Well, not quite the start I'd hoped for

[RubiconCSL]

4 yellows, one red and a defeat.

Oh well, it can only get better

[eltorrro]

Well, Rubi so you think so do you?? It looked to me as same old, same old!! Still playing that rubbish hoofball, nobody out wide to create space behind 3 massive centre halves and what does our esteemed manager do...NOTHING!!! We have got some good players...all we need now is a good manager with some nouse and ideas.

It's going to be a looooong, frustrating season which, today's showing does not augur well for promotion. Hope I'm wrong.

[Pompeymack]

Well, Rubi so you think so do you?? It looked to me as same old, same old!! Still playing that rubbish hoofball, nobody out wide to create space behind 3 massive centre halves and what does our esteemed manager do...NOTHING!!! We have got some good players...all we need now is a good manager with some nouse and ideas.

It's going to be a looooong, frustrating season which, today's showing does not augur well for promotion. Hope I'm wrong.

I hope your wrong but it seemed to be the same as the end of last season, hit and hope football. I was hoping we’d get the ball down and play it on the deck. I think a lot of teams will play the same way as Shrewsbury, sit back and holdout for an opportunity, which causes us problems. It seems after about 5 passes the ball becomes like a hot potato which needs to be launched up field. We had more possession, more shots and still came up short today. We don’t seem to have a plan b when plan a isn’t working, just a change of players.

I know it’s only one game and the players are still geling but If things don’t change I wonder how long it will be before people start calling for KJ head, there was a lot of grumbles towards the end of last year. The fans are hyped for an outstanding season with the players that have arrived at the club and I don’t think will be content with anything less. The Eisner’s have invested in a team that should be capable of challenging for promotion and although they come across as easy going you don’t get to the top without a ruthless streak.

On a positive note Luton lost the first game last season and it worked out ok for them.

[uspompeyfan]

I didn't enjoy the last games of last season and wasn't surprised at getting put out by Sunderland....we never looked like scoring to be fair.

To those who think we are a better squad than last season.... wrong, we are short of playmakers who can open up a game, and if we did find one, we don't have a manager who changes to suit the environment.

After 50 years of following this club, I barely considered getting out of bed this morning (usually up an hour before any game) for any of the game. I got the second half and wished I hadn't. I don't understand why I just don't believe we'll do much this season.

Yes its just one game and I hope I'm wrong. We won't go down but we certainly won't contend for honors either.

[No Shot Sherlock]

LOL, and some think I'm a glass half empty man when it comes to Pompey. FFS, it's one game, get a grip people!

[New Forester]

Back at Fratton by 8.45pm thanks to Lucketts.

Our fans put in a great performance. Pity about the team. We got off to a high energy start with some encouraging flourishes from some of our newcomers. But there was not enough creativity leading to any clear cut chances. For a long time it looked as though Shrewsbury would never score and that Pompey might nick one. And then the goal. A brilliant strike and it changed the match. Shrewsbury began to gain more possession while Pompey seemed to run out of ideas. After the sending off, with a bit of luck we might have snatched an equaliser but it wasn’t to be.
As for the players I don’t think anyone had an outstanding game. I’m afraid that Curtis continues to disappoint. He seems a marked man and unable to impose himself like he did in the early part of last season.

But!

Remember the team who lost their first match last season and then finished as Champions?

[Berkshire Blue]

Probably sensible to make judgements after 10 or so games, but hey, where is the fun in that!

[Pompey1985]

Early days yet so not too worried, the selection confused me a little though. I didn't expect Evans to be near the starting 11 this season. Not with the attacking players we have signed.

From listening to the game it was fairly obvious that for all the ball we had we didn't really create a lot, the opposition we're happy to soak up our pressure, and they did.

Also it sounded like all our corners of which there were a lot were identical.

I'd like to see us start a strong team on Tuesday and get more minutes into the legs of them as a team.

[Selsey Bill]

But!

Remember the team who lost their first match last season and then finished as Champions?

But! Luton outplayed us in every department in that game and deserved to beat us. I'm not sure you could say that about us yesterday.

[New Forester]

True. But who dares to predict sport outcomes? Wonder what the odds were on Australia when they lost their 8th wicket in the first innings.

[Earl Grey]

Well it looks like the Shrews did a number on us.....like we did to Luton last season. Let's hope the comparison doesn't end there and we storm the table in the second half of the season.

[pompeygunner]

As Selsey Bill pointed out any comparison between Lutons performance & ours is clutching @ straws. Listening on the radio we were so slow in our build up giving the shrews loads of time to form a defensive barrier. There was no incisive football. We need to speed up & hope that McCrory in particular breaks the shackles of being a DM.

[Earl Grey]

As Selsey Bill pointed out any comparison between Lutons performance & ours is clutching @ straws. Listening on the radio we were so slow in our build up giving the shrews loads of time to form a defensive barrier. There was no incisive football. We need to speed up & hope that McCrory in particular breaks the shackles of being a DM.

Think we need Ben Close who's a bit quicker shifting the ball and can sometimes find that incisive pass.

[portchesterblue]

Certainly don't want another season like last year do we, imagine being in the play offs and winning a trophy again, sheer hell
Sack him now and save us the agony

[pompeygunner]

Certainly don't want another season like last year do we, imagine being in the play offs and winning a trophy again, sheer hell
Sack him now and save us the agony

Blimey, who said sack him??
Talk about overkill. Just people discussing viewpoints on a football mb. FWIW last night there was a much higher tempo to our game, lots of good football & a pleasing result.
Lets offer him a new contract on the basis of that eh.