I like to make Fratton Faithful easy to digest (Editor's Note: Please do not try and eat your computer. I accept no responsibility for injuries sustained attempting to do so) and so this report will be handily split into two parts; the positives and the negatives. The negatives will come first though so that when you finish you'll go out on a high note, full of the joys of life and ready to burst into song.
Negatives
- We lost.
- Admittedly he scored a good goal, but Robert is failing to live up to expectations so far. If he made a decent pass as many times as he throws his arms up in the air in "disgust" he'd be man of the match every week. Obviously I'm not prepared to judge him yet because it's far too early but again today he looked far from the match-winning player and creator that we're all hoping he can be.
- Westerveld. Westy, me old mucker. Just what the hell were you thinking?
- I still have concerns going forwards. It's not so much the quality of player I'm concerned with - we have some talent up top - but thinking back to today's game, although we got into promising positions on occasion no-one wanted to pull the trigger. It's a question of confidence; I remember in 00/01 when we nearly got relegated and every time we got the near the area no-one would ever shoot. People just kept passing it on to each other because nobody wanted to be the one to have a go and see it sailing wide, wasting the chance. It seems to be the same again that all the players can get to the edge of the box, but then they get struck down with fear. I can't think of a save that Kirkland had to make and likewise Robinson last Saturday.
- The way that some of the fans are treating Karadas is nothing short of shameful. I'm not his biggest fan, he's not the best player we've got and he didn't play great today (he did ok, nothing more), but the way he's been singled out is a very poor show from fans who are so keen to proclaim themselves "best in the land" when it suits us. Every ball that was played too far in front of him, it was his fault. Every ball that was twatted at his stomach from two yards away which he (strangely) failed to control, it was his fault. Every time the ball was sent long and he lost out against two defenders whilst LuaLua sulked on the wing and the move broke down, it was his fault. I guessed after Den Haag that he was going to be the next boo boy and it seems I'm being proved right.
- It's not an excuse, but the officials today were absolutely absymal. The linesmen should've been helping out the referee with some of the incidents where he wasn't close enough, but the referee himself - I mean, where do they get these people from? It's not even bias because half the time some of our players were making dodgy tackles and getting away with it, but he just didn't have a clue. And what was with that five minute spell where he suddenly ran around booking everyone? And how the hell was it NOT a penalty?
- And finally, on a personal note, I'm sick to the back teeth of the amount of hours I've spent lost in cities across the country. Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, London; I've done U-turns in dimly lit back streets in them all. I didn't get on the M5 until gone 6 this evening and I have absolutely no idea how it happens every time. The AA Route Finder doesn't help either, I swear they just make the distances up as they go along. "Proceed for 1 mile to roundabout" - which roundabout? What about the eight roundabouts before that? What about the fact the roundabout I want is actually about four miles away and you're LYING?!
Positives
- We're not bottom anymore.
- We scored.
- Vast improvements on last week. Even a couple of Baggies admitted post-match that we probably deserved a point and although that's no consolation, there's signs that we've stepped up a little. LuaLua was unlucky not to win a penalty and went within inches with a shot; a couple of scrambles; and of course the ball right across the area at the death with Toddy then blazed over. On another day then who knows?
- Speaking of Toddy, it was nice to see him back.
- Viafara and Vignal were both impressive. The former turned in an all-action display and only has to work on his passing to be a real class act in the Premiership. The latter has shut me up after I questioned his performance last week; great down the wing and pretty strong at the back too. I still wish he'd stop playing about with it in his own area sometimes because of the blood pressure more than anything, but he seems to get away with it.
- Richard Hughes is turning into a more and more consistent Premiership footballer. I've always had faith in him and he's a real "Steady Eddie"; the type of guy who you can stick in the middle week after week and he'll always do things right for you - strong in the tackle and very rarely misplacing a pass. More of the same today and it's nice to see him getting a run.
- The defence was solid in the same way it was solid against Spurs - great most of the time, but still crap for the goals which is about as much use as a chocolate teapot. If you're going to be solid you've got to be like that for the whole match or else (surprise surprise) you still lose.
- We've only got to wait three days for a chance to put things right. An evening game at Fratton Park is usually a good catalyst for success (I'm thinking more of Middlesbrough last year, despite how poorly we were playing at the time) and we can beat Villa on our day.
- There's still 108 points left to play for and although starting the season by losing twice is hardly ideal, is it really a surprise? Spurs will do well this season and qualify for Europe, and we've just played away. Yes, that's away in the Premiership where we've won 4 times in two years. Surely I'm not the only one who reckons it isn't a "real" away game unless you walk away from someone elses stadium through unknown streets with a feeling of vast depression and disappointment?
- We'd hate it if we were winning every week anyway. At least let's make it interesting.
And yes, I also noticed that there's far more writing for the negatives than positive. Still as Portsmouth's own "Black Box Recorder" once sang; "Life isn't fair, kill yourself or get over it".
Keep the faith, brothers and sisters!