Dman

What a brilliant player Downes is at this level. Asides KWP, easily our best player and argually the most influentual. Unlikley if we don't go up, but i'd love for us to snap him up on a permant deal. Is there much difference between him and JWP? I'm not too sure there is.

I think it almost certainly would.

If he returns, its because he has no other options, not because he wants to... He'd likley suit our style and is a decent finisher, so would probably do a job for us, but i'd much rather we look forward than look back.

Other than us under Jones and Selles - Blackburn easily the worst side to come to play at St Marys for a long time? We played very well, but jesus, they made it easy for us. No intent to try and win and just let us play our game. Incredible how they're so far up the table.

Our vocal support has been awful for a long, long time now - since probably the first season back in the PL. We generally always seem to take decent enough numbers but half have no interest in making any noise and the others that do, refuse to sing anything other than Oh when the saints. For me, there's a direct correlation between the success of noddy supporters club(s), for example, Nick Georgy and his wife / ex whatever she is. Whilst making away travel more accessible could be seen as a positive, his crowd generally seem to be younger (much younger), elderly or more of a less socially accepted cliental - who, instead of having a few pre-match beers, swap for pre-match prawn sarnies. If you look at the best away support across the country, generally speaking, its full of middle aged (or fighting aged) men who've had a few before hand and are therefore a little more boisterous. Everything about us as a club is a little too nice - our away following is much the same.

Its a cracking away trip...

I thought first 30 we were brilliant, quick, direct and looked dangerous. Had a blantant pen 'missed' for Holgate getting his shirt ripped off and had we gone in 2-0, I think we'd have gone on to win 3 or 4. WBA grew into the game from 30 mins onwards and were probably the better side for the large majority of the game. On balance, a draw would have been a far result. I thought both the CB's were excellant, Holgate worthy MOTM but could have easily been THB. Holgates distribution was brilliant I thought. I thought Alcaraz was pretty poor - very sloppy on the ball and offered very little off it - apart from that everyone else was a 6-7/10. Stewart I thought looked really sharp - excited to see what he can bring and could be the difference for us. Ultimately we won the game, so can't complain too much, but I thought Martins subs weren't great. I'd have brought on Charles for Smallbone and not replaced Bree with Manning. One thing I did notice, which was frustrating; Just before the goal, we had 3 subs lined up ready to come on. We'd been up against it and those subs we're needed to just take the sting out of the game and regain some control. We had a goal kick, the 4th wasn't ready and the bench were screaming at THB not to take the goal kick... We take it quick, they then come down and score. Just a bit of savvyness is lacking.

In fairness that poll was at a stage where we'd lost 4 in a row and were playing a brilliant attacking RB in CM (who's since been our best player), with no signs he'd adjust. To his credit he's changed his formation and now has found a way to get our best players on the pitch in their best position. He's also not been a scared to drop dross like Manning. That being said, I still don't think we look great, especially in front of goal, and still don't think we'll go up under Martin.

Or we could waste 2 seasons with him, lingering around mid-table and then a slightly bigger club poach him.. Much like what happened at Swansea.

Nice ramblings mate. Very well put together. I'll make it simple... Moral of the story is RM is a very average manager who isn't capable of putting a team together to challenge for promotion across 38 - 40 games.

FWIW I agree with and said all of this at the start of the season and was ridiculed. Not by you, but by a number of posters who've now gone quiet as its left them with egg on their face.

Its not that late goals don't count, its that its not sustainable to expect to score them every week. Its actually fairly freakish how many late goals we've already scored this season, which in fairness, is down to the system of keeping the ball and tiring the opponents all game.

Not for me - out of all the options we've tried up top all season, we've looked most threatening (comfortably) when Alcaraz has played in that 'false 9' role.

Its funny, at the start of the season, we had people like @Smirking_Saint telling us how they are skint etc. and that we're in a much better position then they are. Now its proven that's complete bollox, we're being told Leicester have only started faster than us because they weren't as bad as us last season. If we swapped managers, which in the summer was a fair chance of that happening, we'd be top and they'd be where we are, I'm almost certain of that.

yeah, that's kind of how I see it. Go out and start fast, blow teams away in the first 20 or so minutes, like we did Leeds. We have the players to do it. Once the game is won, then keep the ball and tire your opponents. At the minute, we're simply not ruthless enough. Leicester on the other hand are. Which is why they currently sit top of the league unbeaten.

If I recall correctly, when appointed, we were told that at Swansea, he had no 'decent' wingers and that he will here which'll improve his structure straight away. We've got really skillful, pacey and direct wingers who i'd fancy to win more 1 on 1 duals against fullbacks at this level, yet, they've largely looked completely ineffective. I want to see our 'wingers' playing higher up the pitch rather than in the build up. I think its why its worked so well when we've played charley up top, AA and Sully have played much higher and we've played to their strengths of attacking and running in behind.

Give up nipper. You're making yourself silly now.

I want Tony Mowbray. He's done a fantastic job there.

Correct - because we appointed a manager who has no track record of being anything other than bang average. Given the cost and quality of our squad, reality should be way closer to our expectations. I'm not expecting us to piss the league like Leicester will (although had we not been rejected by their manager maybe we would have), but I expect us to be more dominant and look more comfortable than we have. Going down was an opportunity to rebuild with a view of going up and being stronger in the PL next season. Its an opportunity we've absolutely wasted as we only get weaker season upon season from here.

Apart from 30 mins against Leeds, 45 against Wednesday & Rotherham, I don't remember us absolutely dominating a full game all season. Its actually pretty depressing how average we've been every single week where it looks like we could concede with every attack.

KWP whaooo, KWP whaoo, he wears the number 2. He thinks pompey are poo clap clap clap clap He plays on the left, he plays on the right, Kyle walker peters, thinks pompey are shite

At a guess; Out: Adams KWP Sulumana Aribo S Armstrong In: A winger Replacement for whoever we sell

Its clearly a PR stunt to try and get fans on board after the boo's are starting to return to St Marys, but it comes across as arrogance from the club, beyond belief. Martin, the master of mid-table, is in no position to start lecturing of how his tactics 'will come good'. It hasn't taken Enzo time to get a tune out of Leicester, playing a very similar style.

That was A. Armstrong, which is arguably even more hilarious.

Apart from that Idiot TWar (who was determined to have the worst take on everything) a year or so ago, who on earth has overhyped him 😂 He's universally been known to be absolute rubbish.