Hartlepool

[Fratton End Exile]

OK, I don't normally do a BFTG as I don't consider myself as a brilliant wordsmith and when I read some of the other eloquent and incisive reports I feel I can't do as well - but here goes.

I was at Grimsby two weeks ago, lets be honest that was another 0 - 0 until Kal supplied a worldy of a free kick.

We then come to Harlepool, a team that has conceded 9 goals in their last 2 games including 5 at home to Cambridge. so we should be starting on the front foot and ripping into them - however, that is very difficult to do when you start the game with 7 defensive players!!
Of our 4 offensive players 1 of them (our marquee signing) Roberts is a bust, absolutely awful, certainly doesn't deserve a place in the starting line-up. Ironically one of the biggest cheers of the day was when he was substituted.

You can see the problem poor Smith has he gets the ball lumped up to him and to be fair wins more than his fair share of challenges, but from the North Stand you can then see the distance from him to the remainder of the team, that space that runners should be flooding forward into is totally occupied by the opposition. Now I don't claim to be a football tactical genius,but if we in the crowd can see it why can't our manager/coaches ???

I've met Cookie a couple of times and he has never been anything other than a good laugh and good company, but he seriously needs to re-think his tactics, especially at home.

His substitutions need some serious re-thinking. We persisted with a back 4 even when it was obvious Hartlepool were clinging on and had no attacking ambition, then he brings Hunt on in time added on!!

Saturday I was dissapointed and frustrated, League 2 has no stand out teams this season, we should be that team with the players we have on our books, we should be taking this league by storm but I fear we will only make the play-offs again.

Trevor Carson made some good saves, but they were saves you would expect a semi-decent keeper to make, we never got really stuck in to them until the 8 minutes of time added on, by then it was too late. As always with the opposition at Fratton you have to score early, put them on the back foot from the off - we don't, whilst our possession football is good for the stats it doesn't produce goals.

thankyou, I feel slightly better for getting that off my chest

[Pompey1985]

We're going to win our next four.

[Pompey Dave]

We're going to win our next four.

Has Cook ever managed to win 4 league games on the bounce? Only managed a winning run of two league games this season I think

[richisbradders]

We're going to win our next four.

Bit early for the sherry, I can see us maybe being unbeaten in the next 4, but never win four on the bounce.

I can also see a big divide in the opinions of the people that only go to the home games, our performances in the last 3 months at home have been pretty awful to say the least. Yet away we are up the with the best of them.

[Locky_McLockface]

My previous two games this season both ended as 2-1 defeats, and abysmal play, so for me, at least, Saturday was an improvement. We created chances, unlike against Notts County and Wycombe. Carson made some good saves, the kind of saves you would expect a decent keeper to make - it's just that Carson isn't a decent keeper, otherwise we'd have kept him on. But for those decent saves, a goal-line clearance and Little Conor only having size 5 boots (had he had size 9s, he'd have connected with a cross from Stevens), we'd have walked away with an easy win.

With regard to Roberts, he ran around a lot, which normally endears a player to Fratton Park. He just seems to fall over a bit, and was just anonymous in the second half.

Smith was superb in the air, had an excellent game and was one of my picks for MotM. The thing is that we sent the long high balls up to him, which suits his style of play, so we've learnt (a bit) about playing to suit the players on the pitch.

Comedy moment, in the second half, a foul was given against Naismith who had apparently pole-axed their LB in the air. This happened right in front of me, it was a nothing challenge, but as a head injury, the ref is obliged to stop the game. Naismith, who of course was loaned to Hartlepool this time last year, came across and was given a bottle of water by their physio. Naismith proceeded to squirt the water at the "injured" player, smirked and walked away.

A word for the referee, who I thought improved as the game went on, and had the balls to offer 8 minutes of added time at the end, and then to add further time to allow for the wasted time as their players took their Sunday afternoon stroll towards the halfway line as they were substituted. Both ought to have been booked, as our player (Smith, was it?) had been earlier in the season.

[Pompey1985]

We're going to win our next four.

Bit early for the sherry, I can see us maybe being unbeaten in the next 4, but never win four on the bounce.

I can also see a big divide in the opinions of the people that only go to the home games, our performances in the last 3 months at home have been pretty awful to say the least. Yet away we are up the with the best of them.

Yet our form over the course of the season home and away is almost identical.

[Lost in Transportation]

We're going to win our next four.

Has Cook ever managed to win 4 league games on the bounce? Only managed a winning run of two league games this season I think

Yes - this season as well. The four were in August/September:

Colchester (H) 2-0
Exeter (A) 1-0
Crawley (H) 3-0
Wycombe (H) 4-2

[pomp 'n circumstance]

We're going to win our next four.

Frank Sinatra comments...'I know I have to stand in line until you think I'll spend an evening with you
and then you have to spoil it all by saying something
stupid like,I love you' or in your case Pompey1985 'we're going to win our next four....on the bounce'

I blame Sheffield - you were such a sensible lad when you lived down south, sometimes even credible. You may have been a bit rough round the edges, but at least you had your sanity at odd times in the football season, but now you are a mere husk in LaLaLand, a candle in the wind muttering brokenly about the impossible dreams of four on the bounce. In any other time, your GP would have referred you to a phyciatric unit where the words 'we're going to win our next four on the bounce' were expunged from your vocabulary. Luckily for you, the NHS no longer has this facility......the waiting list is 18 months and Article 50 will have been invoked and Teresa May will be wearing a new white and yellow slingback shoe, ideal for trudging around medical establishments.

Now, who else needs my help......

[pompeygunner]

[quote="Locky_McLockface"

Smith was superb in the air, had an excellent game and was one of my picks for MotM. The thing is that we sent the long high balls up to him, which suits his style of play, so we've learnt (a bit) about playing to suit the players on the pitch.


A word for the referee, who I thought improved as the game went on, and had the balls to offer 8 minutes of added time at the end, and then to add further time to allow for the wasted time as their players took their Sunday afternoon stroll towards the halfway line as they were substituted. Both ought to have been booked, as our player (Smith, was it?) had been earlier in the season.[/quote]

Hi Locky, Smith did ok but that 1st half headed effort right in ft of goal was pitiful.

The ref IMo had a horror show, also IIRC its the 4th official who compiles the added time. Agree ref Roberts who really needs resting.

[Pompey1985]

The depth of our squad should help us over this busy period.

[richisbradders]

We're going to win our next four.

Bit early for the sherry, I can see us maybe being unbeaten in the next 4, but never win four on the bounce.

I can also see a big divide in the opinions of the people that only go to the home games, our performances in the last 3 months at home have been pretty awful to say the least. Yet away we are up the with the best of them.

Yet our form over the course of the season home and away is almost identical.

People are a bit short sighted and blind to what they can't see. Having been to cambridge and Luton previous I was far less aggrieved with the home results compared to others.

It is frustrating though, we never did very well last year when teams shut up shop either. Although you would like to think we would learn eventually. Also I'm not really for cooks ethos of he would like to draw more games.

[richisbradders]

We will win against Newport. I'd wager some dosh on that.

[Pompey Dave]

The depth of our squad should help us over this busy period.

It should but only if Cook uses them.

[Pompey1985]

We're going to win our next four.

Bit early for the sherry, I can see us maybe being unbeaten in the next 4, but never win four on the bounce.

I can also see a big divide in the opinions of the people that only go to the home games, our performances in the last 3 months at home have been pretty awful to say the least. Yet away we are up the with the best of them.

Yet our form over the course of the season home and away is almost identical.

People are a bit short sighted and blind to what they can't see. Having been to cambridge and Luton previous I was far less aggrieved with the home results compared to others.

It is frustrating though, we never did very well last year when teams shut up shop either. Although you would like to think we would learn eventually. Also I'm not really for cooks ethos of he would like to draw more games.

I think the drawing comment is taken oout of context. I read it as he would rather we drew 0-0 than lost 1-0.

There is an alternative theory, that it's just not possible for league two players to break down 11 men with their heart set on defending. Equally when you do create chances and we havnt been taking them Chaplin being one of the main offenders in this area in more recent times.

[Pompey1985]

The depth of our squad should help us over this busy period.

It should but only if Cook uses them.

He has been using them. He hasn't changed recently because they have lost one in 8.