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Reply | January Transfer Thread
at 23:50 2 Jan 2025
I think a couple of good quality midfielders would go a long way to shoring up a weak midfield, instead of Key and Tymon filling in when needed, bring Cotterill back from his loan he has had quite a bit of game time to harden him up, if he is good enough then get him back although what very little I have seen of him he seemed to be indoctrinated with the holding midfielders role which has been held in high regard since Brittons time which has been slowed down to a showboating role, I'm sure others who have seen him more can advise if he is capable of a more dynamic influence on the midfield than the likes of the Fulton and Grimes combination. The midfield is weak and slow and missing a forward thinking pivotal role, we have seen a marked different when either Franco and Allen are involved, as we know the latter just cannot competed for the whole game even when available. We saw when Platino had the confidence to play forward passes the team looked a lot better for a short amount of time.until.he was made a scapegoat for the Leicester game could the same be said on Congreve after his only start?
Cover in defence is also missing do we keep trying to rely on older players to fill the gaps sorry but the likes of Christie and Naughton just leads to the decline of the team.
Got to go shopping but that costs money do we realy think the new investor will be able to provide more than the last. We have to remember it is a January transfer window are we going to be able to get another Eom or Ronald who do have their weaknesses.
I think we have missed the chances to bringing some our youngsters into the team when need because of relegation fears leaving some our 23 year old go and leave the club untested at senior level seem very wasteful and very short sighted. |
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Reply | Portsmouth v Swansea City : Match day thread Game Day !
at 09:54 2 Jan 2025
Fine line between a team being mid table, play off candidates or dropping into a relagation battle, Williams had to use the experienced players at the end of last year to stave off the relegation threat, the team needed the older players to balanced the inexperience at this level of some the younger players at this forward to this year a couple of signings, player out on loan because off budget restraints that haven't helped, we have shown we can compete with the best in the league to a degree but we also have seen that we need new players to cover the absence of our first eleven players, missed Franco and Key against Portsmouth, will we be without Cabango against WBA the strength in depth is needed but when you are struggling for quality players you have to keep the game plan simple and not try playing football at a level that the players can't cope with it is wrecking any confidence that the team has tried to build leading to indecision and bad choices resulting in mistakes in the wrong areas of the pitch.
Lack of depth in the squad given the previous owners but lack of direction from the coaches to build the confidence of the team. At least four players are needed to bolster the squad but looking at the absence of injured players it does make you think are our methods to get players up to full fitness good enough. |
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Reply | Portsmouth v Swansea City : Match day thread Game Day !
at 07:24 2 Jan 2025
As a dog in the midfield the easiest and usually safest ball when being closed down from our goal keepers goal kicks was to the full backs with one touch it allowed us to get up keep control of the ball and the full backs have the full view of what is in front of them so should know before they get the ball off the midfielder what they are going to do with the ball often with only one touch.
One touch football to get the ball down onto the floor to enable control see the spaces and use them. If you can't win the ball cleanly just get the ball forward so your team mates around you don't end up back pedalling we are creating pressure on ourselves. Basics, it is not kick and rush it's about getting into positions of control where we can do damage to the opposition not self inflict it on ourselves. |
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Reply | Portsmouth v Swansea City : Match day thread Game Day !
at 23:16 1 Jan 2025
They are asked to move in the the middle because of Grimes being expected to make himself available and drops so deep, but when teams attack us they target our flanks because they know Williams want the full backs to join the attacks or even bolster the midfield leaving the wings exposed.
Playing football while an opposition press is applied really needs to be further up the pitch especially in poor conditions and that is where our midfield support for the forwards should be.Let the fullback learn how to be fullback first.
Listening to Andy Robinson on radio Wales commentary he mentioned that Leon was quoted as saying he always looked to get the ball forward as his first option, we saw quick inventive football against QPR and ground out a result against Luton by putting pressure on them with forward passing.
One of the things that stands out to me now is that when Grimes plays the ball back to whoever there is very little positive movement from him to offer a viable option to the defender or goalie once he thinks he has done what he needs to do, Britton would always move to provide options, the same could be said of Allen when fit and now we have seen Franco offer himself at ever opportunity.
We have shown we can leak goals by the bucket load if we don't get our basic shape and movement right. |
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Reply | Portsmouth v Swansea City : Match day thread Game Day !
at 18:01 1 Jan 2025
Given what we have seen so far this season is there anyone who is surprised by the result, as much as I hoped and tried to be positive about the game the result comes as no surprise. Got to get the basics right. |
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Reply | TEAM NEWS : Pompey v Swans
at 14:42 1 Jan 2025
Key has been letting the ball go straight to Ronald from Cabango and we look better for it, will Naughton let the ball find Ronald or will he have to get a touch on the ball as Pompey try cutting out the supply route to Ronald, we will see how Fulton plays presumably with the same instructions Franco but will he be able to pull it off.
both Bristol and Watford just above have dropped some points today. |
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Reply | Portsmouth v Swansea City : Match day thread UPDATED
at 10:28 1 Jan 2025
How do we see this one going? Not giving silly goals away especially early in the game would be nice and then ramp the pressure up.
0-2 another away win for a Happy start to the New Year for the Jacks |
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Reply | Rooney Gone
at 10:39 31 Dec 2024
All about contacts, Toshack brought I n a number of good players, hasn't our younger managers contacts with players help us in the past or even the big names explayers helped us. Looks as Rooney draw as a manager has waned somewhat. |
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Reply | Vigouroux howler but at last Peart-Harris steps up and gets the winner
at 08:36 31 Dec 2024
There are a quite a few options open to the keeper if the high press is operated by the opposition to stifle the progression through Grimes forcing him ever deeper.
The first one is the good old fashion lump it down the park which isn't as neanderthal as it sounds, one because the opposition has pushed players forward in the press leaving space in the middle so the oppsition defenders have a choice do they push up to close the space down leaving them high up the pitch, but we cannot compete with our forwards against big defenders, not sure if that is now strictly true as Bianchini certainly make a nuisance of himself and both Eom and Ronald are competitive in the air with enough tricks at their disposal to make the spaces behind the defence an area of concern for defenders if the right long balls are played, ones with a low trajectory it gives the man in front of the defender a certain advantage even if it only a flick on into the space behind.Not lofted balls into the centre, even the ones to wingers are pointless if the position gained is squandered with throw ins back to the goalie.
The other option to the goalie is the tried and trusted clearance to the fast and nimble full backs on the edge of the area players on their natural side of the pitch can open their bodies up and easily play quick balls down the line to the wingers feet if they have space or long if the defender has press tight to them. If it is to feet then with Grimes not dropping so deep can offer options coming forward recieving passes in front of him allowing him the chance to play quicker balls forward. It is not something we see done often enough, we have seen the last two games if we get the ball to the wingers quick enough they can cause problems.
Even if the full backs are not on their natural side they would still have a comfortable ball inside to the oncoming Grime, we have seen Naughton playing on the left using his experience to play balls into the middle in the space left by the pressing opposition midfielder, in some cases forcing Grimes to come onto the ball in a run he wouldn't have made if he wasn't invited with no other choice to do by Naughton pass,so again keeping the forward momentum, I have seen Pearl-Harris do exactly the same thing from the middle of the park forcing Grimes to make a forward run into space by the pass.
Williams has stated that we have shown some composure in our wing play lately not rushing the attack and to some extent you have to agree but pressing home territorial or numerical advantage has to be done at speed, we saw against QPR those advantages pressed home empathically with quick intelligent play passing switching the point of attack from one side to another and good movement to allow those passes also without losing our defensive shape and not taking unnecessary risks.
When pressed by the opposition we have to create viable attacking options without compromising ourselves defensively but we also must not be caught off guard at start of games, just after we have scored, just before half time or the beginning of the second half where teams are expected to try and attack us if they are compelled to do given they are the home team or they are losing or they have a plan in place to either press or counter attack in open play. We do seem to be caugh out by what we should be expecting. [Post edited 31 Dec 2024 13:17]
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Reply | Williams out
at 21:49 30 Dec 2024
When team stack the box a tad ironic will do nicely if it gives us 3 points, we tried the short corners was tried them because of their tall defenders but Cabango and Darling are good weapons in the box if used properly, two scrappy goals using all the weapons we got even big six foot plus loanees or smaller midfield dynamos |
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Reply | Williams out
at 14:46 30 Dec 2024
Fulton in the short term, be interesting to see who comes on now as Fulton starts flagging.
Southampton might be a good game to give a start to the odd youngster to see how they fit in, looking at a long term solution in the middle of midfield as opposed to Fulton,especially as there is no longer any pressure to beat a team managed by Martin.🙄 |
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Reply | Vigouroux howler but at last Peart-Harris steps up and gets the winner
at 13:54 30 Dec 2024
Was Vigouroux mistake a case of following orders trying to play the quicker ball on the ground rather than the chipped ball that gives the oncoming player the advantage over the static wide player. We have seen some of Cabango's on the floor passes similarly not go to plan, It would seem Cabango's passing judgement has improved at least for the moment hopefully so will Vigouroux's, everyone makes mistakes but playing risky balls at the beginning of the games where the balance of power has not been won is plain stupid. |
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Reply | Williams out
at 13:25 30 Dec 2024
Plenty of teams have done that against us closing the space down even with eleven men hoping to catch us on the break. |
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Reply | Williams out
at 11:33 30 Dec 2024
We know Darling has a good shot but so far out is ineffective, shooting on the edge of the box is another thing but static players who can generate power from a static position are a bonus Piroe and Ntcham, the space to shoot has to be create with forward movement not lateral. Players need at times need to come out of the box to create it in the box and vice versa to create it on the edge. |
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Reply | Williams out
at 10:24 30 Dec 2024
It would appear both QPR and Luton games both suited as the attacking team, QPR didn't really press with any conviction until the second half but asoppose to other games the job had been done in the first .
As for Luton they got the press right and the error came, luckily for us it was so early and did they play into our hands by dropping off leaving us play, for all Williams talk of playing the correct way, our two goals where scored by putting the ball in the mixer as we mounted the pressure on them not by tapping it across the front of the penalty box not taking the oppountites to shoot, was it a case that both QPR and Luton allowed us to attack which thankfully we were able to exploit with the added bonus of the sending off, we had a couple of bonuses like that under Martin as I remember.
So are we still at the point where we know we can score goals but don't know if pressure is exerted on us whether we would crumble or not?
With Franco seemingly out of action for a number of games we shall see as I'm sure his loss will have an impact but hoping not! |
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Reply | Swansea City : Luke Williams linked to West Brom job
at 10:03 30 Dec 2024
Anybody know what he said when we first came calling when he was a Notts County?
Maybe he was being pragmatic and being honest about the future although the definition of Pragmatic is sensible and realistic or maybe counting his chickens far too early and may not have been the most sensible thing to say. |
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Reply | Swansea City : Luke Williams linked to West Brom job
at 06:31 30 Dec 2024
Favourites don't always win races and 3/1 isn't to me a nail on certainty just set of odds to encourage betting on him, if it was a cert in the eyes of the bookies the odds would be much lower or is it a case there is not enough people caring to bet on the matter and the bookies can take the hit if it happens.
Will be interesting to see how the odds develop.
On Luke William's there is a nice amount of time left on his contract , if he goes now we should reap a good cash benefit but surely he would wait for a better offer to come along and given some of the progress made by the team, the starting eleven if played correctly look a force to be reckoned with and with a few additions to build for the future then his status would be elevated further.
Time fhe club, manager or in Darling's case player, to stick or twist, while the fans squirm.
Are the new owners just business men looking to reap a profit or looking out for the best interest of the club, this early in their tenure maybe to let people go if the price is right is the correct option but if the rebuild for the future is to continue would like to see it done on the foundations now in place, so someone will have to spend the cash I think. [Post edited 30 Dec 2024 6:34]
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Reply | Goncalo Franco rushed to hospital after gruesome collision
at 00:14 30 Dec 2024
Listening and reading the reports it does not look good but we cannot rely on just one player and can the upturn in results solely be down to one player? I think most of us think yes but Bianchini really seems to have found his feet if not quite his shooting boots Cullen looks as if he could link up well with both him and Eom, meaning Tymon does not need to keep going beyond the winger, similar could be said of Key with Ronald getting the ball so early Key can now give him options quickly with forward runs off him which does drag players off Ronald, Franco has added more movement on the righthand side, will his loss which seems likely, not effect us that badly as long as we are getting the ball quickly to Ronald I hope not but suspect it will, away from home, the home team pressing us constantly the long balls may be a good ploy as Bianchini does look as if he can make a nuisance of himself especially if Ronald and Eom can feed off him. |
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