Not A Happy Chap Tonight

[animallittle3]

Just when you think everything is geared towards a top two finish we have a wobble , a couple of back to back wins and then a home draw or one of these inept away performances as many witnessed today and at Coventry .

At times this season we are unplayable and in others we look ordinary in large parts .

This in my opinion is what you get with young players , games like today when it's not going right find you out when you haven't a couple of solid experienced pros out on the park getting young players heads right and inspiring them .

Winning ugly gets you automatic promotion and not the champagne wins at Peterborough .

I can still vividly recall the last team we had who gained automatic promotion from this league in 80/81 , some games weren't pretty , tight 1-0 wins at Exeter , a narrow 2-1 victory over Blackpool etc etc .

Playing poorly but getting the wins , Pompey seem to be doing this very well this season .

Flattering to deceive at times for me because when it's good it's bloody good but we have to start winning ugly or it's the play off lottery for us this season .

[Hodger1957]

You have to have some sort of threat up front, and i'm sorry Brown can't offer that (yet).
Moore can, even if he's not the most gifted he occupies defenders.
Last week we got away with because all the midfield played out of their skins.
Portsmouth have Brett Pitman on the bench every week.

[upthecolliers]

I just don't understand why we have a age limit of 26 animal, we need a couple of good old pro's to see us over the line take to day Charlton had Ward up top he must be 33 and by all a counts he harist us and at times made our defence look average to say the least.

[animallittle3]

Looking for 3 wins on the bounce now , Shrewsbury away , Bristol Rovers and Southend at home .

Anything less than 9 points isn't good enough in my opinion .

[animallittle3]

I just don't understand why we have a age limit of 26 animal, we need a couple of good old pro's to see us over the line take to day Charlton had Ward up top he must be 33 and by all a counts he harist us and at times made our defence look average to say the least.

Agreed and that Carey from Plymouth would be my shout in january .

[Acido]

I do think some of our lot on the Bbs have gone over board tonight in their criticisms though, today is only the second loss in 14 games. And if (I say IF) we win our game in hand it would put us 2nd at the third-of the way into the season, I think we'd all have accepted that when we were still searching for a new coach.

What annoys me more though and surely its not just co-incidence, we've done this again today immediately after the Intl break, and didn't we goto Cov immediately after one of those breaks!.

Also, I predicted a 2-0 loss for us today for those similar reasons, and maybe I should have put some money on it!.

[upthecolliers]

It looks like Accrington Stanley will p1ss this league who'd a thowt it.

[Hodger1957]

Ward was one of 3 loan players Charlton started today, the other 2 came from Arsenal & West Ham.
I know some aren't keen on loan players but the odd one can help you 'get over the line'.
Would we have gone up last time without Fletcher, Isgrove & Brownhill?

[animallittle3]

I do think some of our lot on the Bbs have gone over board tonight in their criticisms though, today is only the second loss in 14 games. And if (I say IF) we win our game in hand it would put us 2nd at the third-of the way into the season, I think we'd all have accepted that when we were still searching for a new coach.

What annoys me more though and surely its not just co-incidence, we've done this again today immediately after the Intl break, and didn't we goto Cov immediately after one of those breaks!.

Also, I predicted a 2-0 loss for us today for those similar reasons, and maybe I should have put some money on it!.

I don't buy this international break thing acido , it's only two players when all is said and done and we won without them last saturday playing some cracking stuff at times .

Inconsistent , McGeehan played very well last week and subbed at half time today , Moncur unplayable the last two games and poor today by all accounts .

Young players are inconsistent , there wasn't a squad more inconsistent in the whole history of the club than the school of 2015/16 over the whole season .

It took an older head to kick them into shape in Adam Hammill when he came back .

In 80/81 Hunter brought in McHale and Barraclough to get us over the line , two experienced heads .

Crying out for it .

[Acido]

Ward was one of 3 loan players Charlton started today, the other 2 came from Arsenal & West Ham.
I know some aren't keen on loan players but the odd one can help you 'get over the line'.
Would we have gone up last time without Fletcher, Isgrove & Brownhill?

In a word Hod, NO we wouldn't!. Ash Fletcher's input as a loanee that season was impressive and to a lesser extent, so was Josh Brownhill.
Was Jamie Ward a Blunt as well at some point, and by the sounds of it hes bossed us today despite being allegedly past it!. (by our own ridiculous under 25 rule of course)


ps - And Ive just noticed your reply Animal. I want us to go for some experience as well, I think most of us think the squad is in serious need of a bit of it here and there. But one argument against that immediately could be Matt Mills, who on paper seemed like such a 'good' signing last season.

Big Norman might have done it waaay back in the glorious promotion year of '81, but those achievements won't ever be reached again under this under 25 rule, or whatever it should be called.