My Thoughts

[animallittle3]

Massively disappointing result tonight , we shouldn't be 3-0 down with over half the game still to go to anyone at this level , up at Sunderland included .

My post is a reaction to the last two games but an overall reflection on the season so far too .

The lack of consistency in our performances and the points we've dropped tell me we aren't good enough for automatic promotion , capable on our day but we don't have the desired consistency , the home points dropped to Wimbledon , Walsall and Plymouth were dreadful results , we huffed and puffed to beat Gillingham , Bristol Rovers and Southend and Donny Rovers should have beaten us , we were terrific against Oxford and for large spells of the Luton game but when you factor in the above it's inconsistency personified .

On the road we've done ok and that's what's kept us around the top 4 , that said we were awful at Coventry , Charlton and woeful at Shrewsbury .

Tonight's game more or less defined our season so far , awful to start , kept at it to nick one before half time , played very well to get back to 3-2 before we were eventually beaten .

There is enough talent in the squad to push hard for an automatic spot but there isn't enough experience or know how to clinch it .

Every promotion bar one that I have witnessed watching this club was achieved with a mixture of youth , experience and some players in the 26 to 28 years of age category .

1978 / 79 we had the experience of Springett , Collins , Saunders , Chambers , Pugh , Clarke and Millar , the youth of Riley , McCarthy , Bell and Graham and the middling ground of Little .

1980 / 81 had the experience of Chambers , Evans , McHale , Barraclough and Glavin , youth came from Joyce , McCarthy , Riley Banks , Parker and Aylott .

1997/ 98 had Thompson , Redfearn , Wilko and Hendrie with the younger lads of Watson , Eaden , Moses , Bullock and Jones , Shezza , Marcelle the middling ground .

Automatic promotion in my opinion requires plenty of experience and know how , it's a proven fact .

I'm not going to include the two play off wins because you either win them or you don't and on both occasions we weren't anywhere near the top two and it was never achievable .

We were extremely fortunate to win them in 2006 to say the least and a once in a lifetime second half of the season in 2016 got us up that year , I don't even know where to start to analyse that season because it was a one off and you won't see that again anytime soon .

The point I'm making is that under the present recruitment structure we are making it incredibly hard to get promoted automatically , harder than it needs to be in my opinion .

We have the handle on the youth but choose to ignore the much needed experience and know how and it's possibly going to take a successful play off campaign to get us promoted which more times than not can be a total lottery .

I'll tell you now I wouldn't like to be playing Luton , Charlton or even Donny over two legs because I ain't convinced we can handle the pressure .

We desperately need some know how and experience or getting out of this league will be tough and the longer it goes on the more likely the budget gets reduced , the Moore's , Mowatt's , Pinnocks and Woodrow's are sold .

The best chance is this season and the January window , the experience may come in but such is the consistency of Pompey and Sunderland it may leave us with a bit too much to do , I could be wrong and they both implode snd you never know but the experience will come in mightly handing through the second half of the season and gives us a better opportunity in the play offs .

Some decisions need to be made on Grove Street in the coming weeks regarding recruitment because as I say this season may present the best chance of getting back up and it could be more difficult in the season's ahead .

[Doggydo]

Ditto to all that animal.

[pass_and_move]

Good post Animal, totally agree

[Jules88]

Agree with all that. We need experience, AND a strong captain

[Exiletyke]

Agree but why can't those making the decisions see it

[Ponte_Steve24]

We need to bag a win soon. Could have done without a cup game this weekend. After two poor results what we needed was an home game in the league to try and sort things out. Not a cup game where we'll most likely tinker with starting 11 again.

Ironic thing for me is if Stendel had started with the same 11 as last night against Donny the glass would have been half full because we wouldn't have been chasing the game and would probably have beat them with our best 11 out.

So Stendel's team selection against Donny has cost us two points saturday and maybe a point last night. We've lost that continuity. It was as criminal as Hecky after the Norwich game last season saving players for the Leeds game against Cardiff and ending up with fcuk all.

Points in the bag Stendel. You'll learn

[Jules88]

Said that On another thread. Sunderland should have been a “Nowt to lose”
Donny was a Must win, best team out. 3 from six. We got 1

[animallittle3]

I'd like to see two maybe three players coming in with a minimum of 250 league games behind them and at least one promotion in which they contributed for the most part .

[Ponte_Steve24]

I'd like to see us try three at the back and Pinillos on the right and Fryers on the left. Three in the Middle and two up front.

Davies

Pinillos, Jackson, Pinnock, Lindsay, Fryers

Potts, Mowatt, Moncur

Woodrow, Moore

[animallittle3]

David Stockdale goalkeeper Wycombe Wanderers


Brian Carey Plymouth Argyle


Jay Spearing Blackpool