I seem to be saying this every week these days but the Ref this Saturday has issued 94 yellows and 3 reds in 23 matches this season. Is it every Ref now who is card happy or have I missed something? Apparently this is his second season in the EFL and he has not Refereed Argyle previously. So what do we say about this one then. The most recent chain of games point to a 2 - 2 draw apparently. We lost out of a victory in the away fixture with a late equaliser as we have done a couple of times against Pompey. Their man did get our's sent off near the death by acting though which pretty much directly led to the equaliser. Still that was then and this is now. Can we win this one for a change? Course we can............ COYG
I had half forgotten the last encounter ending so looked back on the board last night. Forgot the cheaty bit by one of theirs but did remember the quick restart before anyone was set. It felt like 2 points lost on the day. Makes a change for us to say this but going to anyway......."maybe Pompey just raise their game when playing us". Always dangerous. One thing I would add is that I never seriously expect anything out of any opponent no matter who it is. I guess that comes from being a Green for so long and being used to disappointment. However, I stand by we can win this and especially this season so far.
Portsmouth have a new manager....this will be his sixth game......John Mousinho and Steven Schumacher know each other quite well.....having played against each other in the past....and also they were on the same Pro-License course together. Portsmouth do seem to have an injury list of half a dozen players that might not be available for Saturdays game......I shall not be shedding a tear or two over that. Adam Parkes will be the keeper on the bench for Argyle....having been recalled from his Parkway loan...and also recovered from a shoulder injury. Michael Cooper is in London today seeing a specialist...and it seems he will be having an operation on his knee next week. Bit of Sheffield W news....Callum Paterson who scored their goal but had to go off later with an injury....will also be out for awhile.
I read a comment on the Ipswich board a while back about a wish for injuries and things in other teams and thought that was a bit on the low side. I'm not interested who is playing for somebody else or who is off sick or whatever. I am interested in our players and don't wish any ill on any others whoever they play for. We have a squad now that can match anybodies so am not worried about a few gaps in it anymore. Don't think there is a new manager bounce either and am still sure we can win this one this time. Won't be easy but then again none of the games are that.
Pompey's manager speaks. Stephen Schumacher and John Mousinho did their Super Licences together and know each other well. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64598070
.....................................................................Burton .................................Lonwijk......................Wilson........................Gillesphey ......Edwards............................Randell....................Butcher................................Miller .....................................................................C Wright .......................................Cosgrove.................................Hardie Subs Parkes, Bolton, Mayor, Mumba, Azaz, Waine, Matete, Surprised to see ......Matete, Azaz and Mumba on the bench.....is Schumacher trying to keep it tight and bring his big guns on in the second half.........not sure which Wright is playing. PS....Callum.
3-1...F/T. Cosgrove...24mins......................Hackett-Fairchild...79mins Azaz.............70mins Hardie.........90+4mins ARGYLE TOP OF THE LEAGUE AGAIN Ipswich v Sheff W.....DRAW.
In this case, the stats do seem to lie. If we'd taken the several very good chances we made, if we'd got what looked like a nailed-on penalty at around 20 minutes and if we showed even the slightest willingness to manage a game home when it's won instead of carrying on with full-throttle attacking, we'd have been cruising at the end. Instead, the were many, many squeaky bums at 80 minutes when Pompey pulled it back to 2-1, Still, we were by far the better side. The back three were magnificent, Wilson in particular, so that Callum Burton had a very gentle first league game. Butcher had his best game for Argyle and Miller was a real handful. Their RB must have breathed a sigh of relief when he was subbed off only to be faced by fresh-legged Mumba. Azaz oozed quality and never for a nanosecond did I think Hardie would miss the chance that made it 3-1. Back on top of the league and the only downside was Randell being subbed off after a heavy tackle laid him low. Referee - totally baffling.
I was surprised to see our bench with Mumba, Matete and Azaz keeping it warm....but Schumacher's starting line-up didn't let him down.
Well on this showing, with Miller and Mumba, League 1 right backs are in for a tough time. Both are good going forward but perhaps Miller is a bit more robust when defending.
Entertaining is what I would call today. I read a number of posts on pasoti almost questioning Schuey's selection process. Well in Schuey we trust should be a well worn phrase now because I do trust him to get things right. Today being the prime example. We should have cantered this game really and we were looking at the stats in the club house earlier this evening. Who does these stats on the Beeb channel? 23 Shots? Where were they then unless you count 10 of them in the ping pong 1 minute period in the second half. It went all over the box but to be fair never ever looked like it was going to be a goal. Right then to the nitty gritty. The Ref was fubbish today and in my opinion bottled a whole load of decisions. I thought we should have had a penalty in the first couple of minutes. Then we had a no show from the Ref when the next one looked abosolutely nailed on. Think it was Miller. The Ref let so much go when it looked easier to blow that it was beginning to look like the Ref had gone off for a cuppa. I pointed out his record of bookings to my group before kick off. I was then roundly mocked at about 60 odd minutes when he hadn't booked anyone. Hang on there though he decided or remembered his reputation and suddenly produced 4 of them so as to keep his record up. Note the word fubbish in my second sentence. This is not a typo. A FUB is a fecking useless Barsteward. I think even though it might be a new word that it fits. We started the game at a hundred miles per hour and how we didn't score earlier is a wonder. The scoreline today was not a fluke or an injustice to anyone. We were well worth the points and it would have been an injustice had the score been the usual 2 - 2. Mind you as notdistant says it did look on at one stage. I thought the whole outfit did well today and cannot pick on any one player and say they were poor anywhere on the pitch. Burton was capable even if he didn't actually have a lot to do. I do not want to tempt fate too soon but it does look a different outfit altogether from last season. We litterally can beat anyone in this league.
That's rich coming from a boozer like you. From what I've heard, you are usually totally pi55ed before the match kicks off !
You need another source Woops. So were you actually there or reporting on your local radio comentary? Trust me your lot were not unlucky but if you choose to believe otherwise then who am I to disappoint you. (hick!)
If it was different, I’d say so, but we thoroughly deserved the 3 points and should, not could, have scored more. Portsmouth looked dazed and bewildered at times, especially the first 25 minutes, when we were all over them. Portsmouth aren’t bad: I’d say they’re a better footballing side than the thuggish Sheffield Wednesday but probably behind Ipswich, who gave us a hell of a game at Home Park.
Agreed Portsmouth aren't bad but they were second best today and not just looking at the result. As for Sheffield Wednesday I think there is a general consensus they bully other teams. That's in a physical way. If you read the Ipswich board today you can see it is a theme throughout the comments. It was the same on pasoti when we played them.
And we collected 2 injuries against them: Cooper, who went down under a challenge which our captain queried politely, as captains are supposed to be able to do, but got booked for it, and Dan Scarr. I said thuggish, not bullying, and I think mine is the right word. One of the commentators said that they'd "assembled a side to get out of this division" which I interpret as code for "big and willing to kick people". I got fed up with using our elderly laptop to cast Argyle TV onto our TV set so I've acquired an Android tablet and a Chromecast. No more cables and laptops balanced on miscellaneous bits of unsuitable furniture. So, of course, first thing this morning, big kid, I have to play with it. How good were we in that first 25 minutes? Not just going forward but getting right in their faces when they did have the ball, like wasps round a jam-jar. Conor Grant was doing the "commentary" which in his case meant saying "oh good pass" and "go on then.. go on", good tackle" etc etc. Just the unbiased analysis you want to hear on your own club's TV channel!
