Controversial I know what with Portsmouth's consistency but I've watched them quite a bit this season and I still don't know how they have had the results they have. Not impressed me at all. I really believe that when we are firing we are a far superior football team to them. 

They say the table never lies but I really do expect us to beat them by 2.

Edited April 11, 20242 yr by bolty58

1 minute ago, bolty58 said:

Controversial I know what with Portsmouth's consistency but I've watched them quite a bit this season and I still don't know how they have had the results they have. Not impressed me at all. I really believe that when we are firing we are a far superior football team to them. 

They say the table never lies but I really do expect us to beat them by 2.

Oh lord

3 hours ago, Smiley said:

Best atmosphere EVER in my Burnden days.

That's going it a bit, but it was a great night, largely because I expected nowt after the mauling we got from a strong Wolves team in the first leg - I think they hit the woodwork 3 times before McDonald got himself sent off - and how we got away with 2 - 1 I'll never know. But 2 great goals that night put us through and set us up nicely for the Reading game which was a thriller.

Weird to think that almost 30 years later the crowd at a regular League 1 game in an all-seater stadium is going to be 25 - 30%  bigger than it was that night in a playoff semi final second leg with promotion to the Premiership on the line. Couldn't have even imagined it that night.

1 hour ago, Casino said:

Not the last 5 v forest?

 

Behave 

Two teams that like to dominate possession so I feel a midfield battle coming on. Whilst I love to see Paris try to beat players and create an extra man for us in congested areas, this may not be the game for him, and there is a case for Demps starting but I don't think Evatt will give him the nod.

We're going to have to be at our sharpest and play our best game of the season - whilst keeping our discipline. Looking at you George.

As i said to the Pompey fans whilst chatting just now - or "blowing smoke up their arses" as a certain stalker likes to call it - let's hope we turn up, have a fair ref and may the best team win. Which I believe is us.

5 hours ago, jeep said:

Brewery Tap on Red Alert.......

And Lion

7 hours ago, Marc505 said:

Mate tells me that John De Wolf was in the Lever End that night?!

Him and Geoff Thomas were in Monteraze before the match.

In the days before selfies, I got a pen and paper from behind the bar. Went up to them and said 'autograph'

Sure replies De Wolf. I signed the paper twice, split it in half and gave them 1 each

6 hours ago, bolty58 said:

Controversial I know what with Portsmouth's consistency but I've watched them quite a bit this season and I still don't know how they have had the results they have. Not impressed me at all. I really believe that when we are firing we are a far superior football team to them. 

They say the table never lies but I really do expect us to beat them by 2.

Think they are a bit like Plymouth last season.

Just a consistent unit without breaking any pots.

Never hear much of their manager either. 

They fully deserve to win the league and as stated above. The table does not lie. That said they can enjoy promotion and titles after Sat as I do feel we owe em one for the away game.

 

 

3 hours ago, Biggish Dave said:

Him and Geoff Thomas were in Monteraze before the match.

In the days before selfies, I got a pen and paper from behind the bar. Went up to them and said 'autograph'

Sure replies De Wolf. I signed the paper twice, split it in half and gave them 1 each

😊 Yes I saw them in Monteraze and also in the Lever End. Stood against the same wall as De Wolf having a piss too. The toilets weren’t great in the Lever End. 

7 hours ago, Wanderlust said:

Two teams that like to dominate possession so I feel a midfield battle coming on. Whilst I love to see Paris try to beat players and create an extra man for us in congested areas, this may not be the game for him, and there is a case for Demps starting but I don't think Evatt will give him the nod.

We're going to have to be at our sharpest and play our best game of the season - whilst keeping our discipline. Looking at you George.

As i said to the Pompey fans whilst chatting just now - or "blowing smoke up their arses" as a certain stalker likes to call it - let's hope we turn up, have a fair ref and may the best team win. Which I believe is us.

Maghoma is good at our gaff though. 2 missed tackles against reading aside! 

Whilst I know it'll be a battle in the middle of the park, I think a little creativity and unpredictability could be the difference and he's the most likely to find enough space to test their keeper.

Whatever line up he goes for, I'll expect them to be up for it, well prepared and play on the front foot

24 minutes ago, boltonboris said:

Maghoma is good at our gaff though. 2 missed tackles against reading aside! 

Whilst I know it'll be a battle in the middle of the park, I think a little creativity and unpredictability could be the difference and he's the most likely to find enough space to test their keeper.

Whatever line up he goes for, I'll expect them to be up for it, well prepared and play on the front foot

I’m amazed Maghoma v Dempsey is a debate.

Just now, tomski said:

I’m amazed Maghoma v Dempsey is a debate.

I like Dempsey. Good energy and can shoot, but Maghoma has great ability. Yes, he's inconsistent and fades in and out of games, but if he was consistent with his quality he simply would not be attainable for us

15 minutes ago, boltonboris said:

I like Dempsey. Good energy and can shoot, but Maghoma has great ability. Yes, he's inconsistent and fades in and out of games, but if he was consistent with his quality he simply would not be attainable for us

Spot on. In Dempseys defence I will say that every time he has a good game he gets hooked, which can’t be easy.

In the first half against Pompey before they scored from a corner we were the better side.

That Charles sitter haunts me.

However, I strictly remember Maghoma dancing through their midfield, he went past about 4 of them in one run in particular.

2nd half he was a ghost like the rest of them.

100% starting tomorrow, he's a class above League 1.

4 hours ago, Biggish Dave said:

Him and Geoff Thomas were in Monteraze before the match.

In the days before selfies, I got a pen and paper from behind the bar. Went up to them and said 'autograph'

Sure replies De Wolf. I signed the paper twice, split it in half and gave them 1 each

Remember that.

You’re a funny guy 😎

1 minute ago, Lostock Whites said:

In the first half against Pompey before they scored from a corner we were the better side.

That Charles sitter haunts me.

However, I strictly remember Maghoma dancing through their midfield, he went past about 4 of them in one run in particular.

2nd half he was a ghost like the rest of them.

100% starting tomorrow, he's a class above League 1.

And this is the crux of the matter. There is likely to be very little difference between the team that played that day and the team we are likely to put out tomorrow. Collins for Dion, Ogbeta or Iredale for Williams and maybe Forrester for Jones.

Whilst we were good in the first half and should have taken the lead, we didn't create too many chances apart from Dion's sitter - and at the other end, Yengi bullied Santos - the only striker I've seen all season who physically dominated him.

Paris was hooked early second half and the rest of the team lost their heads and picked up 4 bookings so....we have to play better, we have to be more disciplined, we have to create more and we have to take our goddamn chances.

Like what you did with the "strictly" and "dancing" thing BTW.

 

People keep going on about the away game.

Yes Charles missed a sitter but we recovered and went on another great run over Xmas and into Jan. 

It’s the away form - Feb onwards that has cost us.

Oh, and If we really are the best team in the league, then we have yet another chance to prove it and get promoted. 

Edited April 12, 20242 yr by captainmed

Paris could be some player if everything clicks.

8 hours ago, Wanderlust said:

Two teams that like to dominate possession so I feel a midfield battle coming on. Whilst I love to see Paris try to beat players and create an extra man for us in congested areas, this may not be the game for him, and there is a case for Demps starting but I don't think Evatt will give him the nod.

We're going to have to be at our sharpest and play our best game of the season - whilst keeping our discipline. Looking at you George.

As i said to the Pompey fans whilst chatting just now - or "blowing smoke up their arses" as a certain stalker likes to call it - let's hope we turn up, have a fair ref and may the best team win. Which I believe is us.

Going onto other forums? How very retro of you.

Think we’ll see a different santos tomorrow. He’s been docile at best for a few weeks now but always seems to put in a commanding performance when he’s questioned. Yengi only played at their place as Bishop was out so maybe came across as a bit of an unknown quantity to Rico. He’ll know all about him for tomorrow 

25 minutes ago, barrycowdrill said:

Think we’ll see a different santos tomorrow. He’s been docile at best for a few weeks now but always seems to put in a commanding performance when he’s questioned. Yengi only played at their place as Bishop was out so maybe came across as a bit of an unknown quantity to Rico. He’ll know all about him for tomorrow 

Also never seen a player commit as many fouls as Yengi without getting booked. 11 freekicks against him IIRC. He might not get away with as much away from home, but these refs are so shit

6 minutes ago, boltonboris said:

Also never seen a player commit as many fouls as Yengi without getting booked. 11 freekicks against him IIRC. He might not get away with as much away from home, but these refs are so shit

Yeh one of those battles Rico usually comes out on top of but he seemed to get penalised for everything where Yengi got away with a lot. 

11 hours ago, radcliffe white said:

Behave 

Being unable to compare makes it tough, i guess

42 minutes ago, barrycowdrill said:

Think we’ll see a different santos tomorrow. He’s been docile at best for a few weeks now but always seems to put in a commanding performance when he’s questioned. Yengi only played at their place as Bishop was out so maybe came across as a bit of an unknown quantity to Rico. He’ll know all about him for tomorrow 

Massive fan of santos but even i will gave yengi credit for that neat

I keep reading beat him up, bullied him, destroyed him

Get to fuck

They both gave as good as they got in a great physical battle

Hindsight, santos drops off and says beat me but hes not used to meeting his match

 

Who gave the free header for the first at theirs?