Gas v Pompey match day thread from the East Terrace

Disappointing thing for me tonight was the midfield. We look so unbalanced, and Sercombe our wide isn’t working. He’s out best midfielder - great at driving us forward and makes intelligent runs. Upson isn’t really an Improvement in my opinion - unless we play three in the middle. Bennett looked a handful at times, and Nicholls has his best game in the quarters

J Clarke was great at full back - though the defence looks shaky. Desperately need the new chapmto come in and give us balance - and stick JC in central defence alongside locks.

Smith mfills me with no confidence whatsoever - poor distribution, reuctant to come off his line, doesn’t command his area. I think this could be the problem.

And as for Lines - poor game management from him. A rush of blood has cost us the opportunity to press for a winner. Should know better. Great pen though!

The team who played the prettier football lost yes.
The team who was clinical in both boxes won too.
Footballs won in the final thirds and Pompey were better at that as were Peterborough and Accy.
We need to defend better because we’re not going to score 3 goals every game.

Even then it looked from the thatchers end that he pushed it back in to the middle of the goal.
Definitely the worst of our two keepers and gives me absolutely no confidence whatsoever.

I’ve liked your post because I agree with everything you say in it it but playing bloody well doesn’t win football matches scoring more goals than the opposition does and we’ve got a leaky defence a crap keeper and a strike force that isn’t scoring.
Footballs not won by having no the ball its won by being clinical.
We look unbalanced at the back and we’re not taking our chances I’m genuinely worried that the same thing will happen v Southend.
Play well score one or two conceded 2 or three, aren’t you ?

I have to say we were beaten tonight by a side that were not even that good, really how many times did they trouble our goal keeper. The difference was they were far more clinical.

We as a side need to start moving the ball around the ground quicker. Dc should get them in training moving up and down the pitch passing the ball at pace. So pedestrian at times.

The midfield is a worry for me, we are quite soft, and I am not 100 percent confident in our ability to defend.

Disappointed in Brown celebrating in front of us, lack of respect toward us. I think our fans
do show too much respect applauding every former player. Don't know why we didn't make the most of attacking and cutting in against him, he has no right foot. We all know his weakness.

Not the best day at the office, not the worse I've seen us play. Think Pompey will be found out, seen better teams at the mem. Fancy them to come undone.

Sign of a good side that wins playing badly or within themselves?!

When we turn it on we can batter teams but it’s early doors as yet.
Let’s see after 10 games

just playing the devil - what specifically did he do well?

He passed well, battled harder than I’ve ever seen him do , took players on and beat them a few times and had a couple of decent shots.
I couldn’t stand him until recently and wanted rid but I actually think the penny might have dropped with him.

I don't think it is.

A loss is a loss, losing becomes a habit, losing when you play well is a sign of a poor team, just like losing when you play badly is.

The sign of a good team is not losing when you play well and not losing when you play badly either.

Our defence is simply not good enough, and because we're not clinical either, its an even harder task.

Unless DC brings in a far better keeper and a centre back who knows how to defend properly, its going to be a long, old season.