Match Thread: Portsmouth v Port Vale

[MelbourneValiant]

This could be anywhere between 6-0 Pompey and 1-0 to Vale.

[CambridgeDon]

On 19/03/2023 at 12:33, philmpv said:

On 19/03/2023 at 12:23, 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

Slaughterhouse 5? Let's hope not!

[PVFC764]

4 hours ago, MelbourneValiant said:

This could be anywhere between 6-0 Pompey and 1-0 to Vale.

Depends on what Vale team turns up.  One where players are in their best place and actually want to play for Vale then we could go on and win it.  After the last games performance, where some of the players actually turned up and tried we loose 2-0 or worse case 6-0 as you said.

You never know with Vale what side we are going to get as they don't seem to know either.

[TJHValiant]

4 hours ago, MelbourneValiant said:

This could be anywhere between 6-0 Pompey and 1-0 to Vale.

So 3-0 Pompey then? 

[Andy Proctor]

Portsmouth fans will be singing in no particular order, is that all you take away?, Can we play you every week?, Port vale get battered everywhere they go, we can see you sneaking out and is there a fire drill. It's a long way travel watch us get thrashed.

[geoff1]

19 hours ago, Granville said:

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 

 

 

3 hours ago, CambridgeDon said:

Slaughterhouse 5? Let's hope not!

climb your mountain-ranulph fienes!😄

[londonvale]

On 19/03/2023 at 14:47, saintvaliant said:

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.

 

Agree about Good Companion...Derek I'm gutted recommendations strangely awry for once.I would not recommend Milton Arms or Shepherds Crook. 

John Jaques, Rutland Arms and Froddington Arms are a no as well

Artillery Arms, Sir Loin of Beef and Eastney Tavern are good alternatives but nothing close..Gunwharf keys and the Harbour Bus station area have a few pubs between them or Old Portsmouth but you are a cab or train ride away

 

[Andy Proctor]

Regarding centre backs people seem to be forgetting that Robinson was actually signed as a centre back even though he's never played there for us.

[dazzerjames]

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*

Aren’t Colchester 21st in league 2 , even with Conner ‘the rock’ Hall. The myth is always better than the man !

That injury list isn’t anyone’s fault it’s really bad luck

And Donnelly has played well in most games.

[tommytunstall]

2 minutes ago, dazzerjames said:

Aren’t Colchester 21st in league 2 , even with Conner ‘the rock’ Hall. The myth is always better than the man !

That injury list isn’t anyone’s fault it’s really bad luck

And Donnelly has played well in most games.

Colchester’s blip is down to losing their manager, and the upheaval that has caused. Hall like Charley is a regular and both are playing well.  It’s not bad luck it’s bad management around the Jan transfer window, allow 3 players to leave, players who would offer us options, and untried replacements, undoubtedly our  problems started from Jan, managerial uncertainty and very poor window.

[philpvfc]

1 hour ago, Andy Proctor said:

Portsmouth fans will be singing in no particular order, is that all you take away?, Can we play you every week?, Port vale get battered everywhere they go, we can see you sneaking out and is there a fire drill. It's a long way travel watch us get thrashed.

TBF, I thought the same before we played Plymouth after watching us lose to Oxford 4-0 previously.

[valefan16]

Regarding centre backs people seem to be forgetting that Robinson was actually signed as a centre back even though he's never played there for us.

I believe and sure he ended up there against Shrewsbury second half although I would say he doesn’t seem disciplined enough for the role he may be better than Derek.

I think we will go with Derek here as it’s probably less pressure game than the ones to follow and if he’s still bad then look at it for Cambridge.

[Brian Johnson]

one of my favourite away games was watching Port Vale win 4-2 at Portsmouth back in 1990.

 

[dazzerjames]

Colchester’s blip is down to losing their manager, and the upheaval that has caused. Hall like Charley is a regular and both are playing well.  It’s not bad luck it’s bad management around the Jan transfer window, allow 3 players to leave, players who would offer us options, and untried replacements, undoubtedly our  problems started from Jan, managerial uncertainty and very poor window.

4 centre halves injured at the same time is certainly bad luck

I’d have liked Hall to stay if it was a settled Hall, from last season.

This year he was being blamed for quite a lot of the goals we conceded and was called out as not being up to league 1

He’s found his level in league 2 it would seem

Charsley would not be playing in our midfield and Brad walker has mainly been injured when I ever check.

If we get relegated then people need sacking (we won’t)

If next year we don’t bring in at least 3 better than the above , then again we can have a moan.

Until then , the aim of the season is met. People got excited due to a few extra wins we probably shouldn’t have got in the first half of the season!

[Osh]

2 hours ago, dazzerjames said:

4 centre halves injured at the same time is certainly bad luck

I’d have liked Hall to stay if it was a settled Hall, from last season.

This year he was being blamed for quite a lot of the goals we conceded and was called out as not being up to league 1

He’s found his level in league 2 it would seem

Charsley would not be playing in our midfield and Brad walker has mainly been injured when I ever check.

If we get relegated then people need sacking (we won’t)

If next year we don’t bring in at least 3 better than the above , then again we can have a moan.

Until then , the aim of the season is met. People got excited due to a few extra wins we probably shouldn’t have got in the first half of the season!
 

Perfectly put Dazzer. Great post