Pompey v Walsall

[New Forester]

Didn't fancy my usual 95 mile round trip on this rainy night. So I have opted for a first ever pay per view for £10 on I Follow.
Can't stop. About to go live. Another tense evening?

[past memories]

Looking at the Wasall team, I saw an old Pompey lineup. Wilson, Guthrie,Gordon,Roberts,Ferrier,and Dobson. Now Ronan has come on.

[Selsey Bill]

Just home after nightmare journey - in fact a four and a half hour round trip this evening!This for me was Pompey's most complete home performance of the season. Some excellent performances. In fact, the whole team were absolute quality and the game was a very exciting one. Games like this make you feel so happy to have a season ticket. We really do look the real deal at the moment. If we're still top of the league at Christmas, I really will start to believe. 3 or 4 nil would not have been a misjustice tonight.

[New Forester]

Your nightmare journey was what I avoided! But I would rather have been there than watching on I Follow. It was strange watching on TV accompanied by radio commentary. Didn’t feel right. I was much more nervous compared with either being at the match or just listening to the radio. Each time Walsall got the ball I was on edge. And they got a lot of it in the second half!
As to the match, Pompey played well. Dangerous in attack and solid in deference. And for the moment, let’s forget what’s to come. It’s been a great ride so far.

It was nice to wander in to the living room seconds after the final whistle. I’m back along the M27 this morning.

[Selsey Bill]

It's funny, as watching the game live, I very rarely felt like they were going to get back into the game. Having slept on it, and having let the euphoria of another 3 points subside, I'd say we were our own worst enemy last night. Yet again we go 2-0 up in a game and then take the foot right off the pedal. Luckily we've got a back 4 plus keeper that can now soak up such pressure. And, one final point, Walsall are not a bad side at all. They've got some good players, and should definitely end up in the top half of the league come the end of the season.

[streetrifle]

I'm not sure we did take our foot off the pedal. I wonder whether, having gone two up early in the second half, it was more a case of Jackett setting up on the basis of keeping a clean sheet. After all if you go attack-mode to get a third, get caught and concede a goal you have a very much different game at 2-1. On that basis you have to say it was a canny decision to show such faith in our defensive capabilities, which has now been well proven on so many occasions.
Whats encouraging for me is that we don't appear to have any weak links in the team, we have a very good player in ever position and that is great credit to Jackett in building this squad. When he put Wheeler on then there was immediately the one weak link that was nowhere else in the team.
What can stop us now? Surely on the law of averages with injuries/bad luck etc we are going to suffer some losses but hopefully we have the squad players to compensate..

[RubiconCSL]

There's another thing that looks good for me after checking the leading scorers in L1. We have several that have scored a reasonable number of goals, rather than one out and out scorer and no-one to back him up. so, in theory, we can carry an injury better than most of the other teams. Sunderland and Barnsley in particular look to be relying on one main goal scorer.

So I say bring back Richard Hughes for the Sunderland and Barnsley games. He can do a job on their main scorers and put them out for a few weeks - and get sent off if necessary.

Oh yes, almost forgot to mention Stains last night - chuckle.

[Milton End]

Just home after nightmare journey - in fact a four and a half hour round trip this evening!

Just a suggestion: I parked the car at Havant and caught the 19.11 train to Fratton: actually, the train was late but still in time to catch the beginning of the match. Council car parks are free after 6pm: there's one two minutes walk from the station.

The only problem was that the first return train after the match was not until 22.23. But still back in Havant at 22.34 and then very quiet roads out of Havant.

Equally important: I enjoyed the game. It was the first time that I had seen the team live since the Plymouth game on 1st September. We've improved since then - some of the individual ball skills were really good, the team interplay was better and the defence really solid.

Agree that Walsall were good at times. Some skilled players who will do well in L1.

[The Cincinnati Kid]

Well, what can you say....only 1 defeat in 19 games and a nice 6 pt cushion from the play off slots and I think we have a game in hand over 2 of that pack.

[Pompey Penguin]

... and get sent off if necessary.

OK, this is where I jinx the team, so apologies in advance.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned this season is our disciplinary record. We have played 24 games in all competitions, and no Pompey player has been sent off (Bradford, Southend & Sunderland have all had four red cards). Further, only Naylor and Thompson, N. have served a one game suspension for reaching 5 bookings; Whatmough and Burgess have 3 bookings so far, and are the next worst offenders. This is remarkable; last year we had six red cards in a full season.

https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/l ... pline.html

[Weybridge]

7 more points should stave off relegation...