Er Pompey ved at få et udebanekompleks?

AV: Steen Houman

Stay away sang Nirvana for mange år siden, og det kunne meget godt passé på kampen. For hjemmeholdets fans havde inden kampen opfordret alle Pompeyfans til ikke at købe noget på stadion. Fansene er utilfredse med klubejer Oyston, og gør hvad de kan for at minimere indtægterne.

Så hjemmeholdets fans bliver væk og det kunne Pompeys fans godt have gjort ligeså. De 737 der dukkede op, inklusiv vores norske fans.

Efter 5-1 sejren hvor Paul Cook endelig fandt den optimale start XI, så var der nok spænding og forventninger til hvordan vi ville spille mod et Blackpool hold, der ikke har imponeret.

Da start XI blev offentliggjort må smilene have været store, for Conor Chaplin var på plads som angriberen.

Pompey startede med samme 11 som vandt 5-1 og på et meget tomt stadion, ja der kom Pompey klart bedst fra start.

Men bom, et frispark sendt ind foran og så måtte vores ellers rutinerede keeper Forde se sig slået i feltet, og så førte hjemmeholdet 1-0.

Målet sendte Pompey til tælling og Blackpool lugtede blod og en sejr og de havde tydeligt moment i kampen. Men Pompey kom tilbage og fik udlignet på endnu et spektakulært Conor Chaplin mål, hvor han læser boldens bane og med et saksepark udligner.

Efter pausen havde Pompey to lovende forsøg inden de igen fik en våd klud i ansigtet. Skidt forsvarsspil sendte hjemmeholdet på 2-1.

Pompey søgte igen udlignmingen, men en skidt pasning fra ellers sikre Doyle gav Vassel en gylden mulighed da han opsnappede bolden og ja så var Pompey bagud med 3-1!

Vores manager Paul Cook satsede straks og smed Bennet og senere Smith og Main på banen, men Blackpool var væsentlig tættere på 4-1 end vi var på en reducering.

Efter kampen fundere Paul Cook over udebanekompleks
‘Does that mean we have to try to change stuff away from home? I think we have to because what we have seen is not good enough away from home.

Blackpool manager Gary Bowyer:

“Our organisation, togetherness and spirit was unbelievable, and it had to be because they’re a very good side,” he said. “The spirit shone through.”

“Portsmouth came out flying and we knew they would. We withstood it and grew into the game slowly. The early goal settled us down and gave us some more belief. “The way in which we reacted to conceding a wonder goal, which was a hell of a finish, was fantastic.”

“We needed half-time to put one or two things straight, but we came out and pressed harder in the middle of the pitch, which allowed us to get that second goal. “We asked them to play a bit higher and set traps in the middle of the park, and it paid off.

“We had to defend from the front and that’s what we did. The front two had to work hard and I was really impressed with them.”

“This win should give us a lot of confidence. Portsmouth are the best team we have faced this season and they are going to be very hard to stop.

Pompey manager Paul Cook:

‘The reality is we have played 10 games in the league – there is a long way to go and a lot of improvement in us. ‘We are fourth in the league after 10 games, which I think is acceptable to everyone. The reality is we have got to iron out some things. ‘At half-time against Blackpool I felt we could go on and win the game. Unfortunately, we conceded goals and then didn’t create anywhere enough chances, nowhere near. ‘For the personnel we have it’s a natural disappointment that we didn’t. ‘There are a lot of good teams in this league this year, no doubt about that. ‘Blackpool have not been winning games they should have been winning, but are certainly a strong team with good players and can be a force this year. ‘When you looked at us last night it was so disappointing, but I’m quickly learning now to pick myself up and go again, which we’ll do against Doncaster this weekend.’

Kommentarer fra The News:

Why arent we travelling well? We play with great attacking flair at home but is this too cavalier away? Very fine balance and I’d suggest its a mental approach. At home, go for it and press up as teams sit deep. Away, be more controlled, hold position and look for fast counter that saying it would help if we didnt give them the ball in our third. Clarke for Davies, Buxton for Evans, Lalkovic for naismith as main first changes. Dont think the overall system of 4231 too bad its just implementing it. My other worry is I wonder whether the players do feel the pressure of playing for a club with expected promotion? This may explain nerves and mistakes. That said, those need players need to be dropped until they are psychologically ready which is down to Cook and how he assesses them. Long way to go but evidence is we need plan A for home (working) and plan B away (not yet working). Please no calls for sacking Cook, that really wont help us at this stage of the season. 

goalie made mistake for first one, but can excuse him that as he been steady between the sticks this season. It was a matter of time before we were caught knocking the ball along the back line, a few times now opposing players have quickly closed us down while we wanted too much time on the ball. hopefully get this out of our system this game and learn. More concerning is the fact we are losing against teams who are poor. Cannot blame cook this time, put same winning team out. maybe MA was right on Saturday and the 5-1 result v ten men flattered us. Either way, keep this up and it will be another so so season in this league. xmas be the time to really gauge whats happening with our season, at the moment we are not promotion material, just like other top half teams, hopefuls

Let’s see, after 10 games last season 5 wins 4 draws 1 defeat 19 points. This season after 10 games, 5 wins 2 draws 3 defeats 17 points. I’d say progress is not all it’s cracked up to be.

Unless Cook decides to give Davies a second chance, Clarke must have a great chance of starting on Saturday. Doubts are also emerging over Forde. Should have easily saved that awful penalty on Saturday and at fault for the first goal last night

3 defeats already and not even the end of September= no promotion. Well done lads you f’d it up again. Unprofessional.

Long drive home last night gave plenty of time for reflection. In the end we were undone by individual errors but credit should also be reluctantly given to Blackpool for how quickly they closed us down. I’ve liked Tom Davies’ battling spirit but if Clarke is fit it now looks like time for him and Burgess to establish a more natural right side, left side partnership at the back. Beyond that , I feel no wholesale changes are needed, but in this formation we can’t afford all 3 attacking mid players having quiet games, last night being baker, Roberts and Naismith. Win on Sat and all well in the world again, and 3 points from two matches would be better than two draws. Obvious but true !

For all the Cook bashers on here. Last week people say play Conor from the start, he does, last week they say why does he change a winning team, last week they say why does he make substitutions like he does. Like I stated after Saturdays home win all you need is 11 players playing well. Cooks played Conor from the start, Cooks kept the same side. Cooks tried to influence the game by making substitutions and it’s got worse. It’s down to the players, possibly with Conor’s exception, they think they can turn up at these dour Northern out posts, at games being watched by a couple of thousand and stroll around and it will be ok. Well it’s not . Cook will make some significant changes for the Next away game and some of the so called stats might be on the bench. But one change for Saturday and possibly two. Is Tom Davies will be out, he’s made teo mistakes in two games that have cost us goals and he slipped up twice at home last week but was bailed out by Burgess. I also think Adam Buxton will come in soon for Evans, and Evans might push Naismith out.

League Two, Bloomfield Road, 27/9-2016

Blackpool – Portsmouth 3-1 (1-1)

18 min 1-0 Kelvin Mellor

34 min 1-1 Conor Chaplin

49 min 2-1 Brad Potts

65 min 3-1 Kyle Vassel

Portsmouth (4-2-3-1): Forde; Evans, T Davies, Burgess, Stevens (78.Smith); Rose, Doyle; Baker (67. Bennett), Roberts, Naismith; Chaplin (Main ’84)

Bænken: O’Brien, Clarke, Linganzi, Lalkovic, Bennett, Main, Smith

Gule kort: Bennett, Doyle

Tilskuere: 3.055 (737 Pompey fans)