holmes-Dennis, Evans, Baker, Rose, Bennett, Chaplin, Pitman.

Obviously, that is the team that started the season, and it is very different from the one that finished (or will finish). Clarke was always going to come in once over injury and Pitman already looked like a fixture. As for the rest, there was a lot of feeling the way as we found out who could play at L1 level, and as a result too many team changes week-to-week. It is now up to Jackett to make decisions, and from next season it will be his team designed from the start to play in L1. I have not been impressed with the quality of football in L1, and I would say that play-offs are the minimum requirement for 2018-19. I think it was Jed Wallace who said that in any year L1 was no more than half a dozen good teams and a lot of dross, and having seen a season I can't argue with that.

[The Cincinnati Kid]

Ahh well....hopes and dreams dashed again. Such is the life for the majority of footy fans each season.
Still, winning the Div last year and finishing on the fringe of the play offs this year is not too bad.
Mr. Jackett must make da play offs next year though....and get us a bit of consistency. We cant have this all out determined effort one week and barely bothering to show up the next.

[Selsey Bill]

We cant have this all out determined effort one week and barely bothering to show up the next.

That's exactly how our last two home games have felt to me.

[Lost in Transportation]

We cant have this all out determined effort one week and barely bothering to show up the next.

That's exactly how our last two home games have felt to me.

We haven't been convincing this season. There needs to be both an identity and more consistency next season. If that occurs and we're chasing the play-offs again then I would be reasonably happy with that.

[Pompey1985]

I think that comes from the manager though - there is no passion in his voice or animation about him.

Equally we can't have an identity when the like up and formation changes each week and multiple times through the game. These are league one footballers and I think it would be better of we nailed one system rather than tried to be clever and play fluid formations - they just aren't capable of.

[Selsey Bill]

I think that comes from the manager though - there is no passion in his voice or animation about him.

On that subject, I've always believed that managers get their teams to play football like their personality!

[Pompey1985]

I think that comes from the manager though - there is no passion in his voice or animation about him.

On that subject, I've always believed that managers get their teams to play football like their personality!

I agree.

[pompeygunner]

I think that comes from the manager though - there is no passion in his voice or animation about him.

Equally we can't have an identity when the like up and formation changes each week and multiple times through the game. These are league one footballers and I think it would be better of we nailed one system rather than tried to be clever and play fluid formations - they just aren't capable of.

I think over the 50yrs of supporting I've seen every type of manager possible, from the ranters to those who are quiet. Some of those who were like lunatics on the touchline, Cotterill for example, it didn't do the team much good. Its not about being loud or being quiet. Its about results & then the style of play. Not who can shout loudest on the touchline ( & make themselves look a right berk too boot).