Neville Dalton is a journalist and a Portsmouth fan of more than 40 years.
Another home defeat; more woeful individual performances, and tactics that appear – finally - to unite Pompey’s fans in condemnation.
Time for me to stick the knife in to Steve Cotterill, eh?
Given my criticism of his teams’ ill discipline (and there have been two red cards since I last wrote about it), you’d think I’d be chomping at the bit, wouldn’t you?
In short, having seen only Pompey’s home games this season, my belief is that our squad is not as good as many suggest it is; that we play largely ugly, uninspiring, predictable football, and that our tactics are unambitious and grossly ineffective.
But then again, unlike so many supporters, it seems, I wasn’t really expecting that much.
The more rational among us wrote off last season as one of survival, almost at any cost, for a squad thrown together in chaotic and hugely restrictive circumstances on the eve of kick-off… in fact, much of it well after kick-off.
And yes, of course Cotterill needs to stand up to scrutiny this time round after assembling a squad that he can genuinely claim to be his, playing football that is also his choice.
But we’re still in September: some potentially key figures have been at the club less than a month.
Even allowing for the new ownership, he has hardly had carte blanche to buy the players he’d really like to see at Fratton Park.
And there has even been the odd glimmer of hope interspersed among the mediocrity and ugly football on show so far.
I’m not the man’s greatest fan, but I believe he still deserves time for his squad to blend, to be moulded into the vision he has for the club, and to establish a degree of consolidation – something the club hasn’t enjoyed for several years.
The pluses that give me hope are the early form of Jason Pearce, although we must accept that the youngster is still going to have off-days; the promise shown by Erik Huseklepp; the potential at relatively little cost to the club of Marko Futacs – and a notable improvement in player discipline.
What’s more, for all the defensive ineptitude shown in the first half against Peterborough, the team showed immense spirit and no little skill in a thoroughly entertaining second half (even though the manager loses brownie points for failing to work out long before now that playing Benjani as an isolated solitary striker is doomed to failure).
Unnecessary and unethical
Yes, having justifiably hammered Cotterill and co for the team’s abysmal disciplinary record, I’m now defending them.
True, the foul rate is still among the worst in the league, and the red and yellow cards are stacking up.
But I accept fouls are going to be committed in the course of a competitive game, and some of them are going to lead to bookings.
It’s the unnecessary and unethical – the cynical, pre-meditated fouls; the diving, and the haranguing and abuse of officials - that so anger me.
The “Stoke” influence has been there for all to see in the past 12 months, as Liam Lawrence and Dave Kitson lead the unedifying persecution of referees and their assistants, almost as a knee-jerk reaction every time a decision goes against them.
And since I highlighted Pompey’s worse-than-ever disciplinary record after the first three matches of this season, Lawrence and Luke Varney have both been sent off.
Yet perversely, the yellow-card count has slowed, suggesting a better all-round approach to discipline, the sendings-off notwithstanding.
After racking up 13 yellows in those opening three fixtures, Pompey have collected just 12 in the following seven, bringing the bookings rate down from more than four to 2.5 per game.
Notable has been a much improved attitude towards officials, even after some dubious refereeing decisions.
And what of the Stoke factor?
Well, Kitson has been out for a few games, and Lawrence, whose injuries have left him in dire form, has improved.
Against Peterborough, I don’t believe it was just the change of position that saw him shine – he appeared to have recovered some of his zip, and channelled all his energy into his game rather than berating the officials.
Although Cotterill has been most defensive of criticism of the players’ ill discipline, I cannot believe it is entirely coincidence that attitudes have changed on the field in recent weeks.
For that he deserves credit.
Now, about that playing style…