Portsmouth vs Exeter

[Moomin]

Huge game for us, this....

Can we really prove our worth as playoff contenders with a result tomorrow? Ordinarily I'd be happy with a point but the way we're playing I fancy us to get a win. As ever the first 20-30 mins are crucial as if we can keep a clean sheet we should then grow into the game and we're great on the counter.

I'll plump for a 2-1 win with Reid scoring both for us and Chaplin for Pompey. 1,112 Grecians to make the trip

 

[Boletus Edulis]

Huge games for both teams. With Carlisle faltering, Portsmouth need all three to keep the pressure on or get pulled back into the chasing pack. Exeter are clearly on form, scoring goals for fun. But will this be the last game for some of their young guns, I guess we'll know if there are some mystery injuries?

Personally fancy Exeter, and I guess this or a draw tactically suits us better.

Be interesting to see if you take more to Pompey or us, I suspect the former.

 

[Grecian O'Grecian]

My gut tells me our run will end on Saturday, although I've been saying we'll lose for the last month or so. Agree that the first 20/30 mins is crucial to how the game goes. The toughest match we've had in a long while.

 

[Trapdoor]

I would be over the moon with a draw here. Going to be so tough.

 

[Arbury]

Fancy Exeter for this so LUMP ON!!

 

[Moomin]

Wasn't Reuben Reid linked with Pompey for ages when he was at Argyle? Would love him to have a stormer today...

 

[WAP]

Exeter were better than us by a country mile. We were woeful today, passing was sunday league.

 

[Boletus Edulis]

Wasn't Reuben Reid linked with Pompey for ages when he was at Argyle? Would love him to have a stormer today...

Yes he was throughout most of the second stint with us, it was a very strong rumour several times. I have a feeling he was also linked with them the first time he played for us.

Well done, good result. I see Wheeler scored, no mystery injuries were there? You might get to keep Watkins and him until summer.

 

[Moomin]

This is insane...! We were bottom of the league on 19th November and now we're in the playoffs!

Another clean sheet so it's now only 2 goals conceded in 10 games which is superb especially as we're usually so fragile at the back. Not now though, we're resilient and dangerous on the attack which is a great combo.

Such a great win and sounds like it was deserved and another great away following too....

I love football.

 

[Moomin]

Yes he was throughout most of the second stint with us, it was a very strong rumour several times. I have a feeling he was also linked with them the first time he played for us.

Well done, good result. I see Wheeler scored, no mystery injuries were there? You might get to keep Watkins and him until summer.

Ah thought he was, cheers.

Yeah Wheeler is now our top scorer and hoping we can keep him for the rest of the season, along with Watkins. Both played today and hoping they both start on Tuesday nights game against Wycombe and we can breathe a sigh of relief!!

 

[Bucket_]

Not really a surprising result to me, but that was absolute rubbish. Cook needs to switch it up personnel-wise, I've had enough of Smith. Hoping and praying that we manage to get Doyle but I can't be all that confident with Bolton & co interested. So failing that, give Kabamba a go with Chaplin and Lowe on the right. Can't possibly be worse than Smith in terms of striking ability (can hardly fault his work ethic) at this stage.

Lowe was the one positive today. Looks excellent.

 

[GTFCfish]

Exeter City in away win shocker....

 

[Trapdoor]

We were very lucky to win but Pompey didn't look like scoring. The opportunities they did craft werent capitalised on. We had one or two chances which we somehow took. Surprising result in my opinion.

 

[K-Win]

Don't agree that you were lucky today, Trapdoor. You had a grip on midfield for long periods, especially first half. We just didn't really look like scoring so one goal was always likely to be enough to beat us.

There's a ton of pressure on everyone at the club this season. If we don't go up then the expensive Paul Cook project will no doubt be thrown on the scrapheap. Our summer signings that were supposed to address the problems from last season generally haven't worked - we signed 3 new strikers and they've mustered an impressive 6 league goals between the three of them.

I'm beginning to wonder if the expectations are too much for the manager and some of the players to handle. Jamal Lowe looked good again when he came on though so hope springs eternal.

 

[shoddycollins]

Good to see Pompey lose while we surge away from them, storming to a 1-1 draw. This has to be the shittest contest for the last automatic place in years. Wonder the chances it turns out to be neither us nor Pompey. Could be Exeter.

 

[WAP]

Agree with Bucket, Exeter deserved the win, sure we hit the post and had some pressure late on but Exeter closed us down, won pretty much every second ball and didn't let us settle. Exeter this season's Northampton?

If anything today was easier to take than the losses against Stevenage and Notts County where we had battered them for 90 minutes. Defensive issues yet again, we can't cope with a big target man like Hylton, Reid etc. And next week we're playing Wycombe so odds on us getting Akinfenwa'd.

 

[Bar Carousel]

For a team that is supposedly chasing promotion, there's a horrible, negative, poisonous atmosphere surrounding it.

Players roundly jeered and booed. A manager in an ever on-going feud with the fans. A fan base that's turning on itself.

It's a pressure cooker waiting to blow.

We won't get promoted under these circumstances.

 

[GTFCfish]

We were very lucky to win but Pompey didn't look like scoring. The opportunities they did craft werent capitalised on. We had one or two chances which we somehow took. Surprising result in my opinion.

A guy at work yesterday said he was off to put some footy bets on and I told him I'd seen Exeter were 5/2 to win at Pompey and told him how good you were against us and also that you had the best away record in the league and 5/2 odds were way too long.
So he was going after work to put Exeter in his bet, but unfortunately for him he was doubling it up with Grimsby to win at Stevenage

 

[Bucket_]

For a team that is supposedly chasing promotion, there's a horrible, negative, poisonous atmosphere surrounding it.

Players roundly jeered and booed. A manager in an ever on-going feud with the fans. A fan base that's turning on itself.

It's a pressure cooker waiting to blow.

We won't get promoted under these circumstances.

I think that's a little over the top - there certainly is a poor atmosphere today and there has been at times throughout the season, but just before the Crawley game and throughout last week there was, from what I saw, a really positive attitude surrounding the club. It finally seemed as if things were beginning to click into place a little. It's just the nature of where we are at the moment, and the heightened expectation that comes with it, that means one bad result/performance can completely flip things around. If we were to manage to sign a striker like Doyle and win at Wycombe I guarantee the vibe around the club would flip on its head yet again.

Even yesterday the atmosphere was much better, when we went 1-0 down it got louder rather than quieter, which was a marked change from previous games. It was only at the final whistle that the boos came out, and they were warranted.

And it's been a while since I've seen Cook make any particularly pointed remarks towards the fans. It's not all doom and gloom, we're still well in it. There are just (admittedly fairly significant) issues that need to be ironed out.

I'm not convinced that we can make the autos either, but at this stage, I think we can assume that 1) Cook isn't going anywhere until the end of the season at least, and 2) there's no one who could replace him and do a better job with the time they'd have, in my opinion anyway. So all we can really do is hope they sort out the obvious issues with the team, pack FP, make it loud, and see what happens.

 

[Bucket_]

Having said all that. I agree with this completely - https://stevelarham.wordpress.com/i-want-my-fratton-back/

And now I've just seen this -

"The fans dictate what goes on". Scratch all of what I just said, everything's terrible.

 

[GTFCfish]

Having said all that. I agree with this completely - https://stevelarham.wordpress.com/i-want-my-fratton-back/

And now I've just seen this -

"The fans dictate what goes on". Scratch all of what I just said, everything's terrible.

The guy asking the questions sounded like he really wanted to be there as well!

 

[Don Tonberry]

That Paul Cook interview is really worrying. He's bowing to fan pressure and he seems out of ideas.

Perhaps this job is too big for him after all.

 

[Bar Carousel]

I think that's a little over the top - there certainly is a poor atmosphere today and there has been at times throughout the season, but just before the Crawley game and throughout last week there was, from what I saw, a really positive attitude surrounding the club. It finally seemed as if things were beginning to click into place a little. It's just the nature of where we are at the moment, and the heightened expectation that comes with it, that means one bad result/performance can completely flip things around. If we were to manage to sign a striker like Doyle and win at Wycombe I guarantee the vibe around the club would flip on its head yet again.

Even yesterday the atmosphere was much better, when we went 1-0 down it got louder rather than quieter, which was a marked change from previous games. It was only at the final whistle that the boos came out, and they were warranted.

And it's been a while since I've seen Cook make any particularly pointed remarks towards the fans. It's not all doom and gloom, we're still well in it. There are just (admittedly fairly significant) issues that need to be ironed out.

I'm not convinced that we can make the autos either, but at this stage, I think we can assume that 1) Cook isn't going anywhere until the end of the season at least, and 2) there's no one who could replace him and do a better job with the time they'd have, in my opinion anyway. So all we can really do is hope they sort out the obvious issues with the team, pack FP, make it loud, and see what happens.

For what it's worth i'm 100% behind Cook.

What we have lacked for seasons is stability. Now we've got it, and a manager with pedigree to rebuild the club.

What we don't have is a patient fan base. The majority are fed up with still being in the bottom division for four seasons now. Their demand to get promotion is mounting growing pressure week-on-week. I don't blame them for wanting better, but I don't think we have some given right to get promoted. It's counter productive. That demand is making Fratton a very uncomfortable place for our players to play. The first stray ball, or backwards pass, and the groans begin. Players become uncomfortable, and stop taking risks and play the simple pass. Smith is jeered before he's even set foot on the pitch.

I agree the atmosphere in general was better yesterday. But that doesn't hide the snidey comments aimed from individuals to players (and there was a lot around me).

Cook doesn't help himself with his stubbornness and post-match tantrums. He's becoming unlikable to many. Given the pressure he's under (and undoubtedly feeling), he's only going to get more grizzly as the season rolls on.

For a team sat near the top of the table all season, the general atmosphere from fans (slating players on twitter, heckling, booing, message board melt-downs, and phone-in's all for the manager to be sacked) this season feels more akin to a relegation dog fight.