pommpey
THE FUTURE ... AS IT USED TO BE
- Banned
- #1
Again, a win is a win however it comes, The positives are all there - we dominated the match to a large extent, got an early, well-worked goal and secured that lead for 80 minutes but really, against a pretty shite, disconnected and one-dimensional QPR outfit we really just threw air punches at them, didn't we? We managed to supress and turn QPR round to face their goal but then didn't go at them enough for me. QPR needed punishing just like Swansea and Middlesbrough and tonight we were somewhat 'light-touch' if pleasing on the eye.
Great to see Uremovic on his debut and the backline was not much troubled. The old favourite pairing of Baldock and Stevens came back online and the midfield looked a damned sight brighter than it did against Stoke. But the reliance on the tremendous ability which comes from the feet of MGW can't be overstated. In truth, if he wasn't playing today and we had Ndaiye in or god forbid bring Burke or sicknote back to make up the numbers where the fuck would we have been tonight?
It's great being back up in the playoffs even if teams are breathing down our necks and we have a tough game on Saturday. We showed from ten minutes in and Norwood's goal tonight that we can turn it on, and some of the football was pleasing viewing but how many shots on target did piggy Westwood have to save tonight? We seem to get bogged down eternally in passing games which when we are doing that triangles stuff looks nice, but it fails to get the ball into a decent advantageous position and fails to get an accurate, telling ball to feet or cross to head in. Most of the balls into the box tonight were poor and save for Pointy's goal and MGWs late shot after his run, we hardly threatened despite some dominating stuff outside the box. We just don't threaten do we?
Three points though, and a step back up after recent setbacks. I just hope we see the return of more stable, productive players like Basham and Sharp pretty soon because should the unthinkable happen and MGW picks up a knock I think we are then facing the end of our playoff ambitions. One thing is for certain where he is concerned is that when this season finishes, we should be jettisoning every available asset of worth to buy this bloke, and with players like Jebbison, Ndaiye and Bogle, we have a spine of a team with which to build.
Foderingham 6/10: Not a lot for him to do in the round. In the right place when it counted for tricky crosses and it's clear his brief was to pump it long to McBurnie, to no great effect
Baldock 6.5/10: Tenacious, committed and determined which is nothing less than what it says on the box for Furious
Uremovic 6/10: Good debut and looking every measure an international acquisition but worrying he's crocked straight away
Egan 6.5/10: Polished and more confident but QPR hardly gave him a great deal to do
Davies 6/10: Still fails to impress me and where we have 3 at the back and a Wilderesque format, it is needed for him to venture up the pitch more often
Stevens 6.5/10: A welcome, steady return for Enda with better energy levels and more concentration
Berge 7.5/10: Nice footwork from him and a dazzling burst in the first half but we need much more of this. His ability to go past opposition players is a counterweight to MGWs graft and he needs to get less involved in passing drills but in creating more and having a bang at goal
Norwood 7/10: Extra mark for not putting his shot into the BLUT. Still pointy and still apt to be outmuscled but a better performance tonight than of late
Fleck 7.5/10: Drops half a mark for that needless booking but tonight he covered a lot of ground and got stuck in. That is what we expect from him. Some really pleasing stuff from Flecky tonight
MGW 8.5/10: Drops half a mark for not squaring to Osborn near the end but tonight he was dazzlingly brilliant. Sometimes clumsy but mostly creative, quick and clever. FUCKING SIGN HIM.
McBurnie 5/10: Not idea where people are when they say 'he played well'. Yep, he linked, some deft backheels but fuck all to show on goal, loads of flailing and appealing, his first header straight to one of theirs ... as were most of his headers, and nothing to show, once again, when he is given a chance to show what we fucking paid for. Big night tonight against a fairly static QPR backline to make his mark and gave way to a youngster who showed more fucking graft than he did all match and looking knackered on 55 minutes
Robinson 7/10: Much better game than Stoke. I get it why Uremovic had to displace someone but Robbo needed to play tonight, not Davies
Jebbison 6/10: Not much to get hold of but showed great deals of urgency and persistence. And fuck me can he move?
Osborn 6/10: replaced Berge and the effect was clear. Osborn's determination can't be faulted, but his finesse and stature stand in the way of him being a better player
Onwards to Saturday and I'd take a draw right now. We have a real fucking handful with some of their players and we'd best be prepared for an entirely different game than tonight. Bournemouth will be out for a quick, effective kill on us and the crowd to be silenced. We have to get at them and make them play in their half. And we need the five across the park to make better chances for the front two. If they put two on MGW and we stand a watch them do it we'll get beat.
pommpey
Great to see Uremovic on his debut and the backline was not much troubled. The old favourite pairing of Baldock and Stevens came back online and the midfield looked a damned sight brighter than it did against Stoke. But the reliance on the tremendous ability which comes from the feet of MGW can't be overstated. In truth, if he wasn't playing today and we had Ndaiye in or god forbid bring Burke or sicknote back to make up the numbers where the fuck would we have been tonight?
It's great being back up in the playoffs even if teams are breathing down our necks and we have a tough game on Saturday. We showed from ten minutes in and Norwood's goal tonight that we can turn it on, and some of the football was pleasing viewing but how many shots on target did piggy Westwood have to save tonight? We seem to get bogged down eternally in passing games which when we are doing that triangles stuff looks nice, but it fails to get the ball into a decent advantageous position and fails to get an accurate, telling ball to feet or cross to head in. Most of the balls into the box tonight were poor and save for Pointy's goal and MGWs late shot after his run, we hardly threatened despite some dominating stuff outside the box. We just don't threaten do we?
Three points though, and a step back up after recent setbacks. I just hope we see the return of more stable, productive players like Basham and Sharp pretty soon because should the unthinkable happen and MGW picks up a knock I think we are then facing the end of our playoff ambitions. One thing is for certain where he is concerned is that when this season finishes, we should be jettisoning every available asset of worth to buy this bloke, and with players like Jebbison, Ndaiye and Bogle, we have a spine of a team with which to build.
Foderingham 6/10: Not a lot for him to do in the round. In the right place when it counted for tricky crosses and it's clear his brief was to pump it long to McBurnie, to no great effect
Baldock 6.5/10: Tenacious, committed and determined which is nothing less than what it says on the box for Furious
Uremovic 6/10: Good debut and looking every measure an international acquisition but worrying he's crocked straight away
Egan 6.5/10: Polished and more confident but QPR hardly gave him a great deal to do
Davies 6/10: Still fails to impress me and where we have 3 at the back and a Wilderesque format, it is needed for him to venture up the pitch more often
Stevens 6.5/10: A welcome, steady return for Enda with better energy levels and more concentration
Berge 7.5/10: Nice footwork from him and a dazzling burst in the first half but we need much more of this. His ability to go past opposition players is a counterweight to MGWs graft and he needs to get less involved in passing drills but in creating more and having a bang at goal
Norwood 7/10: Extra mark for not putting his shot into the BLUT. Still pointy and still apt to be outmuscled but a better performance tonight than of late
Fleck 7.5/10: Drops half a mark for that needless booking but tonight he covered a lot of ground and got stuck in. That is what we expect from him. Some really pleasing stuff from Flecky tonight
MGW 8.5/10: Drops half a mark for not squaring to Osborn near the end but tonight he was dazzlingly brilliant. Sometimes clumsy but mostly creative, quick and clever. FUCKING SIGN HIM.
McBurnie 5/10: Not idea where people are when they say 'he played well'. Yep, he linked, some deft backheels but fuck all to show on goal, loads of flailing and appealing, his first header straight to one of theirs ... as were most of his headers, and nothing to show, once again, when he is given a chance to show what we fucking paid for. Big night tonight against a fairly static QPR backline to make his mark and gave way to a youngster who showed more fucking graft than he did all match and looking knackered on 55 minutes
Robinson 7/10: Much better game than Stoke. I get it why Uremovic had to displace someone but Robbo needed to play tonight, not Davies
Jebbison 6/10: Not much to get hold of but showed great deals of urgency and persistence. And fuck me can he move?
Osborn 6/10: replaced Berge and the effect was clear. Osborn's determination can't be faulted, but his finesse and stature stand in the way of him being a better player
Onwards to Saturday and I'd take a draw right now. We have a real fucking handful with some of their players and we'd best be prepared for an entirely different game than tonight. Bournemouth will be out for a quick, effective kill on us and the crowd to be silenced. We have to get at them and make them play in their half. And we need the five across the park to make better chances for the front two. If they put two on MGW and we stand a watch them do it we'll get beat.
pommpey