The Kraken

Don’t think you’ll find many to disagree with that. Like the look of Manning. Charles looks like he’s got something too, but not at CB, at least not yet. Would prefer Stephens in there and Charles alongside Lavia. As Deano just said, when he haven’t got the ball we’re far too easy to play against. This is close to a second string side for us (I’d have Lavia and Alcaraz, maybe Manning) but they look extremely vulnerable to the press and counter.

Go back and read the last page or two, both of those players have been commented on negatively on multiple occasions.

Don’t think I’ve ever seen Lavia make so many mistakes. Feel sorry for him mind, he’s the only one offering anything defensive in the middle. Blimey, Che hit the target.

He’s being a lot more positive than many on here will be. I imagine he’s actually thinking ‘wtf’ a bit too…

This is brainless stuff.

What the fuck is McCarthy doing? Clown.

We’re gonna concede so many goals pissing about with it at the back. It’s great that we’re keen to look for a passing move out but the balance isn’t right yet, playing a few passes already when it just isn’t on. As the comms said, it’s only precseason so make your mistakes now, but any side that high presses us will give us bother.

He does. Will be interesting to see him in the Lavia role, but he’s obviously a confident lad on the ball.

That’s a side that’s ripe for an absolute hammering.

This is something that has actually been designed and tested by Border Force and the RN.

You can’t polish a turd.

Keith Granger

I’ve seen very little to suggest that this is likely. Too many needless mistakes, not enough saves made, not enough command of the high ball, he just looks like a bag of nerves. The best we can hope for is him being a backup but he has an enormous amount of stepping up if he’s going to make a success of it at Championship level or above. Two absolutely painful rickets in two pre season games aren’t going to help that one little bit. It was telling that he was frozen out for a terrible McCarthy at the back end of last season.

It’s absolutely infuriating. As you say, The Masters and the Open used to be reliable insofar as the fans were knowledgeable, passionate about the game and didn’t shout random rubbish after shots. The year’s Open has bucked that trend and it’s chock full of unfunny wallopers wanting to be heard, and far too many other cohorts laughing out loud at these morons spouting off. It’s now like a Wimbledon crowd. Very annoying. I’m hoping it’s just that it’s just the location and we’ll revert to type once the Open circuit kicks back to Troon next year, but I’m not overly optimistic.

Tella. Edozie has got an awful lot to prove yet, Tella has got form in the bank.

Disagree. I thought Tella looked bright, I wouldn’t want to lose him. He crashed the bar with a great shot and generally looked decent, very direct. I’d rather have Tella than £20M (which I don’t think we’d quite get anyway), he’s a known quantity in this league and I think if we can keep him he’ll be very important for us.

That’s something they just do in their pictures isn’t it? I think the actual shirts have a crest. I dunno, I don’t buy shirts, but sure I’ve seen it mentioned before.

The kid has had a bad year of injury since he arrived.

Ordinarily one might suggest that this is an exaggeration but, sadly, I tend to agree with you. The two gaffes against Goztepe and today are a continuation of what we saw all last season. Some people think he’ll come good as he’s good with his feet and has on occasions made some good saves. But, as said further above, really good keepers are not just judged by their ability to pull off a worldly save, they’re judged more for their consistency and in eliminating errors. Bazunu just looks like a bag of nerves and as if he’s always got a major ricket in him. I can’t see us bringing in anyone else for him but I also think that’s a mistake, he’s just not good enough.

Yeah you’re right about Salisu, he did feature, my mistake. I can’t see any way in which ABK stays to be honest, there wer various rumours about Perraud going but I haven’t seen anything come up on the rumour mill.

These two statements in particular are complete horseshit. The “piss off to Pompey” one comes up time and again and doesn’t get any less embarrassing. If you can’t handle reading a few critical words about some of our players then it’s a bit worrying and maybe forums aren’t for you. Forums exist entirely to highlight and discuss good points and bad points, people’s opinions are always going to differ. But throwing a strop and telling someone to support Portsmouth because someone else highlights a perceived negative that you disagree with is more than a little pathetic.

So, as of the Reading game, the following players haven’t featured in pre season games: Onuachu; Perraud; Small; S Armstrong; Sulemana; Salisu; Larios; ABK; Simeu. Of those, Armstrong has been injured and Small, Larios and Simeu may be looking at loans out. Quite telling that the others have not even made the squads. Definitely don’t see Onuachu, Perraud, Sulemana, Salisu and ABK being here next season (unless we can’t find anyone to stump up for them), and can add Lavia to that list too. Likely to be other departures too (at least one of Tino and KWP, who knows what’s going on with JWP, and keeping Alcaraz would be a coup), it’s going to be an interesting August to see who comes and goes.

We’re going to need to score a lot of goals this season. Crap keeper and we look very vulnerable at the back on the counter attack and when we fart about with it and give turnovers. Some good performances today but let’s face it, Reading were weak. Good to get goals on the board though and shows where we need more work.

Djourkaeff jnr on for Reading, interesting.

Super move between A-A and AA there, keeper got a bit lucky. A-A is a little livewire.