Gills v Pompey (live on sky)

[nelsonpfc]

Gonna be an interesting one.. Possibly the worst game to broadcast on tv to be fair.

Two sides decimated by absentees for both sides. Portsmouth have 2 potentially, both first choice and 2nd choice LBs, 2 first choice centre backs, 1st choice RB/backup CB top scorer (pitman)and backup forward (chaplin) out injured. Will probably be playing two midfielders as full backs , 1 CB and a non league striker at CB.. Gills top scorer suspended, first choice cb on international duty plus a few other first teamers injured. Gills have a poor record this season having only won one league game, Pompey only have 4 points away from home and look a very average low mid table side who can't play well for 90 mins and can't string performances together and concede just after half time. Jackett has some thinking to do as our midfield is being continually overrun this season. He changed it slightly in midweek to only playing one winger and o'keefe as a right sided midfielder who tucks in. Has 0-0 all over it and I'd be surprised if any side has alot of possesion. Gonna come down to a set piece for any goals if there are any goals.

Likely Pompey lineups depending on injuries to Thompson,RB and Burgess CB

McGee
Evans Hawkins Clarke Donahue
Close Rose
O'keefe Bennett Naismith
Main

McGee
Thompson Burgess Clarke Donahue
Close Rose
O'keefe Bennett Naismith
Hawkins

Probably the hardest team selection to call out of the whole season because of injuries and some very inconsistant performances so far.

 

[FarehamPompey]

Hopefully I can find somewhere to watch it in Vietnam. Fingers crossed!

 

[joethegill]

I'm working so will have to hope I get a chance to watch it on the box. Several players out through internationals, injury and suspension as mentioned (Zakuani, Byrne, Eaves, Lacey, O'Neil) who would probably be in the starting 11.

Holy
Nugent - Ehmer - Ogilvie
Parker - Hessenthaler - Bingham - Clare - Martin
Wilkinson - Nash

Arnold, O'Mara, Simpson, List, Oldaker, Tucker and Starkey on the bench.

0-0.

 

[nelsonpfc]

Looks like Thompson trained so will play at RB. Burgess won't make it, so Forward Ollie Hawkins and Matt Clarke at the back. Opens it up for Curtis Main to play as the forward

 

[K-Win]

Super Sunday - two teams with most of their best players missing.

This will be scrappy. I'll go along with a 0-0 boring affair. Neutrals may do better looking for a film alternative - there's "Stuart Little 2" on Film 4 or "Cats and Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore" on ITV2.

 

[SMH]

Super Sunday - two teams with most of their best players missing.

This will be scrappy. I'll go along with a 0-0 boring affair. Neutrals may do better looking for a film alternative - there's "Stuart Little 2" on Film 4 or "Cats and Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore" on ITV2.

Stuart Little 2? That's my Sunday sorted!

 

[Indian Dan]

I’ve got £12.71 in my Skybet account so I’ve gone 2-0 Pompey @ 8/1

 

[Liam_SWFC]

Gillingham are absolute relegation fodder, could play all week and not even have a shot on target.

 

[Bucket_]

We won on TV.. we won on TV..!

 

[PuB]

Gillingham are absolute relegation fodder, could play all week and not even have a shot on target.

Yep.

 

[GFCSludge]

Relegation fodder? We're already gone.

 

[Indian Dan]

Not much to attract Le Slug

 

[joethegill]

Sneakily watched the first half at work, didn't get to see the second so no idea what that was like. Commentators kept saying it was only a matter of time til Pompey scored in the first half, but to be honest they weren't exactly threatening (neither were we, but what's new there). Probably a penalty for the foul on Clare but you don't tend to get those decisions at the wrong end of the league. Yet another defensive injury is a big worry, with Nugent now out alongside Lacey, Zakuani, O'Neill and Garmston we have problems there. Indeed, those 5 together would probably be a very decent first choice unit. So we're left with Ehmer plus the kids (I'm not including Ogilvie, cause he's abysmal) for now. Fully aware that Zakuani is only on international duty but it'd be just our luck for him to twist his knee getting off the plane or something at the minute.

Midfield - still shit. Perennial sicknote Scott Wagstaff is the only midfielder we have to provide excitement, and he can't go a fortnight without picking up a 6 week injury. I like Clare, but end product is lacking. Elsewhere, Hess is fine as a water carrier but we need a little more at the minute, Martin tries to make things happen but is rarely successful and Bingham is limited (although I enjoy the defensive side to his game). Leaves us with the kids again. Oldaker is probably going to be a very good player but he needs minutes. Not sure our current situation is ideal to give him those but fuck it, why the hell not. List is pace and NOTHING ELSE. How he got a new deal in the summer is anyones guess.

Then we come to our forward line. Our threatening, all-conquering forward line. Let's be honest, it's basically just Eaves, and he's suspended. Not to mention limited. Wilkinson is a waste of a wage, Parker is more of a winger (a non-effective, hard-working one) and then it's kids again. I get why Nash was signed, I think the club should do that more with non-league talent, but currently he's not the man to resuscitate our season.

Every week I look at our subs warming up down the touchline and can't name at least half of them. Is Jesse Starkey real? He could come and sit in my front room and I'd wonder who he was. We don't have game-changers - neither starting nor on the bench, so what can we realistically expect? We're starting to get cut adrift (cheers Plymouth for keeping us company) and the heartbreaking thing about it is that it's all so obvious. It's not like we have the players and they just aren't performing which was the case last year. In fact I feel it's the opposite. We definitely DON'T have the players but I feel they're performing as well as they can, it just isn't enough.

I've always been of the opinion that I don't REALLY mind relegation to League 2, and it's true. It's not the end of the world there (plus, last time we were there we had loads of fun!) but I'd still rather be up here. On a positive note, I went to see Maidstone v Bromley in the week and the quality was hideous, and we aren't nearly that bad yet - I think people underestimate how poor League Two is as well to be honest. If (maybe when) we do go down, the current side wouldn't do much positive at that level. But between now and a possible re-visit there, we'll have two transfer windows so chances are the squad would like nothing like this anyway. So who knows. It's always darkest before the dawn and all that.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

What a borefest, my assessment of that game:

Pompey - Poor
Gillingham - Abysmal

I had Pompey down as top 6 pre season, but in the two games I've seen on sky I'm afraid no chance unless they improve dramatically.

As for Gillingham, half way through that game I thought back to when they came to ours at the beginning of the 15-16 season. We still had Parkinson in charge and they absolutely played us of the park, think they only won 2-0 in the end though should have been more? Their style of play and quality were streets ahead of us, Dack gave one of the best individual performances at VP I've seen at this level and looked a multi million pound player. But now Dack was sold for 6 figures and their quality seems to have drifted somewhere down the English channel. You can tell Taylor has had a say on the signings, just like when he was with us bringing in players well below the League average and the once silky team playing kick and rush to no one. Feel sorry for any set of fans who get stuck with him in some capacity, a dinosaur well out of date in modern football. Can't see them staying up unless they get a decent manager in and perform miracles in the January sales.

 

[Bucket_]

What a borefest, my assessment of that game:

Pompey - Poor
Gillingham - Abysmal

I had Pompey down as top 6 pre season, but in the two games I've seen on sky I'm afraid no chance unless they improve dramatically.

You'd think having the 4/5 first teamers currently out returning in the next few weeks will improve us dramatically.. but we're definitely not Top 6 material at this stage.

 

[joethegill]

What a borefest, my assessment of that game:

Pompey - Poor
Gillingham - Abysmal

I had Pompey down as top 6 pre season, but in the two games I've seen on sky I'm afraid no chance unless they improve dramatically.

As for Gillingham, half way through that game I thought back to when they came to ours at the beginning of the 15-16 season. We still had Parkinson in charge and they absolutely played us of the park, think they only won 2-0 in the end though should have been more? Their style of play and quality were streets ahead of us, Dack gave one of the best individual performances at VP I've seen at this level and looked a multi million pound player. But now Dack was sold for 6 figures and their quality seems to have drifted somewhere down the English channel. You can tell Taylor has had a say on the signings, just like when he was with us bringing in players well below the League average and the once silky team playing kick and rush to no one. Feel sorry for any set of fans who get stuck with him in some capacity, a dinosaur well out of date in modern football. Can't see them staying up unless they get a decent manager in and perform miracles in the January sales.

Plot twist that a several of the players that played in the match you mentioned were brought in by Taylor in a previous spell....

 

[WilsdenBantam]

Plot twist that a several of the players that played in the match you mentioned were brought in by Taylor in a previous spell....

Just goes to show, even a broken clock is right twice a day.

 

[joethegill]

Just goes to show, even a broken clock is right twice a day.

He's done alright with new signings in his previous spells with us in honesty, first time round he signed well and got us into the Championship and then recommended Marlon King, Chris Hope and Paul Shaw who were three of the best players the club has ever had. Last time round he signed John Egan who was superb, plus several others who were big parts of the side that started so well a couple of years ago (including giving Bradley Dack a first proper run in the side). Time will tell on this years lot, but yeah, not exactly thrilling so far.

 

[K-Win]

What a borefest

Well - I did warn you.

Any win we can get without Pitman playing is a bonus. I'd agree that we don't look like top 6 at the moment, but it's a long old season and I'd back us to improve.

 

[nelsonpfc]

Considering the back Four and the Front two were changed (again) We did ok. We are going to have to struggle and get a few points over the line until we have Pitman and a few others back. We are awful away from home so i'll take a scrappy win and a clean sheet. At the moment we have 2 forward, 2 centre backs, two left backs, two midfielders out injured, plus Close (CM) and Donahue (3rd choice make shift LB) having come off with knocks in that game. What we had in the match day squad is what we have in terms of professional players.

 

[THE LAST WALTZ]

Well we had O'Neil, Garmston, Zukuani, Lacey, Byrne, wagstaff and Eaves missing.
All would be definite first team starters.
So effectively four of our first team started the game.
Add Aaron Morris and that becomes eight first teamers missing.
We are shit and will probably go down but I would still like to see what can happen with s fit squad and a half decent manager.

 

[ThisTinpotLeague]

I would still like to see what can happen with s fit squad and a half decent manager.

I know it's tough rn but really don't think changing teams is the way to go

 

[Camborne Gills]

I knew it would be painful to watch. (but that's enough about the England game). We were much worse than even I anticipated.

When did we last win on Sky btw? The 2009 play off final?

 

[GFC4EVA]

I knew it would be painful to watch. (but that's enough about the England game). We were much worse than even I anticipated.

When did we last win on Sky btw? The 2009 play off final?

January 2014 beat wolves with a stopage time goal

 

[joethegill]

Well we had O'Neil, Garmston, Zukuani, Lacey, Byrne, wagstaff and Eaves missing.
All would be definite first team starters.
So effectively four of our first team started the game.
Add Aaron Morris and that becomes eight first teamers missing.
We are shit and will probably go down but I would still like to see what can happen with s fit squad and a half decent manager.

It's a fair point to be honest. Our best defender this year has probably been Zakuani, our best midfielder arguably Byrne and our best forward certainly Eaves. If we ever got what could be considered a first 11 we might scrape enough, but that won't happen. Poor sides are rarely blessed with low injury lists.

 

[Camborne Gills]

January 2014 beat wolves with a stopage time goal

Ah yes, I remember watching that now. I think we were battered for about 89 1/2 minutes iirc.

Still, doesn't detract from the point that wins on the telly are as rare as rocking horse shit (no wins at all on BT Sport)