When Vokes isn’t on the pitch, none of the other attackers are able to keep possession well. I appreciate Vokes was shattered yesterday, but we are crying out for someone that can make it stick in the opposition half once he runs out of steam.
Forino was marking Shaughnessy but gets attracted to the near post. Max still should have done better and Taff was decent when he came on, I believe he was doing the Vokes role as a spare man in the box
There is clearly a good player in there as he did so well last season. I just don't think we can afford him on the pitch with his attitude and what looks like a desire to get booked or sent off.
I went to the game last night. I thought we were very good in the first half. Second half we showed little to no attacking intent for the first 35 minutes.
I thought the substitutions actualy improved us, we finally spent some time in their half and for the last 10-15 minutes (including added time) we looked much better going forwards. Dale Taylor had two or three half chances, one which we should have had a corner from.
My overarching feeling walking away from that was we are miles off being a force in this league. Everything Pompey did was positive, engaging and trying to win the game. Constantly on the front foot. Great movement, quick passing, unorthodox cross field switches, having the ball in play as much as possible.
We, on the other hand, slow everything down. I'm ok with this to an extent - away from home against the league leaders who haven't lost yet. However, we show the same lethargy against everyone. Our throw ins take forever, we simply have very little intent.
Portsmouth last season, were very much like us now, when Mousinho first took over. However, the difference this season is amazing, so perhaps with a bit of time Bloomers can create this positive approach.
Finally, I think we are the cause of our own problems. I have no idea what is going on with the front three. Vokes is playing left wing half the time, Hanlan through the middle and McCleary wherever he feels like going. It not only creates problems going forwards but leaves Potts and Scowen with too much work to do. Particularly as our wing backs our playing so deep.
A few small tweaks and I think we could really gel but, for me, 5-2-3 is not working and the three up top need better defined roles.
Don't think it's been mentioned but imho thought Stryjek should have dealt with the original ball better than punching it out for a corner. Looked like a foul to me for the goal but was viewing through Wycombe coloured lenses (whatever that colour may be from away game to away game!)
Surprised to read a lot of this as I thought we produced a pretty good display for a lot of the game.
We were really unlucky to lose so late, especially with a player clattering our keeper in the face with his arm. Those sort of challenges on kepers are almost a cliche of annoyance to the attacking team of how keepers are "like a protected species".
Hanlan seems revitalised to me and is always a threat, and McCleary and Vokes look properly fit again after struggles earlier in the season.
It's the backup three I'm massively concerned with. We're half the force with those guys on.
Maybe I should have caveated that with the following: If we expect to be a top 6 team in this league and playing attacking football then I think we have quite some way to go.
We are not the most positive currently, 2nd half being great evidence for that, we are similar to the team that won the L1 play offs a few years ago. Get 1-0 up and hope to nick a second on the counter. I'm ok playing like this but I think we have the squad to on the front foot more than we are currently.
If we really want to be shaking trees we need to produce more in the final third, particularly against the lower half teams. Whilst we have 5 wins, have we really outplayed someone and looked completely dominant? Do we try and score more goals and kill the game off OR do we sit back. We never look like thumping someone, as when we get 2 up we sit back.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for playing like we did first half last night when needs must and we've done it successfully down the years against better clubs. I just think our system does not get the best out of our attackers and relies more on individual brilliance than a creative plan.
I also don't understand why McCleary and Hanlan seem to be in the 9 role more than Vokes for large parts of tough away games.
I don't think we were unlucky to lose last night. The better team, by quite some margin, won. Albeit with a disputed injury time winner. Gutting? Absolutely. Unlucky, probably not. They terrorised us for large parts of the second half and we dealt with a lot of it.
I also don't understand why McCleary and Hanlan seem to be in the 9 role more than Vokes for large parts of tough away games.
This annoys me too - I think it's Vokes' tendency to come deep or drift wide, but without the pace to get back to the front and centre, which leaves it up to one of the other forwards to have to do it. Uche used to do the same, but he also had the ability to pick the ball up deep, turn and run. I much prefer Vokes as high up the pitch as possible and through the middle.
Funny how we all see it differently, I thought Hanlan was pretty poor and anonymous again last night, and was thinking to myself I'd give Taylor or Sadlier a go instead on Saturday. McCleary btw, as others said last night incredible how he still looks so good despite his increasing years.
I still think last night was a ‘par’ result. We a decent side, nothing more. We are a team that struggles to create and score goals. They are a better side. A 2-1 loss feels par to me.
My only caveat is that if we had Wheeler I feel we would have held on. Needed some maturity the last 15 minutes. We didn’t have any.
I thought last night we actually improved after the subs. We barely got in the Pompey half for 35mins in the 2nd half. We did finally mount a few attacks in the closing 10mins, with only a very fine interception from a defender (inexplicably given as a goal kick) preventing Taylor from having a clear chance.
I've not been able to face gasroom until now. Sickening.... some good stuff..... and somethings we really need to use to learn from. Not a bad showing all in all.... and the toughest test we have had so far.
Before the game I would have taken an away draw to them all day long....
Its easy to be critical when things looked good..... then ok.... and the the floor is pulled from beneath us at the last gasp.
We are still a new squad and the general feeling from myself at least is that we most certainly are growing and moving forward game by game. Mistakes and lessons to be learned from are still there.... but I'm not going to lose my head over a slim loss away to a team I expect to be going up automatically this season
I totally agree with this - the first half was a masterclass in playing away to a favourite, but we barely crossed halfway in the second half till the subs.
I am firmly in the group that would never travel to Portsmouth on a Tuesday night.
Can’t make it out of work. My age group is priced out during a cost of living crisis. We’ve all got dodgy fire sticks with (almost) free access to all the football we could want and the option of 4 multiple screens on at once. On a champions league night. In the warm. No 3+ hour road trip. No petrol cost. No risks involved (car breaking down) etc. Can still find time to go to the gym and watch Wycombe in the same evening.
In my scenario, it’s entirely rational to not travel away last night. Which is sad but true. Attendances will take a right whack if they drop the 3pm blackout. Don’t underestimate the amount of fair weather Wycombe ‘fans’ who only show up to games when their premier league club are playing on Sunday instead!
I'm less concerned about the impact of dropping the blackout than others - I think it would be fine if you kept the biggest clubs and biggest games out of the Saturday 3pm slot - but there are probably more sensible ways around it. In any case, it's utterly ridiculous that you can hardly (legally) watch any of the best league in the world from the country it's based in.
Bleak maybe but It's a massive challenge that is largely being ignored. Once the 3pm UK blackout goes it will be even easier to watch all our games from home but also much easier for the next generation to watch El Classico or Chelsea or Man Utd , or Messi or Ronaldo in their tribute leagues, or even the YouTubers. There would be no incentive for broadcasters to keep anything clear. Clubs will initially get more money from rights but that is unlikely to cover wage inflation, the family day was a step in the right direction, need to reinforce watching in person as something good and different. RC has talked about it often, debatable how well we do it.
For us and clubs of our ilk, being able to see your team in the flesh and experience the matchday atmosphere is surely still our most important selling point. I can't see that losing the 3pm Saturday blackout would be anything but catastrophic for us and for British football outside of the elite. I find the nudge/wink from the club on domestic streaming of our Saturday games quite worrying for exactly that reason.
People can find them but it's often poor quality or a faff getting it to work or onto the telly, think there's reason to believe that if it's delivered to your Telly with a week's advertising and build up the audience would go up. Difficult to get any official stats as if they could track it they could probably block it.
Lets be honest if we are top of the table, scoring goals for fun and knocking the ball around in a fiesta of free flowing football that away attendance doubles.
I know when I looked at the fixture I thought 'mneh, seems like an effort'. If we were ripping it up that distance and those barriers get smaller.
Comments
He definitely seems quite angry and has to do everything in a rush right now.
Another ref could easily come up with a "brave" decision to favour a big home crowd.
Slightly worried that our attacking 3 drops serious gears when we do the usual subs at 65/70
When Vokes isn’t on the pitch, none of the other attackers are able to keep possession well. I appreciate Vokes was shattered yesterday, but we are crying out for someone that can make it stick in the opposition half once he runs out of steam.
Edit - except Wheeler who is injured
As @eric_plant mentioned though, Taff was fast asleep there and for most of the time he was on.
Forino was marking Shaughnessy but gets attracted to the near post. Max still should have done better and Taff was decent when he came on, I believe he was doing the Vokes role as a spare man in the box
There is clearly a good player in there as he did so well last season. I just don't think we can afford him on the pitch with his attitude and what looks like a desire to get booked or sent off.
If Taff is supposed to be the spare man then he should pick up the unmarked player who scores surely?
I went to the game last night. I thought we were very good in the first half. Second half we showed little to no attacking intent for the first 35 minutes.
I thought the substitutions actualy improved us, we finally spent some time in their half and for the last 10-15 minutes (including added time) we looked much better going forwards. Dale Taylor had two or three half chances, one which we should have had a corner from.
My overarching feeling walking away from that was we are miles off being a force in this league. Everything Pompey did was positive, engaging and trying to win the game. Constantly on the front foot. Great movement, quick passing, unorthodox cross field switches, having the ball in play as much as possible.
We, on the other hand, slow everything down. I'm ok with this to an extent - away from home against the league leaders who haven't lost yet. However, we show the same lethargy against everyone. Our throw ins take forever, we simply have very little intent.
Portsmouth last season, were very much like us now, when Mousinho first took over. However, the difference this season is amazing, so perhaps with a bit of time Bloomers can create this positive approach.
Finally, I think we are the cause of our own problems. I have no idea what is going on with the front three. Vokes is playing left wing half the time, Hanlan through the middle and McCleary wherever he feels like going. It not only creates problems going forwards but leaves Potts and Scowen with too much work to do. Particularly as our wing backs our playing so deep.
A few small tweaks and I think we could really gel but, for me, 5-2-3 is not working and the three up top need better defined roles.
Onto Fleetwood, COYB!
Don't think it's been mentioned but imho thought Stryjek should have dealt with the original ball better than punching it out for a corner. Looked like a foul to me for the goal but was viewing through Wycombe coloured lenses (whatever that colour may be from away game to away game!)
Here's another angle. Joke. https://twitter.com/Pompey/status/1709342566100132130
Looking back at the highlights on YouTube, the first Pompey goal joined line a foul throw, unless the rules have changed?
Edit: It has and I'm wrong. I'm still haunted by Steve Dell's inability to take them in the Sanchez era.
Surprised to read a lot of this as I thought we produced a pretty good display for a lot of the game.
We were really unlucky to lose so late, especially with a player clattering our keeper in the face with his arm. Those sort of challenges on kepers are almost a cliche of annoyance to the attacking team of how keepers are "like a protected species".
Hanlan seems revitalised to me and is always a threat, and McCleary and Vokes look properly fit again after struggles earlier in the season.
It's the backup three I'm massively concerned with. We're half the force with those guys on.
Maybe I should have caveated that with the following: If we expect to be a top 6 team in this league and playing attacking football then I think we have quite some way to go.
We are not the most positive currently, 2nd half being great evidence for that, we are similar to the team that won the L1 play offs a few years ago. Get 1-0 up and hope to nick a second on the counter. I'm ok playing like this but I think we have the squad to on the front foot more than we are currently.
If we really want to be shaking trees we need to produce more in the final third, particularly against the lower half teams. Whilst we have 5 wins, have we really outplayed someone and looked completely dominant? Do we try and score more goals and kill the game off OR do we sit back. We never look like thumping someone, as when we get 2 up we sit back.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for playing like we did first half last night when needs must and we've done it successfully down the years against better clubs. I just think our system does not get the best out of our attackers and relies more on individual brilliance than a creative plan.
I also don't understand why McCleary and Hanlan seem to be in the 9 role more than Vokes for large parts of tough away games.
I don't think we were unlucky to lose last night. The better team, by quite some margin, won. Albeit with a disputed injury time winner. Gutting? Absolutely. Unlucky, probably not. They terrorised us for large parts of the second half and we dealt with a lot of it.
I also don't understand why McCleary and Hanlan seem to be in the 9 role more than Vokes for large parts of tough away games.
This annoys me too - I think it's Vokes' tendency to come deep or drift wide, but without the pace to get back to the front and centre, which leaves it up to one of the other forwards to have to do it. Uche used to do the same, but he also had the ability to pick the ball up deep, turn and run. I much prefer Vokes as high up the pitch as possible and through the middle.
Funny how we all see it differently, I thought Hanlan was pretty poor and anonymous again last night, and was thinking to myself I'd give Taylor or Sadlier a go instead on Saturday. McCleary btw, as others said last night incredible how he still looks so good despite his increasing years.
I still think last night was a ‘par’ result. We a decent side, nothing more. We are a team that struggles to create and score goals. They are a better side. A 2-1 loss feels par to me.
My only caveat is that if we had Wheeler I feel we would have held on. Needed some maturity the last 15 minutes. We didn’t have any.
Hanlan is one of those players who will always be about potential threat.
Lots of nearly moments where he almost got away etc but I the end didn't.
The second we made the subs you knew any semblance of nicking the game had gone.
Hanging on for another 8mins was always going to be a big ask, especially as any potential threat up front had gone.
Just a sickener their goal is so late and on replays clearly a foul.
I thought last night we actually improved after the subs. We barely got in the Pompey half for 35mins in the 2nd half. We did finally mount a few attacks in the closing 10mins, with only a very fine interception from a defender (inexplicably given as a goal kick) preventing Taylor from having a clear chance.
I've not been able to face gasroom until now. Sickening.... some good stuff..... and somethings we really need to use to learn from. Not a bad showing all in all.... and the toughest test we have had so far.
Before the game I would have taken an away draw to them all day long....
Its easy to be critical when things looked good..... then ok.... and the the floor is pulled from beneath us at the last gasp.
We are still a new squad and the general feeling from myself at least is that we most certainly are growing and moving forward game by game. Mistakes and lessons to be learned from are still there.... but I'm not going to lose my head over a slim loss away to a team I expect to be going up automatically this season
I totally agree with this - the first half was a masterclass in playing away to a favourite, but we barely crossed halfway in the second half till the subs.
Excellent assessment - even if slightly worrying.
I am firmly in the group that would never travel to Portsmouth on a Tuesday night.
Can’t make it out of work. My age group is priced out during a cost of living crisis. We’ve all got dodgy fire sticks with (almost) free access to all the football we could want and the option of 4 multiple screens on at once. On a champions league night. In the warm. No 3+ hour road trip. No petrol cost. No risks involved (car breaking down) etc. Can still find time to go to the gym and watch Wycombe in the same evening.
In my scenario, it’s entirely rational to not travel away last night. Which is sad but true. Attendances will take a right whack if they drop the 3pm blackout. Don’t underestimate the amount of fair weather Wycombe ‘fans’ who only show up to games when their premier league club are playing on Sunday instead!
I'm less concerned about the impact of dropping the blackout than others - I think it would be fine if you kept the biggest clubs and biggest games out of the Saturday 3pm slot - but there are probably more sensible ways around it. In any case, it's utterly ridiculous that you can hardly (legally) watch any of the best league in the world from the country it's based in.
It is baffling when you hear people from other countries telling you how cheap they can get the all games package for.
Whereas in England you have to buy 2 separate packages for about £50 a month to access half the games.
Bleak maybe but It's a massive challenge that is largely being ignored. Once the 3pm UK blackout goes it will be even easier to watch all our games from home but also much easier for the next generation to watch El Classico or Chelsea or Man Utd , or Messi or Ronaldo in their tribute leagues, or even the YouTubers. There would be no incentive for broadcasters to keep anything clear. Clubs will initially get more money from rights but that is unlikely to cover wage inflation, the family day was a step in the right direction, need to reinforce watching in person as something good and different. RC has talked about it often, debatable how well we do it.
For us and clubs of our ilk, being able to see your team in the flesh and experience the matchday atmosphere is surely still our most important selling point. I can't see that losing the 3pm Saturday blackout would be anything but catastrophic for us and for British football outside of the elite. I find the nudge/wink from the club on domestic streaming of our Saturday games quite worrying for exactly that reason.
Has anyone ever done any research into this sort of thing I wonder?
Do Wycombe's attendances when one of the big 6 play on the same Saturday 3pm slot as us go down?
Because almost everyone under a certain age will know how to simply find a premier league game online.
Would there be much difference if they could "officially" watch it at 3pm, versus just watching it unofficially?
People can find them but it's often poor quality or a faff getting it to work or onto the telly, think there's reason to believe that if it's delivered to your Telly with a week's advertising and build up the audience would go up. Difficult to get any official stats as if they could track it they could probably block it.
Lets be honest if we are top of the table, scoring goals for fun and knocking the ball around in a fiesta of free flowing football that away attendance doubles.
I know when I looked at the fixture I thought 'mneh, seems like an effort'. If we were ripping it up that distance and those barriers get smaller.