I was at the match yesterday, sat in the Pompey stand (long story) just behind Lampard and the subs bench. I haven't been to a game for a while, and although I've watched every match on tv, I had a great view of the game and what was going on, on the pitch, and it was an eye opener.
Right from kick-off we looked good, lots of running off the ball, short sharp passes between MVE, Torp and Saka.
But it looked as though they'd been told to hit long balls over the top for Bassette to run onto, and / or switch play from MVE to EMC by hitting long cross field passes, this worked for the first ten minutes or so but Pompey got wise to it and were pushing their line higher and higher.
Bassette was playing right off the shoulder of their CB's and was caught offside a lot but Lampard was telling him to stay high, he also went down looking for free kicks several times which started to rile the Pompey fans and at one stage Lampard told him to "get up" but he looked quick, dangerous, full of running and with more composure, could have had a hat- trick in the first 20 minutes.
I honestly thought everything had clicked and we were going to absolutely smash Pompey, we looked a league above, our players more skillful and comfortable on the ball.
BUT... As soon as Pompey scored the atmosphere changed big time, the crowd got noisy and the Cov players started to look less and less confident on the ball and the composure went out of the window. You could tell that the combination of the crowd and the mistake for the goal got to them, more than it should.
I thought we might turn it around in the second half but Pompey came out more aggressive, and with the home crowd louder and less forgiving, they could clearly smell blood and were playing a higher press not giving our boys a moment on the ball until the errors started creeping in across the back four and we couldn't clear the ball or play out from the back, every mistake getting a louder reaction from the crowd to the point where our players started arguing amongst each other and everything literally went to shit, I've never seen capitulation on such a grand scale and it went across the whole team.
My opinion based on yesterday:
1. Sheaf clearly has ability but is not captain material and is low on confidence, he faded as the game went on.
2. Pompey, were far less "cultured" or skilled as us but they were up for it, whereas we weren't at all once their first goal went in and that's what made the difference, we had no fight in us.
3. There appeared to be little or no team spirit / camaraderie between players right from the warm-up. They actually all looked pissed off, even before the goals went in and a team full of individuals, not a coherent group.
4. Jay De Silva is not only a weakness defensively but his constant stopping when in possession and playing the ball backwards / sideways, kills off any chance of attack, either resulting in a loss of possession or going back to our keeper to start all over again, wasteful and frustrating to say the least.
5. Pompey players, Matt Richie in particular were very vocal, shouting instructions, cheering each other on, our players weren't, other than gesticulating to each other when they lost the ball or missed a pass, this happened alot lot. Surprisingly the most vocal and physical of our players was Torp, who although not his best game, was the most "captain like" on the pitch, followed by Rudoni who definitely has something about him.
6. Latebeaudiere although slow comes across as the senior figure in the group and although the game was long gone by the time he came on, did bring some much needed calmness at the back after everyone else had lost the plot.
7. Collins has a great throw on him but everything else is awful and we need to get either Wilson or preferably Dovin back in and stick with it long term. There is zero cohesion or communication between defenders and goalkeeper, again they all looked pissed off with each other.
8. We have no one who will take a game by the scruff of the neck, again Matt Richie was doing this for Pompey, and this made a massive difference to them.
9. We're clearly a talented bunch on the ball, great touch and skill, possibly more suited to premier league football in style but seriously lack the passion, guile anf leadership needed in abundance in this league, and that will be our downfall unless we buy in some experienced talent in January but this will be very difficult.
10. BTA is a great guy, he smiled and waved at my 9 year old during the warm-up when he was shouting his name even though he looked confused by the fact that we were in the Pompey stand!
Right from kick-off we looked good, lots of running off the ball, short sharp passes between MVE, Torp and Saka.
But it looked as though they'd been told to hit long balls over the top for Bassette to run onto, and / or switch play from MVE to EMC by hitting long cross field passes, this worked for the first ten minutes or so but Pompey got wise to it and were pushing their line higher and higher.
Bassette was playing right off the shoulder of their CB's and was caught offside a lot but Lampard was telling him to stay high, he also went down looking for free kicks several times which started to rile the Pompey fans and at one stage Lampard told him to "get up" but he looked quick, dangerous, full of running and with more composure, could have had a hat- trick in the first 20 minutes.
I honestly thought everything had clicked and we were going to absolutely smash Pompey, we looked a league above, our players more skillful and comfortable on the ball.
BUT... As soon as Pompey scored the atmosphere changed big time, the crowd got noisy and the Cov players started to look less and less confident on the ball and the composure went out of the window. You could tell that the combination of the crowd and the mistake for the goal got to them, more than it should.
I thought we might turn it around in the second half but Pompey came out more aggressive, and with the home crowd louder and less forgiving, they could clearly smell blood and were playing a higher press not giving our boys a moment on the ball until the errors started creeping in across the back four and we couldn't clear the ball or play out from the back, every mistake getting a louder reaction from the crowd to the point where our players started arguing amongst each other and everything literally went to shit, I've never seen capitulation on such a grand scale and it went across the whole team.
My opinion based on yesterday:
1. Sheaf clearly has ability but is not captain material and is low on confidence, he faded as the game went on.
2. Pompey, were far less "cultured" or skilled as us but they were up for it, whereas we weren't at all once their first goal went in and that's what made the difference, we had no fight in us.
3. There appeared to be little or no team spirit / camaraderie between players right from the warm-up. They actually all looked pissed off, even before the goals went in and a team full of individuals, not a coherent group.
4. Jay De Silva is not only a weakness defensively but his constant stopping when in possession and playing the ball backwards / sideways, kills off any chance of attack, either resulting in a loss of possession or going back to our keeper to start all over again, wasteful and frustrating to say the least.
5. Pompey players, Matt Richie in particular were very vocal, shouting instructions, cheering each other on, our players weren't, other than gesticulating to each other when they lost the ball or missed a pass, this happened alot lot. Surprisingly the most vocal and physical of our players was Torp, who although not his best game, was the most "captain like" on the pitch, followed by Rudoni who definitely has something about him.
6. Latebeaudiere although slow comes across as the senior figure in the group and although the game was long gone by the time he came on, did bring some much needed calmness at the back after everyone else had lost the plot.
7. Collins has a great throw on him but everything else is awful and we need to get either Wilson or preferably Dovin back in and stick with it long term. There is zero cohesion or communication between defenders and goalkeeper, again they all looked pissed off with each other.
8. We have no one who will take a game by the scruff of the neck, again Matt Richie was doing this for Pompey, and this made a massive difference to them.
9. We're clearly a talented bunch on the ball, great touch and skill, possibly more suited to premier league football in style but seriously lack the passion, guile anf leadership needed in abundance in this league, and that will be our downfall unless we buy in some experienced talent in January but this will be very difficult.
10. BTA is a great guy, he smiled and waved at my 9 year old during the warm-up when he was shouting his name even though he looked confused by the fact that we were in the Pompey stand!
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