Tuesday 8th Feb

[SVH]

 

[longmover]

Probably the best time to play Sunderland, cant see a new manager being in place before tomorrow night. just hope we don't get the 'occasion' get to us and give Sunderland too much respect.

 

[Bartonyellow]

Pompey away.
We usually do ok here, but harness is bound to score if he is playing.
2-2 draw I say.

 

[Millerbri]

Typical banana skin game at AFC Wimbledon tomorrow.

We are on a decent run of form and they haven't won for ages, but they played well in much of the game at NYS before losing 3 0.
From memory they caused us many a problem but just couldn't score.

I would have gone to tick the new ground off had it been a Saturday game but it's I follow for me.

We might be missing 3 centre halves.
Wood is banned, Edmunds Green hamstring, Icky got taken off on Saturday.
So might have to go to a back 4 which doesn't suit us, I am thinking 1 1 draw.

 

[SMH]

The Massives away for us! They dominated and beat us comprehensively at the DW and on paper boast a far stronger squad. Both teams have plenty of injury problems though so we'll see. I'd take another point to be honest, but a win at Hillsborough would be massive from a confidence perspective.

 

[WhiteRussian]

Fleetwood away. Another we should win but I said that about Donny and look at how that turned out!

We have Ipswich at home Saturday and that could be a season changer if we get stuffed. 7000 away tickets sold for that so we really need to get a win here and hope Doncaster are on a roll as well and knock the stuffing out of ITFC before they even cross the threshold of StadMK..

 

[K-Win]

Pompey away.
We usually do ok here, but harness is bound to score if he is playing.
2-2 draw I say.

Our cunning plan to go into the second half of the season with a squad of 20 players has backfired immediately. I think we have 14 available for tomorrow night. Of particular concern is midfield where we only have Thompson and Tunnicliffe, neither of whom can last more than an hour at the moment.

On the plus side, the team finally showed some fighting qualities after being reduced to 10 early on at Oxford on Saturday. Curtis and Jacobs appear to be on a mission after being restored to the team so we actually looked like we could create and take chances.

The bookies must know something though. Bottom of the form table and a depleted squad. Odds-on. Fill yer boots!

 

[K-Win]

So might have to go to a back 4 which doesn't suit us, I am thinking 1 1 draw.

You're not fooling anyone, Millerbri. You're winning every week and strolling to promotion. Deal with it!

 

[Millerbri]

You're not fooling anyone, Millerbri. You're winning every week and strolling to promotion. Deal with it!

We certainly aren't strolling it and apart from against Doncaster last Tuesday, a lot of the games have been tight affairs and we haven't played particularly well.

Tough games at Hillsborough and home to Wigan coming up next then Plymouth away after Morecambe at home.

We will see better where we are after that lot.

 

[Luke Imp]

Home to Morecambe - a biggy! We now have the worst home record in L1 - 3 wins, which is scandalous really, along with our lack of clean sheets this season (also stands at three, I think).

Jackson is, surprise, surprise, out injured again after returning for a whole 60 minutes. Walsh will probably start tomorrow after only making three appearances this season. Bridcutt has had a setback in his return and might need a minor op and be out until March. Bishop is 50/50 but Maguire made a comeback at the weekend.

We're so, so weak in midfield. The balance or options aren't there at all and that's been the gave all season. We have one defensive minded midfielder he's spent most of it injured. Our midfield on Saturday against MK Dons was an actual midfielder, a number 10 and a striker...

 

[Davidimp]

We'll get overrun in midfield and I fully expect Stockton to have a field day against us as he did at their place.
Just put loads of crosses just outside our 6 yard box you're bound to score as our England u21 keeper just dithers on his line despite being 6 foot 6 and built like a brick shithouse and could come out and claim the ball but rarely does, but he's great shot stopper and made makes fantastic saves...

 

[Republic of Womble]

C

Typical banana skin game at AFC Wimbledon tomorrow.

We are on a decent run of form and they haven't won for ages, but they played well in much of the game at NYS before losing 3 0.
From memory they caused us many a problem but just couldn't score.

I would have gone to tick the new ground off had it been a Saturday game but it's I follow for me.

We might be missing 3 centre halves.
Wood is banned, Edmunds Green hamstring, Icky got taken off on Saturday.
So might have to go to a back 4 which doesn't suit us, I am thinking 1 1 draw.

Can't see further than an away win unfortunately.

I thought you were the best side we have played this season at your place, it was like men against boys.

We have some quick and tricky players but not enough end product, easily bullied off the ball, and leaking very soft, naive goals.

I think our only glimmer of hope is if you have one eye on the harder games to come you alluded to in your other post.

 

[codaplenty]

MK Dons at Highbury and right now a draw won't be a bad result. The trouble is we keep drawing and like a few others are desperate for some 3 pointers. Nice to see Butterworth up front, and hopefully he could chip in with a goal
Honours shared 1-1

 

[Si Robin]

I can't put my finger on why, but I'm really dreading tomorrow evening.

I've got this horrible feeling Sunderland are going to take the piss and run riot. Probably due to us freezing in front of a decent sized crowd and them having to show their fans something after a 6-0 defeat and then losing to bottom of the League at home.

 

[eric read]

Our cunning plan to go into the second half of the season with a squad of 20 players has backfired immediately. I think we have 14 available for tomorrow night. Of particular concern is midfield where we only have Thompson and Tunnicliffe, neither of whom can last more than an hour at the moment.

On the plus side, the team finally showed some fighting qualities after being reduced to 10 early on at Oxford on Saturday. Curtis and Jacobs appear to be on a mission after being restored to the team so we actually looked like we could create and take chances.

The bookies must know something though. Bottom of the form table and a depleted squad. Odds-on. Fill yer boots!

Not having a pop, but did you really think you looked like you could create chances on Saturday?

You had three shots all game, to our 28, 24% possession, and the lowest amount of successful passes and crosses from any team we've played at our place all season. I'll give you the fighting qualities, but that's almost a given after a team goes down to ten men, as they get nine behind the ball, produce a low block, and it's all about stopping the other team playing. Which is exactly what you did Saturday. In fact you took that part of it to the extreme with all of the time wasting, and the resultant stop/start nature of the game.

As I say, not having a pop, but that was the worst Pompey side I've seen home or away for a long time. If that's what the Cowleys are dishing up each week no wonder your fans are becoming pissed off with them.

 

[GFC4EVA]

Cambridge at home, we look alot better since harris come in so am more confident of getting a result here, this and Saturday vs morecambe are must wins for us to give us any chance of staying up

 

[K-Win]

As I say, not having a pop, but that was the worst Pompey side I've seen home or away for a long time. If that's what the Cowleys are dishing up each week no wonder your fans are becoming pissed off with them.

Well the game was 96 minutes long, and we had 10 men for 80 of those minutes, so that might just have something to do with the stats you've quoted.

We scored two goals from three shots on target. Trust me, if you've watched us in recent weeks then that is way more incisive than we have been (it's been that bad). And the fact that the team finally showed some fight after some really tame efforts recently was encouraging. We eventually succumbed to two great long range strikes.

Strange as it may seem, the football itself has generally been OK under the Cowleys. Although admittedly they had a very low bar to get over after we were treated to 4 years of Jackettball. As has been said before, they will be judged on next season. We've had a massive player overhaul.

Good luck for the rest of the season.

 

[NorthernSoul]

Sheff Wed unbeaten in over 4 months at home, just 1 defeat all season. Won the last 4 at Hillsborough against us. 7 wins in their last 9 against us and 9 without a clean sheet for us against them. Safe to say they are looking invincible at home and against us. Certainly avoid betting on Wigan tomorrow, just one of those teams we struggle against.

 

[eric read]

Sheff Wed unbeaten in over 4 months at home, just 1 defeat all season. Won the last 4 at Hillsborough against us. 7 wins in their last 9 against us and 9 without a clean sheet for us against them. Safe to say they are looking invincible at home and against us. Certainly avoid betting on Wigan tomorrow, just one of those teams we struggle against.

And who's that one home defeat against, I wonder?

In fact we've done the double over them, and nobody else can do it now as Wednesday don't have anyone to play who's won the respective reverse fixture.

 

[Bar Carousel]

Not having a pop, but did you really think you looked like you could create chances on Saturday?

You had three shots all game, to our 28, 24% possession, and the lowest amount of successful passes and crosses from any team we've played at our place all season. I'll give you the fighting qualities, but that's almost a given after a team goes down to ten men, as they get nine behind the ball, produce a low block, and it's all about stopping the other team playing. Which is exactly what you did Saturday. In fact you took that part of it to the extreme with all of the time wasting, and the resultant stop/start nature of the game.

As I say, not having a pop, but that was the worst Pompey side I've seen home or away for a long time. If that's what the Cowleys are dishing up each week no wonder your fans are becoming pissed off with them.

Ah the perspective of a partisan football fan!

We saw it that the ref sent Morell off for a foul in the 13th minute adjudged to be dangerous by way of Branagan lowering his head to make contact with a foot at waist level. Branagan went down like he'd been shot and all of the Oxford players rushed the ref in a fashion that Wycombe would've blushed at. When he was finally able to get to his feet after heavy medical attention, despite having just been 'studded in the face', there miraculously wasn't a mark on him.

After that, fuelled with injustice, our players were understandably fired up, often threatening to boil over. Even then every challenge resulted in the Oxford players crowding the ref and a string of bookings for us, whilst none for yours despite similar challenges being made against us (I'll give you that Hirst was lucky to stay on).

I fully accept that we were robust, but what were we supposed to do? Lay down and accept defeat? Ultimately, if the sending off hadn't have been given, the edge to the game wouldn't have existed in the first place. I blame an inexperienced referee who had lost control of the game by the 13th minute.

Clearly that performance isn't indicative of a Cowley side since becoming our manager. That said, the return fixture is now bound to be an equally tasty affair. The frustration this season is largely aimed at our apparently disinterested owners, rather than the manager. The summer transfer window will be critical for him though. He will have shed the failing and overpaid Jackett signings and have the full budget to do as he pleases. Fans won't let him off as lightly next season if we are as equally uncompetitive.

 

[Crewelad87]

Argyle at home. No idea what to expect. We looked fairly decent 2nd half vs Gillingham last time out, the new players certainly impressed. But tge cold harsh facts are we still lost vs Gillingham and failed to score. Plymouth Rmare alot better than Gillingham at both ends of the pitch so that looks ominous, but strangley I'm fairly optimistic, no idea why.

Crewe 2-1 Plymouth (Agyei, Lowery, Jephcott)

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Beat MK away, hammered by Rotherham at home, beat Sunderland away (and for the very first time in a league game) so probably another hammering at home to Ipswich. The way we are being set up to play requires high energy, problem is I doubt our squad is capable of attaining those energy levels 2 games on the trot. I expect changes tonight because of that although you really couldn’t argue the case for dropping any of the starting 11 from Saturday.

 

[eric read]

Ah the perspective of a partisan football fan!

We saw it that the ref sent Morell off for a foul in the 13th minute adjudged to be dangerous by way of Branagan lowering his head to make contact with a foot at waist level. Branagan went down like he'd been shot and all of the Oxford players rushed the ref in a fashion that Wycombe would've blushed at. When he was finally able to get to his feet after heavy medical attention, despite having just been 'studded in the face', there miraculously wasn't a mark on him.

After that, fuelled with injustice, our players were understandably fired up, often threatening to boil over. Even then every challenge resulted in the Oxford players crowding the ref and a string of bookings for us, whilst none for yours despite similar challenges being made against us (I'll give you that Hirst was lucky to stay on).

I fully accept that we were robust, but what were we supposed to do? Lay down and accept defeat? Ultimately, if the sending off hadn't have been given, the edge to the game wouldn't have existed in the first place. I blame an inexperienced referee who had lost control of the game by the 13th minute.

Clearly that performance isn't indicative of a Cowley side since becoming our manager. That said, the return fixture is now bound to be an equally tasty affair. The frustration this season is largely aimed at our apparently disinterested owners, rather than the manager. The summer transfer window will be critical for him though. He will have shed the failing and overpaid Jackett signings and have the full budget to do as he pleases. Fans won't let him off as lightly next season if we are as equally uncompetitive.

I suggest you look at the stills of that challenge before castigating Cameron Brannagan. Your bloke's foot was chest high and studs up. That's a clear red. In real time it looked harsh, and I was surprised at the outcome. But looking back at it in replay, and still photographs, you can see it was one of the few decisions the useless referee got right.

The red card actually helped you in a perverse way, as your gameplan then became very clear; stop us playing at all costs. I genuinely think it would have been a very straightforward win for us without the sending off, and would have also been more straightforward if Hirst had been red carded too, which he should have been.

Your club is in danger of falling into the same "victim" mentality as certain other clubs in this league, based on what I've read and heard from your manager, your media, and your fans since the game.

You didn't lose because of the red card. You lost because you weren't good enough, and that was the case whether you had 9, 10, or 11 players on the field.

Oh, and I'm supposed to believe you're not partisan am I?

 

[ShrimpsMeltdown]

Huge game, we really need a win. Play like we did on Saturday then we've got a chance, fingers crossed!

 

[White horse]

Santos cleared to play against Charlton after his wrongful sending off for handball against Morecambe, terrible decision for that penalty on Saturday

 

[Bar Carousel]

I suggest you look at the stills of that challenge before castigating Cameron Brannagan. Your bloke's foot was chest high and studs up. That's a clear red. In real time it looked harsh, and I was surprised at the outcome. But looking back at it in replay, and still photographs, you can see it was one of the few decisions the useless referee got right.

The red card actually helped you in a perverse way, as your gameplan then became very clear; stop us playing at all costs. I genuinely think it would have been a very straightforward win for us without the sending off, and would have also been more straightforward if Hirst had been red carded too, which he should have been.

Your club is in danger of falling into the same "victim" mentality as certain other clubs in this league, based on what I've read and heard from your manager, your media, and your fans since the game.

You didn't lose because of the red card. You lost because you weren't good enough, and that was the case whether you had 9, 10, or 11 players on the field.

Oh, and I'm supposed to believe you're not partisan am I?

I'm absolutely as partisan for my own club as you are for yours, and that's exactly how it should be!

From the recent stills and 0.5 speed of the incident from a different angle, it is clear that Brannigan gets clipped in the face by the ball as he is ducking down to try and head a ball at a level you would not normally expect to put your head in. Hence the lack of damage he received in the incident. I get that it all happened in a split second and the referee only has one look at it in real time. But the theatrics and hysterics your team displayed at the incident left a bad taste. I'm sure you see it differently as is your right. Undoubtedly this led to a feeling of injustice for the remainder of the game.

I think (for once) we are justified in feeling hard done by. I haven't seen a general 'victim' role adopted by our club this season however. I think we have been caught out that post covid, clubs at this level had continued to spend, whilst we had cut our cloth accordingly to offset the losses incurred assuming everyone else would do likewise. Sometimes as a club we have voiced that publicly. Maybe that's what you're referring to?

Certainly on form, you would have been expected to win the fixture, but football doesn't always work like that. I do back up what K-Win referenced, in that during the odd period that we had the ball in your half, we certainly looked like we had the ability to create chances particularly with Jacobs in the side. In the opening 13 minutes we'd fashioned a well worked goal, and who knows what could have happened if it remained 11 v 11.

 

[wessy]

Santos that's a huge plus for us tonight, probably at full strength but with such a good bench IE may shuffle the pack. If we can't fit Dempsey in it shows how good our window was, think he might rest Lee but whoever puts the shirt on they can deliver.

 

[BarrieOwl]

Santos that's a huge plus for us tonight, probably at full strength but with such a good bench IE may shuffle the pack. If we can't fit Dempsey in it shows how good our window was, think he might rest Lee but whoever puts the shirt on they can deliver.

Best squad in the league I've heard....

 

[eric read]

I'm absolutely as partisan for my own club as you are for yours, and that's exactly how it should be!

From the recent stills and 0.5 speed of the incident from a different angle, it is clear that Brannigan gets clipped in the face by the ball as he is ducking down to try and head a ball at a level you would not normally expect to put your head in. Hence the lack of damage he received in the incident. I get that it all happened in a split second and the referee only has one look at it in real time. But the theatrics and hysterics your team displayed at the incident left a bad taste. I'm sure you see it differently as is your right. Undoubtedly this led to a feeling of injustice for the remainder of the game.

I think (for once) we are justified in feeling hard done by. I haven't seen a general 'victim' role adopted by our club this season however. I think we have been caught out that post covid, clubs at this level had continued to spend, whilst we had cut our cloth accordingly to offset the losses incurred assuming everyone else would do likewise. Sometimes as a club we have voiced that publicly. Maybe that's what you're referring to?

Certainly on form, you would have been expected to win the fixture, but football doesn't always work like that. I do back up what K-Win referenced, in that during the odd period that we had the ball in your half, we certainly looked like we had the ability to create chances particularly with Jacobs in the side. In the opening 13 minutes we'd fashioned a well worked goal, and who knows what could have happened if it remained 11 v 11.

Wow.

There's partisan, and there's blinkered. If you can't see it there's no point me carrying on discussing it with you.

You've convinced yourself that things were different to how they really were. And as for hysterics, I think you need look no further than Ronan Curtis.

 

[masi51]

Best squad in the league I've heard....

No excuses now on in.........Still 2/3 out long term who will at least get on the bench and will be available next season but i expect minimum top 4 form for the rest of this season.......Squeak of a play off place.
7/5 Tonight will cover 1/4 of my season ticket for next season