I reckon all three of us will be drawing on about 70 minutes. Then .................................!
I’m waiting for us to score the winner in 90th minute and claim 6th place, just so I can hear the commentary guys do there best ‘Agueroooo’ impression with Aneke 😀
The second half last night is the perfect example of what could have been this season. It was a great all around team performance but sadly I think it is too late for this season. That isnt taking anything away from the team and not meant as a dig in anyway but when the fat lady sings on Sunday and we are just a little bit away from the playoffs all of those previous games when we havent put in a performance will be put into perspective.
Onwards and upwards to the Hull game and go for their throat. Atleast end the season on a high and move onto the next one with hope for the future
A wonderful celebration from Inniss, his first thought was head immediately to Morgan. Being in and out of team as much as Morgan is, it’s nice to see other players help with his confidence etc.
Probably went over to him because he has seen countless corners by JFC go to waste......probably amazed the ball got as far as the back post tbh.
I reckon all three of us will be drawing on about 70 minutes. Then .................................!
I’m waiting for us to score the winner in 90th minute and claim 6th place, just so I can hear the commentary guys do there best ‘Agueroooo’ impression with Aneke 😀
Let's hope for their sake it's Famewo scoring it then
We started the first 10 minutes well but from that moment we were under pressure and passing was sloppy... until the moment Morgan came on and boy was he was up for it.
He collected the ball from defence and didn't just ping any old hollywood ball he played it easy and calmly more often than not. It enabled Millar to get up and Gilbey to support Stockley which saw us to half time, though we were unlucky ourselves not to nick one as the half drew to a close.
Second half Purrington was off and Maatsen regained the LB spot and we were something else as the BEAST came on to support Stockley... Bosh immediate effect Stockley slaps one in from a Chuks chest down, then Morgan with a pinpoint corner to Inniss and finally a side foot from Millar to allow Chuks to drill home.
A mistake at the end, but nothing too costly.
It will be very costly if Oxford lose, we draw and Portsmouth lose by one goal. Lincoln's goal will make the difference between sixth and seventh place. I can just see this happening now.
No it won't we can look at so many goals we have conceded needlessly if we don't go up it's dropped points like Crewe or points we should have had in the bag like Oxford that are the issue.
Conceding one goal to the team in third as we slap them 3-1 wasn't the problem over the course of the season.
Stop with your miserable spin.
Miserable spin, lol. I'm just pointing out the error in saying 'nothing too costly'. Of course it's no more costly than any other goal we've let in all season. The issue here is that with 120 minutes left of the season a Portsmouth one goal defeat could have done the job but that's no longer the case with 90 minutes left.
Portsmouth win - Game over Oxford and Charlton do not make the playoffs.
Portsmouth lose or draw, oxford draw, charlton draw Oxford make the playoffs
Portsmouth lose or draw, oxford win, Charlton win but fail to move above oxford on GD (score 5 more than Oxford)- Oxford make the playoffs.
Portsmouth lose or draw, Oxford lose or draw - Charlton win - We unexpectedly make the playoffs.
Oxford lose, Portsmouth lose by one, Charlton draw. - Portsmouth make the play-offs courtesy of Lincoln's goal.
It was a great win yesterday but we needed to get another or not concede. We needed a 3 goal win to ensure making the play-offs if we draw and the other two lose.
Of course, there are many other permutations as you've selected where it won't make any difference but there is this one permutation (not that improbable at all) where that one goal puts us 7th instead of 6th.
There are 27 possible sequences of results between three teams. One of these is D,L,L. The most likely L is by one goal. Therefore the probability is I estimate about 1 in 35.
If you are going to blame anyone for our GD being 1 short then look at Aneke away to Plymouth. Last minute, winning 6-0 and he is clean through on goal. No pressure & Plymouth are shot. He could have done almost anything with it to score yet he blasted it wide. Appalling miss in the circumstances & I said on the night it could prove very costly.
We started the first 10 minutes well but from that moment we were under pressure and passing was sloppy... until the moment Morgan came on and boy was he was up for it.
He collected the ball from defence and didn't just ping any old hollywood ball he played it easy and calmly more often than not. It enabled Millar to get up and Gilbey to support Stockley which saw us to half time, though we were unlucky ourselves not to nick one as the half drew to a close.
Second half Purrington was off and Maatsen regained the LB spot and we were something else as the BEAST came on to support Stockley... Bosh immediate effect Stockley slaps one in from a Chuks chest down, then Morgan with a pinpoint corner to Inniss and finally a side foot from Millar to allow Chuks to drill home.
A mistake at the end, but nothing too costly.
It will be very costly if Oxford lose, we draw and Portsmouth lose by one goal. Lincoln's goal will make the difference between sixth and seventh place. I can just see this happening now.
No it won't we can look at so many goals we have conceded needlessly if we don't go up it's dropped points like Crewe or points we should have had in the bag like Oxford that are the issue.
Conceding one goal to the team in third as we slap them 3-1 wasn't the problem over the course of the season.
Stop with your miserable spin.
Miserable spin, lol. I'm just pointing out the error in saying 'nothing too costly'. Of course it's no more costly than any other goal we've let in all season. The issue here is that with 120 minutes left of the season a Portsmouth one goal defeat could have done the job but that's no longer the case with 90 minutes left.
Portsmouth win - Game over Oxford and Charlton do not make the playoffs.
Portsmouth lose or draw, oxford draw, charlton draw Oxford make the playoffs
Portsmouth lose or draw, oxford win, Charlton win but fail to move above oxford on GD (score 5 more than Oxford)- Oxford make the playoffs.
Portsmouth lose or draw, Oxford lose or draw - Charlton win - We unexpectedly make the playoffs.
Oxford lose, Portsmouth lose by one, Charlton draw. - Portsmouth make the play-offs courtesy of Lincoln's goal.
It was a great win yesterday but we needed to get another or not concede. We needed a 3 goal win to ensure making the play-offs if we draw and the other two lose.
Of course, there are many other permutations as you've selected where it won't make any difference but there is this one permutation (not that improbable at all) where that one goal puts us 7th instead of 6th.
There are 27 possible sequences of results between three teams. One of these is D,L,L. The most likely L is by one goal. Therefore the probability is I estimate about 1 in 35.
If you are going to blame anyone for our GD being 1 short then look at Aneke away to Plymouth. Last minute, winning 6-0 and he is clean through on goal. No pressure & Plymouth are shot. He could have done almost anything with it to score yet he blasted it wide. Appalling miss in the circumstances & I said on the night it could prove very costly.
That chance, I think it actually hit the post - the outside of the post then wide.
I'm baffled people are still asking why Chuks doesn't start. Is it ignorance or stupidity to keep asking this question?
The question has never been Answered why a guy is fit enough to take part in 35 games but can only play a small part.
Everyone and their Auntie knows there is an issue but to say it's physical not Psychological is not really an answer.
I wonder if it is asthma or another taboo injury or illness which is affecting his stamina because calling Chuks an Impact sub does not explain why you would put him on at Accrington so late when we were so hopeless. In a game we had to win because Pompey were 3-1up at the Dons ?
If he has a groin strain that needs an operation why is that a secret or constant tight hamstrings ?
Biggest reason for me why we have fallen short.
Ps.Scott Minto asked the Psychological question and he is not Stupid.
Remember he had Covid near the start of the season. It may have had a long term effect on his lung function.
You know why I really missed not being there last night? The rousing chorus of "You're not fit to referee" when the man in the middle went off injured.
I really thought Stockley had put his shot over and wide, but it was actually a lovely finish - on his weaker foot as well.
How anyone can question his work rate is beyond me. Just because he's not charging around chasing lost causes left, right, and centre doesn't mean he isn't working. He generally sticks to the centre third of the pitch (which is where a target man should normally be) but the centre backs don't get much respite from him challenging for every ball and I've rarely seen a striker throw himself at the ball with such commitment and disregard for potentially getting hurt. He's like a human torpedo sometimes.
A tepid and pedestrian first half, with Stockley isolated and Maatsen and Millar putting our only half decent opportunities over the bar. Morton got though one-on-one with Amos far too easily but, fortunately for us, squandered the chance - as, indeed he did again in the second period just after we scored.
The second half was a completely different story, with Albie Morgan injecting urgency and quality into midfield, upping the tempo and harrying the opposition. His set plays are very good and his corner for the second goal was whipped in with real pace and accuracy. Aneke and Stockley proved largely unplayable for Lincoln's central defenders and the whole dynamic of the game shifted with Chuks' introduction.
We undoubtedly benefitted from Lincoln resting three players and the fact that there was not a great deal resting on the game for them following Peterborough's last gasp equaliser on Saturday. Squandering a 3 goal lead must also have been a downer, especially with the equaliser coming from a dubious penalty in the 6th minute of injury time. Be that as it may, it was an excellent second half performance from our lads and we have to hope that, having clinched the championship, Hull will also lose a little of their intensity on Sunday.
Pompey remain heavy odds on favourites to claim the 6th spot but Nigel Adkins and the team have done well to keep the season alive going into the final game. It is certainly not something any of us could have foreseen after the lamentable capitulation to Blackpool at the end of February.
Yes, Stockley’s a very decent striker, and well worth signing but if we’d had Clark-Harris on loan we’d be in the auto spots, no doubt.
Not sure if Adkins will play two up top very often, and he clearly isn’t expecting Chuks to play more than 45 minutest a game, unfortunately. I’m not 100% sure that we don’t need someone new up top next season.
Yes, Stockley’s a very decent striker, and well worth signing but if we’d had Clark-Harris on loan we’d be in the auto spots, no doubt.
Not sure if Adkins will play two up top very often, and he clearly isn’t expecting Chuks to play more than 45 minutest a game, unfortunately. I’m not 100% sure that we don’t need someone new up top next season.
'Someone new' would need to be extremely special if they are to be effective while isolated with two or three centre-backs to battle and the nearest support about twenty yards behind the play. Like Strockley has had to do most of the time.
I totally agree major I just don’t get playing one up top it is an almost impossible task, you isolate any striker with 2 widemen and their struggle,as a minimum you’ve got to have two,but for Sunday’s game I hope we have 3up top.l have wondered just how much say Jackson and euell have in picking the side if any. Being both attacking players surely they would be saying this ain’t working boss can we go with Two or three up there, or does he just dismiss it and do he’s own thing.
I totally agree major I just don’t get playing one up top it is an almost impossible task, you isolate any striker with 2 widemen and their struggle,as a minimum you’ve got to have two,but for Sunday’s game I hope we have 3up top.l have wondered just how much say Jackson and euell have in picking the side if any. Being both attacking players surely they would be saying this ain’t working boss can we go with Two or three up there, or does he just dismiss it and do he’s own thing.
It can work with the right midfield/wingers. Chelsea and Man City have got the Champions League final this week without playing a striker at all.
I think if we could actually get someone to take corners and get past the first defender Stockley(and maybe others) would score many more goals.Our crossing from dead. balls,and open play all season has been abysmal.Look at tuesday,cross to Aneke, great knockdown ,goal,great corner to Innis,goal.
I think if we could actually get someone to take corners and get past the first defender Stockley(and maybe others) would score many more goals.Our crossing from dead. balls,and open play all season has been abysmal.Look at tuesday,cross to Aneke, great knockdown ,goal,great corner to Innis,goal.
Maybe if Albie learns how to play CDM, CH, RM, and brushes up on his Goalkeeping we might have that player ready to start a game and take good dead balls
I appreciate what your saying cafcfan1990 but that’s Chelsea and Man City we’re talking charlton I think we should go with a three up top on Sunday, whether that be Aneke Washington stockley or go with 2 out of the 3 and play millar but put him out on the right where I’m sure he would deliver better balls in to the box. If you leave millar out and go with a 2 up top you’ve got to make sure gilbey and Morgan get into them wide positions at every chance and they both have superb engines so that shouldn’t be a problem.
On the lone striker issue. Agree that playing someone alongside Stockley we look a lot more dangerous. However people seem to have short memories, this was a team that couldn't stop shipping goals a few months back (admittedly the defensive injuries didn't help) but I don't think anyone can deny Adkins' shape and tactics has made us look more solid. We also have the Chuks issue and Washington has had minor injuries.
I'm not sure I have much faith in this side's ability to overturn falling behind into a win, is Bristol Rovers the only time this season?
In short I'd love us to play 2 strikers but we're dealing with a few situations and I quite like the ability to have a plan b in the second half, something we didn't have at all under Bowyer.
I totally agree major I just don’t get playing one up top it is an almost impossible task, you isolate any striker with 2 widemen and their struggle,as a minimum you’ve got to have two,but for Sunday’s game I hope we have 3up top.l have wondered just how much say Jackson and euell have in picking the side if any. Being both attacking players surely they would be saying this ain’t working boss can we go with Two or three up there, or does he just dismiss it and do he’s own thing.
It's completely doable, you just have to have the right players and a clear strategy. Our biggest problem is that we haven't built a squad to play the way we're playing. We do actually play three up top not one, the winger with the ball is expected to cut in and shoot or pass, and the opposite winger should be tucked in to provide a second option to receive the ball. The problem we have is that While our central striker is capable of winning the ball every time, the midfield don't really get close enough to him and the wingers aren't equipped to play the way we want; Maatsen is learning the role and Millar has some pretty poor decision-making abilities. If we can bring in a couple of wingers who are more equipped to cut in and stick close to the striker, and a midfield more comfortable with providing an option for the striker off knock-downs then we'll be able to do it, especially with a pre-season spent working on the formation and phases of play. I think there's this standard English football response whenever you only see one centre forward on the team sheet to screech about how it's not enough strikers, but 4-3-3 is a very attacking formation with three attackers if the strategy is properly implemented.
On the lone striker issue. Agree that playing someone alongside Stockley we look a lot more dangerous. However people seem to have short memories, this was a team that couldn't stop shipping goals a few months back (admittedly the defensive injuries didn't help) but I don't think anyone can deny Adkins' shape and tactics has made us look more solid. We also have the Chuks issue and Washington has had minor injuries.
I'm not sure I have much faith in this side's ability to overturn falling behind into a win, is Bristol Rovers the only time this season?
In short I'd love us to play 2 strikers but we're dealing with a few situations and I quite like the ability to have a plan b in the second half, something we didn't have at all under Bowyer.
Excellent reminder. The coaches and NA would have understood and implemented this. We became such a mess that I actually find first halves like against Lincoln absolutely fine viewing - looking organised, players in the right position, fewer unforced errors, albeit not threatening. That's an indictment to some of the mess we've seen over the season.
Yes I can also see what your saying garrymanilow but at the moment we don’t have the players to play like that,playing stockley upfront on his own with mattsen on the right wing and millar wide on the left IMO would be a disaster, seeing its vital we get 3points on sunday
I don't think you can look at Stockley's record since joining us and not say he has done very well. I would imagine he is high up on the list of players to sign.
On the lone striker issue. Agree that playing someone alongside Stockley we look a lot more dangerous. However people seem to have short memories, this was a team that couldn't stop shipping goals a few months back (admittedly the defensive injuries didn't help) but I don't think anyone can deny Adkins' shape and tactics has made us look more solid. We also have the Chuks issue and Washington has had minor injuries.
I'm not sure I have much faith in this side's ability to overturn falling behind into a win, is Bristol Rovers the only time this season?
In short I'd love us to play 2 strikers but we're dealing with a few situations and I quite like the ability to have a plan b in the second half, something we didn't have at all under Bowyer.
Absolutely this. We are no longer shipping goals and it's not as if we are not scoring, its just more of a struggle to create chances and in between the football isn't attractive to watch. Under Bowyer we were playing shite football and leaking goals, at least Adkins has made us a lot more solid (agree that the CB's returning from injury have helped).
Comments
Onwards and upwards to the Hull game and go for their throat. Atleast end the season on a high and move onto the next one with hope for the future
The second half was a completely different story, with Albie Morgan injecting urgency and quality into midfield, upping the tempo and harrying the opposition. His set plays are very good and his corner for the second goal was whipped in with real pace and accuracy. Aneke and Stockley proved largely unplayable for Lincoln's central defenders and the whole dynamic of the game shifted with Chuks' introduction.
We undoubtedly benefitted from Lincoln resting three players and the fact that there was not a great deal resting on the game for them following Peterborough's last gasp equaliser on Saturday. Squandering a 3 goal lead must also have been a downer, especially with the equaliser coming from a dubious penalty in the 6th minute of injury time. Be that as it may, it was an excellent second half performance from our lads and we have to hope that, having clinched the championship, Hull will also lose a little of their intensity on Sunday.
Pompey remain heavy odds on favourites to claim the 6th spot but Nigel Adkins and the team have done well to keep the season alive going into the final game. It is certainly not something any of us could have foreseen after the lamentable capitulation to Blackpool at the end of February.
I'm not sure I have much faith in this side's ability to overturn falling behind into a win, is Bristol Rovers the only time this season?
In short I'd love us to play 2 strikers but we're dealing with a few situations and I quite like the ability to have a plan b in the second half, something we didn't have at all under Bowyer.