[Archived] Portsmouth V Rovers 0-1

[Big A]

I went to the game yesterday and no player from either side stood out as playing a really good game.

I'd say we were quite lucky to win 1-0, especially as Mokoena was very lucky not to get sent off after he tripped Kamara on the break after we'd won a free kick, piled everyone into the box except Tugay and then played the ball to him on the edge of the area. Tugay lost possesion and Kamara sprinted away, there was someone else racing back but I doubt he would have caught Kamara.

Pedersen took his goal well (although it was difficult to see as I was right up the other end!) and looked good in patches, tracking back too. A decent performance and I suspect his style of playing is quite stop start like many wingers. The lad can finish though, what about playing him up front? On the corner front he looked like he'd taken lessons from Brett "hit the first defender" Emerton, despite a promising start.

As for Lua Lua's sending off, I'd have to say in true Wenger style that I didn't see it. The Pompey fans all seemed annoyed so I thought the ref was going to send one of our lot off. D'Urso had a poor game overall, he was overly pedantic sometimes although it looks like he got the sendings off right. Certainly Blackburn got a lot more yellow cards in the first half than Pompey, sometimes for fairly innocuous challenges (although Mokoena was lucky not to be sent off so it's swings and roundabouts).

Nelsen lined up at right back and for me was the man of the match, a solid performance and he looked good going forward, putting in some decent crosses along the floor. Probably the most confident defender. All the defence did ok, although there were a few nervy moments. Mokoena looks a good acquistion and did well. Friedel didn't have much to do but he made a fine save from Kamara.

Further forward we were not so good. Tugay's passing was poor and Dickov and Gallagher ran around a lot but struggled to create many openings, Jansen didn't have much time to impress but looked promising when he came on. Emerton and Pedersen did ok, but both produced stop-start performances. Thompson did alright but you do get the feeling he's suffering from headless chicken syndrome sometimes.

So a valuable three points but not that well deserved. Portsmouth didn't seem to feel the effects of playing a lot of the second half with 10 men and a draw would have probably have been a fair result.

[Manchester Blue]

I went to the game yesterday and no player from either side stood out as playing a really good game.

I'd say we were quite lucky to win 1-0, especially as Mokoena was very lucky not to get sent off after he tripped Kamara on the break after we'd won a free kick, piled everyone into the box except Tugay and then played the ball to him on the edge of the area. Tugay lost possesion and Kamara sprinted away, there was someone else racing back but I doubt he would have caught Kamara.

What about Emerton who was in front of Kamara? Cracked me up to read Jordan trying to defend his players and whingeing about Moekena. He said by the letter of the law the ref was correct to book him but it was very cynical. Of course it was and if one of his players had done it he would have patted him on the back.I've been amazed at how many people including a few pundits who felt he should have been sent off. What he did was no different than pulling someone back by the jersey who is racing away. It wasn't a bad foul and he clearly wasn't the last man so all did was take a booking, good play for me.

Jordan also argued Todd should have gone with Lulu, presumably being butted is an offence now. He then topped it all by suggesting Faye was unlucky. He shouldn't have been on the field in the first place after shoving Emerton and then commiting a terrible foul on Thommo.

[RoyRover]

How did Reid play in the centre? I like to see him play there more often. If Ferguson leaves, we may see more of him there.

[bazza]

My prediction: 1 - 0 to Rovers, with MGP scoring the winner.

Congratulations, James No7! It's not very often that someone predicts not only the correct score but also the goalscorer(s). Take a bow.

How are we going to do against Cardiff City?

[Guest DCfan]

How did Nellie do in his first Prem game? Did he play on the inside or outside in the back? Any memorable events? Did he look comfortable or lost?

I'll have to rely on this message board for news until Fox Sports World gets their act together and broadcasts another Rovers match back here in the States.

Congrats on the win and the 3 points that go with it. It's time to climb the table!

DC United and Blackburn fan.

Take good care of Nellie for us!!! We miss him!

[Radagast]

I assume 'outside in the back' is an Americanism for full back, which is where he played, and by all accounts aquitted himself very well. Booked 14 minutes into his debut - talk about making your presence felt!

[James No. 7]

My prediction: 1 - 0 to Rovers, with MGP scoring the winner.

Congratulations, James No7! It's not very often that someone predicts not only the correct score but also the goalscorer(s). Take a bow.

How are we going to do against Cardiff City?

I can't believe I got it correct myself. I didn't expect MGP to start or even feature, thus the "wink".

I'll save my prediction for the Cardiff match preview thread. I'll keep with my tradition of never predicting that my team will lose. I wouldn't want a losing prediction correct.

[Alan75]

I see there was a bit of trouble after MGP scored.

Quote from one newspaper.

The goal produced a wonderful cameo scene. At least one object was thrown at Pedersen and the guilty party was immediately ejected, but in an unusual manner. The miscreant, in the disabled section, drove himself out in his motorised wheelchair, followed by stewards, to a standing ovation.

[philipl]

The Rovers were fined £25,000 for having six players yellow carded on Saturday- apparently its an automatic penalty and nothing to do with the hefty penalty we are almost certain to face at the end of the season when we are hauled up before the FA for our poor disciplinary record.

In fact, at the same time as our results were improving, the number of yellow cards were going down over recent weeks. Until D'Urso.

So after that ludicrous penalty at Southampton, D'Urso c'ost u's a'gain.

[Morph]

The Rovers were fined £25,000 for having six players yellow carded on Saturday- apparently its an automatic penalty and nothing to do with the hefty penalty we are almost certain to face at the end of the season when we are hauled up before the FA for our poor disciplinary record.

In fact, at the same time as our results were improving, the number of yellow cards were going down over recent weeks. Until D'Urso.

So after that ludicrous penalty at Southampton, D'Urso c'ost u's a'gain.

Is there no way we can appeal? Every match report I've read suggests that, the dismissals aside, D'Urso had a shocker. It seems to me that clubs are being unfairly punished (twice) for what one article in the Guardian called "the game's dubious demand for consistency at the expense of common sense". First we lose players to suspension due to ever greater numbers of cheaply given yellow cards, then the FA fines us for the same offence. Most people have said that Saturday's match was not an especially violent one, yet from the number of cards doled out you would think that it had been a pitched battle from start to finish.

[Biddy]

Most people have said that Saturday's match was not an especially violent one, yet from the number of cards doled out you would think that it had been a pitched battle from start to finish.

I don't know, reading all the sulking Portsmouth fans comments on the 606 website, we were obviously trying to start world war three on the pitch.

They seem a little hazy over 2 of their's being sent off though.

[Alan75]

Another three welcomed points away at Portsmouth, but also a fine for accumulating six yellow cards in one game. Two of which included league debutants Aaron Mokoena and Ryan Nelsen, are referees in other leagues more tollerant or is it because D'Urso is sticking to the laws of the game.

D'Urso, the same referee who failed to sent Ferguson off after issuing two yellow cards during Rovers last visit to the South Coast when they were beaten by a dubious last minute penalty against Southampton.

I wasn't at the game and only saw the edited three minute highlights on MOTD, but I wonder, after being suspended for that glaring mistake at the St Mary stadium, whether Mr D'Urso is now only working to the prescribed laws of the game. If that is the case I cant blame him, however have the laws of the game become so restrictive that they will eventually strangle themselves. One wonders if the likes of Mark Hughes or Portsmouth's coach, Joe Jordan would have made a living let alone gained such high recognition in the game if the current lack of physical attributes had been outlawed in the past decade.

What is becoming more evident, we are now developing a new breed of player who cannot tackle. For the fear of being booked defenders are continually backing off attackers, very few go in for that 50 / 50 crunching tackle, they prefer to pull shirts and step in front of players. It's this what infuriates fans, "the cheat" who spends the whole ninety minutes claiming for every indiscretion and throw in, or corner, even though it's obvious that he knocked the ball out of play. It's not the hard clean tackle that upsets fans it's the dive, after being tripped by an imaginary foot.

That said, Mokoena trip on Portsmouth's Kamara, wasn't imaginary and he was rightly booked for it, fortunately he wasn't the last defender otherwise he would have started his league debut with a straight red card.

[waggy]

heard yesterday that a few ewood blues did not get in the game,refused entry for guess what-having a disscussion over a lost ticket

[MCMC1875]

The way things are going, only 10 more points may earn survival.

[Yorkshire Blue]

If we take "the way things are going" literally...

Norwich - the team currently occupying the third fatal relegation slot - have accumulated 16 points from 23 games, at an average of 0.696 points per game.

At that rate they will accumulate a mere 26.435 points - let's round that up to 27 for argument's sake.

Three more points for another season in the Premiership?

[MCMC1875]

Just remember, April usually sees most lowly teams up for the scrap and gaining points. An extreme example was Portsmouth last season. If this happens again, 27 will not be enough.

[mark]

what was the magic number last season?

[Yorkshire Blue]

Yes, I accept that. I really don't think we have to worry, though. There are more than three teams in this league that we look much better than. I honestly can't remember a Premiership season where so many teams (4) have so few points at this stage.

[Yorkshire Blue]

what was the magic number last season?

Last season all three relegated sides finished with 33 points, so 34 would have done.

Everton were 17th on 39 points.

[MCMC1875]

Yes, I accept that. I really don't think we have to worry, though. There are more than three teams in this league that we look much better than. I honestly can't remember a Premiership season where so many teams (4) have so few points at this stage.

Looks suspiciously like John Williams prediction, several years ago, repeated by Souness, is coming true. He said 5 years of survival in the Premiership was critical financially. Presumably because the gulf between the next division lower would be so great that promoted teams would not be able to compete.

[andyrovers]

I was at Pompey on Saturday and spoke to some decent Pompey fans before the match, however when we were coming out of the ground I was spat on and my mate barged into. A big "NO NEED" !!!! What is wrong with people?

3 points in the bag!!! D'Urso to be banned!!! Rovers to climb up the table.

[Claytons Left Boot]

Looks suspiciously like John Williams prediction, several years ago, repeated by Souness, is coming true. He said 5 years of survival in the Premiership was critical financially. Presumably because the gulf between the next division lower would be so great that promoted teams would not be able to compete.

Very true - there is such a gulf between the PL and the Championship that once you are an established PL team, in theory all you need to do each summer is tinker with your squad to avoid relegation.

Teams like Wolves, West Brom, Leicester etc are very good/too good for the Championship, but extremely poor in the PL. Once in a Blue Moon a team like Man City (like the pun?) comes along and stays up, but it's now becoming harder and harder to get promoted and stay up.

[herbergeehh]

I hope Crystal Palace stays up, if Southampton go down it wouldn't really be much of a miss IMO.. they do have a tendency to make it in the last few matches though, and buying Quashie from Pompey is a good start. (and obviously getting Harry Redknapp)

If the Saints make it, I wouldn't exactly be sorry to see either Fulham or Birmingham go down either...

Edited January 17, 2005 by herbergeehh

[philipl]

Good points there.

Pompey look like soon being without Quashie, Faye, Yakubu. Unless they suddenly buy half a team, they are not going to get many more points before the season end.

Saints, Palace, West Brom and Norwich are so weak that I cannot see any of Pompey, Fulham and Brum getting caught by them. All three of those lower mid table clubs are going backwards at the moment and it would be better for the Prem if they were caught in a full on relegation scare to shake them up.

Of the clubs deep in trouble, I have a soft spot for Southampton but they need more than just Quashie to save them. Despite having bought some players who were very promising England u-21 internationals, the likes of Prutton and Higginbottom seem to have caught whatever Tiny Taylor got and are now not much use at all.

Football-wise Norwich are the best of the strugglers but they have had a miserable time with injuries to their small squad.

How West Brom could blow well over £10m and be so bad is quite amazing.

Meanwhilst, Dowie works miracles at Palace and they will be the team the other three will have to try to get ahead of if they to avoid the drop.

There was a telling comment on the Radio report of the Ipswich game on Saturday- "This Ipswich side are far worse than the Norwich side they are likely to replace".

Only Wigan of the clubs in the second division are showing any pretence of Premiership style and even they are stuffed full of players who weren't good enough for the Prem. When you think PNE and the dingles are within toching distance of a play off spot, it shows how awful that division is and how poor the prospects are for the survival of whoever comes up.

[American]

I wouldn't be shocked to see Pompey take some of that money and try to buy Donovan from Leverkusen. They took a shot at a loan move last year, and he's good friends with Milan.