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Reply | Paul Smyth - Social Media Abuse
at 20:12 2 Jan 2026
I think we all know someone who has fallen down the social media wormhole I think at some point in the future people will look back at the last 10 years of history with total disbelief as to how we allowed this to happen and what it has done to society |
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Reply | Norwich Reflection
at 11:51 2 Jan 2026
That's our game plan though, out of possession and high press requires energy and particularly Burrrell's energy and he is running on empty at the moment |
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Reply | Gaffer on today's defeat
at 11:49 2 Jan 2026
If you go to the Frey article on WLS there is the full 10 minutes presser. He is very honest in it.
Personally I like him, I might not like all the football and we were poor yesterday. Which he accepts. I think the difficulty in this period for the coach whoever they are is they can't really do much in training correctively, they will have one session with the team they have to prepare tactically for the next opponent in. As he says we lost a lot of duels yesterday. He also talks about he has a number of players who cannot play twice in 3 days we complain about the rotation but that is the reality of the squad at the moment. The way we play asks for a lot of running from the front 2 as well. Burrell looks totally shattered, and a big part of the positive run had been Burrell's performances. The team know they are playing poorly and therefore the confidence has drained as well. |
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Reply | Gaffer on today's defeat
at 20:50 1 Jan 2026
Once we conceded the body language looked well off. Collectively and individually they knew they were playing poorly, Every ricochet went there way, we were losing most 50/50s misplacing passes.
We have a lot of players out of form at the moment. I personally thought he took the wrong forward off Burrell looks a shadow of the player he was a few weeks ago. Kone's lay off work was decent today. Getting some level of consistency out of the wingers or even who to pick must be driving him mad. All were poor today. Here's hoping Chair might be back because we need a lift |
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Reply | Where are the Coal Mines
at 18:23 1 Jan 2026
Agree with all of that , effort was not our problem today, guile and execution were. |
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Reply | Where are the Coal Mines
at 17:37 1 Jan 2026
Felt we were going to lose this one before I got there. 1st half definition of scrappy. Only Hayden did ok, both wingers poor again. But throughout the team, if there was a wrong decision to be made we made it, or our execution in the basics of controlling the ball and passing were woeful. Then we got worse 2nd half!
I thought Burrell had a real stinker needs to get closer to Kone.
Have to say I am pretty underwhelmed with Poku.
Lets hope for better on Sunday but given it’s Sheffield Wed who are a bogie team I don’t hold much hope |
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Reply | Our Pitch
at 17:30 1 Jan 2026
Absolute disgrace today not just the Ellerslie side which frankly was just mud, but pretty much the entire thing. Worst I’ve seen it for probably 20 years - What on earth is going on? |
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Reply | Esquerdinha and his usage
at 13:43 31 Dec 2025
Watched a fair amount of football over the years, so I can only say its pretty instinctive, went to the dev PL cup final both he and Morgan were the best players on the pitch against Brentfords multi million pound set up. He's an attacking full back with a wicked cross but he can defend too and is stronger than you think. Just needs a bit of time, some players come in and look ready from the off then tail off (i.e Morgan) he needs games, not against a loan. He's going to have good games and stinkers but he is 19 with a good 3 or 4 years worth of development to do so I think his ceiling is quite high. Only way to learn is on the pitch. Not to say it will happen, Hämäläinen just never saw anything there or anything that looked like it would develop |
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Reply | Madsen
at 10:33 31 Dec 2025
lol with 2 dead ball assists of course and I think he made team of the week for the first time ever.
Maybe just maybe teams have got a game plan for him and he/we need to work out how to give him space. It's a lot easier when we have pace on the pitch and we can push up creating space for the midfield |
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Reply | Esquerdinha and his usage
at 10:27 31 Dec 2025
I'll repeat what I said on the match thread. If you are playing 4-4-2 its about partnerships, Left back and left wing have to operate as one. especially when playing a high press. Saito had an absolute stinker, along with Varane. You also had a left centre back who has not played there for a season playing a partnership he has not played with before in front of a keeper who has not played there before. Each of them has to have an understanding of where the other will be on the pitch at any given time. Without that understanding they have to take a second to think which slows them down and also leads to mistakes when you are being pressed.
This kid is nothing like Hämäläinen a far better player with much much more talent. Manager has thrown him to the wolves in the last two games. But I tell you what, if he is going to develop he will have learnt more in those two games than in the last couple of years of coaching
Have we learnt nothing from the Madsen redemption arc. Give the lad some space to develop |
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Reply | I See British Airways
at 15:42 30 Dec 2025
Fly BA a lot for work, absolutely terrible gets worse every year. Did a long haul to San Diego a couple of years ago on a seat that would barely be fit for a bus let alone a 14 hour with one leg being overnight. Bearable if you go premium economy. Its the one thing I like with the A380s at least they are comfortable, the newer the plane the less comfortable it is |
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Reply | Baggie ball bags - Match Thread
at 15:35 30 Dec 2025
Smyth is for sale in this window unless he signs a contract. I thought he was playing well within himself when he came on against Pompey |
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Reply | Esquerdinha and his usage
at 10:39 30 Dec 2025
Yeah I thought he was fine no worse than Morgan at right back, really not helped by Saito having a stinker in front of him and Morrison on his left. In the Premier cup final he and Morgan were head and shoulders the best players on the pitch. Is only going to improve with minutes, if its not with us then we will have to get another LB on loan who could be just as raw. |
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Reply | Baggie ball bags - Match Thread
at 10:32 30 Dec 2025
A few points.
4-4-2 is very much about partnerships, your centre backs, you full backs and wingers, your centre mid, and your forwards. We had 1 established partnership (centre mid) yesterday.
Centre backs have never played together (with Morrison on the left)
Right side had never played together
Forwards including Field had never played together
Left side may have had one or two games max.
If you go back to the W12 interview with Madsen. He said (and I think this is true for all players) that he is at his best when he does not have to think (i.e its instinctive, natural or so well drilled) he knows where anyone is going to be on the pitch.
That very much explains why we were slow and disjointed and why so many passes were misplaced.
I kinda of get Stephan's thinking. Burrell is all about the press and he picked Field to press from the front, Burrell and Mbengue cover the most yards. Burrell desperately needs a rest and Mbengue is struggling to get past 75 mins. Cook can't play 4 games in 9 days neither can Norrington Davies.
Smyth is on the market unless he signs a contract, hence why so few minutes in recent weeks and frankly on Boxing Day he played like a player who did not want to get injured. Poku needs minutes. Kolli we also think is likely to be off whether it be loan or sale next month.
Ultimately we lost to 2 set pieces, the first the Keeper totally at fault trying to buy a free kick. The second Varane and Field failed to win their duels, and came from a stupid free kick given away by a player woefully out of form.
I think we will see Ronnie in by the weekend which will give us much better cover along the back line |
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Reply | Baggie ball bags - Match Thread
at 21:59 29 Dec 2025
Dont think it was tactical Madsen hobbled off. His replacement had already been taken off
Selection reaked a little of a Warnock this is what we need. Keeper a full back and probably a centre back |
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Reply | Baggie ball bags - Match Thread
at 21:41 29 Dec 2025
The only thing I have to say about that is that was one of the most braindead tired performances in recent memory, if there was a wrong decision to be made, it was made from the manager through to every player bar Dunne on the pitch.
Let us never mention it again |
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Reply | Airport - Hotels London
at 18:32 26 Dec 2025
Premier inn and Travellodge can only be booked direct, but they are usually cheap and clean and if you stay anywhere in west or south West London you can get to the ground fairly easily. And as other have said, Heathrow always best and get the Elizabeth line or Piccadilly not the Heathrow express and definitely not a taxi |
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Reply | Pompey match thread
at 18:26 26 Dec 2025
Yeah but Norrington Davies was easily blocked off as he should have been out to it, and Cook air kicked it when it was straight at him, so pretty poor all round tbh |
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Reply | Pompey match thread
at 17:20 26 Dec 2025
Better second half pushed up, got Madsen on the ball and much better from Mbengue and Dembele. Really disappointing from both sub wingers. You can see why Stephan does not trust Poku yet and utterly abject from Smyth who played like a player ensuring he did not get injured for January transfer window, kept leaving Norrington-Davies exposed. Laughable cameo from Frey again. Now 58 years since we won away on Boxing Day lol [Post edited 26 Dec 2025 17:21]
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Reply | Pompey match thread
at 15:52 26 Dec 2025
Wrong wingers on the pitch, Cook turning in his worst performance of the season, back four far too deep Mbengue also having a poor game |
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