Match Day Thread Crawley Town v Pompey

Well at least the team turned up tonight..... and Burgess Bennett and Naismith did good.

Only really Luton to worry about now, but still 11 games to go.

 

Great result and thanks for the thread Woopert.
Luton and perhaps Stevenage to worry about Third Eye. They appear to be on a good run and we have a 'six pointer' with them away Sat week. I hope our results stand up in the mean time.

 

I suppose the big question is does this win paper over the cracks of the previous two games?

We often hear of Pompey coming up against 'park the bus ' tactics with the opposition consistently getting 9 or 10 players behind the ball.

Pompey seem to play in a similar defensive vain with a lone striker and dominant possession accompanied by limited adventurous forward movement. If possession is the best means of defence then this could be seen as more skilful variation of 'park the bus.'

In one sense I have some sympathy with Cook's consistency in playing the same system. It is difficult enough to get players to play to one system without varying it from game to game.

However, if the other side score first a defensive system - 'park the bus' or non attacking possession football - has to change.

The best approach might be to try and make the other side be the one that has to change ie score first. Easier said that done.

The Pompey approach appears to be to play a defensive system for 60min and bring in substitutes around the 60 min mark to be more attacking if we are losing or drawing at that stage.

The earlier you can get a goal the sooner the other has to change! Wouldn't it be better to attack more from the start?

I think a primarily defensive system is the best way to achieve mid table and avoid relegation. Pompey are safe at this stage.

To get promotion I think you have to have a more attacking mind -set. To get automatic promotion now I believe Pompey have to be more attacking. Otherwise the good one game bad the next form is likely to continue and we will be overtaken by a team that comes home with a consistent run of results.

A perhaps secondary issue at this stage is also the type of football the fans want to watch. Pompey must get good crowds to compensate for being a supporter owned club not propped up financially by benefactors. Are the season ticket sales going to stand up with the style of play that Fratton Park has witnessed this season?

All of the above based on what I have read in the press - not what I have witnessed - of course.

 

Well done to you tonight and I'm glad somebody has something to cheer about. We were absolutely pants tonight. How we are 2nd looking at tonights game I have no idea. This is on the back of beating the team who were in 3rd. If we keep doing what we did tonight then you may very easily finish second and we will finish somewhere in the play offs but only with luck. We made Blackpool look like Barcelona for feck sake.

 

Hopefully 6 of them are away. 4 wins and 2 draws on the road, would give PFC 73. Get two or three draws at home as winning at FP seems to be beyond this team (might very well be a mental barrier that doesn't affect the team away) and 76 points is achieved. That might get 3rd spot given the inconsistencies of the others around.

 

Here are the goals if you can all get this.

http://www.skysports.com/football/crawley-vs-portsmth/report/359531

 

Well I'm glad to be in third, but I can't get excited given the fact that Luton have a game in hand.

 

Christ PompeyLapras, are you sure you aren't a Janner by birth and you got kidnapped as a baby?

 

What's a Janner?