Under pressure Paul Cock v No pressure Shaun Derry (Portsmouth v Cambridge)

[Laker]

Funny how seasons pan out. We're below Pompey in the league but it's their manager who is falling under pressure at the moment, the Barnet defeat midweek being the latest setback in the Blues' promotion push.

For us, the positive team news is that Matt Tubbs is on loan at Eastleigh so won't be scoring against us. I don't think any single opposition player has ever had such a ridiculous scoring record against us, like ever.

Reports are we've sold our initial allocation of 480 and with it not being all ticket we should add to that so should be a reasonable following.

I missed this fixture last season as I was on my stag do in Bratislava (gutted I was). My dad is from down that way and my Granddad is a Pompey fan (plus I know loads more) so this is one I was desperate to go to this year.

Since Derry joined in November, we've taken 27 points from 16 games and we'll need a similar run to trouble the play offs. We should really be out of it by now but most of the teams around us seem to be as inconsistent as us. So while I think our chances are slim (especially with the run of fixtures coming up), we do still have a chance. The longer we can keep that open the better.

I imagine we'll go something like:

Norris

Furlong
Legge
Coulson
Haynes

Williamson
Ledson
Dunne (or Keane if Dunne can't play)
Dunk

Berry

Spencer

I predict a gallant 1-0 win for the U's and my play off hopes remain intact.

I hear Gary Roberts may be injured Pompey fans? How serious is it?

 

[Bar Carousel]

Roberts has done a hamstring and looks unlikely to play. Could be a silver lining. Undoubtedly he's a fine player, but hasn't seemed fit all season. There's a view that his inclusion in the team disrupts our style and we play better without him. Seems to be the story of our season - Cook trying to work out a winning formula but not quite finding it on a consistent level.

We've only won 1 in 8 I think, so we're due one and i'll be optimistic and say we'll scrape a 1-0.

 

[Habbinalan]

Funny how seasons pan out. We're below Pompey in the league but it's their manager who is falling under pressure at the moment, the Barnet defeat midweek being the latest setback in the Blues' promotion push.

For us, the positive team news is that Matt Tubbs is on loan at Eastleigh so won't be scoring against us. I don't think any single opposition player has ever had such a ridiculous scoring record against us, like ever.

Reports are we've sold our initial allocation of 480 and with it not being all ticket we should add to that so should be a reasonable following.

I missed this fixture last season as I was on my stag do in Bratislava (gutted I was). My dad is from down that way and my Granddad is a Pompey fan (plus I know loads more) so this is one I was desperate to go to this year.

Since Derry joined in November, we've taken 27 points from 16 games and we'll need a similar run to trouble the play offs. We should really be out of it by now but most of the teams around us seem to be as inconsistent as us. So while I think our chances are slim (especially with the run of fixtures coming up), we do still have a chance. The longer we can keep that open the better.

I imagine we'll go something like:

Norris

Furlong
Legge
Coulson
Haynes

Williamson
Ledson
Dunne (or Keane if Dunne can't play)
Dunk

Berry

Spencer

I predict a gallant 1-0 win for the U's and my play off hopes remain intact.

I hear Gary Roberts may be injured Pompey fans? How serious is it?

Agree with almost all of the above but have to say that it is much more comfortable in the mid-table mind set than clinging to irrational hope. I'll reserve the hope to one game at a time, take the horror shows with calm(ish) acceptance and we'll end up in the same place.

I can see us drawing or losing the two home games but winning both away games. So 6 or 7 points. That'll keep us on the edge of the play offs which means that idiots like me will cling on to the faint hopes of promotion despite the fact we're nowhere good enough.

I almost expected the Stevenage result - although even I couldn't see such a dire gutless performance. A salutary thought is that Saturday should be as good a chance of 3 points as any in the next 10 matches (check the fixtures) but 2-2 is the best I can hope for. I'll travel in hope rather than expectation.

 

[Tom_CUFC]

I've only seen us play there once, and we've only played there twice in about 20 years, but Fratton Park just strikes me as one of those places where we'll never get a result for no particularly logical reason, in the same manner as knowing that we're always going to win at Northampton. (Your move, fate)

I've posted my preferred XI on the message board so won't repeat it, I'm an open non-believer in Ledson but either Derry rates him or we have a clause in his contract saying he has to play every game, so he'll start with Berry on the right and Keane in the middle. Not convinced about that central midfield in that case, I'd rather start Donaldson on the right (fucking bookmark that one!) and play Berry and Keane in the centre, gives Berry a bit more of a licence in his preferred position.

Will be a good away trip at the very least, any sort of positive result will be a bonus.

 

[WAP]

Seen in our local snooze that Dunne won't be playing due to a gentlemans agreement. We had the same with Atangana when Orient came to town.

How's he getting on so far for you?

 

[Laker]

He's been really good so it's a big blow for us. We so have Keith Keane who would slot in naturally there but question marks on fitness and match sharpness - he's been with Stevenage on loan and not played for us since very early in the season.

 

[WAP]

He's been really good so it's a big blow for us. We so have Keith Keane who would slot in naturally there but question marks on fitness and match sharpness - he's been with Stevenage on loan and not played for us since very early in the season.

Hopefully be our gain then, at the moment I think he's the sort of player we're missing in midfield to play alongside Doyle. Hollands is back now though so hoping we can start holding our own in games and not get so bullied off the ball.

 

[AboveWater]

be very disappointed not to win this game, no disrespect to the opposition, mean it more in a sense of "we must win our home games!"
i can see the bedwetters going crazy if we fail to win this one

 

[Habbinalan]

He's been really good so it's a big blow for us. We so have Keith Keane who would slot in naturally there but question marks on fitness and match sharpness - he's been with Stevenage on loan and not played for us since very early in the season.

With the pressure being put on him, KK is probably a guaranteed yellow card and an even bet for a red card tomorrow.

Hopefully he'll rise above it and be the reliable and effective L2 anchor that we thought he'd signed and Preston/Luton thought they'd lost. Perhaps Hatter86 can offer some insight into the likelihood of that happening as he enters his twilight years..

 

[Hatter86]

Its hard to say. His career has been so stop start over the last few years what with the betting fiasco, injuries etc. Stevenage fans seemed to rate him at the end of last season when he was on loan there, so get the impression there is something in the tank there.
I've known KK casually since we were about 8 years old and played Sunday league against him until Luton picked him up. Although he was a cut above everyone else that time, his main strength has always been mental rather than technical. He's determined and has a ferocious will to win, which is why he is something of a walking yellow. You wouldn't expect that to have waned. So as long as the body allows, I don't see why I can't get back to somewhere near the level he was.

 

[BelizeHatter]

Title: Paul Cock?

 

[Arbury]

Pressure is all on Pompey for this, saying that I can't see us getting a result, we travel in hope.


COME ON YOU U'S


KTF

 

[Laker]

Title: Paul Cock?

;-)

 

[WAP]

Wasn't the best game or performance from us but got the job done. The referee was very picky today about gaining yards from throws (both teams tbf) but also the only referee I've ever seen book a player for running to the other side of the pitch when they know there about to he subbed. Even if it was our player I'd like to see more refs take note of this.

Cambridge were lucky to finish the game with 11. Your forward who got subbed at half time should have gone plus the 3 or 4 reckless tackles in the second.

 

[AboveWater]

very happy with that result, though concerned we keep making things hard for ourselves conceding late on! Never mind, maybe the elusive clean sheet will come tuesday night

 

[Laker]

Very frustrating game, we were very poor and the referee was very whistle happy - almost desperate to keep the home crowd on side. The first goal was unbelievably annoying since it didn't look a free kick and then after taking it quickly (and screwing it up) he then let Portsmouth have another go from which they scored.

But ho hum, we didn't deserve a lot from the game. Just frustrating as Pompey didn't offer a lot either.

 

[Bar Carousel]

This season has turned upside down. After early poor home form but great away, it's now the polar opposite.

I didn't go today, but the general view was that it was a poor game, made worse by the officials.

3 wins by the teams outside the play offs prior to 3pm replace 3 teams in the play offs prior to 3pm. If it carries on like this, we'll need to piss on Northamptons title party on the final day to book a place in the play offs.

 

[Habbinalan]

Disappointed not to see Keane given a run and puzzled as to what O'Neill offered (as were some of those around him) but I don't think it would have made much difference. I guess it'll be Dunne and Ledson on Tuesday so he'll have to wait for an off the bench opportunity.

Some of the "steel in the tackle" may have been a reaction to being bullied and embarrassed at Stevenage - happy to see it. We're not a dirty team but players like Burgess need keeping in their place.

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/league-two/table/discipline

As has been said elsewhere, I'd love to see Corr and Sir Jimmy Spencer as the two most hated WUMs in L2 next year - although both could learn from Robbie Simpson in the "getting away with it" stakes.

As Pompey fans have indicated, they didn't look great themselves and, in particular, looked vulnerable when they backed off at the end. Difficult to suggest an odds-on bet for who will get to Wembley, let alone win the play-offs. That said, the best side won and they should be capable of winning enough more to get another 21 points.

 

[TommoCUFC]

Too many poor individual performances culminated in one average league two side being beaten by another yesterday. Pretty horrible game to watch, Pompey weren't great, but we were worse. Typical Cambridge really; get within touching distance of the top 7 and bottle it. Don't think we'll be bothering the top end of the table based on yesterday's performance. Better sides would have taken at least a point from that Pompey side with ease.