Portsmouth Away

[Anubis]

I loved the deluded Pompey fan on MotD2 last night. "There was only one team in it for 80 mind." Indeed there was. Just not the team you thought it was.

[JMARKH]

"Bollocks to tiredness"

Wonder if you would have this attitude if you were getting into a plane/bus/train/taxi & the pilot/driver had been doing his job for 24 straight hours?

 

Would we be better off if 'Nando had played more this season?

Yes but he was injured because he played tired late last season but bollocks to tiredness after all?

 

We were in a terrible situation whcih Rafa gambled his way out of.

We were very lucky in doing so.

 

But the reason we were in the situation is he had listened to the fans & played strong sides in the FACup.

 

Maybe if Benitex didn't fall out with his fitness coach our players wouldn't be so knackered half way through the season, we must have the unfittest squad out of all the top four. When Chelsea were regularly going for the quadrupole under Mourinho he picked virtually the sama team week in week out and it didn't do them any harm. Maybe Rafa should get some advice of him.

[Catch22]

Maybe if Benitex didn't fall out with his fitness coach our players wouldn't be so knackered half way through the season, we must have the unfittest squad out of all the top four. When Chelsea were regularly going for the quadrupole under Mourinho he picked virtually the sama team week in week out and it didn't do them any harm. Maybe Rafa should get some advice of him.

 

Except he didn't.

 

The Chavs, us & Mancs all rotated almost exactly the same amount.

Kevin Pullein did a big feature in it in the Racing post about 12 mnths ago.

 

Interestingly the main difference was Arse last year who collapsed right about now as their players got tired & therefore injured.

[JMARKH]

Except he didn't.

 

The Chavs, us & Mancs all rotated almost exactly the same amount.

Kevin Pullein did a big feature in it in the Racing post about 12 mnths ago.

 

Interestingly the main difference was Arse last year who collapsed right about now as their players got tired & therefore injured.

 

Well whenever they played in the Carling cup or FA Cup it seemed that Lampard always played as did Drogba as well as others. Lampard set a record for consecutive appearances.

[sh#t waffle]

Well whenever they played in the Carling cup or FA Cup it seemed that Lampard always played as did Drogba as well as others. Lampard set a record for consecutive appearances.

Carra and Dirk (another debate for another time) are hardly ever rested.

[Catch22]

Well whenever they played in the Carling cup or FA Cup it seemed that Lampard always played as did Drogba as well as others. Lampard set a record for consecutive appearances.

 

 

& Drogba has been on/off injured for 2 years now.

So perhaps he should have been rested a bit more

 

Fwank, to be fair, clearly has the fitness to do it.

 

All players are different

Just as some are taller or some are faster, some need more rest than others.

 

That is why we have a medical team that monitors them & works closely with the manager,whoever it may be, to decide on rest.

 

(edit; just seen same 2 players already mentioned)Carra & Kuyt (whetehr or not you think he is worth playing; seperate argument so don't get yourself off on atangent) seem more capable of playing more games than others in our sie, possibly because neither has explosive pace.

 

The fact that us,Mancs & Chavs all independantly get to a similar number of roatations suggests something.

[Kurt]

& Drogba has been on/off injured for 2 years now.

So perhaps he should have been rested a bit more

 

Fwank, to be fair, clearly has the fitness to do it.

 

.

 

John Terry was another player hardly rested those first seasons. And he as well has been made to pay for it by consistently picking up niggling injuries the last couple of seasons.

[Guest Ulysses Everett McGill]

Haven't read through the thread, but am I the only one who thought we played well, and were unlucky to concede the goals we did?

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Haven't read through the thread, but am I the only one who thought we played well, and were unlucky to concede the goals we did?

 

Nah mate. I agree with you.

[ScottyT]

I thought it was one of our best performances of the season, but the goals conceded were down to some sloppy indivdual errors.

 

There seemed to be a lot more fluidity about our play in the first half, maybe without the imposing presence of Gerrard the fringe players were confident enough to express themselves.

[Red Nick]

Haven't read through the thread, but am I the only one who thought we played well, and were unlucky to concede the goals we did?

 

Agree we played very well.

 

Dont agree we were unlucky to concede the goals we did we just defended appallingly

 

I will leave it to others to debate if the change of system had anything to do with the soft goals we conceded

[bigal]

I thought we played well in patches. The firsttwenty minutes we passed it about with nice zip and the wing backs got forward. Then we dropped to their level. After we went behind they picked up the performance and the last twenty minutes was like City away, the players just went for it which was good to see

[Guest Ulysses Everett McGill]

Just going through some if the dailys and they read as if they were filed when Portsmouth went ahead, and desperately rehashed at the last minute.

 

You'd never have guessed it was 1-1 when Torres came on, considering it was a supposed act if desperation from a stubborn and egotistical Rafa to bring him on, etc, etc

[INTORRESTING]

we played decent football, that certainly makes a change and the game was also exciting. It is no crime in conceding goals, the league is very very strong this year. A win is a win and to take a win with that squad shows rafa using his methods to see usthrough to the end of the season.

 

We have 2 weeks off now. The mancs have 2 more games before we play and then we have 3 before they play. They will also be playing a game every 3 days including a final and a cup game. They will tire and drop points and we must capitalise.

 

If Japan and their fixture list doesn't catch up on them then we have to say they were better than us but i still think this is the first time Rafa's methods can realistically be measured re his team selections and i look forward to seeing the state of all of the squads by May as Arsenal and Chelsea are struggling and i expect Villa to drop off once the uefa cup starts and the season catches up on their small squad.

 

I don't remember anyone leaping from 4th to 1st in the prem, we may have to take some heartbreak before glory but if rafa saves us the pain then that will be good with me!

[Ian Sea]

Good result on Saturday and I thought we played quite well. The biggest positive to come from our last 2 league games for me has been Rafa's realisation that we now have to win every game. He said as much in his press conference too, and the action on the field is backing him up. Before then he seemed content for us to draw but he isn't now. I don't think we'll win the title but to have a chance we must go all out for 3 points in every single game.

[INTORRESTING]

I am loving the league in Feb compared to Jan! 2 wins, 5 goals, 3 from Torres.

 

We have scored more than the mancs so far, we just need to cut out the draws.

[Antynwa]

Haven't read through the thread, but am I the only one who thought we played well, and were unlucky to concede the goals we did?

 

We had it coming.

 

That being said, I was actually more confident about us getting back and getting a result 1-0 down than I was at 0-0.

[The 5th Benitel]

I certainly dont buy into our method of resting players. Even if the other sides do it as often as us there's more logic applied to it, i.e if you've got West Brom at home you can drop a few of the big guns, not all your best attacking players in a tricky away match.

 

The way i look at it most people could pick the top 4's best teams and it would include pretty much the same players. Yet, when watching the mancs and Chelsea if you predict the team they're gonna put out you'll usually be right with the odd exception. Apart from at the start of the season there's every chance you'd get 3,4 or maybe 5 of ours wrong. How often do you look at the other top teams line up thinking 'i cant believe he's done that?' I've done that a fiar few times with ours over the last few months.

[sir roger]

I certainly dont buy into our method of resting players. Even if the other sides do it as often as us there's more logic applied to it, i.e if you've got West Brom at home you can drop a few of the big guns, not all your best attacking players in a tricky away match.

 

The way i look at it most people could pick the top 4's best teams and it would include pretty much the same players. Yet, when watching the mancs and Chelsea if you predict the team they're gonna put out you'll usually be right with the odd exception. Apart from at the start of the season there's every chance you'd get 3,4 or maybe 5 of ours wrong. How often do you look at the other top teams line up thinking 'i cant believe he's done that?' I've done that a fiar few times with ours over the last few months.

 

I can see where you are coming from T5B , but I think the jaw-dropping selections have happened less this season with Rafa.

 

The Pompey game was a bit unusual coming immediately after playing Everton 3 times , Wigan away and Chelsea within a relatively short period , Torres having started 5 games on the trot after a bad injury , Dirk looking out on his feet after the 120mins at the pit , Riera looking knackered for weeks & Gerrard out completely.

 

I think Rafa has thought , fuck it , its Portsmouth , lets freshen all the guys who need the rest & hopefully we can still win anyway because they are crap. I'll put them on the bench as an insurance policy in case it doesn't go to plan.

 

If Benny or Fabio's efforts had gone in , Babel had scored the sitter or Dirk's goal not been disallowed incorrectly we could well have strolled it & rafa considered a genius. They didn't happen so we went to plan B & it worked

(eventually )

[The 5th Benitel]

I can see where you are coming from T5B , but I think the jaw-dropping selections have happened less this season with Rafa.

 

The Pompey game was a bit unusual coming immediately after playing Everton 3 times , Wigan away and Chelsea within a relatively short period , Torres having started 5 games on the trot after a bad injury , Dirk looking out on his feet after the 120mins at the pit , Riera looking knackered for weeks & Gerrard out completely.

 

I think Rafa has thought , fuck it , its Portsmouth , lets freshen all the guys who need the rest & hopefully we can still win anyway because they are crap. I'll put them on the bench as an insurance policy in case it doesn't go to plan.

 

If Benny or Fabio's efforts had gone in , Babel had scored the sitter or Dirk's goal not been disallowed incorrectly we could well have strolled it & rafa considered a genius. They didn't happen so we went to plan B & it worked

(eventually )

 

It did but it could very easily have cost us three points. It didn't so lets move one however i'm slightly concerned it could make him feel it's ok to do that again and i dont think we'll get away with it twice. From the city game we've got 4 games in 9 days and i dread to think the side we'll put out agaisnt Sunderland.

 

I can understand the need to rest players but there's no doubt Rafa does take a unique approach to it. I dont see why Alonso gets rested so often compared to Gerrard, he cant be that much behind him fitness wise? I understand the impact Gerrard has but bear in mind when Alonso gets rested it's generally for Lucas.

[sh#t waffle]

I definitely recall games over the last few seasons where Ferguson has had to bring on Rooney or Ronaldo in the second half to get something from the game as well.

[sir roger]

It did but it could very easily have cost us three points. It didn't so lets move one however i'm slightly concerned it could make him feel it's ok to do that again and i dont think we'll get away with it twice. From the city game we've got 4 games in 9 days and i dread to think the side we'll put out agaisnt Sunderland.

 

I can understand the need to rest players but there's no doubt Rafa does take a unique approach to it. I dont see why Alonso gets rested so often compared to Gerrard, he cant be that much behind him fitness wise? I understand the impact Gerrard has but bear in mind when Alonso gets rested it's generally for Lucas.

 

Once again fair comment T5B , but I think Alonso would definitely have played Saturday if he hadn't been carrying a knock.

[Guest Ulysses Everett McGill]

We had it coming.

 

That being said, I was actually more confident about us getting back and getting a result 1-0 down than I was at 0-0.

 

Had what coming?

 

Conceding two goals?

 

We got caught square for the first one, and the second was from a set piece.

 

You cannot realistically expect to go through 90 minutes, no matter how dominant without having to face at least a few attempts on goal, sadly Reina was culpable for both goals, but performances like that, from him, are few and far between.

 

Never at one point did they put us under sustained pressure.

[redrosetints]

Rafa got lucky and his stupid team selections and suspect tactics are going to catch up with him sooner rather than later and they will be his downfall. Are you saying he planned for Torres to score the winner in practically the last second of the game? Had we lost he would have defended his team selection on the basis that his players were tired. Bollocks to tiredness. It was fuckin Pompey for Christs sake. Kill the bastards and then make subs.

 

Its irrelevant now cos we won the game but if he tries something similiar against City or Boro we will drop points and then he'll throw out yet another completly illogical reason/excuse. Every game is must win and we must therefore play our strongest eleven and forget about tiredness. At least then he wont get the usual dogs abuse for his team selection if we drop points. Its not fuckin rocket science.

 

 

You say bollocks to tiredness, but this week Torres has come out and said he played 20 more games last season than ever before and he thinks thats why he's been so injured this, overused.

 

Last season, if you recall, Torres missed a few games early on, as he was injured and cos rafa wanted to protect him, but Rafa was highly criticised for it.

 

Rafa took Gerrard off against Wigan, due to his tiredness, much to the disgust of many. Noone seemed to argue that he wasnt tired, as he clearly was, but people still said he should have been left on 'as a threat' and yet a week later he's pulled up after 16 minutes and is now out for 3 4 maybe more games.

 

Rafa doesnt rotate any more than Fergie, indeed Fergie rotated more last season accroding to the Times, Fink Tank. There is an argument to say you must cut your cloth accordingly and if you havent the depth of squad you shouldnt rotate as much, but thats a reflection on your finances as much as anything, either way its a different debate to rotation in itself, which all top managers do and is part of the game.

 

So maybe we havent teh squad to rotate as much as fergie, but we ave to keep our best two players injury free as much as possible and that means resting them from time to time. We won, so get over it.

[aladdinsane]

I am loving the league in Feb compared to Jan! 2 wins, 5 goals, 3 from Torres.

 

We have scored more than the mancs so far, we just need to cut out the draws.

 

Black January was the new black November. If we can turn it into black June eventually ,we'll be laughing.