MattVillaPortsmouth

Saw someone call it in COVID thread - it’s this game and the Arsenal one were we were gonna feel the affects of the 10 days off due to COVID - should have switched it up, but we not in the league of winning all our games. WHU are a good unit this season.

Couldn’t agree more, peeps quick to jump on for any (perceived) mistake but was brilliant today (especially liked the celebrating a block)

To me, to progress we need a couple of things, firstly consistency (top ** and/or Europe) or to win something - so providing we continue our form, summer should be looking to consolidate/establish/maintain our position, the top top players won’t come to sit on bench, so at moment for me it’s 1 big signing I summmer and replace Elmo, Taylor, Guilbert with younger versions these don’t have to be world beaters, just better but not just squad fillers. These replacements need to either be capable of covering a player in first eleven or even better offer something different (our best players are not always our best eleven for a particular match) - so a big nasty CDM, or a defensive winger, or a technical striker The marque signing is either a Barkley replacement if not him, or him. Then it’s 1 or 2 bigs a year plus reap the rewards of our new invigorated youth set up.

Busquets - 5 MotM in over 500 games for Barca Fabregas - 34 in 440 (although 11 were in one season) Javi Martinez 30 in 440 Henderson - 9 in 424 F de Jong - 6 in 146 Brozovic - 13 in 243 Kante 11 in 236 Dougie has no official MotM in 100, to me doesn’t mean much playing in that role (yes not all above are direct ‘player’ comparisons, but they do the same job in the team imo). You have to watch the player not the team to see his worth, from my (limited but experienced) opinion he was the tools to be one of the very best, and Man City will kick themselves if they don’t take him back - but I don’t think they will.

Agreed, as soon as he got in front of defender I had no doubts it would be a goal, did everything right and looked natural.

Looks tired to me, and misses Barkley - Jack through the middle and traore right changes our dynamics and in general means more running the channels for Ollie and then needs to be in box, it’s no coincidence are wingers are scoring more than him last few games. Needs a break - there were 2 or 3 times last night his legs just didn’t do as they were told. Rest for Cup, get Ross back and he bags a brace next game he plays.

So only Spurs and Man City have conceded more than us in league, and 7 of our 16 came in 2 games - No issues from me. He brings so much more than hause (yes Hause stepped in and was solid enough, but surely that’s what we want, our backups to provide adequate cover when needed). Very few if any CB’s will never make a mistake, some mistakes go unpunished some lead to a goal - that’s football! For me we played well enough to take a share of the points, or even all 3 last night - at Man Utd, who are on good form with a wealth of talent - no need for scapegoat. but yeah, ditch the gum - I hate that!!

To be fair, mings is more rested, means we can play hause in cup and rest up konsa - don’t see it as being the wrong message, we don’t have many options to give players a rest

For the pre game warm up. No way we split defence normal training.

Wasnt at our best, but fair play to them (as much as I hate saying it) there game plan worked - we just need to cut out the moaning/feeling hard down by approach if it doesn’t go our way and keep in the fight. jack or Konsa score and it’s a different outcome. Barkley doesn’t look totally fit to me, we need all 3 to tick in the middle

And Chelsea had a transfer ban, so couldn’t buy to replace

3 more would be great (LB (starter), CB (backup) and Forward (can play in 2 of 3 front positions) but unrealistic. LB would be my priority but think we will end up with a forward (pace pace pace). i would settle for a bench of - Steer, Nakamba, Hourihane, Ramsey, Hause, Trez, *******

A chance for a few to stake a claim to stay and fight for place blown, Elmo, el ghazi, Lansbury can go and Davies needs to go on loan. Was like watching last season, not many balls into space, weak on ball, zero creativity- stoke hardly had to play el ghazi - decision making is piss poor

Agreed, Traoré will get 90 there, that will be better for him than 20 odd tonight. Was important (if he is in plans) to get Ramsey some minutes.

No doubt he will get goals, hopefully sooner rather than later (prem that is!) - I see him getting goals against the so called big teams, - what he brings to the team other than goals is great, only becomes an issue if a) others are not scoring or b) he is not getting chances or creating them

To be fair, he came back from injury into lockdown, played a lot of minutes after lockdown, then a short break into a reduced pre-season. I don’t think he was particularly good or bad today, some good, some ok, some bad - but with a bit of confidence (team wise) and speed in the team I think we will see him improve to be the player most hoped he would be in prem. some peeps have either crazy expectations or very short memories.

Smith needs to chat with Gareth Southgate, if Jack can get in the squad (poss 5 sept game) then it’s another plus to stay here, shame England games not till then (if it goes ahead). We are in a strong position as a club (finances, contract, still in prem), unless he forces a move which I don’t think he will. 80m is absolute min, only time I would accept lower would be City, 60m plus cancel Luiz buy back and Foden whatever happens, it can’t drag on, only a short pre season so ideally ins and outs done early

Need to go with ‘must win’ again, even if a draw could be enough, we need same attitude so need to keep it in our hands. That being said, I think we will draw but stay up, some last minute goal at either here or Bournemouth keeps us up.

Big plus for me, a couple of times I saw the Clenched Fist come on attitude for a tackle, or good piece of work, bit of grit and determination which I think helped massively with keeping the clean sheet, something I have not seen too much of in other players.

I wouldn’t have expected any other answer, and I think there is a lot more truth in his answer than we think - ie a lot depends on, if we stay up and who comes in for him, still all to play for from our point, stay up and show him we can improve he will stay

For all his turdiness I would wager he would have scored the AEG chance. back on subject, I would have had McGinn off for Nakamba, and prob would have gone guilbert not AEG. The moment the commentator brought up how many we conceded in last 15m and we only had 8 to hold out you could tell it was coming.

For me it a little bit of everything, the way I see it: - Promoted 1 year to early, I don’t think that was in the plans. - A lot of the players (imo) were on the list for a year in championship to get us up (Konsa, Jota, Targett et al) as we had to fill the squad so got them in. - We then took a risk on a few, those who (again imo) would stay if relegated (Wesley, nakamba, Luiz, trez). - We wanted that 1 Top Drawer player - just don’t think we could convince the ones we wanted or were massively priced out of it (which in one way is a plus). What we banked on was an early ‘run’ of form, a few surprise results to help everyone settle in (language early season was definitely a barrier for some) It just never happened, football can be very much a ‘momentum’ thing especially for those without A squad of worldies. Injurys and League position scuppered January plans, And again resorted to taking risks (what we don’t know is who made the final calls on Drinkwater, Samatha, Borjan). On the pitch, the way our Forward never seems to be the furthest forward, or how we play it round the back until we get closed down and mings rush clears or we get to half way line and turn back, how we don’t pass into space and rarely move the ball quickly is 70/30 Coaching/Players, at some point even if you are coached/Set up that way, players can take on some responsibility. I don’t think (on paper) we are in the bottom 3 in quality, even taking off my claret and blue tinted glasses I feel we SHOULD have had enough to be around 16-14 place. We lack a natural Leader on the pitch. So whose accountable - Board -> Smith -> Players I kinda want smith to stay, but I would want a better number 2 and a leader in the squad. If we stay up, I think even 2-3 shrewd signings and we have the makings of a decent mid table team. If we go down I don’t see many leaving (Grealish, Mings only) and we then go from +1 on the plan to -1 year. I don’t see many managers out there in our reach who would be any different (calling for Poch etc in plain crazy).

The best I can predict (not the best that can actually happen)

A bit of urgency is needed, speed up the play everything is always slow, slow out from mings, slow set pieces - only time we move the ball quicker we create half chances - it’s not rocket science

Drinks break, 25 to go in what is a must win game and he just stands there dithering to himself - no wonder the players have no fight