No Shoot Sherlock..Home to Portsmouth 14th Jan. 3-o'clock.

[TANGODANCER]

Strange thread title? Read on...

At the end of the nineteenth century, a man called A.C.Smith played for Portsmouth Amateur Football Club, first in goal, and later at right back. His real name wasn't Smith, it was Arthur Conan Doyle the creator of the fictional and famous Holmes and Watson, and that's no shxt Sherlock, but a historical fact!. So light up the gas lamps, whip up the Hansom cab and sally forth as Pompey attempt to solve the cases of a Study in White and the mystery of Sonic's Kettle. Will new faces step forth to baffle Pompey twice in a week and what can the creator of high jinks at BL6 6JW. Rivington Hall come up with to baffle the foes. Who is back, who is out and who's new?

Step forth chaps, the game is afoot! (Yes, Sherlock Holmes really did say that, in "The Adventure of the Abbey Grange", although it was Shakespeare who coined it. Up and at em then.. ...

[Bruce Rioja]

Have to say, Tango, that if you were looking for a literary reference, I thought you might have gone with something from Charles Dickens, what with it being his birthplace.

Anyway.

Talk this morning of them sounding out Robbie Keane for the managerial vacancy. Oh, I do hope so. That'll stop them from bothering us in the run-in

[Prufrock]

They mentioned that on iFollow on Tuesday. That would be mental (and as you say v welcome).

[jmjhb]

Looks like it's Liam Manning, formerly of MK Dons

[TANGODANCER]

Checking the rear-view mirror; Points -wise, Derby county have 41 like us, but a game in hand. Barnsley are a point below us but have two games in hand. Portsmouth are ten points adrift of us but have three games in hand. All too close for comfort, absolutely no time for complacency and wins are imperative. One Saturday, any which way is a critical factor, a crashing shot or a Kachunga shin pad matters not. Get in there.

[boltonboris]

We do need to win more games. Too many draws.

This Saturday, it's important we win.

Above us, Plymouth and Ipswich play eachother, which could drag 1 down into the pack
Around us, Wednesday play at Wycombe, where a draw would be nice! Derby travel to Cheltenham who have just lost their striker to a no-mark backwater club in Gtr Manchester. Derby should win that

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Derby travel to Cheltenham who have just lost their striker to a no-mark backwater club in Gtr Manchester. Derby should win that

Derby are motoring nicely under Warne, sadly. Looks like there's going to be at least two annoyingly good teams in the play-offs - and whoever else makes it will probably need to be going at some pace to get there.

Looks like it's Liam Manning, formerly of MK Dons

Manning is an interesting shout. He's basically only got two-and-a-bit seasons of managerial experience. First head-coach experience was at Man City's Belgian second-tier club but in summer 2021 he took over at MK when Russell Martin moved on and he hit the ground running - Manager of the Month after 11 games. Basically didn't really change Martin's blueprint but benefited from judicious loans, Harry Darling at the back and of course the ludicrously productive Scott Twine up top. When the loanees, Darling and Twine left last summer, MK went relegation-shit and he was gone by Christmas.

He'd get them passing but not particularly pressing. Last season, Pompey were t3's top pressers - MK were 14th (we were 8th). This season, we're comfortably top and Pompey 7th. Maybe that's about new strikers, the Cowleys changing their ways or just less effort. This season Pompey have been slightly faster going forward and more "passy" than average but nothing like MK. He'd have a bit of a job on his hands to make them more like last season's MK, and we're nearly halfway through the window already...

[DJBlu]

3 points against these would be some statement considering how they played on Tuesday.

Might need a Sonic brew.

COYWM!!!

[TANGODANCER]

3 points against these would be some statement considering how they played on Tuesday.

Might need a Sonic brew.

COYWM!!!

Ah, but we have two new secret weapons and, if Bakayoko has gone....?

[boltonboris]

Luckily, they've not been able to sign anyone in time to play us and have lost 2(?) of their regular XI to recalls

We've been able to add and I'm really, really convinced we'll play better than we did on Tuesday and they won't.

Edit: The more I think about Tuesday, the more I think we had a difficult task of playing a game to win, without opening our playbook to them. Always difficult these double headers. When I was a kid it's something we did as a matter of course. The first game was always cagey, the second had a bit of needle and goals.

They don't plan like that anymore (I don't think)

[Worthy4England]

Luckily, they've not been able to sign anyone in time to play us and have 2(?) of their regular XI to recalls

We've been able to add and I'm really, really convinced we'll play better than we did on Tuesday and they won't

Yes - that XI felt in large part like our second string, so I think there's plenty of improvement over Tuesday's performance to come. If we play like Barnsley/Plymouth, we should hopefully steer clear...this is a game, I'd be disappointed with a point.

[GhostoftheBok]

We'll win.

[Prufrock]

They'd made 5 changes as well. Plus it's a cup game and you go 1-0 up early. No surprise we sat off a bit. And apart from Aimson off the line and that shot where Santos got run (can't remember the last time that happened!) I don't remember them creating anything clear cut.

Not sure Tuesday gives a huge amount to go on.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

With Dapo suspended and Baka gone, is Sads now (and perhaps only now, in fixture terms) our fourth striker?

[BWFC_Insane]

It’s in the window of a must win this one. Crucial after failing to beat Derby and Plymouth at home.

[GhostoftheBok]

With Dapo suspended and Baka gone, is Sads now (and perhaps only now, in fixture terms) our fourth striker?

Suspect Kacha might be that until the next one rocks up.

[GhostoftheBok]

It’s in the window of a must win this one. Crucial after failing to beat Derby and Plymouth at home.

If the aim is top 2 they're basically all must win now.

If it's play-offs then no, it's not a must win.

[Worthy4England]

It’s in the window of a must win this one. Crucial after failing to beat Derby and Plymouth at home.

If the aim is top 2 they're basically all must win now.

If it's play-offs then no, it's not a must win.

If that's the low down, a win, please!

[BWFC_Insane]

It’s in the window of a must win this one. Crucial after failing to beat Derby and Plymouth at home.

If the aim is top 2 they're basically all must win now.

If it's play-offs then no, it's not a must win.

The aim is the play offs and home games are must be ins for us from here Id say.

[Prufrock]

Do you know what the word "must" means?!