Away Match Day Thread +++ 18/08/2018 Portsmouth v OUFC match day thread +++

[JPOxford]

It does also make me wonder if there is a case of too many chiefs sat on the bench. I didn’t travel today, however on Tuesday at one stage you had KR, Faz and Derry up and shouting instructions, must be confusing for players to say the least.

 

[Cass63]

We’ve got 2 managers and a really experienced assistant manager and we can’t score a fuckin goal, questions have to be asked.

 

[Fourthstand]

For me, it goes back to defence. Why are we conceding so many goals? First priority is to sort out the defensive side. End of. Our goal difference after 3 games is -9 ffs. Indefensible in every possible way.....

 

[monsieurgrumpy]

Still feeling shell shocked after watching that drivel today. Different manager, mostly different players but it was still like watching Pep Clotet's team at its worst. Gave the ball away at throw ins, poor delivery at set plays, slowness of movement and thought, lacked heart.

If Portsmouth are first division standard then we are barely Conference at the moment. Wonder how far into the season before the Pompey defender is no longer our top scorer? If he scores another own goal in the return fixture, he could well be up there for our top scorer award. Ten goals conceded in three league games. At this rate could be over a hundred well before the end of season. If there are four worse teams in this division, it is a sad indictment of the third tier of English football. Aaaaaargh!

And if the football wasn't bad enough, went to my usual Pompey pub, The Leopold, to discover they no longer sell real ale. Thank God for The Hole in the Wall which had good beer and friendly locals, or the day would have been a complete wash out!

 

[ZeroTheHero]

Tuesday nights line up should be.

Mitchell
Norman,Nelson,Mousinho,Garbutt
Hanson
Whyte,Baptiste,Holmes
Henry
Obika.

According to Robinson, Holmes won't be ready for Tuesday - it'll be Saturday at the earliest.

 

[Leysboy]

According to Robinson, Holmes won't be ready for Tuesday - it'll be Saturday at the earliest.

That’s fair enough. Mackie instead, but not been impressed with him at all.

I don’t like the 4231 formation if I’m honest. Obika or Smith just get isolated and outnumbered. I’d rather see a 442. KR will go to his grave with 4231 though.

 

[Oufcrealist]

Tuesday nights line up should be.

Mitchell
Norman,Nelson,Mousinho,Garbutt
Hanson
Whyte,Baptiste,Holmes
Henry
Obika.

Got to drop Garbutt as well. Just not at it. Hope he improves as at the moment he shouldn't be anywhere near a start.

 

[Shosho]

Our set piece routine is a total embarrassment too.
Taking a player out of the game so he can hold the ball aloft like simba, then place it down just as the free kick taker connects with it. More often than not it doesn't make it past the first man. 3 straight defeats they can knock that b*llocks off ASAP.

I’m not sure the point of lifting the ball. Supposedly our set pieces would be much improved with better quality of delivery.

Considering set pieces account for ~30% of goals scored, it’s an area we could use right now....especially with how inept we currently are in open play.

The other worry is that we have a plan on set pieces....but the players are failing to execute during matches.

Is that:
- lack of confidence?
- don’t believe in management?
- simply forget?
- why no one on the pitch leading?

 

[Shosho]

That’s fair enough. Mackie instead, but not been impressed with him at all.

I don’t like the 4231 formation if I’m honest. Obika or Smith just get isolated and outnumbered. I’d rather see a 442. KR will go to his grave with 4231 though.

There comes a point where surely we need to play the best formation for the players available rather than playing unfit players hoping they will find some fitness/touch persisting with 4231

 

[derek]

Just got back from my second four-goal away trouncing; I can see the selection meeting clearly now:

"Who's our best player, Sean?"
"Has to be Henry, Karl"
"OK we'd better not start him or they'll mark him out of the game. Tell you what, lets start Hanson and Mackie - Pompey will never notice that they are on the pitch"

Henry was injured at the end of the Coventry match. That's why he didn't start.

 

[jambon46]

The most frustrating thing today was that we turned up intent on grinding out a draw. We were time-wasting from the 1st minute and had seemingly had no desire whatsoever to get the ball down and play. Sides like Fleetwood and Wycombe do that, not us.

Robinson continues to make some strange selections and substitutions. What has Mackie done to keep his place in the lineup? He's either badly unfit or completely lost his legs. Offers no width, pace, creativity, or goal threat. Chucking on all three subs at one was desperate, too.

The whole defence looks so shaky. Garbutt is a perfect example of why players shouldn't be content sat in the reserves of a PL team as a youngster. He's 25 now but looks about 17. Dickie had his worst game in a yellow shirt. Nelson is still nowhere near his best. McMahon was better today, but just hasn't got the legs or pace to be an attacking threat.

Hanson looked tidy enough, but I'm not sure if I'd describe him as a powerhouse! He's barely 5'11'', let alone 6'3''. Brannagan still struggled to get on the ball and run things. I'm not sure it's ever going to work for him in that position.

I've already spoken about Mackie. Baptiste and Browne both did okay, but had so few options when they did manage to get the ball. It was very much a case of having to do everything by themselves.

Smith huffed and puffed but had no quality service. The ball was pumped up in the air to him time and time again, and he did he beat to battle, but it was so easy for the centre backs.

Henry did really well when he came on, and probably deserved a goal. He's got to start at no10 on Tuesday. Obika did reasonably well. Should've scored when he hit the post, or squared it to Henry. Was unlucky though I guess. Ruffels didn't do an awful lot.

As I say the most frustrating thing about today was that we turned up with no real intention of attacking or getting the ball down and playing. We played with such a small team mentality. We've been there and won multiple times in recent years, are they really that far ahead of us now that we owe them that much respect?

I'm far from wanting Robinson out, but questions are rightfully being asked of him now. When he joined he said he wanted pacy wingers. Well we haven't got one pacy winger at the club. He said he knows how he wants his team to play. Well I'm glad he does, because it doesn't seem like the players do.

I normally like to be positive but I've really seen nothing yet to be positive about. I guess the one glimmer of hope is that we haven't yet been able to field our strongest 11, so perhaps things will change when the likes of Holmes and Hall are back are fully fit. But so far, it seems we have problems in almost every area of the pitch, and I'm not sure if two players will really be able to change that.

All that said, maybe we'll win comfortably on Tuesday and we'll all be feeling a bit more positive again. But after the first three league matches, it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel right now.

spot on

 

[Gary Baldi]

Henry was injured at the end of the Coventry match. That's why he didn't start.

KR mentioned pre-match that they knew he could only play a certain amount of minutes today - he was seen with an ice pack on his knee on Tuesday when he came off. No conspiracy re Henry not playing.

I would imagine Mackie played because there was no one else with a few games of experience to play. Let's not forget how young the team was today. Mackie looks unfit, but with Hall injured yet again, Holmes injured and Henry half fit, I don't see what else the manager can do. At some point, you have to go with what you have, and play the lesser of the evils.

The right question to ask is why Mousinho isn't starting at CB. 3 games, and the 2 in the middle have been largely crap in all of the games.

 

[beyondthefourth]

That’s fair enough. Mackie instead, but not been impressed with him at all.

I don’t like the 4231 formation if I’m honest. Obika or Smith just get isolated and outnumbered. I’d rather see a 442. KR will go to his grave with 4231 though.

4-2-3-1 will work when we're up to speed and firing on all cylinders. It worked against Coventry.

It's a system built for athletic full backs (of which we're not playing Norman), and pacy wingers who can get to the byline (of which we're not playing Hall or Whyte)

 

[werthersoriginal]

KR mentioned pre-match that they knew he could only play a certain amount of minutes today - he was seen with an ice pack on his knee on Tuesday when he came off. No conspiracy re Henry not playing.

I would imagine Mackie played because there was no one else with a few games of experience to play. Let's not forget how young the team was today. Mackie looks unfit, but with Hall injured yet again, Holmes injured and Henry half fit, I don't see what else the manager can do. At some point, you have to go with what you have, and play the lesser of the evils.

The right question to ask is why Mousinho isn't starting at CB. 3 games, and the 2 in the middle have been largely crap in all of the games.

Might have been better to start with Ruffels, he can’t anchor the midfield on his own but he’s fit and competitive

 

[Yellows1]

Rumours on Twitter that Robinson’s gone

 

[Gary Baldi]

Rumours on Twitter that Robinson’s gone

One tweet from a "freelance journalist" who has never posted anything about their freelance job on their feed. Nothing is impossible, but feels like a bit of trolling to me. Why wait until 9am on Monday to announce it?

 

[Mellowyellow]

I’ve seen a similar private tweet, but relating to so much fallout behind the scenes, players/KR.
Cannot confirm reliability of information, but the twitter account is genuine.

 

[Gary Baldi]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1030935837545062400

 

[guyellow]

The players post match pow wow for 40 minutes on the pitch is interesting. Was Robinson involved?

 

[Concretebob]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1030935837545062400

That Henry Charles looks about 9...