Pompey v Colchester

[K-Win]

Tons of pressure on us today. Colchester have had a good start and we've been pretty toothless so far.

The first goal will be vital as we haven't reacted too well to conceding recently. Boss Cook seems reluctant to switch to Plan B when things aren't working too well. Most teams have sussed out that they can sit back and soak up the pressure without too much fuss.

Expecting to hear plenty of ire directed at Michael Smith and/or Gary Roberts if things start to go south. Both are seen as undroppable Cook favourites and neither have really performed so far. Hope the bookies are right as they have us as a frankly unfathomable 3/4 for this one. Colchester at 7/2 would look good if I was a neutral.

 

[shoddycollins]

If this continues I might reassess our opening game of the season as ending in a disappointing draw

 

[WAP]

Could really do with 3 points today just to calm everyone and gets us back on track. Smith has done nothing for us in 3 games so far (a lack of strike partner hasn't helped) so a couples of changes is needed. Cook prefers 4231 so expecting us to play 442 is unlikely. If we are to play one up top again he's got to play Main or Hunt for me. If we line up 442 I'll be happy aslong as its not Smith & Main together.

I'd put Davies in for Barton, not really sure why we are playing a CM in a CB position.

 

[WAP]

Smith not even in the squad, Main playing up on his own.

 

[K-Win]

Persisting with Barton at CB. Bennett still in for Lalkovic.

Hoping that Main can do the business. He's seemed quite lively coming on as sub.

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[dedwardp]

Sounds like we've been pretty battered and shown no attacking threat at all so far today.

 

[K-Win]

It's been one-way traffic but still no goal. Could be a classic rope-a-dope.

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[dedwardp]

Game over now then - there's no way we're going to score today.

 

[Bucket_]

Phew, what a massive relief. And encouraging to see Cook seemingly learn from past mistakes by making substitutions early and taking a gamble. A gamble that paid off!

 

[WAP]

Colchester were dreadful, the game went as expected with the time wasting and parking the bus.

 

[K-Win]

Relief is definitely the word. Good to see Roberts coming to the party.

First game for me today - liked Danny Rose, and Drew Talbot improved after a shaky start. Baker looked ok in flashes. Forde was solid without having too much to do. Main looked ok in that thankless lone role up front.

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[mowgli]

Colchester were dreadful, the game went as expected with the time wasting and parking the bus.

They're at Adams Park next Saturday so another bore fest awaits,with our awful time wasting i doubt it will finish before 5 0'clock.

 

[antn1.b]

getting bored of teams playing with two banks of 5 and running the clock. feel sorry for thier fans if nothing else must be shit laying out all that expense to watch a team try to draw 0-0

 

[antn1.b]

such a wank league. need to spend big on a 20+ striker and be done with it

 

[dedwardp]

They're at Adams Park next Saturday so another bore fest awaits,with our awful time wasting i doubt it will finish before 5 0'clock.

Doubt we will do the same next weekend. Not sure why we seemed to give Portsmouth so much respect to be honest, but it sounded completely dire on BBC Essex.

I would have probably made one change in bringing Loft in for Szmodics or Guthrie so we were a bit more solid compared to the very attack-minded midfield we've had so far, but we made three changes including taking out one of our wingers as well. It was horrendously negative and sounds as though we got everything we deserved today.

Should have just gone for it like we have done in the past couple of games and showed some ambition.

 

[WAP]

In Cook's post match interview he says how shocked he is by away teams tactics at our ground this season. We've all been thinking it.

 

[K-Win]

The problem is that those negative tactics actually worked pretty well for teams last season. It's up to us to start winning these home games regularly and force away teams to try something different.

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[TommoCUFC]

The problem is that those negative tactics actually worked pretty well for teams last season. It's up to us to start winning these home games regularly and force away teams to try something different.

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I always think this whenever I see Pompey fans moan about teams setting up defensively. Why would any team go there and attack, knowing that it would probably play right into your hands?

 

[Hermann]

In my opinion Paul Cook appears to be a risk-averse manager, preferring to control play and be solid defensively before worrying about attacking the opposition. There are positives and negative to this approach but when teams come to Fratton park content on defending for large periods of the game, the result is often a stalemate (as we saw for 70 minutes yesterday) where we have plenty of possession but little to show for it.

When we brought on Chaplin and Hunt the game opened up dramatically and, had it not been for a great save from Forde, Colchester would have taken the lead. Fortunately for us, the shot was stopped and we managed to win the game, but I can sympathise with managers who might find this an uncomfortable tactic. That said, I believe we have the players to succeed with this style of play.

Colchester, apart from the aforementioned effort, rarely threatened but it sounds like this isn't the way they have been playing in their other fixtures so is perhaps difficult to judge them on this showing alone.

 

[WAP]

I always think this whenever I see Pompey fans moan about teams setting up defensively. Why would any team go there and attack, knowing that it would probably play right into your hands?

There's setting up defensively and then there's doing what Carlisle and Colchester did.

 

[E10rifle]

"Waaah, we're a good team and nasty less good teams with fewer fans keep trying to stop us winning! Waaaaaaah!"

- Paul Cock & every Portsmouth fan (there are lots)

 

[Hermann]

...Paul Cock...

Intentional...?

It is frustrating when some teams (not all) are keen to waste time from the first minute; it doesn't make for an entertaining spectacle. But it's part of the game and we have to be savvy enough to deal with it.

 

[E10rifle]

Intentional...?.

Entirely.

And if you're whinging about Carlisle and Colchester (two of the better sides in the division), then I dread to think about the wailing the rest of us are going to have to put up with when Wycombe and Welsh Wycombe turn up.

 

[K-Win]

Personally, I have no issues about opposing team formations. Managers should always try to do what the opposition least wants them to do.

In my opinion the onus is on us to unlock these defences and start winning regularly, which will encourage away teams' to gamble a bit more (an early goal wouldn't go amiss!).

It's interesting that Cook has finally acknowledged after Saturday that we need to think the unthinkable and move away from his entrenched 4-2-3-1 home formation. Here's hoping for some more goalmouth action in the coming weeks.

 

[antn1.b]

don't think we have the players to play direct football though. that's why they all do it because they know it's our only option. I've nothing against teams with lower budgets and supposedly weaker squads setting up defensively either but playing two banks of 5 and time wasting right from kickoff off does take the piss a bit