[Archived] Portsmouth v Rovers

[Stonesrick]

Well we all know how Tony the T likes to try his various formations so how about this to keep it basic and simple:

                                                 Raya

                                    Nyambe          Williams

                Smallwood           Mulgrew         Downing

   Bennett         Payne          Graham      Dack      Armstrong 

Sub: Samuel

Not quite as good as Else, Bray, Newton, Clayton, England, McGrath, Douglas etc etc.... but it seems Tony is confusing himself, his players and the supporters so this might also confuse Pompey as well.

Attack, attack, attack, attack, attack

 

[AllRoverAsia]

13 minutes ago, Stonesrick said:

Well we all know how Tony the T likes to try his various formations so how about this to keep it basic and simple:

                                                 Raya

                                    Nyambe          Williams

                Smallwood           Mulgrew         Downing

   Bennett         Payne          Graham      Dack      Armstrong 

Sub: Samuel

Not quite as good as Else, Bray, Newton, Clayton, England, McGrath, Douglas etc etc.... but it seems Tony is confusing himself, his players and the supporters so this might also confuse Pompey as well.

Attack, attack, attack, attack, attack

 

Add Ferguson, McEvoy, Pickering and Harrison for a full-house.

[G Somerset Rover]

Let’s get Lenihan back in for this - time to drop Downing. Lenihan will bring some physicality that we’ve been lacking and allow us to play a higher line. Heading down to this one too - last time I watched us at Pompey a certain Ryan Nelsen made his debut at right back(!), with the Axe also making his too, in a 1-0 win with Gamst bagging the winner. Same score line would do me fine.

[tomphil]

5 hours ago, islander200 said:

If we go 4-4-2 who do you play as your wide men?I'd argue Conway is our only natural winger and his legs have gone.

Payne is a good player but it's clear to see he is better suited to playing the same position as Dack so I would have rathered Mowbray had brought in and out and out winger.

It would be nice to see Armstrong and Graham as a pairing but with our lack of natural wingers I don't see how it can happen unless he goes with 3 at the back with Dack in behind or a diamond in midfield with one holding midfielder and Dack at the tip but we would probably get overrun in midfield if we played like that

I can see Conway put back in he does this to shore it up imo as like you said he isn't a natural winger anymore and almost operates as a defensive wide man plus he'll play either a striker or midfielder on the other wing so no natural movement there.   Hence why I said two banks of four and go defensive with maybe Samuel and Armstrong up top a bit of size and a bit of pace. Hard to say it but I might start Dack on the bench for this in that system he looks like he needs a rest.

It's not ideal and it's not what we want personally I want to see formations that push the opposition back and impose us on them with the attacking threat we have but he's terrified of it so if he's going to be defensive and play square pegs in round holes then at least try and apply tactics that do it properly. I'm trying to see it from his mind and how he does things the systems he tends to employ are neither defensive nor attacking but somewhere inbetween yet the balance still isn't right and it never will be with constant tinkering after a good performance and rotating the players on the wings etc.

[Hasta]

                                     Raya

Nyambe.        Lenihan.      Mulgrew.       Williams

Samuel       Smallwood.   Bennett     Armstrong

                         Dack

                                     Graham

 

If Whittingham was fit I'd have him in for Samuel and put Bennett right of midfield.

[Al]

15 hours ago, OnePhilT said:

Except Travis has played really well in midfield from what I've seen of him. But maybe Tinker Tony will take you up on that one Al!

So have others. We need a right back.

[philipl]

I would stick with the XI which finished the Oldham game.

[chaddyrovers]

3 hours ago, Hasta said:

                                     Raya

Nyambe.        Lenihan.      Mulgrew.       Williams

Samuel       Smallwood.   Bennett     Armstrong

                         Dack

                                     Graham

 

If Whittingham was fit I'd have him in for Samuel and put Bennett right of midfield.

Can I asked why Samuel and not Travis who change the game yesterday?

[chaddyrovers]

@roversfan99 why the confused face?

[Bigdoggsteel]

                                Raya

              Lenihan Mulgrew Williams 

Nyambe                                                Bell 

                     Smallwood Bennett 

                                  Dack 

                 Armstrong.       Graham 

 

[chaddyrovers]

why no Travis after yesterday game changing performance @Bigdoggsteel? surely Nyambe for Travis and play Bennett as wing back with Travis and Smallwood in centre midfield? 

agree with the formation tho

[Exiled in Toronto]

7 hours ago, arbitro said:

Portsmouth will play an aggressive, high tempo game, the type of which we have struggled against this season and first and foremost Mowbray has to get his players to match this. Our aim has to be to keep a clean sheet to give us a chance of winning but to do this we need to be compact with two banks of four and not letting Portsmouth play between these lines. If Graham is picked he simply has to do more to hold the ball up and retain possession.

Couldn’t agree more Tony. He’s a very good finisher and his glanced header yday to Dack that led to the goal showed great awareness, but he was weak against a couple of bruisers and not for the first time. It’s not a physique problem, Benni Mac could hold the ball up all day. He could do with giving away a few free kicks in letting defenders know he is there. Personally I’d go for Samuel on Tues and hope it’s one of his better days. I think this is Graham’s last season with us either way.

For me, Raya, Lenighan and Mulgrew at the back, Travis and Dack have to play. After that I don’t think anyone is a nailed on starter.

[Hasta]

50 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Can I asked why Samuel and not Travis who change the game yesterday?

I thought Travis was better inside than wide right yesterday.

Not sure what he is like as an orthodox right back but if he was densively good enough I'd be tempted to blood him there.

[roversfan99]

5 minutes ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

Couldn’t agree more Tony. He’s a very good finisher and his glanced header yday to Dack that led to the goal showed great awareness, but he was weak against a couple of bruisers and not for the first time. It’s not a physique problem, Benni Mac could hold the ball up all day. He could do with giving away a few free kicks in letting defenders know he is there. Personally I’d go for Samuel on Tues and hope it’s one of his better days. I think this is Graham’s last season with us either way.

For me, Raya, Lenighan and Mulgrew at the back, Travis and Dack have to play. After that I don’t think anyone is a nailed on starter.

Graham when given the required support and supply can hold the ball very well. In the first half, rather than having an Armstrong or Antonsson supporting him from wide areas, and Dack seemingly a bit deeper than usual, he was totally isolated, no striker could do anything with what he was given first half.

[arbitro]

Just now, roversfan99 said:

Graham when given the required support and supply can hold the ball very well. In the first half, rather than having an Armstrong or Antonsson supporting him from wide areas, and Dack seemingly a bit deeper than usual, he was totally isolated, no striker could do anything with what he was given first half.

I don't know why he would need support to hold the ball. The idea of holding the ball up is to allow players to get in and around you and give options. It's also an 'out' ball to relieve pressure. I just don't see him keeping the ball at all with his back to goal.

[roversfan99]

Just now, arbitro said:

I don't know why he would need support to hold the ball. The idea of holding the ball up is to allow players to get in and around you and give options. It's also an 'out' ball to relieve pressure. I just don't see him keeping the ball at all with his back to goal.

I disagree in that you can only hold the ball so long without requiring support, v Walsall, Shrewsbury, Scunthorpe, Hull when he came on, even Fleetwood, off the top of my head, he was excellent at it but he also had the support he needed to lay the ball off too, and the supply to give it to his feet in the first place.

[Exiled in Toronto]

8 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I disagree in that you can only hold the ball so long without requiring support, v Walsall, Shrewsbury, Scunthorpe, Hull when he came on, even Fleetwood, off the top of my head, he was excellent at it but he also had the support he needed to lay the ball off too, and the supply to give it to his feet in the first place.

That’s not holding the ball up. We could all do a job if given great passes and having unmarked teammates nearby.

[jim mk2]

It'll be a tough old game on Tuesday. Portsmouth are a hard working side and get good support from their vociferous fans.

The formation and players matters less than the mental attitude of the team - if Rovers aren't up for it like at Plymouth or the first half against Oldham we'll get beaten.

It's all down to Mowbray to get them in the right frame of mind.

A draw would be acceptable but I fear a defeat.

Pompey 2-1.

 

[roversfan99]

1 minute ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

That’s not holding the ball up. We could all do a job if given great passes and having unmarked teammates nearby.

I never said that, but you need something to work with. 

[arbitro]

44 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I disagree in that you can only hold the ball so long without requiring support, v Walsall, Shrewsbury, Scunthorpe, Hull when he came on, even Fleetwood, off the top of my head, he was excellent at it but he also had the support he needed to lay the ball off too, and the supply to give it to his feet in the first place.

Davies did it for Oldham yesterday. And Graham did it when he first came here on loan.

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

why no Travis after yesterday game changing performance @Bigdoggsteel? surely Nyambe for Travis and play Bennett as wing back with Travis and Smallwood in centre midfield? 

agree with the formation tho

I agree Travis played well,but I don't feel Nyambe deserves to be dropped. 

Dare I say it,but what about having Travis in for Smallwood? 

I like the formation. I think it gets our best players on the field and offers more security defensively,where we badly need it. 

[frosty]

58 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

 

A draw would be acceptable but I fear a defeat.

We've had too many draws lately, failure to win here would be 1 win in 5. Shrewsbury went to Portsmouth and won the other week and we should be doing the same.

Agree that if we play like we did at Plymouth or first half yesterday, then we'll get beat.

[Stuart]

6 minutes ago, frosty said:

We've had too many draws lately, failure to win here would be 1 win in 5. Shrewsbury went to Portsmouth and won the other week and we should be doing the same.

Agree that if we play like we did at Plymouth or first half yesterday, then we'll get beat.

Some folk think that ‘must win games’ only happen at the very last moment.

We need to go on a winning run and fast.

[Bigdoggsteel]

34 minutes ago, Stuart said:

Some folk think that ‘must win games’ only happen at the very last moment.

We need to go on a winning run and fast.

True. This season is starting to remind me of last season ,only at the opposite end of the table. Now is around the time mowbray came in and while he did a decent job,we came up short because of not winning enough games. I hope we come out on the right side this time. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

35 minutes ago, MGPensioner said:

maybe we need a poll to see who actually thinks a draw would be a point gained or 2 (more) lost ? 

MUST WIN !!!!!!

They are a decent side and we are away from home so in normal circumstances you would say a point would be decent,but because we draw and lose games we should win at home,these games then become must win. It's ironic,but this is exactly the type of game we do win,whereas Saturday was exactly the type of game we don't win.