TrueBlueArmy Forums

Full Version: Ten games in - Part 1
You're currently viewing a stripped down version of our content. View the full version with proper formatting.
Where to start? Very underwhelming. If you include the cup game then that's 3 draws and 5 losses in the last 8 games.

Cowley(s): 3 Being let down by the players or just plain getting it wrong? Talks the talk although it's getting boring as, as with Jackett, it just has to be excuses now. Started on a high with three wins although we played awfully in the first game and were very lucky to win. It's all gone wrong now and for me, for all the studying, all the number 6s and number 8s, all the iPads and transition speel, he just gets it wrong on many occasions as in last night when they insisted on playing out from the back against a team famous for high press. Of course we got done as we're league one, not Man City.

Bazunu: 9 What a star, has made some incredible saves and is only 19. Must be fed up with being exposed. Of course he's a bit impetuous at times but that's to be expected from one so young. Bad luck on Bass but this guy is going places.

Brown: 5 Not convinced this year at all, even his understanding with Curtis seems to have disappeared. Has hardly cut out a cross all season and seems to shy out of tackles sometimes, ducks out of the way of the ball, bit of a wimp if you ask me. He would have got a 4 if it wasn't for his two, it has to be said, good goals.

Robertson: 5 Not over impressed to start off but was starting to do better. Now he's gone and got injured and is out for months. Hey ho, such is life.

Raggers: 8 He steps up every time, wins umpteen headers and often bails out others. Even chips in with goals, what a change from when he started. Yes, he makes the odd slip but playing this tippy happy passing along the back line of Cowley's that's inevitable.

Williams: 5 Too old, too slow, and being played out of position. Skilful yes but not a league one type player. Missed an important pen too.

Freeman: 5 Not convinced at all. Not much good going forward and not much good at defending. Mistakes have cost us several goals. Threw a tizzy when he got subbed. 
Should show that fight more on the pitch ffs. He was here before and wasn't much good and is back again and hasn't really improved.

Morrell: 7 Didn't see what we'd signed in the first few games but has been excellent the last 3 or 4. Very good going forward and will be key this season.

Tunnicliffe: 5 Great first couple of games but distinctly ordinary since then. Needs to step up our Thompson will take his place.

Thompson: 6 Can't give him much more as he's hardly played but I think will get a lot more game time soon and hopefully will show us what he's capable of.

Romeo: 8 Must be thinking what have I come here for. Done very well down the right flank and gives us a good attacking option on that side. Direct and strong, perhaps needs to improve crossing.

Hackett-F: 6 Scored two crackers now but not done much else. Pretty anonymous most of the time. Jury out.

Harness: 6 A lot of endeavour, not much end product. A league one player I suppose. Often tries to be too clever when something simpler would be better. A frustrating player as he should be offering much more.

Curtis: 6 Started slowly but we all know what he's capable of. Needs to calm down at times. I think we'll need him to be on form as nobody else seems to score goals (I think he's joint top scorer with Brown in the league with 2!).

Marquis: 3 WTF? Surely we must expect more from a CF than just chasing people down. Always offside or giving away unnecessary free kicks. Is incapable of bringing a ball under control quickly, an absolute prerequisite for a striker. 1 goal in 10 games, and 7 or 8 glaring misses. Obviously confidence is very low. Give him a rest? Sell him asap? Play him in a different system? Best striker Cowley's worked with? Oh dear.

Harrison: 5 A hattrick and little else but not had much game time. Still more of a threat than Marquis but that's not saying much.
Part 2
WTF? Can't write more than a certain number of words?
Oh well, here's the rest
Other bit part players:
Bass: 7 Not done much wrong in the few games he's had. Unlucky that Bazunu is so good.
Downing: 4 Nobody seems to like him but surely he should be playing in defence rather than Williams while Robertson is out.
Ogilvie: 5 Looks a bit old and slow to me. Again, should be in defence ahead of Williams IMO, but got himself injured it seems.
Jacobs: 5 Played very little, injured then seems to have fallen out with Cowley. Don't think he'd do any worse than Tunnicliffe.
Azeez: 5 ? Can't really give him a score as he's played less than a game. What's going on there? Is he injured? Fallen out with Cowley?
Ahadame: 4 Had little game time than got the cold shoulder. Seemed to need too much time on the ball in the little I've seen of him. Had an incredible pre-season but when the chips are down...
Hirst: 2 Haven't seen him do one positive thing yet. Slow, not skilful, not even very good in the air. What do we need him for?
Mnoga: 5 Bull in a china shop but definitely got promise if he can calm down.
Johnson: - One game, sent off (rather harshly). Don't see him as any worse than Freeman, in fact more of a threat going forward for sure.
Reid/Vincent/Mingi: ? Dunno, not seen em

All in all a very disappointing start to the season, especially after getting 9 points in the first 3 games, despite not playing that well. Is it better than with Jackett? Debatable. Whose fault is it? Owner? Manager? Players? Bit of all I reckon. Need to start playing to our strengths which is not passing it out of defence and passing it backwards and forwards across the back line. It might well be a relegation struggle if we carry on like this. In a perfect world I can see us starting to gel with Morrell, Curtis, Romeo, Harness starting to fire, maybe with Thompson. The problem is who scores the goals? Can only be one priority in the Jan window and not sure about Cowley's judgement as his number 1 target was Stockley and he's done nothing this season. Epistle over. PUP
Good post dsmg
Not much to argue with there. Hugely disappointed with Tunnicliffe and Williams. Freeman we knew was not much of a player having seen him before. Baffled by the total exclusion of Azeez and Ahadme in a failing team. Bemused that in a terrible back 3 Downing and Ogilvie have to sit and watch ( Raggett is excused and Ogilvie might be injured I’m not sure). Playing out from the back was a stuff of nightmares yesterday. Thank God for Baz and Romeo even if he did get caught in possession as a result of being passed the ball with 2 players on him. Not a striker in sight. We are in transition... but from what to what?
Very good summary DSMG. Can't disagree with any of your analysis. No idea what the solution is, but more of the same isn't going to work. Biggest danger now is relegation, but I'd rather that happens if we at least go down fighting. Worth trying Azeez & Ahadame for a few games maybe, they can't do any worse than the (currently) Mr Useless up front. The only "class" players at the moment is Bazunu, with acceptable performances recently from Raggett, Morrell, Romeo + Curtis occasionally.
*Dsmg

Agree with 95% of that ! Excellent !

Cowley’s seeming incompetence is just the tip of the iceberg ……but a very big tip I grant you ! The root cause of our problems stems from the attitude and indifference of our owner, he doesn’t care (or certainly doesn’t seem to) about Pompey.

He doesn’t understand football or, more especially, Pompey and it’s passionate fans, he doesn’t get that wearing a Pompey cap for photo opportunities isn’t enough, that the living death of ‘brick by brick’ is sapping enthusiasm.

Football to us is about emotion, about our bond to Pompey. To Eisner it’s about The Balance Sheet, nothing more, nothing less, we are an old guy’s vanity project.

This particular iceberg will sail on and on until it finally melts down, how much damage it might do on its way is not clear but any reduction in the relationship between The Club and The Pompey fans would be sad (witness Blackpool FC and Owen Oyston or Pompey and Martin Gregory).
Bazuno must be quite happy,being able to hone his craft with live action.
Much better for him than spectating for 90 minutes
Indeed he will. In some ways this is perfect for Baz as he gets to show what he can do on a regular basis. As for funding issues.. well Sean O'Driscoll seems to have seen the light!
Its real alarm bells when Raggett is your best CB. Burtons form was as bad as ours. Not any more.

How anyone can argue against the fact that we have gone backwards over the last 4 years, I do not know. (But I expect the usual suspects to give it a go).

Barring a miracle from the football gods, we are going to get absolutely annihilated by sunderland this weekend.
We are even behind Donny now at the bottom of the form table.
Generally agree with the ratings except Freeman, who I think is a significant downgrade on the chap we have loaned out to Fleetwood.

Apparently that was a case of the boy being homesick, which is a shame because last season I thought he was one of the better ones.
That’s more or less what I said, Slayer (see Part 2)
I am told the Johnson / Cowley discussion went like this

Calum Johnson “ I’m homesick”

Cowley “ But this is your home”

Calum Johnson “Yes and I’m sick of it”
6, 8 and all the other blather.

Brown would be happier in a back 4
Downing can probably do a reasonable job in a back 4
We have 2 decent wingers for this league
We have several half decent midfield players and a very good main 2
So go back to a simple 442 and get the team keeping clean sheets again
Get some points, get some confidence.

Freeman certainly does not convince me but he's out of position. Liked Johnston.
Spot on DSMG

Ref the Cowleys, it will interesting to see if they talk a great game but are actually full of BS, are tactically inept (confusing everyone - including seemingly their own players - with ridiculously complex descriptions of tactical phases … or are in fact bargain priced geniuses capable of building a promotion winning side ?!
I'd like to see this line up
Baz
Freeman Raggs Ogilvie Brown
Thompson
Romeo Tunnicliffe Morrell Curtis
RH-F
Have me moved from Plan A: two sixes and an eight, to Plan B: All sixes and sevens?
Ah well time to calm down and look forward to thrashing Sunderland, We are due our one good performance in three now. Or not.