VectisSaint

Tim, think you have missed the point though, no-one is demoralised by the defeat, AFAIK, except maybe you. In fact just the opposite, most people recognise how well we played, and the score line flattered the Skates. I think the problem you have with this match is that you over-hyped it (because it was Pompey). It was a cup game against opposition 2 divisions above us, and yet we should have won (if we had taken our chances in the first half when we were battering them). If we had lost to, say west Brom, you wouldn't have this attitude about it, yet they are 1 place lower in the pyramid. Unfortunately we didn't win, we lost, and in the cup it matters not a jot whether you lose 1-2 or 1-12, its still a loss. End of story. Now back to the bread and butter, we haven't got much to go for in the league this season but would be good to see us getting to 8th place now because that would represent a good run in, and we still have a day out at Wembley to look forward to. If we start shipping lots of late goals (and late means last 5 or 10 minutes) with the new players and this costs us wins then come back on here and say "told you so", and then you will have a valid point.

Whilst it may be interesting to work out who have been the players in our most successful team, it is based on history and would therefore not include any of our 5 recent signings. Yet presumably AP would consider he brought in these players to improve the team. So it is not a very useful guide to what will be our best team. Not suggesting all five will be our best players but Fonte for instance would be without a doubt.

Reading bewteen the lines, AP is saying Murty is finished (at Saints). Hopefully Connolly will really be back soon, we have missed him big time.

Sorry but our league season effectively ended when we did not win at Exeter and other results went against us. We have no realistic chance of making the play-offs. I was optimistic before Exeter but now it would need a miracle of Biblical proportions (or a few clubs going into Admin). We will do very well to finish 8th now.

I have to question whether playing Pulis. Molyneux and Forecast would strengthen the reserves, seems to me it would make it even weaker. Why are these players still around? If they are surplus to requirements and no-one else wants them why don't we pay up their contracts, at least they could go look for a club that way, or find a job.

Was discussing the matter earlier with Agent Orange (Ken Dullieu), we think between us we can shaft Pompey completely. Here's hoping anyway.

I think anyone who has signed this year will still be here next, they all signed up to the vision and knew full well that it might take 2 years to get promoted. The ones more likely to leave are Spiderman and Lallana (and possibly James) who are not newcomers.

RLL as opposed to RJGL

Not sure how KD's poor corner ability can be down to Pardew. Organisation of the defence and especially the goal area is the GK's responsibility. One of the reasons we get a lot of people back for corners is because everyone is crapping themselves when KD is facing them. That said, as I noted above, yesterday he was actually very good on corners at least once, it was so unusual that I was quite shocked. No-one doubts KD's loyalty. But loyalty doesn't make you the best, it just makes you loyal (some might say it means you have no ambition but thats an old argument of course).

You are joking I assume, the save from O'Hara's long range shot was terrific. People are raving about James' saves, but he only really made one, he lucked out with a couple of others and showed everyone that he can still be Calamity James. Really don't think KD could have done much about the goals, Quincy fooled him a bit for his goal but that to a large extent was down to some very clever play.

I was shocked yesterday when KD came out for a cross (corner?) and took it with aplomb. He showed he can do it, maybe he forgot where he was or something. It is so unusual for him to do this that it really stood out for me. Great shot stopper, probably one of the best. But like David James not good at other parts of his game, especially distribution. Always the same tactic, big boot down the middle to the head of RL, I wonder does he ever consider playing a short ball to one of the full backs not only to build from the back, but also to guarantee possession. Long boot down the middle gives us at best 50% chance of retaining possession, probably less. I don't suggest that you never do this, but some variety would help. Bart has better presence in the area, and is better at dealing with crosses. I don't think he is as good a shot stopper though.

Police seem to think it was all quite minor "whilst it was ugly at times, we do accept that, actually, the level of injuries that were caused and the level of damage that was caused was relatively minor." He added: "I'm not belittling anybody who got hurt or perhaps had a car damaged, but in terms of the scale of what happened and the way some people were talking before the game, I think it was a really good operation." Usually the OB will make the most of it, the headlines seem to exaggerate to make this into a story

Actually he didn't play a blinder. He made a couple of monumental ****ups which could and should have fallen better for us. He made one top class save, but he really didn't play a blinder by any stretch of the imagination. Still if it helps people feel better about the result to think their keeper played well then c'est la vie.

No-one thinks we were humiliated, except you. Most people, including Pompey, think we were the better team. Football's like that, soemtimes the result doesn't reflect the game. In the end we lost a cup match, it really is irrelevant whether it is 1-2 or 1-4, we lost. End of. Now lets see what happens when we have our full team available again over the next 6 weeks, hopefully with Connolly back in contention as well, his class has been missed, and that is much more relevant than the content of this thread.

Actually Tim it was a rubbish post. What sort of drivel is it to shut up shop when you are 2-1 down to keep the score down. What utter complete ******. It was a cup game, the only time I might have agreed with that response is in a league situation where goal difference might count. If you lose in the Cup you lose, doesn't matter if its 1-2 or 1-10 (except a bit of ill judged pride). At 1-2 down with 10 to go you go all out to get an equaliser. And anyway the last thing we needed was a draw, too many games already and we wouldnt' have wanted to play in their shed. This thread really is stupid. All started by a ridiculous post that indicated no understanding of the game at SMS today. We were fecking good today, tactics were spot on, only thing that let us down was execution It hurts we lost 4-1 but so what, we lost, and there is no evidence from todays game, or Tuesdays, to support the hypothesis of Tijuana Tim. If you really want to have a go, then look at our inability to take chances and bury teams, and the way this has coincided with the loss of Connolly. Thats the big problem that hasn't been addressed (and letting Lambert take the corner kicks). Valid arguments, with much more to discuss than the ridiculous rubbish on this thread.

Carlisle 5 MK Dons 0 today in case you didn't see it.

If you want to make a valid point, then thats what you need to be saying. We lost it because we are not clinicial enough to make our pressure tell. Lallana and Papa should have buried them in the 1st half today, and with James flapping it was there for the taking. The strategy today was absolutely spot on, go at them with everything you've got, don't let them settle, or allow them to play, and go in with at least a goal lead at HT. The strategy was brilliant, the execution was not. BTW no blame attache to Adam or Papa, thought they both played well, but a little inexperience and youthfulness let them down a bit, Rickie showed how it should be done (again). I don't think its just me that thinks you are very very wide of the mark at least today. You may have had a point earlier in the season, which is why AP has brought in Puncheon, Fonte, Jon and Dan. The fact that none of them could play today or three of them last Tuesday may have escaped you, I don't know. We have also been missing Hammond for the last few league games. The biggest problem we have had for the last couple months is the loss of Connolly who is pure class, without thim we have struggled to wrap games up. By the way in case you don't know we scored late on Tuesday, when we were 2-1 up. No goals conceded in the 2nd half.

Completely over the top reaction, Tim you are usually quite sensible. Completely outclassed Premiership team for 50 minutes and should have been 2 or 3 up, but for some poor finishing and one or two saves by England's #1. Great reaction when Pompey scored. Their second wasn't even particularly late, we were still going for the win. The 3rd and 4th were down to going balls out for an equaliser. I seriously think you need to have a word with yourself and see that in fact we were ****ing good today. 3rd division v 1st division and it was difficult to tell which was which, but individual skill told in the end.

We were undone by not scoring in the 1st half when we were well on top. Scoreline flatters them, but not unexpected result (I was OK at 1-2 as it meant 10 points in the Prediction League). Still it hurts.

Looking good, may live to regret some of these missed chances though.

Not the only one on here, but will be in front to the TV in 6 minutes. Same team as Tuesday except Perry for Fonte.

Guess you didn't read it all then.

The tunnel end. Didn't have my compass with me that day so don't know f that was west or east Is the West end the lucky end?

Not such a good one. I think one of our previous Chairman qualified as a clown, not sure he had a suit though, just a ruddy face.

I will of course do my best :cool: