Match Thread: Portsmouth v Port Vale

[Fosse69]

Blooding of more youngsters due to the number of defensive injuries?  Making it more difficult to know which team will turn up? Possibly the Pompey late drive for a sneak into the POs will be too much for us. Of their last 4 home games, 3 won just a loss to the Owls. For us to reach the magical 50, 6pts from Cambridge, Oxford or Brissle would  do it so no pressure. Can we  rest Taylor and give Proctor & Wilson  the chance  to snatch a point and dull the Chimes to the delight of the faithful SVA?

[Andy Proctor]

If we play like yesterday with a half arsed on the beach we don't care attitude then we will be thrashed. If we play well like we did at Bolton we will lose by the odd goal. 

[Osh]

Just booked my train ticket down. 

Will be rocking up at around 12:45 then walking to the ground; anyone know which pubs the SVA will be in on Saturday...??

 

UTV

[Santa]

I‘m going because I need to tick off Fratton Park. No great expectations for this one. 

[philmpv]

I‘m going because I need to tick off Fratton Park. No great expectations for this one. 

You need something to read on the train

[saintvaliant]

2 hours ago, Osh said:

Just booked my train ticket down. 

Will be rocking up at around 12:45 then walking to the ground; anyone know which pubs the SVA will be in on Saturday...??

 

UTV

I think the Good Companion is the designated away fans pub - 5-10 minute walk from the away end and from memory is fairly large.

Quite a lot of other pubs are home fans only and/or fairly interesting experiences if you’re not from the island.

 

[Raveninblack]

2 hours ago, philmpv said:

2 hours ago, Santa said:

I‘m going because I need to tick off Fratton Park. No great expectations for this one. 

You need something to read on the train

I’ve been to Frattan park years  ago and now have only Ipswich town to go to in a few weeks time to complete all the clubs in the football league to go to except the Olympic statism, St  Marie’s, tge Emirates to complete every one; on to Scotland next

[CambridgeDon]

After yesterday, especially with the number of injuries we've got, the answer to the Pompey game is for DC to play his most experienced players in their most natural positions, so that looks like four at the back to me. Whether DC can be persuaded out of his obsession with three is, though, the moot point. If we play a back three of Derek, Smudger (if even he's fit) and Donnelly, it will look like a piece of cake to Pompey - and probably turn out that way. We'll see!

[geoff1]

5 hours ago, philmpv said:

5 hours ago, Santa said:

I‘m going because I need to tick off Fratton Park. No great expectations for this one. 

You need something to read on the train

yeh, war and peace!!!!!1😄

[Fosse69]

6 hours ago, Santa said:

I‘m going because I need to tick off Fratton Park. No great expectations for this one. 

More Likely to be Hard Times if Dickens has his say, although Carol and Rudge will be involved.

[1]

Jones - injured

Cass - injured

Forrester - probably injured

Smith - maybe injured

Donnelly - not ready

Derek - not ready

Hall - scored and helped his new team take a point away at the league leaders

*tumbleweed*

[Granville]

3 hours ago, CambridgeDon said:

After yesterday, especially with the number of injuries we've got, the answer to the Pompey game is for DC to play his most experienced players in their most natural positions, so that looks like four at the back to me. Whether DC can be persuaded out of his obsession with three is, though, the moot point. If we play a back three of Derek, Smudger (if even he's fit) and Donnelly, it will look like a piece of cake to Pompey - and probably turn out that way. We'll see!

I'm not sure who our natural back four would be! Surely not Robinson at right back? The lad gives 100% but couldn't defend a maid's honour never mind a penalty area.

[NorthwoodValiant]

36 minutes ago, 1 said:

Jones - injured

Cass - injured

Forrester - probably injured

Smith - maybe injured

Donnelly - not ready

Derek - not ready

Hall - scored and helped his new team take a point away at the league leaders

*tumbleweed*

When we let hall go the 4 injured players were fit, so you are judging with the benefit of hindsight.

What's frustrating is we've had 4 injured strikers for most of the season and then as soon as we have 4 strikers available now all of our defenders are injured

[Granville]

3 hours ago, CambridgeDon said:

After yesterday, especially with the number of injuries we've got, the answer to the Pompey game is for DC to play his most experienced players in their most natural positions, so that looks like four at the back to me. Whether DC can be persuaded out of his obsession with three is, though, the moot point. If we play a back three of Derek, Smudger (if even he's fit) and Donnelly, it will look like a piece of cake to Pompey - and probably turn out that way. We'll see!

Much as I think a change in formation is required, we arguably don't have the defenders to do it. 

All have deficiencies that are exposed in a back four. Smith is our best defender but was helped out greatly by Hall and later Jones' strength and physicality. 

Jones though isn't quick enough to play as a central defender or left back, so needs a pacy partner at centre back OR a centre back mobile enough to cover gaps in behind if he's caught out while playing full back.

Benning is quick enough but nowhere near tough or strong enough to play as an out and out left back - same goes for Cass at right back. Robinson too.

Cass is quick, as is Forrester, but neither strong or dominant enough to play at centre half without someone next to them who can win balls in the air.

Donnelly is big and physical enough but his lack of pace and experience would show up either at centre back or full back.

I honestly think we play three at the back so we can have (if everyone is fit) two physical, strong central defenders and one with pace to cover, and rely heavily on the wing backs to cover the other gaps.

We've been exposed by having a succession of left wing backs not capable of doing this and losing one of our physical dominant defenders and not replacing them.

That and an extra defender also means covering two goalkeepers who struggle to save shots on target.

Not to mention in a back four you need extra protection in midfield and bar Pett none of our midfield players look comfortable either covering the defence or receiving the ball from deep and being able to pass it forward.

IF everyone is fit, and we played a back four, it'd probably be 

Cass - Forrester - Smith - Benning

And I wouldn't be especially confident with that.

I can see Smith being fit, and with the manager hinting at "giving players chances" it being the following:

Stone

Agyakwa, Smith, Donnelly 

Worrall, Pett, Ojo, Conlon (Garrity if fit), Robinson 

Harrison, Taylor 

 

[Fosse69]

An anxious wait this week for injury news. Relying on our spotters at the training pitches?