I believed thar Kone was the one from his first game. Gets ball, sees goal, wants to put ball in goal. Sometimes strikers need to be as simple as that. False 9’s playmaking 10’s all that nonsense give me Ian Wright or Alan Shearer smashing the ball in the net.
Absolutely loved that performance! Once we'd got over the opening 5mins when we seemed desperate to gift them a goal, I thought we were excellent.
Quite excited about next season. We do need to try and bring in some creativity and whilst Kone is improving game by game, we need a bit more up front. The core of our team is looking very impressive though.
I'd also like to think we're making plans for Nigel. Imperious tonight.
Apart from the first 5 mins we were excellent tonight, the back 5 were solid as a rock and the midfield and forwards pinged about with some aplomb against a very strong derby there squad is absolutely stacked. With a bit of luck we will see them next season
Yeah, absolutely realise that we were no more than a by-product - but went in to this evening expecting you to put a shift in but, understandably, for there to be an element of 'after the Lord Mayor's Show'.
I thought you gave a decent account against us over Easter as well - I hope I said so at the time, apologies if not.
Always wary of sounding patronising - which would be weird for a Pompey fan - given this is our first properly decent season at this level in years, and you've been in the Championship more recently than we have - but it looks like you've a decent nucleus of a side and as though Bloomfield, against the odds, is building something despite following on from someone with such a long tenure who'd given you some really good times.
From the outside, it's a shame that Wheeler appears to be winding down as a player. I loved watching him on the way up at Exeter - we had him on an ill-fated half season loan when he was at QPR - and was really pleased to see him doing a job for you. Hope you can kick on next season.
All that game lacked was goals. I thought we were very good after a somewhat nervous start which could, had Derby bothered to pack their scoring boots, have seen us 2 or 3 goals behind.
Credit to Matt and the team for not letting the disappointment of Sunday linger in the system. Admittedly it was Derby so, for some, it would be easy to get motivated.
What I feel we're leant in the last couple of games - I suppose all season really - is that we just need to add a more clinical finish to some of our play and we'd be quite capable of challenging for a play-off spot next year. Plenty to be happy about for me.
And to those feeling like after the defeat at Wembley that they couldn't really be bothered about tonight I'd say maybe feel grateful that you've seen your team play at Wembley. Don't take it for granted - enjoy what we witnessed rather than feel sorry for what we didn't achieve.
Since 1991 we've played at Wembley 7 times, plus semi-final if both the FA Cup and League Cup. Fans of some clubs would give their right arm for that kind of success.
There have been similar remarks further up, but this week may have been the most impressive of Blooms' tenure in a certain way for me. Not as far as the results, but for how he has conducted himself, both in the open letter and general positivity in defeat at Wembley, and then rallying the team to come out of that disappointment into a supposedly meaningless game with full blooded commitment, passion and togetherness. That takes some doing, and I think we are starting to really see the green shoots of Blooms the motivator.
I was someone who felt his year in charge up until January had not gone well and he was taking us towards relegation.
I am delighted for him and his management team and the players that they have found a way out of the poor form we had for nearly a year, bar a brief period.
You know he will do everything right and leads by example but not everyone is successful as a manager.
If we can finish top half with 60 plus points, mixed in with the Wembley final and some good players now on the books we can consider it to be good transitional season.
A lot of work to do over the summer but we can all see a brighter path.
The really good thing about last nights terrific performance is that we’ve put a mighty spanner into their automatic promotion push. Tinpot Wycombe has really upset a lot of their arrogant fans. Their message board makes good reading.
“FWIW I thought Wycombe actually tried to play and were not as industrial as we've seen them under Ainsworth, played some neat football at times and could've won.” - from the Derby forum. Not many compliments for us so this one stood out!
Ref let a lot go from both sides and that meant it was the most free flowing of our 6 meetings with the you guys. Very little of the stop/start play of the previous 5 meetings. The neutral in me liked the game a lot more than the fan or the coach.
Decent moves from both sides, very few of which ended in real chances. NML put 2 over and CBT tripped over his laces, or something similar, a yard out with your keeper nowhere to be seen. You had 1 blazed over and forced a very good save from Wildsmith late on. We will be disappointed at not making more of our superior 1st half. You will feel the same about the 2nd half. There were more occasions where either side should have done better with a shot. Kone twice and Washington who should have hit the ball first time instead of taking a touch...
All in all, a draw was the right result. We no longer have things in our own hands but neither Posh nor the Trotters will win all of their remaining games as they play each other on the last day and Trotters play Pompey this weekend. 2nd spot is still wide open and will not, IMO, be decided until the last day. Still all to play for and, surely, we'll play better in the final third in the last 3 games, won't we?
@Raminpeace Pretty much exactly how I saw the game. I thought it was far more entertaining than the stats would suggest. Although we grew into the game, you clearly should have been ahead at HT. The 0 shots on target was more a reflection on the Derby finishing rather than chances created (or gifted by us during our dodgy start!).
2nd half I thought we were excellent. Played some really good stuff, but unfortunately lacked cutting edge against a very solid defence. I think the draw was a fair result.
For what it's worth, I think Derby are in the driving seat still for 2nd spot. Peterborough are too far adrift and Bolton whilst definitely in with a chance, will need to hit a real purple patch to win their final 4 which contains some tough matches.
Looking at the impact that Kodua made off the bench last night, I hope that he plays a role in the team for the rest of the season and potentially next season. I think he is a raw version of McCleary, can be direct with his running, not afraid to take on his man and does a bit more in tracking back.
Good performance I thought. Players did well to get themselves up for the game. It would have been really easy to deliver a flat display after a cup final defeat, especially against strong opposition.
I think there's evidence of good spirit and determination in the group, which is great to see and puts us on a good platform for next season.
Clearly there is work to do in attack. Kone has something about him, with soft feet when the ball is played up to him and a willingness to bring others into the game, as well as shoot when the chance arrives. At the moment he looks to me as though he'd benefit from a summer in the gym working on bulking up. There's also an obvious lack of pace, with few players (none?) really willing and able to run in behind defenders.
Difficult decisions to be made in the summer. I don't feel we can take all three of Gmac, Wheeler and Vokes into next season, yet they all have something to offer in my view.
Comments
Thanks @username123 and @drcongo
A Derby v Oxford play off final 🤬
Nottingham in the North! 😡
and Notts Forest!! 🥵
hitting all the hot buttons there…well done
Three players ran over to pat him on the back, lovely to see.
(sorry @Forest_Blue)
All good fun!
What a very entertaining game. Solid perform from the Chairboys.
Does anyone read the match reports on the clubs web site before they are published?
Tonight's report has some of the stangest turns of phrase I have seen in a while.
What a cracking performance. Lonwijk was absolutely outstanding, best performance by him by quite some margin.
Have been waiting for us to take the hand brake off and that was almost it.
Appreciate we didn’t quite get there but they are second in the league.
Loved some of the interplay, movement and defenders stepping out of the back line.
Having some agile players and some pace made a huge difference.
Kone could be “the one” - brilliant game from him as well.
I believed thar Kone was the one from his first game. Gets ball, sees goal, wants to put ball in goal. Sometimes strikers need to be as simple as that. False 9’s playmaking 10’s all that nonsense give me Ian Wright or Alan Shearer smashing the ball in the net.
I totally forgot this brought your promotion a little more into focus too! Officially one win to promotion now for you.
Absolutely loved that performance! Once we'd got over the opening 5mins when we seemed desperate to gift them a goal, I thought we were excellent.
Quite excited about next season. We do need to try and bring in some creativity and whilst Kone is improving game by game, we need a bit more up front. The core of our team is looking very impressive though.
I'd also like to think we're making plans for Nigel. Imperious tonight.
That use of 'oversaw' in the second paragraph is bizarre.
That soon got too nonsensical to be readable. Weird.
Apart from the first 5 mins we were excellent tonight, the back 5 were solid as a rock and the midfield and forwards pinged about with some aplomb against a very strong derby there squad is absolutely stacked. With a bit of luck we will see them next season
Yeah, absolutely realise that we were no more than a by-product - but went in to this evening expecting you to put a shift in but, understandably, for there to be an element of 'after the Lord Mayor's Show'.
I thought you gave a decent account against us over Easter as well - I hope I said so at the time, apologies if not.
Always wary of sounding patronising - which would be weird for a Pompey fan - given this is our first properly decent season at this level in years, and you've been in the Championship more recently than we have - but it looks like you've a decent nucleus of a side and as though Bloomfield, against the odds, is building something despite following on from someone with such a long tenure who'd given you some really good times.
From the outside, it's a shame that Wheeler appears to be winding down as a player. I loved watching him on the way up at Exeter - we had him on an ill-fated half season loan when he was at QPR - and was really pleased to see him doing a job for you. Hope you can kick on next season.
Just got in from the game.
As far as 0-0’s go, that was class. Nigel was incredible and keeps getting better.
Classy post, mate. Thanks for the kind words, and enjoy the Champo!
All that game lacked was goals. I thought we were very good after a somewhat nervous start which could, had Derby bothered to pack their scoring boots, have seen us 2 or 3 goals behind.
Credit to Matt and the team for not letting the disappointment of Sunday linger in the system. Admittedly it was Derby so, for some, it would be easy to get motivated.
What I feel we're leant in the last couple of games - I suppose all season really - is that we just need to add a more clinical finish to some of our play and we'd be quite capable of challenging for a play-off spot next year. Plenty to be happy about for me.
And to those feeling like after the defeat at Wembley that they couldn't really be bothered about tonight I'd say maybe feel grateful that you've seen your team play at Wembley. Don't take it for granted - enjoy what we witnessed rather than feel sorry for what we didn't achieve.
Since 1991 we've played at Wembley 7 times, plus semi-final if both the FA Cup and League Cup. Fans of some clubs would give their right arm for that kind of success.
@Twizz you forgot the London 5aside victories!!
There have been similar remarks further up, but this week may have been the most impressive of Blooms' tenure in a certain way for me. Not as far as the results, but for how he has conducted himself, both in the open letter and general positivity in defeat at Wembley, and then rallying the team to come out of that disappointment into a supposedly meaningless game with full blooded commitment, passion and togetherness. That takes some doing, and I think we are starting to really see the green shoots of Blooms the motivator.
I was someone who felt his year in charge up until January had not gone well and he was taking us towards relegation.
I am delighted for him and his management team and the players that they have found a way out of the poor form we had for nearly a year, bar a brief period.
You know he will do everything right and leads by example but not everyone is successful as a manager.
If we can finish top half with 60 plus points, mixed in with the Wembley final and some good players now on the books we can consider it to be good transitional season.
A lot of work to do over the summer but we can all see a brighter path.
Well done MB.
His whole future is as good as sealed.
The really good thing about last nights terrific performance is that we’ve put a mighty spanner into their automatic promotion push. Tinpot Wycombe has really upset a lot of their arrogant fans. Their message board makes good reading.
Really enjoyed watching that - great to see us competing so well with teams at the top of the table.
Lonwijk may well be playing his way to a better opportunity for next season, but we should definitely be trying to get him back if we can.
Also really impressed with Kone and excited to see how he develops next season. I really like Lubala too and think he is a real handful for defenders.
“FWIW I thought Wycombe actually tried to play and were not as industrial as we've seen them under Ainsworth, played some neat football at times and could've won.” - from the Derby forum. Not many compliments for us so this one stood out!
Ref let a lot go from both sides and that meant it was the most free flowing of our 6 meetings with the you guys. Very little of the stop/start play of the previous 5 meetings. The neutral in me liked the game a lot more than the fan or the coach.
Decent moves from both sides, very few of which ended in real chances. NML put 2 over and CBT tripped over his laces, or something similar, a yard out with your keeper nowhere to be seen. You had 1 blazed over and forced a very good save from Wildsmith late on. We will be disappointed at not making more of our superior 1st half. You will feel the same about the 2nd half. There were more occasions where either side should have done better with a shot. Kone twice and Washington who should have hit the ball first time instead of taking a touch...
All in all, a draw was the right result. We no longer have things in our own hands but neither Posh nor the Trotters will win all of their remaining games as they play each other on the last day and Trotters play Pompey this weekend. 2nd spot is still wide open and will not, IMO, be decided until the last day. Still all to play for and, surely, we'll play better in the final third in the last 3 games, won't we?
We only want what’s best for him
@Raminpeace Pretty much exactly how I saw the game. I thought it was far more entertaining than the stats would suggest. Although we grew into the game, you clearly should have been ahead at HT. The 0 shots on target was more a reflection on the Derby finishing rather than chances created (or gifted by us during our dodgy start!).
2nd half I thought we were excellent. Played some really good stuff, but unfortunately lacked cutting edge against a very solid defence. I think the draw was a fair result.
For what it's worth, I think Derby are in the driving seat still for 2nd spot. Peterborough are too far adrift and Bolton whilst definitely in with a chance, will need to hit a real purple patch to win their final 4 which contains some tough matches.
Looking at the impact that Kodua made off the bench last night, I hope that he plays a role in the team for the rest of the season and potentially next season. I think he is a raw version of McCleary, can be direct with his running, not afraid to take on his man and does a bit more in tracking back.
Good performance I thought. Players did well to get themselves up for the game. It would have been really easy to deliver a flat display after a cup final defeat, especially against strong opposition.
I think there's evidence of good spirit and determination in the group, which is great to see and puts us on a good platform for next season.
Clearly there is work to do in attack. Kone has something about him, with soft feet when the ball is played up to him and a willingness to bring others into the game, as well as shoot when the chance arrives. At the moment he looks to me as though he'd benefit from a summer in the gym working on bulking up. There's also an obvious lack of pace, with few players (none?) really willing and able to run in behind defenders.
Difficult decisions to be made in the summer. I don't feel we can take all three of Gmac, Wheeler and Vokes into next season, yet they all have something to offer in my view.
I’d be disappointed if Wheeler and McCleary don’t get another season.