Post by pommpey on Mar 6, 2011 2:31:10 GMT
Okay, first match report for me for a few years given that our very own correspondent the excellent Deadbat manages to keep everyone in the picture capably. With nods to him, I'll continue ...
The Blades slumped to yet another defeat today extending Portsmouth's fortituous run of wins and more-or-less condemning the side to more relegation misery. Now before we all get maudlin about it all, I'll illustrate that it wasn't quite the miserable defeat it was painted out to be. We expected to be beaten today, given some laughable performances of late and defending which could only be described as Hallamshire Sunday League. The last three matches showed us to be destined for lower league football and a team bereft of capability and lined up against a reurgent Pompey, I for one expected a drubbing with ex-Blade Cotterill wheeling away to wave to their North Stand neanderthals as Simonsen picked the ball out of the Fratton End net for the fifth time. Reading the local press however, you had the sense of forboding as the fans - even ones I know personally - forcast the Blades to end their run and show some mettle at last. It was set for something or other to happen. I predicted at least a sending off or two or maybe a linesman to be hospitalised again.
Fratton Park has changed so much over the past twenty years. I recall being one of the 27003 stuffed into the ground and legging it before the match was abandoned when we ruined their promotion party beating them 2-1 in the 1980s. I recall the lino being sparked out, the Blade up the floodlight pylon, Tony Philiskirks second minute stunner in Bassets first match in charge on a piss-wet Tuesday evening. I recall Toddy and John Gannon yelling at the Milton End Blades in a crap 3-2 defeat, And I recall seeing one of the two Justin Edinburgh goals he ever scored (the other for Spurs at the Lane - I saw that one as well) as the ball came over from the right and dropped at his feet in the box and United defence dillied and dallied and he stabbed the ball into the net. And of course, that brilliant, warrior like performance in front of the Sky cameras when we beat them 2-1 again in 2002-03.
United lined up this afternoon with little change of note. Up front was Evans, hoping to refind some form, paired by the dinosaur-like Cresswell. In midfield Doyle partnered Williamson with Riise and Quinn out wide, and at the back, the towering Collins paired Ertl, with Lowton and Nogoodsworthy as full backs. With this powerhouse of footballing talent, enough to make Arsene Wenger shit potatoes, we looked beaten before the whistle went. Indeed, the first half was pressured, but not as much as we'd expected. Cotterill bombed down the right wing, made Lowtons game eventful and a couple of chances broke into our penalty area enough to force decent blocking tackles from Nosorthy and Collins, who himself looks towering and strong. Very rarely did Nugent or Kitson really threaten as we expected and their main charge was diagonal runs at our penalty area with the hope of Nugent onto a through ball. Halford lined up a free kick and booted it into the away end, an indication possibly that he'd learned loads whilst at Bramall Lane.
After a bit they forced a series of corners and one came accross from the right which, true to form, clipped one head, ricochetted off another and - just Pompeys luck as it did with Justin Edinburgh - fell at serial crock Herman Herriderson's feet. I know he has a habit of popping up in the box to nick a goal, just as Jags or Murphs used to do for us and when it fell, it couldn't have been more copycat than that goal. In it went and for once, oddly enough for Fratton Park, we heard the Pompey dickheads above the noisy, lively Blades 700. Again, I expected an onslaught which was not forthcoming. We pressed, won a few corners, faffed about abit too much in midfield and on the flanks but really created jack-shit. But we retained possession in areas and - get this - certain players seemed to be playing football for once. At half time we discovered their woefully crap shop had run out of pies which was nice of them. I also bumped into our very own Greenwich Blade, who, despite his travels, never bloody ages. He's still Greenwich, still a hitcher, and still bonkers! But above all else, still a nice bloke to know. I've invited him to come visit Unitedite. I hope you don't mind.
Second half and you're now expecting United to fold slowly from the off. Our fans are still singing - amongst the songs
"Que sera, sera,
Whatever will be,
Will be,
We're going to Shrewsbury
Que sera, sera."
But the Blades actually come out and attacked. Well, attack with no forwards, more correctly. Cresswell, fell over a lot, and Evans ran, but ran at brick walls. For once, Steven Quinn forgot about hooking balls over his shoulder and got wide and to the touchline and we pressed very well, even Nosworthy geting involved in the odd wong foray. But too many times we squandered opportunities. Too many times we found their players instead of ours and although Riise and Quinn started to make Pompey play defensive and deep, we failed to get a decent cross into the box onto a red and white head or even a shot on target that meant anything. It was one of those days of bad luck and the more that match wore on, past seventy, eighty minutes, you just knew for all this huff and puff and quite honestly, not bad performances if recent ones are to go by, we were never gonna score ina billion f**king years. The ball dropped kindly for them and not for us. The one clear chance, a low shot through a crowd of players, skipped harmlessly wide. Even when they brought Kanu on and they pressed home their one clear attack in the second half, we were back up the pitch and pressing home an attack which fizzled out to noting in the end. The final whistle went and the players were clapped off, but I feel this was more to do with recent crapness not being replicated at Fratton Park, than it was deserved because of todays performance.
Out of ten
Simonsen - 6/10. He came for a cross just after they scored and caught it effortlessly. So what was the problem five minutes before that? Second half - nowt to do.
Lowton - 5/10. Steady performance. Didn't get forward enough for me to support his winger.
Nosworthy - 6/10. Not a bad performance now he is lifted from the Row Z duty. For an ungainly bloke, he got forward at times and played off Riise quite satisfactorily, even showing some skill.
Collins - 6/10. Towering blokle kept Kitson in his top pocket but really should have been on his toes for the goal.
Ertl - 6/10. Suffering what amounts to an identity crisis as he tries to fit into this central defense role. He's no world beater and today was shown up at times for what he is, a Palace reject.
Doyle - 5/10. Apart from occasional forays across the pitch (that ended in us losing possess, he had a mediocre game.
Williamson - 6/10. Got into the midfield role well where he was, but failed to exert impact there.
Riise - 7.5/10. Busied himeslf out wide and made Pompey work hard. Got forward well when needed and looked like he wanted to win.
Quinn - 7.5/10. Not a bad game, really and that's saying something. Gave Pompey csomething to think about at times.
Evans - 6/10. Worked hard and got nowhere
Cresswell - 3/10. Nuff said.
Subs:
Vokes - x/10. Didn't see enough of him
Bogdanovich - 6/10. Caused them soem problems, but nothing threatening too much
Bent - 4/10. He's here for a laugh, surely?
Crowd: Theirs - strangely subdued and pensive. They have only for four songs, as Us Bladesman pointed out. Ours: Good.
Pompey: Shit. We could see how low on confidence they were and how much they gave the ball away, needlessly. They are having a four legged, long necked quadruped if they think they are playoff material. Despite them being billy bobbins, they made us look shit because we couldn't score despite contant pressure, which tells it's own story.
Officials: No comment. At least they all remained not smacked and out of hospital this time.
At least the f**king swine lost. Every cloud ...
All the best
pommpey
The Blades slumped to yet another defeat today extending Portsmouth's fortituous run of wins and more-or-less condemning the side to more relegation misery. Now before we all get maudlin about it all, I'll illustrate that it wasn't quite the miserable defeat it was painted out to be. We expected to be beaten today, given some laughable performances of late and defending which could only be described as Hallamshire Sunday League. The last three matches showed us to be destined for lower league football and a team bereft of capability and lined up against a reurgent Pompey, I for one expected a drubbing with ex-Blade Cotterill wheeling away to wave to their North Stand neanderthals as Simonsen picked the ball out of the Fratton End net for the fifth time. Reading the local press however, you had the sense of forboding as the fans - even ones I know personally - forcast the Blades to end their run and show some mettle at last. It was set for something or other to happen. I predicted at least a sending off or two or maybe a linesman to be hospitalised again.
Fratton Park has changed so much over the past twenty years. I recall being one of the 27003 stuffed into the ground and legging it before the match was abandoned when we ruined their promotion party beating them 2-1 in the 1980s. I recall the lino being sparked out, the Blade up the floodlight pylon, Tony Philiskirks second minute stunner in Bassets first match in charge on a piss-wet Tuesday evening. I recall Toddy and John Gannon yelling at the Milton End Blades in a crap 3-2 defeat, And I recall seeing one of the two Justin Edinburgh goals he ever scored (the other for Spurs at the Lane - I saw that one as well) as the ball came over from the right and dropped at his feet in the box and United defence dillied and dallied and he stabbed the ball into the net. And of course, that brilliant, warrior like performance in front of the Sky cameras when we beat them 2-1 again in 2002-03.
United lined up this afternoon with little change of note. Up front was Evans, hoping to refind some form, paired by the dinosaur-like Cresswell. In midfield Doyle partnered Williamson with Riise and Quinn out wide, and at the back, the towering Collins paired Ertl, with Lowton and Nogoodsworthy as full backs. With this powerhouse of footballing talent, enough to make Arsene Wenger shit potatoes, we looked beaten before the whistle went. Indeed, the first half was pressured, but not as much as we'd expected. Cotterill bombed down the right wing, made Lowtons game eventful and a couple of chances broke into our penalty area enough to force decent blocking tackles from Nosorthy and Collins, who himself looks towering and strong. Very rarely did Nugent or Kitson really threaten as we expected and their main charge was diagonal runs at our penalty area with the hope of Nugent onto a through ball. Halford lined up a free kick and booted it into the away end, an indication possibly that he'd learned loads whilst at Bramall Lane.
After a bit they forced a series of corners and one came accross from the right which, true to form, clipped one head, ricochetted off another and - just Pompeys luck as it did with Justin Edinburgh - fell at serial crock Herman Herriderson's feet. I know he has a habit of popping up in the box to nick a goal, just as Jags or Murphs used to do for us and when it fell, it couldn't have been more copycat than that goal. In it went and for once, oddly enough for Fratton Park, we heard the Pompey dickheads above the noisy, lively Blades 700. Again, I expected an onslaught which was not forthcoming. We pressed, won a few corners, faffed about abit too much in midfield and on the flanks but really created jack-shit. But we retained possession in areas and - get this - certain players seemed to be playing football for once. At half time we discovered their woefully crap shop had run out of pies which was nice of them. I also bumped into our very own Greenwich Blade, who, despite his travels, never bloody ages. He's still Greenwich, still a hitcher, and still bonkers! But above all else, still a nice bloke to know. I've invited him to come visit Unitedite. I hope you don't mind.
Second half and you're now expecting United to fold slowly from the off. Our fans are still singing - amongst the songs
"Que sera, sera,
Whatever will be,
Will be,
We're going to Shrewsbury
Que sera, sera."
But the Blades actually come out and attacked. Well, attack with no forwards, more correctly. Cresswell, fell over a lot, and Evans ran, but ran at brick walls. For once, Steven Quinn forgot about hooking balls over his shoulder and got wide and to the touchline and we pressed very well, even Nosworthy geting involved in the odd wong foray. But too many times we squandered opportunities. Too many times we found their players instead of ours and although Riise and Quinn started to make Pompey play defensive and deep, we failed to get a decent cross into the box onto a red and white head or even a shot on target that meant anything. It was one of those days of bad luck and the more that match wore on, past seventy, eighty minutes, you just knew for all this huff and puff and quite honestly, not bad performances if recent ones are to go by, we were never gonna score ina billion f**king years. The ball dropped kindly for them and not for us. The one clear chance, a low shot through a crowd of players, skipped harmlessly wide. Even when they brought Kanu on and they pressed home their one clear attack in the second half, we were back up the pitch and pressing home an attack which fizzled out to noting in the end. The final whistle went and the players were clapped off, but I feel this was more to do with recent crapness not being replicated at Fratton Park, than it was deserved because of todays performance.
Out of ten
Simonsen - 6/10. He came for a cross just after they scored and caught it effortlessly. So what was the problem five minutes before that? Second half - nowt to do.
Lowton - 5/10. Steady performance. Didn't get forward enough for me to support his winger.
Nosworthy - 6/10. Not a bad performance now he is lifted from the Row Z duty. For an ungainly bloke, he got forward at times and played off Riise quite satisfactorily, even showing some skill.
Collins - 6/10. Towering blokle kept Kitson in his top pocket but really should have been on his toes for the goal.
Ertl - 6/10. Suffering what amounts to an identity crisis as he tries to fit into this central defense role. He's no world beater and today was shown up at times for what he is, a Palace reject.
Doyle - 5/10. Apart from occasional forays across the pitch (that ended in us losing possess, he had a mediocre game.
Williamson - 6/10. Got into the midfield role well where he was, but failed to exert impact there.
Riise - 7.5/10. Busied himeslf out wide and made Pompey work hard. Got forward well when needed and looked like he wanted to win.
Quinn - 7.5/10. Not a bad game, really and that's saying something. Gave Pompey csomething to think about at times.
Evans - 6/10. Worked hard and got nowhere
Cresswell - 3/10. Nuff said.
Subs:
Vokes - x/10. Didn't see enough of him
Bogdanovich - 6/10. Caused them soem problems, but nothing threatening too much
Bent - 4/10. He's here for a laugh, surely?
Crowd: Theirs - strangely subdued and pensive. They have only for four songs, as Us Bladesman pointed out. Ours: Good.
Pompey: Shit. We could see how low on confidence they were and how much they gave the ball away, needlessly. They are having a four legged, long necked quadruped if they think they are playoff material. Despite them being billy bobbins, they made us look shit because we couldn't score despite contant pressure, which tells it's own story.
Officials: No comment. At least they all remained not smacked and out of hospital this time.
At least the f**king swine lost. Every cloud ...
All the best
pommpey
