What cost us the game tonight

Was Collins wasting half an hour refusing to make a sub till half time. It was clear to the entire stadium that those subs needed to happen but he wasted a vital half an hour

 

Completely agree, wasn't the only that cost us though

 

Picking Russell and Kane in the same midfield when you have Callum Styles available; playing Barry Cotter when you have a much more rounded footballer in Corey O’Keeffe.

I don’t blame him for the centre backs he has available, though I assume he had some say in McCart and De Gevigney coming in even if not the others - McCart looks no better than Shepherd so we might as well play the lad we actually signed rather than the lad on loan - and let him grow into it. But you can hardly blame Collins for not wanting to risk a kitchen fitter against proper footballers. But McCart doesn’t look great.

McCart daydreaming twenty seconds after we’d conceded the penalty is as bad as I’ve seen from a centre back in a while; and don’t get me started on the third goal. A free header, in the six yard box, centre of goal, and every one of the three centre backs were in front of him and under the ball. Not one centre back anywhere near covering even the centre of goal, never mind back post.

So, so, SO bad.

And get there’s a thread blaming the ref or at least insinuating he affected the result.

I reckon we ought to get our own house in order before we start questioning others in their ability to do their jobs.

 

One of the biggest problems in that first half that I’ve not seen picked up on was Mcatee. All the rest of the team were wanting to press as a team & he was just doing his own thing. Randomly sprinting pointlessly to chase one player down on his own but then not pressing when the rest of his team mates did. That was a big issue down our left first half.

It was no surprise to me that he was taken off at half time. There’s no doubt he’s got quality on the ball but he was like a kids player off it.

 

I think letting three goals in and only scoring two cost us the game last night.

 

Individual terrible defending and not pressing as a team.
I actually thought we were lack lusture against Burton but they weren't very good.
Three teams have come to oakwell and could have had lots more goals Pompy were the least attractive of the 3 but looked streets ahead first half. Credit their coach he did his homework.

 

I get the bits about Collins and subs, but what cost us the game ultimately was a poor defensive start coupled with an absolute textbook away performance with one of the best pressing examples I have seen. Every Pompey player pressed and moved. There were times when we just couldn't get the ball. The defense knew if they hoofed it clear it would come straight back. If they tried to play out out we were hunted down. The Ponty were imploring Cole and McAttee to chase down, but the reality is they had chased (shadows) that hard in the opening ten minutes they were shot at. Hence their low marks from all the armchair experts.

It was the best away performance (1st half) I have seen at Oakwell for many a year and sometimes you just have to hand it to the opposition.

 

That's what we did.

 

In Russell and Kane (who both have attributes) we have two players who do not “press” - it’s just not in their game .

 

Yea great point.....also we didn't have the right players and skill set to counter their very effective press.

 

I think they had the Burton game on their mind.

"We're brilliant, we'll stroke it around at the back, pass through midfield have loads of time and then score."

Pompey are no Burton and then 3 goals down inside 20 mins the whole team were in shock.

It would have done no good throwing Styles, Dodgson and O'Keefe on at that point. You have to give the players who caused the mess a chance to redeem themselves otherwise they come off thinking they are scapegoats or that they didn't get a chance. Then at half time the manager can say, you've had your chance, not I'm putting these lads on, show them how it's done. You can reset them and set them up properly that way. It nearly worked too.

Just chucking 3 lads on without the team talk would have been pointless, headless chicken time.

 

I agree, we had to wait until half time, steady the ship and then look to change things. We changed our shape and as soon as we had two strikers on they were forced to go long from their goal kicks which made them unable to hold the ball like they had done in the first half. I like Colins a lot but I do think him and his team got the set up wrong and didn’t do their homework at all for this game. Well done for changing it though and showing that he can spot the problems and adapt.
Might do us good this game, similar to Wycombe last season, bit of a wake up call to the players that they need to give 110% every game or we’re not going to get anything.

 

I've said it before, any half decent team with midfield quality or dynamism will run rings around a pairing of Kane and Russell.

 

Wake up call for Collins that he has to get his tactics right too. Kane is wasted sitting in front of the back 3 but when pushed further foreward he looks a different player.

 

Was disappointed with the lack of leadership shown from our senior players - needed someone to calm things down and play conditions for ten mins.

 

Nobody seems to have mentioned it, but was the weather - particularly the gusty winds - a factor last night? All 5 goals were scored in the same net, which *could* suggest that it offered an advantage kicking towards one end of the stadium.

 

Absolutely was blowing towards away end. Ca see it in second goal. Which was more disappointing we didn't alter things.

 

I think you're probably right, and I might be showing my ignorance here but,,, how hard can it be? It's not exactly nuclear physics or solving the global warming problem is it?

 

I blame Don Rowing.

 

Should be a given but sadly they seem incapable/not willing.