Portsmouth (h) The most important game since 1993.

[Baby Bear]

Ian Gilzean would've buried that header! As would just about any other usual forward we've had down the years, Patmore, Cooper, Stamp.etc.etc. Probably even Constantine.

[DuncanSpeddingsLeftFoot]

Ian Gilzean would've buried that header! As would just about any other usual forward we've had down the years, Patmore, Cooper, Stamp.etc.etc. Probably even Constantine.

Cooper would still be celebrating now!

[Razor]

Cooper would still be celebrating now!

As would we all!

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Alan Knill said in post match interview that they hadn't yet but were going to speak to Sinclair to find out what happened and if there was any interference that caused him to miss it.
Easy, he closed his eyes....

[Baby Bear]

Or Petr Mikolanda, think he's still celebrating the 'goal' he scored for Rushden at sixfields!  

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Saw Paul Merson and Colin Calderwood deep in conversation (or avoiding the attention of the minnions) on the West Stand concourse as we were leaving.  Must be a rumour that can be started there, no?   

[TbananaG]

I actually said at HT that Bayo would have buried that header!

That's so true that it's really sad....

[NTFC Nut]

Saw Paul Merson and Colin Calderwood deep in conversation (or avoiding the attention of the minnions) on the West Stand concourse as we were leaving.  Must be a rumour that can be started there, no?  

An ex-Pompey player and an ex-Cobblers manager who were team mates at Villa. Doubt there were any other reasons why they were there and why they were having a chat.

[guest1269]

That was very hard to take today. We dominated for 70 minutes but why oh why didn't we come out of the blocks like that? Would have got at least a draw then... Crowd were brilliant backing the team - haven't heard noise like that at Sixfields for a very long time. Everyone except Sinclair tried their best but we just can't put the thing in the net and that is very worrying. ANOTHER golden opportunity to climb out of the bottom 2 wasted and now I fear the worst.

And on the subject of Sinclair I have defended him to the hilt until the last week or so but after that 'performance' today (and that miss in particular) he needs to be put out to pasture. He may have been a half decent player at some stage in some place but he sure as hell ain't here and we must find a way out of that ridiculous contract we agreed to pay money for him in the summer - that would be another catastrophe. Toney to start up front any day of the week.

Honest assessment there Razor - we had a minor one post spat on the subject of Sinclair a while ago - certainly not about be proven right but as we fight for our very existence if I go back 100 years I know who I wouldn't want in the trenches with me............

[DrillingCobbler]

Not a point thats gone totally un-missed but its certainly gone under the radar...

WE LOST 1-0 TO A LEAGUE 2 RESERVE TEAM...and a bottom half league2 reserve team at that. And couldn't even score a goal.

And that was my biggest frustration by far. Imagine if we'd dropped 8 players from the team who played against Wycombe and what sort of team we had of put out! And thats by far the biggest concern for me.

Yes we dominated. Yes we tried hard. And yes, we played some decent football at times. But that Pompey side had never played together before! It wasn't the 'form team' that Knill said it was during his interview. Downright spin.

So if we play like that on Saturday, expect a tougher opponent. And then ask yourself, will it be enough to see D&R off? I doubt it somehow.

Marquis and Langers to start up top, and Tozer to throw everything into the box at those 2 plus Diamond (assuming he's fit). Play for set pieces. Hit it long at two players who CAN win the high balls. And then review the situation at half time. Which is what I wanted us to do on Monday...

This team CANNOT play football. It CANNOT create chances against reasonable league2 opposition by playing ball to feet. BUT it CAN be a nuisance at set pieces. If Wilder goes with Marquis and Connell (even he surely won't pick Sinclair again) then Im turning the radio off.

Im sick of the w ankers. Fcuk am I going on Saturday and wasting another shed load of money. This season cannot finish quickly enough.

Rant over!

[j20cobbler]

Why is there no thread about Dagenham being the biggest match since the last one and only a thread about tickets and trains...?
I don't think we need to play hoofball extreme like Monday, provided Dagenham turn up and play as the home side to win. We've played much better away generally since the change of manager. We could start with Hackett and Marquis as strikers and Morris and Dickenson wide. Lopez and Toney on the bench.
If that isn't working at halftime then we put Langemead and/or Diamond up front and hit everything long.

[JollyCobbler]

Not a point thats gone totally un-missed but its certainly gone under the radar...

WE LOST 1-0 TO A LEAGUE 2 RESERVE TEAM...and a bottom half league2 reserve team at that. And couldn't even score a goal.

And that was my biggest frustration by far. Imagine if we'd dropped 8 players from the team who played against Wycombe and what sort of team we had of put out! And thats by far the biggest concern for me.

Yes we dominated. Yes we tried hard. And yes, we played some decent football at times. But that Pompey side had never played together before! It wasn't the 'form team' that Knill said it was during his interview. Downright spin.

So if we play like that on Saturday, expect a tougher opponent. And then ask yourself, will it be enough to see D&R off? I doubt it somehow.

Marquis and Langers to start up top, and Tozer to throw everything into the box at those 2 plus Diamond (assuming he's fit). Play for set pieces. Hit it long at two players who CAN win the high balls. And then review the situation at half time. Which is what I wanted us to do on Monday...

This team CANNOT play football. It CANNOT create chances against reasonable league2 opposition by playing ball to feet. BUT it CAN be a nuisance at set pieces. If Wilder goes with Marquis and Connell (even he surely won't pick Sinclair again) then Im turning the radio off.

Im sick of the w ankers. Fcuk am I going on Saturday and wasting another shed load of money. This season cannot finish quickly enough.

Rant over!

The only problem when Langmead came on: It was Toney who was continually flicking the ball on for Langers to chase. If that role had been reversed we may have gotten somewhere.

[John]

Just catching up after my weekend away and I have to say from the highlights we looked quite impressive against Pompey. Certainly more attacking flair than I've witnessed at Sixfields for a while. If the highlights are a true reflection of the game, I'd say we should have won it.

[Deepcut Cobbler]

We probably should, but a combination of poor finishing, an air shot header and their goalkeeper frustrated us.... 

[bri77]

I'd nearly forgotten the Sinclair moment thanks for reminding me again lol

[mackemcobbler]

Just catching up after my weekend away and I have to say from the highlights we looked quite impressive against Pompey. Certainly more attacking flair than I've witnessed at Sixfields for a while. If the highlights are a true reflection of the game, I'd say we should have won it.

it was not that good

[southofthecounty]

Marquis and Langers to start up top, and Tozer to throw everything into the box at those 2 plus Diamond (assuming he's fit). Play for set pieces. Hit it long at two players who CAN win the high balls. And then review the situation at half time. Which is what I wanted us to do on Monday...

If it's free kicks you want. then play Toney. Goes down quicker than Rebecca. But very convincing.

[j20cobbler]

Just catching up after my weekend away and I have to say from the highlights we looked quite impressive against Pompey. Certainly more attacking flair than I've witnessed at Sixfields for a while. If the highlights are a true reflection of the game, I'd say we should have won it.

We hoofed it long and pressed well against a second string Pompey and should have got something out of the game, but there was very little in the way of 'attacking flair' I'm afraid.

[guest47]

I've just watched the lowlights of the game and at the risk of annoying all on here there was a Portsmouth defender between Sinclair and the ball for the non-header. I have to say I think the free header for Marquis in the second half was the worst miss of the game.

[Deepcut Cobbler]

I was sat directly behind the cross, he could see it all of the way and closed his eyes.
Although Marquis's free header was bad I agree, it was offside.