pommpey
THE FUTURE ... AS IT USED TO BE
- Banned
- #1
I've broadcast how ambivalent I am about the FA Cup before. When you're concentrating on keeping the focus on promotion, protecting your playing staff from tiredness an injury and basically not looking at the past romanticism of a tournament which is losing reward and relevance an extended seven or eight games on someone else's idea of a great playing surface is the best way to fuck it up. And we've done it before, going out in all stages bar the final itself. It's just not conducive to our success.
But drawing Wrexham away and live on the impartial BBC was something we had to rise to, if not to get Man City in the next round and get trunked 0-4 at the Lane by their B Squad. We couldn't fuck this game up, could we?
Going on recent form it's set in stone we'll strike early, sit back, allow the opposition to pressure us and fail to kill the game off. Then spend the rest of the game on tiptoes with a tightening noose round our necks. It's not so bad against a team in our division, but fucking Wrexham are contextually nowhere to us yet today they outmatched us big style. The worrying part is that our matchday squad looked as though they were expending effort throughout, but we spent too fucking long pumping balls forward hopefully into space, telegraphing passes, failing to deal with balls into our box and making really, really basic footballing errors to even dream of winning at a cantor. Wrexham, for all their limited content, were on us like a crocodile and punishing our lack of organisation. We didn't seem to have a plan to deal with the throws or crosses with three going for one cross for their first, no one covering the 6 yard box for the second and an ungodly lack of organisation for their third, with our keeper having a fucking nightmare to piss on the turd in the sink. Across the park we were for the most, dreadful. Our first was lovely stuff with McB doing his proper centre forward stuff and losing his marker to power home past Howard and you hoped for a really drubbing. But again ... the game wears on ... fifteen ... twenty ... thirty five ... into added time and you think, 'when are these fuckers gonna kill this game off?' We didn't of course and we haven't in the past. I don't know what is wrong with them. Maybe utilising central channels, one-twos up the pitch and actually carrying the ball might help. It seems to do so when NDaiye has it at his feet. None of the midfield three have this capability. Its always 'wingbacks' or 'pass it across the park' and again, it forms patterns, patterns the opposition, read, press and change the initiative. It's only when NDaiye comes on that we do this, but he's got no one around him to play off, like he did with MGW last season. No one seems tuned in. It's almost like they stand still as soon as he has the ball. "Yep. Illiman's got it. Go on feller! Off you go!" Rather than run off the ball to draw players out of his way or make options. Yeah, he's greedy and today that cost us a goal. But until he came on, we had no route forward and that fucking worries me about Sheffield United. If he gets injured, we are fucked.
Elsewhere, when the value of this game is stripped of Micky Thomas (who looks like ha was full of turps) and Ryan Reynolds (who had more screen minutes than Deadpool) it's an FA Cup came when all is said and done and one where there's always a chance of an upset. The ref knew that with his appalling decision making and so did the commentary team, overjoyed when Wrexham took the lead and somewhat pumped when Jebbison was (rightly) dismissed for his swipe at their defender. You just don't do that in front of the 4th official and expect to get away with it. The ref also missed a billion other physical interactions with our players, seemingly because we wanted to be famed for being the ref the same as Denis Turner, Kevin Breen or any other official who blows the final whistle on a seemingly massive side as they are humiliated by lowly Cup opposition.
Overall, we were astoundingly poor today. Bad getting the ball to the front two in large handfuls of chances, poor defending set pieces and abysmal at getting a firm hold of the game and shaking Wrexham until they pissed themselves. We were bullied and outplayed and gave them the foothold they fought for.
Davies 2/10: Really crap. Poorly set for their first, nowhere to be seen for their second and through the legs for the third. A hat-tick of Lee Baxter-eque errors and weaknesses.
Osborn 2/10: A poor game. If you were to say 'what do you mean about Ben Osborn and his 'running-about-but-does-nowt' schtick, I'd show you this game.
Basham 4/10: Bash is fading fast. Okay, he's out of position in this game but his usual flair and reading of the game wasn't there today and save for a few interceptions he was more liability than asset. I hate myself for that.
Egan 5/10: Managed to keep our backline in some semblance of what was recognisable as a 'defence' but was lacking a lot in other areas. Full point gained for this late gamble on the goal
Anel 3/10: His poorest game for us I have seen him play in. He looked so out of sorts and vulnerable and compared with the stylish, skilful attacking centreback we have seen, looks to be losing his powers
Bogle 4/10: Another one really below par. Took some treatment from some of their players though
Doyle 3/10: Vanished in the second half. Not so bad in the first, but still ineffective with no 'result'
Norwood 6/10: At least tried to hold the effort together and once again 'did his job'. Well taken goal with his weaker foot
McAtee 3/10: Ineffective, right up until his substitution
Jebbison 5/10: Point deducted for his red card. Still looks good and threatening but needs the ball threading to him not humped up the pitch for him to chase
McBurnie 5.5/10: Starved of any real chances. Defended well and took his goal with aplomb
Lowe 5/10: A bit more rigidity out wide, but no real effect to speak of. Much better than Osborn
NDaiye 5/10: Threatening and skilful and showed us how to take opposition players on, becsue no one else did. But was over ambitious at times and it eventually cost us.
Sharp 4/10: Hustled and bustled in his own way and should have got more in the way of decisions than he did
Coullibally No Mark: Think he touched the ball twice.
HJ&SMcC 3/10: An embarrassing game with regard not being able to hold onto a lead even if it is in the second minute and a single goal. This lot are way, way below us in terms of footballing position but we allowed them to look like a lot more than they should have done. We looked resigned to lose at one stage and that could have had a real impact on our credibility and direction. If anything, games like this indicate who is not coming with us to the promised land next season and how much and where we will have to spend. If we also continue to play in the way we do and not slap teams right down then it is going to be very squeaky bum by the end of February and into March, especially if we have a Ched moment and NDaiye gets crocked. We need to work on consistenmcy and stop this worrying trend to go flaccid on 20 minutes when there's an evening of fucking to be had.
And anyone who thinks we will miss Berge or that todays outcome is because he is off to Fulham needs their bumps felt. Good luck to the lad. I just can't see a Sander Berge hole in their squad for a languid, inconsistent crock who adds little to a team performance than a few lighter moments in the odd game. Fulham must have cash falling out of their arseholes.
pommpey
But drawing Wrexham away and live on the impartial BBC was something we had to rise to, if not to get Man City in the next round and get trunked 0-4 at the Lane by their B Squad. We couldn't fuck this game up, could we?
Going on recent form it's set in stone we'll strike early, sit back, allow the opposition to pressure us and fail to kill the game off. Then spend the rest of the game on tiptoes with a tightening noose round our necks. It's not so bad against a team in our division, but fucking Wrexham are contextually nowhere to us yet today they outmatched us big style. The worrying part is that our matchday squad looked as though they were expending effort throughout, but we spent too fucking long pumping balls forward hopefully into space, telegraphing passes, failing to deal with balls into our box and making really, really basic footballing errors to even dream of winning at a cantor. Wrexham, for all their limited content, were on us like a crocodile and punishing our lack of organisation. We didn't seem to have a plan to deal with the throws or crosses with three going for one cross for their first, no one covering the 6 yard box for the second and an ungodly lack of organisation for their third, with our keeper having a fucking nightmare to piss on the turd in the sink. Across the park we were for the most, dreadful. Our first was lovely stuff with McB doing his proper centre forward stuff and losing his marker to power home past Howard and you hoped for a really drubbing. But again ... the game wears on ... fifteen ... twenty ... thirty five ... into added time and you think, 'when are these fuckers gonna kill this game off?' We didn't of course and we haven't in the past. I don't know what is wrong with them. Maybe utilising central channels, one-twos up the pitch and actually carrying the ball might help. It seems to do so when NDaiye has it at his feet. None of the midfield three have this capability. Its always 'wingbacks' or 'pass it across the park' and again, it forms patterns, patterns the opposition, read, press and change the initiative. It's only when NDaiye comes on that we do this, but he's got no one around him to play off, like he did with MGW last season. No one seems tuned in. It's almost like they stand still as soon as he has the ball. "Yep. Illiman's got it. Go on feller! Off you go!" Rather than run off the ball to draw players out of his way or make options. Yeah, he's greedy and today that cost us a goal. But until he came on, we had no route forward and that fucking worries me about Sheffield United. If he gets injured, we are fucked.
Elsewhere, when the value of this game is stripped of Micky Thomas (who looks like ha was full of turps) and Ryan Reynolds (who had more screen minutes than Deadpool) it's an FA Cup came when all is said and done and one where there's always a chance of an upset. The ref knew that with his appalling decision making and so did the commentary team, overjoyed when Wrexham took the lead and somewhat pumped when Jebbison was (rightly) dismissed for his swipe at their defender. You just don't do that in front of the 4th official and expect to get away with it. The ref also missed a billion other physical interactions with our players, seemingly because we wanted to be famed for being the ref the same as Denis Turner, Kevin Breen or any other official who blows the final whistle on a seemingly massive side as they are humiliated by lowly Cup opposition.
Overall, we were astoundingly poor today. Bad getting the ball to the front two in large handfuls of chances, poor defending set pieces and abysmal at getting a firm hold of the game and shaking Wrexham until they pissed themselves. We were bullied and outplayed and gave them the foothold they fought for.
Davies 2/10: Really crap. Poorly set for their first, nowhere to be seen for their second and through the legs for the third. A hat-tick of Lee Baxter-eque errors and weaknesses.
Osborn 2/10: A poor game. If you were to say 'what do you mean about Ben Osborn and his 'running-about-but-does-nowt' schtick, I'd show you this game.
Basham 4/10: Bash is fading fast. Okay, he's out of position in this game but his usual flair and reading of the game wasn't there today and save for a few interceptions he was more liability than asset. I hate myself for that.
Egan 5/10: Managed to keep our backline in some semblance of what was recognisable as a 'defence' but was lacking a lot in other areas. Full point gained for this late gamble on the goal
Anel 3/10: His poorest game for us I have seen him play in. He looked so out of sorts and vulnerable and compared with the stylish, skilful attacking centreback we have seen, looks to be losing his powers
Bogle 4/10: Another one really below par. Took some treatment from some of their players though
Doyle 3/10: Vanished in the second half. Not so bad in the first, but still ineffective with no 'result'
Norwood 6/10: At least tried to hold the effort together and once again 'did his job'. Well taken goal with his weaker foot
McAtee 3/10: Ineffective, right up until his substitution
Jebbison 5/10: Point deducted for his red card. Still looks good and threatening but needs the ball threading to him not humped up the pitch for him to chase
McBurnie 5.5/10: Starved of any real chances. Defended well and took his goal with aplomb
Lowe 5/10: A bit more rigidity out wide, but no real effect to speak of. Much better than Osborn
NDaiye 5/10: Threatening and skilful and showed us how to take opposition players on, becsue no one else did. But was over ambitious at times and it eventually cost us.
Sharp 4/10: Hustled and bustled in his own way and should have got more in the way of decisions than he did
Coullibally No Mark: Think he touched the ball twice.
HJ&SMcC 3/10: An embarrassing game with regard not being able to hold onto a lead even if it is in the second minute and a single goal. This lot are way, way below us in terms of footballing position but we allowed them to look like a lot more than they should have done. We looked resigned to lose at one stage and that could have had a real impact on our credibility and direction. If anything, games like this indicate who is not coming with us to the promised land next season and how much and where we will have to spend. If we also continue to play in the way we do and not slap teams right down then it is going to be very squeaky bum by the end of February and into March, especially if we have a Ched moment and NDaiye gets crocked. We need to work on consistenmcy and stop this worrying trend to go flaccid on 20 minutes when there's an evening of fucking to be had.
And anyone who thinks we will miss Berge or that todays outcome is because he is off to Fulham needs their bumps felt. Good luck to the lad. I just can't see a Sander Berge hole in their squad for a languid, inconsistent crock who adds little to a team performance than a few lighter moments in the odd game. Fulham must have cash falling out of their arseholes.
pommpey
- but now we’re rubbish to awful for most of the game yet we’re getting the results - i don’t get it .
