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I genuinely have no idea what some people are on about. We were absolutely brilliant yesterday against a league winning team. We beat them all over the pitch and were 2 sitters away from winning. There was fuck all wrong yesterday. What else could Evatt do? If it is the play offs we beat anyone. Including the tangerine shite.

Was ballboy behind the goal in the south stand 03/04. A notable mention to Rogerio Ceni appearing for a random friendly against Sao Paolo in November that season. Liked Paul Robinson best. Gave you the thumbs up everytime you gave him the ball. Went a long way for a 14 year old. Jussi used to get stroppy with me, as I always used to walk round the goal to give it him for a goal kick (as opposed to throwing it over the bar). Best part was being able to throw it to one of Youri or Jay Jay everytime we won a corner tbh.

If I'd have responded to this yesterday, my angry/emotional/pissed up response would have been dismissively condescending. And it shouldn't do because it's a well thought out opinion, which I'll take the time out to respond to. But it does come across as someone who thinks they have the upper hand on Evatt, the solutions to any problems we may encounter and a definitive tick-box summary of "what's stopping us" It's not that simple, so it's hard for football fans to argue/counter argue with limited coaching knowledge, but I suspect 4-3-3 has a whole host of defensive limitations. Worked great getting us out of L2, but encountered problems with it in L1. Players have been recruited with our current formation in mind. It's developed and evolved to put us in the best position we've been in for 3 seasons. The coaching team have talked extensively about tactics, fluidity, playing with a possession based attacking style. Throwing the ball backwards is part of this and is usually an effective way of us keeping hold of the ball to go on to create chances, it's happened a lot this season to good effect. It's risk vs reward which is an effective part of the way we play. The best example of countering your mentality claim, is directly related to this example. Ogbete showed great mental strength to come back from his mistake. He never shied away from receiving the ball, he took on attackers to great effect in his own half and created our first goal. I think this epitomises, along with Santos, Maghoma, Collins (other players who've been questioned), how mentally strong our players actually are. I just think it's really easy to claim what the problems/answers are as a fan without truly understanding the methodology of coaching/managing professionally. And that's not to naively suggest we have no problems and can't be better, of course we can but I trust FV, Evatt and his team to know how to do this better than someone on a fans forum. That game shouldn't be being highlighted for the reasons we aren't top 2. More celebrated for the fact we matched/bettered the champions, have players who are in great form, have players who have answered the critics, players who are back hungry from injury, to get us promoted playing the brand of football that has been so good to watch these last 4 seasons.

Everyone will have different opinions, personally I felt barely any confidence going into the play offs last season. This year I feel highly confident that we can get the job done. We just played the runaway leaders of the league and battered them all over the pitch. We battered Oxford and Reading recently at home who are both solid. Id fancy us to grind out a draw away and get the job done home in the 2nd leg. The crowds and support has been building over the past few years, however I think recently we've really shown our potential. Unbelievable atmosphere today, I was a bit gutted we didn't win and possibly lost our chance of automatic promotion. But I can't help but just feel immensely proud of how far we've come as a club.

Internet down in Little Hulton..

Generations of world leaders have had a go at resolving the multiple layers of issues and enmities in this part of the world. The word "intractable" was invented for the gordian knot that it is. At the moment I don't think the world has the statesmen to skillfully de-escalate this. For instance I can think of many US President/Secretary of State combinations I'd rather have had to tackle it all. When you look at Russia/Ukraine, the shrewd/subtle/incremental growing of China's threat to the west and this, I think we're living in a world that is less stable than for many years. We can reflect on how the west has handled all of these issues since the end of the Cold War and pick fault - there'll have been undergraduate essays written about that by the bucket load. Whatever the problem, there ain't no obvious solution other than raising our awareness and preparedness. I hate to say Donald Trump is right that the nations of NATO need to up their defence spending. I hate to say Keir Starmer is right that we need to spend 2.5% on defence. God alone knows where the money comes from given the levels of debt in the western world. But the only way ultimately that you can even big to put a lid on all these conflagrations and flashpoints is by making it known that you are prepared. It's a dreadful situation to be in.

That's another reason why I'm moving here So I can fit in It was either here or little Italy in new jersey

That game yesterday summed up our season and why we aren't top 2, when we absolutely should be. 3 main reasons: Formation - the 532 gives good "control" of a game, but a well executed 433 is so much more effective. You end up with wingers having the chances when a mistake happens (as per Kamara from Pompey) rather than wing backs, so you make the most of opportunities. Everyone can see how many good opportunities we're wasting despite playing well. Tactics - the obsession with playing around at the back all the time is killing us. Teams just press hard and we will inevitably make a mistake. Their goal today came from a throw in for us on the half way line. 1 miscontrol by Ogbeta and their winger is going through 1 on 1 with Toal. Ridiculous. Just throw the ball forward - basic stuff you teach kids. And the other issue playing all the football in our half is all the fouls end up being yellows for us and just free kicks for them. Play the football in the opposition half and those yellow card stats change the other way round Mentality - not a dig at us yesterday, but Pompey showed us what a winning mentality should look like. We had them properly under the cosh and they didn't wilt at any point. We would have shat ourselves in the same position getting dominated away from home, as seen all season. Needs a few more leaders in the team. For me they're the 3 things stopping us being top 2. Very frustrating as the squad is the best in the league, and on our day we're the best team in the league.

Realistically, how much do you expect us to create against top of the league. We had one or two where we should’ve scored. I would say we did create enough but didn’t take them

Well deserved

Cant be I read earlier cogley offers nowt but running fast

We must have been stood very close. I was toward the front of the Lever End, about level with the left corner of the 6 yard box looking toward the pitch.

It was Garry Jones. I was literally about 10 yards away in the Lever End, shouting out that the ref hadn’t given a goal kick.

Absolutely. I’ll be talking about village greens, the sound of willow on leather, Spitfires, rickets, polio, measles and child chimney sweeps.

Little Whitt's pseudonym, that.

Turned over to it just as they were saying that, didn't know doing away with stoppage time was a thing 😂 Could be on for a treble now, heard on a podcast last week that they don't actually have a town square to be able to celebrate in so might have to be back in the stadium

We knew all along. The two pretenders don't have the consistency required.

Good ebening

There is and they're disgusting creatures

We want Rennie. Uriah Rennie.

Big Vic plays we win. Your man bod is shite

Marvelous. I can cope with the Arse getting it, same with the Massive. But not Liverpool. That would be horrendous.

If we had players playing with that passion we would be up by now. yesterday we did well but again fell short. Now we are in the lottery of the play offs. Happy for progress but people say week in week out we are the better team so I think it’s fine to think we should have been in an automatic slot

I would love a Bolton player to give a shit enough to be like that Lang.

Well that was one of the best atmospheres I've heard at the Reebok for years. Tops the Barnsley play offs last year in my opinion where Barnsley's anti football sucked the life out of the game and the fans eventually. Common factors are obviously playing significant games and away fans turning out in numbers, which we can't influence. But one thing we can is the set up of the stadium and I think the half and half split of south stand works best as opposed to an upper tier for away, bottom tier for home. And to entice fans there I'd do the lower tier of south as the safe standing area (wrapping round into 3 blocks of ESL). It may just mean fans move from other areas but having 4 stands with fans does seem better for atmosphere. One other point - pre game music has improved loads, but I don't think the Wanderer is ideal walk out music, you don't belt it out when singing along.

Absolutely. I think you and I have been two of the loudest banging the drum for Bod to get more game time from the start of the season. But even then our arguments were to rotate him more with Vic and Charles, rather than always on the bench. Same applies now Charles is back fit - if he's ready I'd give Bod a break and play Charles and Collins on Tuesday. Similar to you I thought Bod was ok yesterday, but looked a bit jaded (and the miss was a shocker!) so rotation freshens up the attack and avoids injuries. I can't help but think the lack of rotation for Charles and Vic earlier in the season may have contributed to their injuries.

Can't be arsed to read through it all but there seems to be a lot of blame flying around - Bod, Evatt, Toal, Baxter blah blah blah. We shouldn't have conceded early doors but if anyone is to blame for that it's Sheehan for giving it away/hospital pass that left Toal isolated and as much as he tried to show him the outside he wouldn't go there, took a dip and Baxter was static. We couldn't score more than one but we hit the post twice and had loads of efforts blocked. But we shouldn't have been in the position of having to win in the first place. If we don't go up, it's not because we drew with champions at home - it's because we dropped stupid points earlier in the season with some very lacklustre performances against lesser teams than Portsmouth. If we'd played like we did yesterday throughout the season we'd be champions because Evatt's team is good enough quality wise. Unfortunately we've been too lazy, too cocky and not focused enough in the past and it's cost us.

Jussi's double save from Andy Cole at Old Trafford

You could wear a vest when it’s very hot. A nice, tight, white vest.

From what I seen I believe last season the final figure we got to at the close of the early bird deadline was 14,300. Looking like we are to beat our total again this year. Tremendous stuff.

Good counter arguments. I'd say the formation point isn't me having a difference of opinion with Evatt, more a case of most other managers having a difference of opinion with Evatt. All the top teams in europe play a version of 433 these days. The last successful team I can remember playing a 3/5 at the back was Chelsea under Conte. I get we can't change now after building the team around 532 but I'd say 433 is a more proven successful formation we should move to in the summer. On tactics, I completely agree with retaining possession. I just think we're doing it too deep, where the risk is too high for very little reward. Move that possession further up the pitch. And the mentality was good yesterday, as you point out. I was more looking at how we've been away from home across the whole season, and highlighting where Pompey seem to have the edge on us.

My point is that our system gets the worst out of a good team. I have some faith in FV but I think IE is out of his league.

Do it. If you have any doubts because of parents, relatives etc. I’ll be happy to give advice. Hated it when mine said he was going but it’s been great for him and we are lucky enough to visit for long periods of time. 👍

Do fuck off.

I watched that. Thought it was absolute dogshit. You can tell half of it was just piss poor improv.

Just finished The Gentleman Got the impression from here it would tail off after a strong start Thought it was excellent from start to finish Classic Guy Ritchie

You are right, We started at Stevenage with Jerome up front. Evatt has always said he expects to change his Centre Forwards at some point in a game as they work so hard, not having an option on the bench even if only to rest others has to weaken you. Also Collins struggled when he first arrived so again another body takes the pressure off. It is a squad game and losing a player who plays on a regular weakens you.

I agree it is impossible to prove anything one way or another, but his name gets dropped, even when not playing and seemingly more than most, as a reason for our 'failure'. Coupled with the 'fact' this is a shit league this season so we should be smashing it. I just think both are shite arguments

I haven't read previous posts so apologies if this has been said before but I feel the need to say this. I am not the guys biggest fan and I think he gets away with a lot of mistakes. But today he was unplayabe Santos take a bow son Coyfwm

This is the problem we have with our support Pretenders who think they know best. 2 conflicting opinions, who somehow think their opinion should be taken as some kind of reason for not getting 3 points. Yes post your opinion. But accept the fact that you are both so far off reality and your opposite extremes are going to be questioned Both wrong

So weak, thst we are third in the league and have dropped numerous points since his injury. You constantly bang on about how weak this league is, yet you can argue it is more competitive because no one is running away with it, and lower table teams are taking points from the top teams. You have made your mind up and dislike evatt and some players, but just might be wrong

Hasn't played for weeks, but you are still on it.

I am so fucking angry about this progress.

Are they really unbelievable! Not really, usual suspects every game we don't take 3 points.

Some of the comments on here are unbelivable. We were by far better than Portsmouth. We dominated pocession, played much better football, but again failed to take our chances. I will never understand how we ended up with 3 bookings to their one. Shocking ref.

What are they going to do when they've killed Cricket?