Pompey 1 Carlisle 1: Cause for concern? Yes and no
Sunday, 7th Aug 2016 13:32 by Steve Bone at Fratton Park

So a 1-1 draw against Carlisle is the reward for an afternoon when Pompey had more possession and pressure, and as many chances, than in almost any game I can recall. A cause for concern? Yes and no.

On one hand the fact is the failure to beat a limited team who had 10 men for an hour will bring back painful memories of last season, when too many home draws - most of them 0-0 rather than 1-1, admittedly - cost Pompey dear, and in fact cost Pompey promotion.

But on the other hand, Pompey played well - very well - and if they can dominate teams like that on a regular basis they will beat more of them than they don't. Not all will be capable of frustrating them as Carlisle did.

The worry for Pompey fans after game one of 46 will be - do they have a goalscorer who can take advantage of enough of the numerous chances they look set to create?

You can't judge too much after one game but plenty seem to think Michael Smith is not the answer in a team playing 4-2-3-1. And in fairness to those who think that, and I'm one of them, they are not just basing that on this single game - they saw last season how he might give his all in every game, and chase everything, but he is not a poacher who scores a goal every other game.

Presumably Paul Cook will give Curtis Main, Noel Hunt and Conor Chaplin plenty of chances in that system or similar ones too, and it could be that one of that trio ends up being the perfect man for the role.

The promising signs against Carlisle came in the mix of midfield and attacking talent Cook has assembled. In Michael Doyle and Danny Rose as the holding pair and Gary Roberts, Milan Lalkovic and Carl Baker as the three in front of them, Pompey have five players each capable of doing serious damage to League Two defences. When you think they also have Kyle Bennett and - when fully fit - Gareth Evans to add into his options for that little quintet, it's a mouthwatering prospect.

There may be times when one of the five misses out and Cook goes with two men up front. Smith plus Hunt or Chaplin would be worth seeing from the start one week, in my view, and Main has not come here to warm the bench and will be champing at the bit for his chance to stake a claim.

Defensively, there was not much to judge against a Carlisle team who didn't do much attacking with 11 men and did virtually none with 10.

The goal that silenced Fratton for a while on this sunny first day of the season was a soft one, Carlisle cutting through the centre too easily. But with Christian Burgess marshalling things as he did last season, Pompey are unlikely to have too much to worry about at the back.

We know what we will get from Burgess and Enda Stevens - we wait to see who will be Burgess' regular central partner, though my money would be on Matt Clarke being the preferred choice once he is fit. Jack Whatmough may have other ideas but looks short of being back to his best just yet.

New right-back Drew Talbot had some good moments, though looks like he may not offer quite the same lung-bursting streaks down the right win that we became used to from his predeccesor Ben Davies. And in goal, David Forde, for the little he had to do, looks a keeper capable of commanding his defenders and his area.

Much, then, to be optimistic about at the start of a season which really ought to bring promotion - if only to finally escape a league where, still, there are too many teams who think blatant time-wasting is what we pay our money to see. If refs are cracking down on dissent (for which I detect no pressure from fans), why can't they also get stricter on time-wasting keepers like Carlisle's? A few earlier yellow cards or the odd red for using up too much time would stamp it out.

For now the jury is out on the striker issue. Smith has work to do to convince us he is the answer - Cook had plenty to think about, with games coming thick and fast now we are under way.

One thing is for sure, though - we are in for an entertaining ride.

Pompey (4-2-3-1): Forde; Talbot, Whatmough, Burgess, Stevens; Rose (Hunt 83), Doyle (c); Baker, Roberts, Lalkovic (Bennett 68); Smith (Chaplin 68). Subs not used: Bass, Davies, Barton, Main

Referee: Graham Salisbury

Attendance: 17,570 (481 away fans)