Two L1 games to keep your eye on this weekend

[Jack_Tinn]

A couple of games in L1 in particular to keep a eye on this weekend:

Oxford (2nd) travel to 3rd place Stevenage - I will be very interested to see how that game plays out with both teams having recruited so well in my view this off-season

Port Vale (4th) are at home to Bolton (7th) - another interesting game to test the strength of Port Vale

If Pompey can get 3pts at Wigan this weekend then these games should help give an interesting insight into the table after 10 games.

[New Forester]

Any point at Wigan will be a good result.

[Sam_Brown]

A couple of games in L1 in particular to keep a eye on this weekend:

Oxford (2nd) travel to 3rd place Stevenage - I will be very interested to see how that game plays out with both teams having recruited so well in my view this off-season

Port Vale (4th) are at home to Bolton (7th) - another interesting game to test the strength of Port Vale

If Pompey can get 3pts at Wigan this weekend then these games should help give an interesting insight into the table after 10 games.

Let's hope for two draws!

[Pompey55]

A couple of games in L1 in particular to keep a eye on this weekend:

Oxford (2nd) travel to 3rd place Stevenage - I will be very interested to see how that game plays out with both teams having recruited so well in my view this off-season

Port Vale (4th) are at home to Bolton (7th) - another interesting game to test the strength of Port Vale

If Pompey can get 3pts at Wigan this weekend then these games should help give an interesting insight into the table after 10 games.

Let's hope for two draws!

I’d take 3 draws with us away to Wigan

[Sam_Brown]

A couple of games in L1 in particular to keep a eye on this weekend:

Oxford (2nd) travel to 3rd place Stevenage - I will be very interested to see how that game plays out with both teams having recruited so well in my view this off-season

Port Vale (4th) are at home to Bolton (7th) - another interesting game to test the strength of Port Vale

If Pompey can get 3pts at Wigan this weekend then these games should help give an interesting insight into the table after 10 games.

Let's hope for two draws!

I’d take 3 draws with us away to Wigan

[Blue Walter]

Are we wishing for too much? How often does a team hit top spot and holds it all season? I think Plymouth spent a fair time at the top last season but it is unusual to see a team lead the table all season. Perhaps we should pace ourselves.

[Sam_Brown]

02/03 springs to mind

[Pompey55]

Are we wishing for too much? How often does a team hit top spot and holds it all season? I think Plymouth spent a fair time at the top last season but it is unusual to see a team lead the table all season. Perhaps we should pace ourselves.

Don’t think hoping for a draw at Wigan is wishing to much

[Blue Walter]

Are we wishing for too much? How often does a team hit top spot and holds it all season? I think Plymouth spent a fair time at the top last season but it is unusual to see a team lead the table all season. Perhaps we should pace ourselves.

Don’t think hoping for a draw at Wigan is wishing to much

No, I am hoping for a Pompey win, as I do in all games that we play. I was just pointing out that while it's nice to see Pompey at the top of the table it will be much nicer at the end of the season, when it really counts. It is unusual to see a team that is top all the way through a season, so better at the end of the season than now. I would, obviously, like to see us stay top from now until the end of the season but it doesn't usually happen that way.

[Blue Walter]

02/03 springs to mind

Yes. I think you are right.

[Jack_Tinn]

Are we wishing for too much? How often does a team hit top spot and holds it all season? I think Plymouth spent a fair time at the top last season but it is unusual to see a team lead the table all season. Perhaps we should pace ourselves.

Don’t think hoping for a draw at Wigan is wishing to much

No, I am hoping for a Pompey win, as I do in all games that we play. I was just pointing out that while it's nice to see Pompey at the top of the table it will be much nicer at the end of the season, when it really counts. It is unusual to see a team that is top all the way through a season, so better at the end of the season than now. I would, obviously, like to see us stay top from now until the end of the season but it doesn't usually happen that way.

I'd rather have the pts on the board (and therefore be setting the pace that others need to follow) at the start of the season - if your form drops off a little you have built up a comfort zone whereby you can fall back a bit and still find yourself 2nd or 3rd - whereas if you are struggling early the margins for error reduce as the season goes on and the pressure builds on you that way.

Give me the pts for example over games in hand every time

[Blue Walter]

Are we wishing for too much? How often does a team hit top spot and holds it all season? I think Plymouth spent a fair time at the top last season but it is unusual to see a team lead the table all season. Perhaps we should pace ourselves.

Don’t think hoping for a draw at Wigan is wishing to much

No, I am hoping for a Pompey win, as I do in all games that we play. I was just pointing out that while it's nice to see Pompey at the top of the table it will be much nicer at the end of the season, when it really counts. It is unusual to see a team that is top all the way through a season, so better at the end of the season than now. I would, obviously, like to see us stay top from now until the end of the season but it doesn't usually happen that way.

I'd rather have the pts on the board (and therefore be setting the pace that others need to follow) at the start of the season - if your form drops off a little you have built up a comfort zone whereby you can fall back a bit and still find yourself 2nd or 3rd - whereas if you are struggling early the margins for error reduce as the season goes on and the pressure builds on you that way.

Give me the pts for example over games in hand every time

I agree with what you say. My preference is, no doubt, the same as yours and I am not suggesting that not being top is a bad thing. I was just pointing out that it is not usual that a team will head the table all season. We were top around this time last season and we fell away badly. However, so far this season it has a different feel about it. We are deservedly winning games whereas we weren't last season.

A look at fans forums of the teams we have played have a different read about them. Last season if we beat a team their supporters would criticise their team for being beaten by Pompey 'that were not all that and very average'. This season the remarks are 'Pompey are a good side and we will play worse than that and win'. Several comments have been about us as being 'sure fire' about us being promoted. So I am happy about being top as long as we can stay there.

[Pompey55]

This weekend last season was our trip to Ipswich (my granddaughter pointed this out to me)when we were also unbeaten the difference this season is that we have played teams we expect to be challenging for promotion and in most games winning on merit
Last season our early results were achieved against teams we expect to beat until Ipswich and many were unconvincing and often against the the run of the game
Also this season we are seeing players like Lane and Robertson growing in stature (figuratively) as the season progresses we couldn’t say that about anyone at this point last season