At the moment it seems a bit more than a blip. Hope I'm wrong.
How does a team that was on course for a record league one points haul less than a month ago suddenly look so bad? That record challenging haul might have flattered us a bit but you can't totally fluke it after 21 games.
This feels far more significant than a blip. It is like something has just broken in the team.
5 points from fleetwood , bristol, Exeter stevenage cheltenham and leyton is not a blip, it's a catastrophe.
For us its all about building a team that can win the playoffs now. We will fall out the top 2 very shortly.
With the momentum and the games in hand the others have, and with our low confidence and poor form, we can't finish top 2.
I wouldn't be confident in the playoffs whatsoever, but it's our only shot at going up and we have to do welI in them sooner or later.
We can win the playoffs with some quality signings and momentum.
If we don't add real quality to the squad, we won't be good enough to win them.
Is there any point in setting the playoffs as a season target, given if we did get promoted, we wouldn't have the finances to build a Championship team?
(14-01-2024, 12:03 PM)Cressers Wrote: [ -> ]Is there any point in setting the playoffs as a season target, given if we did get promoted, we wouldn't have the finances to build a Championship team?
I think we would have the finances to at least stay up in the championship. Like Plymouth have done.
Let's get there first.
We probably don't have any choice but to accept the playoffs. We won't finish top 2.
I wouldn't put any money on us winning the playoffs, but stranger things have happened. They have shown me they don't have the bottle when it matters.
We all dissapointed we have fucked up top 2, but there is still a chance for us to go up here providing we get some quality players in , build some momentum and get a bit of luck.
Another reason top 2 is gone is our run in is horrendous from March onwards, we won't get to 90 points now.
Over to the owners to invest in the team.
I slept terribly last night. Woke up and my first thought was about that awful penalty. Oh for a David Kemp, Colin Garwood, Alan Biley, Mick Quinn or Guy Whittingham now. I’d even take a Brad Pitman.
...or perhaps a Paul WALSH , and a Merse !
Yakubu. Even with Kamara trying to cock it up.
(14-01-2024, 01:11 PM)dsmg Wrote: [ -> ]I slept terribly last night. Woke up and my first thought was about that awful penalty. Oh for a David Kemp, Colin Garwood, Alan Biley, Mick Quinn or Guy Whittingham now. I’d even take a Brad Pitman.
To be fair to Bishop, I can only remember him missing one other penalty in maybe 18 he has taken. Not a bad tally. Even Kane misses them sometimes. His undoing was that stupid ear-cupping moment and diatribe to the press.
Who would take a pen if he wasn't on the pitch?? Pack?
(14-01-2024, 01:11 PM)dsmg Wrote: [ -> ]I slept terribly last night. Woke up and my first thought was about that awful penalty. Oh for a David Kemp, Colin Garwood, Alan Biley, Mick Quinn or Guy Whittingham now. I’d even take a Brad Pitman.
Brad??
There’s another one
(14-01-2024, 01:47 PM)Gerry Hatrick Wrote: [ -> ] (14-01-2024, 01:11 PM)dsmg Wrote: [ -> ]I slept terribly last night. Woke up and my first thought was about that awful penalty. Oh for a David Kemp, Colin Garwood, Alan Biley, Mick Quinn or Guy Whittingham now. I’d even take a Brad Pitman.
To be fair to Bishop, I can only remember him missing one other penalty in maybe 18 he has taken. Not a bad tally. Even Kane misses them sometimes. His undoing was that stupid ear-cupping moment and diatribe to the press.
Surely he wasn't doing a Defoe was he?
Aaaarrgghhh. It’s all Hammie’s fault
(14-01-2024, 02:03 PM)Cunninglinguist Wrote: [ -> ]I blame Norris
I knew you would see sense.
(14-01-2024, 02:02 PM)dsmg Wrote: [ -> ]Aaaarrgghhh. It’s all Hammie’s fault
I'll take it on the chin!
Talking penalties. One of the most important January signings I've seen was a tallish midfielder who was far more angry than Morrell. Scored penalties for fun, including two in his first game. Made stalking off the pitch after a red card into an art form.
A signing of that standard now would make a big difference.
(14-01-2024, 05:58 PM)Jizbag Wrote: [ -> ]Kevin Dillon!!
What we could do with a Dillon now. One of if not my all time favourite player. What a great signing he was in a great midfield 3 of Doyle and Webb. All 3 of them would walk into this team.
(14-01-2024, 06:08 PM)Bluebob Wrote: [ -> ] (14-01-2024, 05:58 PM)Jizbag Wrote: [ -> ]Kevin Dillon!!
What we could do with a Dillon now. One of if not my all time favourite player. What a great signing he was in a great midfield 3 of Doyle and Webb. All 3 of them would walk into this team.
Doyle, Webb and Dillon were a million times better than anything we’ve had here for last 10+ years . Those 3 had attacking intent and played for the team and city with pride . This lot shouldn’t be mentioned in the same breath as the team of that era
There are more significant resaons for our current downfall, namely:
1.) Injuries
Our best defender & midfielder are out for the season. Its a very big ask to expect promotion without these two players in the team, regardless of who sign this month.
Injuries to Scully, Oligivie, Lowery, Pack & Bishop have also hit us hard.
2.) Form of Bishop, Kamara & Shaughnessy
Bishop has not fully recovered from his injury.
Kamara is young & still learning his trade. He needs a break, but there is no one to replace him who are any better.
Shaughnessy is not the rock we have seen without Poole by his side. Regan clearly brings out the best in him.
3.) Strength in depth
Sparkes maybe a good crosser of the ball, but he is a defender 1st & 4most. He had another shocker y'day. Any opposing team who has pace ghosts past him over & over again. He just isn't good enough & has the speed of a snail. He gets nowhere near close enough to his marker. Because he has no pace, he positions himself further away for a better chance at recovery to make a tackle. Its just too easy to attack our LH side at the moment. The sooner Oglivie returns to full fitness the better, but that's 2-3 weeks away.
The whole premise of how our team is set up is to pass out from the back. Raggett is a decent enough defender at this level & provides an attacking threat. However, he is no Regan Poole & we miss him terribily.
Why offer Martin a contract until the end of the season? I have not seen anything in his appearances thus far that warranted him being given a deal. The answer is he was cheap & popular amongst the group. This is not a popularity contest. We need players who can influence a game from the bench. Martin does not offer that at all.
Every Coach have their favourites and Whyte is ours. He clearly has off the field issues. What is a concern is that he has 2.5 years remaining on his contract. Perhaps sending him out on loan to a club who are nearer to his family is the answer? I can't see the club cancelling his contract, which will be too expensive but no doubt the best outcome for all parties even at this early stage of his Pompey tenure.
Scully is nowhere near match fit & at least 2 weeks from being ready. Sadly, the club signed him in the hope he could replicate the 1 good season he had at Lincoln. A big risk that has not come to fruition & unlikely to do so on current evidence.
Saydee has made 11 league apperances to date & not scored once. That is simply not good enough. His first touch is poor & can't hit a cow's ar$e with a banjo. The alternative is Yengi, who is raw but nowhere near the finished article. Plus we won't see him for at least 3 more weeks. We must sign a striker (no. 9) that can challenge Bishop. If Colby has barron spell, he's still assured of his place. Just look at Derby, Peterborough & Bolton who all have a plethora of striking options.
4.) Defence
We are easy picking right now. We are not just woeful at defending set pieces, but you could have steered an oil tanker through our back line yesterday. I dont think a new signing or bringing Towler into the fold is the answer. It's almost as if the team need to go back to basics to arrest this alarming drop in form.
5.) Attack
I have said it before & I'll say it again, we just dont produce enough goals from our attacking players. Bishop is on 13, whilst Lane & Kamara have contributed, by scoring 8 & 4 goals respecitvely. However, Whyte, Scully & Saydee have yet to score a league goal, despite 28 appearances between them. What a pi$$ poor statistic for a team challenging for promotion. Our rivals in Derby, Bolton and Derby already have 2 or 3 players on double figures. We are simply toothless up front right now & have no cutting edge. We've just huffed & puffed in recent weeks without causing the opposition keeper to make a worthy save of note. We pose little threat on goal & our crosses into the box are dreadful. They either land straight into the keepers hands or fail to beat the first defender.
6.) The No. 10 position
For me, this is the biggest contributory factor. Tino Anjorin was never the answer. He is too inexperienced & the poor bloke is made of glass. More worringly is not scheduled to return unitl mid-March. The failure to sign an experienced no. 10 in the close season is now coming home to roost. We have only secured promotion twice in the last 25 years & on each occassion, we had a quality no. 10. in Merson & Roberts. Until such time as the club sign such a player, we are not going to get out of this division anytime soon.
For the reasons outlined above, our 'blip' is going to continue for a good few weeks yet. By which time, we will have slipped outside the playoffs & given ourselves a mountain to climb with 12-14 games left. Our season is only going one way. We shall find ourselves in league One again next year. I would be delighted to be proved wrong of course, but just can't see it.
According to wiki, 82 goals in his last 61 appearances, and he's about to be 36. Chapeau!
TBH how many really good performances have we seen at FP this season, Bolton obviously, and then??
I think we all know we've been in a false position and over the whole season things will level themselves out. We're looking at a 4th or 5th place finish.