Posh v Pompey (top of the table clash)

[nelsonpfc]

Still both unbeaten in the league this season. Best attack vs Best defensive. Two very contrasting styles against each other. Going to be an interesting one.

We will still be missing our one of our first choice CB and ex Posh Defender Burgess didn't do himselves any favours by gifting Shrewsbury their goal Saturday.

Ronan Curtis - who has just been promoted to the full ireland squad was missed on Saturday will hopefully be back fully fit(everything crossed)

I'd personally take a draw if you offered it to me, but our defensive/counter attacking with pace strategy has worked so far, being under the cosh v Luton, Bristol Rovers, Shrewsbury and Doncaster have resulted in 2 wins and 2 draws. If we can keep Peterborough down to just one goal I reckon we will have won the game as I fancy us to score against Peterborough.

Likely line up


MacGillvery

N Thompson Burgess Clarke Brown

Naylor B Thompson

Lowe Evans Curtis

Hawkins

Will be a good test to see how good a defense we are, although we have GK in form

 

[Posh Hammer]

Technically it's a top of the table clash, but we won't be top at the end of the season so it's just another game in my eyes.

It would be nice to win although it's not disastrous if we lose. I think we will come unstuck here.

If we do win however, I'm going to predict you will say the same as the other 7 teams we've played so far. "We should have won. We had more than enough chances to score 4 or 5. Posh scored with every shot they had".

I'll give you a little breakdown of why I'm saying that.

Bristol Rovers (Home)
Possession: Posh 53% - B.Rovers 47%
Total Shots: Posh 6 - B.Rovers 16
Score: Posh 2-1 Bristol Rovers

Rochdale (Away)
Possession: Rochdale 54% - Posh 46%
Total Shots: Rochdale 8 - Posh 8
Score: Rochdale 1-4 Posh

Luton (Home)
Possession: Posh 43% - Luton 57%
Total Shots: Posh 11 - Luton 21
Score: Posh 3 - 1 Luton

Charlton (Away)
Possession: Charlton 50% - Posh 50%
Shots: Charlton 13 - Posh 11
Score: Charlton 0-1 Posh

Plymouth (Away)
Possession: Plymouth 59% - Posh 41%
Shots: Plymouth 22 - Posh 11
Score: Plymouth 1 - 5 Posh

Doncaster (Home)
Possession: Posh 45% - Doncaster 55%
Shots: Posh 10 - Doncaster 23
Score: Posh 1 - 1 Doncaster

Southend (Away)
Possession: Southend 50% - Posh 50%
Shots: Southend 18 - Posh 9
Score: Southend 2-3 Posh


Average Possession in each game: Posh 46% - Opposition 54%
Total Shots Posh have had: 65 (19 Goals)
Total Shots Opposition have had: 121 (7 Goals)

Maybe we are seriously riding our luck and we are about to fall very quickly down the table. Or maybe Evans is a tactical genius.

 

[nelsonpfc]

Nothing wrong with being clinical. We don't need too many shots on target to score, so its going to hopefully be 5-4 to someone

 

[Dale4ever]

Posh Hammer sorry to gate crash but just seen those stats for our match... are you sure that wasn’t at half time? Bbc says 62%-38% and shots 15-14? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45066989

Our match with you was a strange one. We didn’t play badly at all but you were clinical on the day. Gifting free headers from free kicks wasn’t very wise though!

 

[Loyal Dale]

We may well have had more of the ball against Posh, but we did relatively little with it... much of the time we passed it around at the back. Our shots were for the most part ineffective and off target.
I doubt you'll find many Dale fans who didn't think that posh fully deserved to win on the day.

 

[Posh Hammer]

Posh Hammer sorry to gate crash but just seen those stats for our match... are you sure that wasn’t at half time? Bbc says 62%-38% and shots 15-14? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45066989

Our match with you was a strange one. We didn’t play badly at all but you were clinical on the day. Gifting free headers from free kicks wasn’t very wise though!

Ah I just copied the post from someone else on our forum! Serves me right for being lazy and not doing it myself!

It does back up the point I'm trying to make though.

In virtually every game this season, the opposition has all of the possession and have more shots than us, yet we win the game.

We are either being very lucky, or very clever. Still not sure which.

 

[BelizeHatter]

My memory, rather than stat based analysis from our game versus Posh was similar. We huffed and puffed, you closed and harried not allowing us much of dangerous note and when you did nick the ball, broke with speed and precision and we're clinical. Felt like a battering. Pompey, albeit their first game, we were on top almost throughout but couldn't score.

Should be an interesting quality game.

 

[K-Win]

Burnley had similar stats last season (without scoring so many goals obviously). The theory was that they were able to tempt the opposition to shoot from distance where they were happy to block shots. So it's basically "we're happy to let you have the ball in these areas, and we're confident that we can block/save those shots". Classic rope-a-dope.

 

[codaplenty]

Fair play to Steve Evans, he's got Posh firing on all cylinders, I always think if you make a start like this it wont last but you must be in with a good chance of finishing in the play offs
Dont know too much about Pompey, they've done well so far and think they can get a good away point from this fixture 1-1

 

[3Loggerheads]

3-1 Posh I reckon

 

[PoshinPretoria]

Fair play to Steve Evans, he's got Posh firing on all cylinders, I always think if you make a start like this it wont last but you must be in with a good chance of finishing in the play offs
Dont know too much about Pompey, they've done well so far and think they can get a good away point from this fixture 1-1

Well that's just it ...he hasn't. Apart the first halves against Bristol Rovers at home and Plymouth away we have not dominated any teams.

We have however a) happy to let teams have long periods of possession on the ball as we hold a very organised defensive third b) Got two forwards who are taking chances c) are a big, physical, combative unit...the sort Evans likes to get his promotions with and d) Look much better away from home from an attacking perspective when teams come at us rather than park the bus.

Portsmouth will park the bus and try and hit us on the break and it is these games that we might struggle especially as the only genuine midfield creativity in Maddison sits on the bench.

Could well be a 0-0, 1-1 here.

 

[Dale4ever]

We may well have had more of the ball against Posh, but we did relatively little with it... much of the time we passed it around at the back. Our shots were for the most part ineffective and off target.
I doubt you'll find many Dale fans who didn't think that posh fully deserved to win on the day.

Where did I say they didn’t deserve it?

 

[Dale4ever]

Ah I just copied the post from someone else on our forum! Serves me right for being lazy and not doing it myself!

It does back up the point I'm trying to make though.

In virtually every game this season, the opposition has all of the possession and have more shots than us, yet we win the game.

We are either being very lucky, or very clever. Still not sure which.

You win a lot of ‘cheap’ free kicks which is very clever and from what I saw you have a lot of threat in the air from them. Although we didn’t defend very well you were very clinical as I mentioned above. Think it was Demebele? He was brilliant on the day too.

 

[PoshinPretoria]

We win a lot of free kicks as we play direct to a target man in Godden and Cummings can look after himself in the air too...if a team is accurate in their direct play and get the ball directly to the front man and he is strong enough to hold the ball up, defenders have to go through them to try and win the ball...nothing cheap about it.

At least we did not win any 'cheap' penalties in that game.

 

[Dale4ever]

We win a lot of free kicks as we play direct to a target man in Godden and Cummings can look after himself in the air too...if a team is accurate in their direct play and get the ball directly to the front man and he is strong enough to hold the ball up, defenders have to go through them to try and win the ball...nothing cheap about it.

At least we did not win any 'cheap' penalties in that game.

Touchy.

 

[PoshinPretoria]

Touchy.

...not at all...just glad to help someone whose football knowledge is plainly somewhat limited.

 

[FarehamPompey]

Looking forward to the game. I'm going to go 2-1, just not sure who to..

 

[T.A]

...not at all...just glad to help someone whose football knowledge is plainly somewhat limited.

Shame you are unwilling to help yourself then.

 

[PaulHaddock]

We win a lot of free kicks as we play direct to a target man in Godden and Cummings can look after himself in the air too...if a team is accurate in their direct play and get the ball directly to the front man and he is strong enough to hold the ball up, defenders have to go through them to try and win the ball...nothing cheap about it.

At least we did not win any 'cheap' penalties in that game.

You should be on Match of the Day!

 

[Bucket_]

Think it’ll be a really interesting game but I can’t help but feel like this is where we come unstuck. We’ve been excellent at times but also have had a lot of shaky moments, and it sounds like Boro are the kind of team that could capitalise on those. But with Curtis and Lowe we’re always in with a good shout. Maybe Ollie Hawkins will finally get his first goal..

 

[nelsonpfc]

We haven't conceded more than one goal in any league game this season. If we can keep that up, then that'll be a good result

 

[Son of Cod]

We haven't conceded more than one goal in any league game this season. If we can keep that up, then that'll be a good result

So 1-0 to Posh, then?

 

[nelsonpfc]

So 1-0 to Posh, then?

LOL i'd be stunned if thats the result, but you never know I suppose

 

[PoshinPretoria]

You should be on Match of the Day!

Thanks! Oh and thanks for Dembele as well!

 

[Son of Cod]

Thanks! Oh and thanks for Dembele as well!

You're welcome to him. He'll throw in the towel soon with all the pundits who have seen him twice tipping him for bigger things than Posh.

 

[PoshinPretoria]

You're welcome to him. He'll throw in the towel soon with all the pundits who have seen him twice tipping him for bigger things than Posh.

Apart from big Taff he has probably been our most consistent player. Probably just needed players around him who can regularly get the ball to actual feet.

 

[Son of Cod]

Apart from big Taff he has probably been our most consistent player. Probably just needed players around him who can regularly get the ball to actual feet.

Maybe. Or maybe it's because right now he can be arsed. Clearly has talent but also has a questionable attitude. Let's wait and see how he does when the chips are down. My prediction is that his performances will drop off a cliff. If not, then I'll gladly hold my hands up and admit I was wrong. I'll come back at the end of the season to see what you're saying.

 

[PoshinPretoria]

Maybe. Or maybe it's because right now he can be arsed. Clearly has talent but also has a questionable attitude. Let's wait and see how he does when the chips are down. My prediction is that his performances will drop off a cliff. If not, then I'll gladly hold my hands up and admit I was wrong. I'll come back at the end of the season to see what you're saying.

Luton fans said Marriott was shit as well, 5.5 million notes and 30 goals later...

 

[Son of Cod]

Luton fans said Marriott was shit as well, 5.5 million notes and 30 goals later...

Well if you get anywhere near that fee for Dembele I'll be delighted to be proven wrong with what we'll be getting off the sell on clause. Was a great day for us when you sold Ryan Bennett!

 

[Loyal Dale]

Where did I say they didn’t deserve it?

I wasn't replying to you. Unlike this post, which is a reply to you....hence me quoting your post.


Touchy !!