Posh do or dogs dinner? Bolton v Peterborough Sat 23rd Sept - 3pm

[BWFC_Insane]

Feels like a hugely pivotal game for the season. Discontent is setting in after what was a great start has faded into a pretty poor beginning to the season for a club with top 2 ambitions. Results one thing but we look pretty unconvincing as a team.

People laugh at this 'descriptor' but this game is firmly in the 'must win' category given our ambitions and current position.

Injuries wise - CMG and Maghoma are out. Charles is a doubt with a shoulder injury.

Interesting to see what team we pick - my suspicion is we'll do all we can to have Charles on the field as it feels like we've got little option but to.

Definition of pressure now. On players and manager. This is when you sort the men out from the boys. Who embraces it and steps up...who crumbles and hides?

[Worthy4England]

Don't disagree we have two pretty important games coming up, in the next two. Feels like they might define the season.

To get to 92 points from where we are, then we're looking at a shade over 2 ppg (2.02). We're currently running at 1.86. and the current leaders are on course for over 100 points, but you hope there's going to be a dip somewhere...The league certainly isn't decided on this game, so in that sense, not winning it is going to be unhelpful rather than can't possibly recover from. 28 wins is probably what you need over the season, but you still then can't lose often - maybe just 4-6 times, as you need the drawn games to get you over the line. without the draws both Ipswich and Sheff Weds would have been on 84 points last season, so they mount up to 4-5 wins. So must not lose, I think is probably what I'd go with, whilst wanting the win.

It does feel like a couple of poor results in the next two and some folks will be getting plenty edgy. Whilst I might have given Evatt some leeway for injuries with a full squad, I'm less inclined to do so, when it feels like our transfer approach has left us short in key areas and rather dumfounded in other areas where we have "numbers" but not quality.

[Bertie Wooster]

I really do hope that we win this because if we lose I have a feeling that quite a few fans may verbally turn on Evatt both in the stadium and on social media & I can't really blame them. Almost every fan that you speak to is annoyed with the poor summer transfer business, the lack of quality additions and overall squad depth.

I would agree that the next 2 or 3 games are certainly season defining ? I'll go with 1-1.

[officer_dibble]

Tenner tickets isn’t it? These type of crowds usually turn quickest!

[The_Gun]

I really do hope that we win this because if we lose I have a feeling that quite a few fans may verbally turn on Evatt both in the stadium and on social media & I can't really blame them. Almost every fan that you speak to is annoyed with the poor summer transfer business, the lack of quality additions and overall squad depth.

I would agree that the next 2 or 3 games are certainly season defining ? I'll go with 1-1.

I’d contest the ‘lack of quality additions’ assertion. I’m reasonably confident that Baxter, Forrester, JDC, Maghoma and CMG will all prove to be good players for us.

[BWFC_Insane]

I really do hope that we win this because if we lose I have a feeling that quite a few fans may verbally turn on Evatt both in the stadium and on social media & I can't really blame them. Almost every fan that you speak to is annoyed with the poor summer transfer business, the lack of quality additions and overall squad depth.

I would agree that the next 2 or 3 games are certainly season defining ? I'll go with 1-1.

I’d contest the ‘lack of quality additions’ assertion. I’m reasonably confident that Baxter, Forrester, JDC, Maghoma and CMG will all prove to be good players for us.

I think the point is that they haven’t addressed the most pressing needs or built a squad that is strong enough to challenge. Forrester I think will be a good player. But is he what we really needed to win this league? SMe I think for most. JDC only one who directly addresses a need. Baxter is fine. Maghoma clearly very good but is a loan and CMG is a good player who like Dapo doesn’t obviously fit the system.

[officer_dibble]

Be interesting if forester starts - it’s left sided centre half that’s open so you would think Iredale gets in.

[Mar]

Be interesting if forester starts - it’s left sided centre half that’s open so you would think Iredale gets in.

For me, Forester has to start. Iredale's form just isnt warranting it at the moment. Iredale can start against Man Utd U21's which should have less of a mental strain on Iredale, hopefully that'll give him a platform to kick on from.

[TANGODANCER]

I really do hope that we win this because if we lose I have a feeling that quite a few fans may verbally turn on Evatt both in the stadium and on social media & I can't really blame them. Almost every fan that you speak to is annoyed with the poor summer transfer business, the lack of quality additions and overall squad depth.

I would agree that the next 2 or 3 games are certainly season defining ? I'll go with 1-1.

Early doors yet surely? Fans that turn on the manager when the team lose are not really the backbone of supporters. We all have a moan from dsappointment, but we don't really know the full story, or at least how much is due to players underperforming rather than managerial faults. I'm no different than the rest at losing, nature of the beast etc, but it's a bit early to be airing the bedsheeets yet.

[Bertie Wooster]

TD we are all different & we all have very differing opinions - however I don't mind admitting that I'm more impatient than most, I'm not at all saying that Evatt should go but I honestly wouldn't lose any sleep if he went tomorrow. Apart from playing a 'better on the eye' possession based game than under Parkinson, when I sit through games I get very frustrated at our 'tippy tappy' sideways & backwards very slow, lack of intensity football & I also don't see any real progress on the pitch despite numerous transfer windows it’s just more of the same.

There is a lot of 'cheap' talk about automatic promotion, 'no one hurts more than us' etc. we have learned the lessons from the Wigan defeat blah blah blah….and then on Saturday they capitulate again, promotion winning teams do not lose games like Saturday. The team lacks leadership on the pitch, the team is mentally weak and we need some steel in midfield & we needed goal scorers - none of this was addressed in the summer, combined with going with such a light squad until January. We have a system of playing that relies on good wing-backs, yet we don't really have any back-ups to bring on when the starters tire or they get injured.

The team / squad has not been improved at all from last season, and the issues from last season have also not be improved - its stagnant at best.

As I said hopefully we win on Saturday (or as a min don’t lose) to take the pressure off Evatt, because like it or not, agree with it or not he will be under pressure - this is not just me saying this, there are quite a few other fans not overly happy with Evatt & who expected better in the summer to give us a decent chance of going up, for me personally the summer recruitment was half cocked & lacked ambition especially on the back of getting £4.5M of funding from the supporters.

[The_Gun]

Was hoping Posh might have a tough game with lots of injuries and sendings off tonight, however, Cheltenham have had a man sent off after five minutes…

[Worthy4England]

We've also got that bell of a ref, that's given us three reds in four games...there might be trouble ahead...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Posh score. Guess who? That’s right, Harrison Burrows!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Ooh JCH scored too! Point blank header from a corner. Only one behind Victor now.

Posh eased to a 3-0 win, scoring 3 of their 5 accurate efforts (out of 24). Barnsley rallied from 3-0 down at the break but Pompey held them off to win 3-2 and go top. And Vale lost at home to Burton, which means Exeter stay second despite losing 9-0 to Reading (in the cup we own).

So, mixed really…

[BWFC_Insane]

Ooh JCH scored too! Point blank header from a corner. Only one behind Victor now.

Posh eased to a 3-0 win, scoring 3 of their 5 accurate efforts (out of 24). Barnsley rallied from 3-0 down at the break but Pompey held them off to win 3-2 and go top. And Vale lost at home to Burton, which means Exeter stay second despite losing 9-0 to Reading (in the cup we own).

So, mixed really…

I fancy Portsmouth this season will do well.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I fancy Portsmouth this season will do well.

Aye. I watched their window dealings with a touch of fear. The Mouse seems to know what he’s doing.

Then again, so did Kenny Jackett and Danny Cowley, at various points… but Pompey definitely made a big effort to strengthen this summer.

[Bertie Wooster]

Evatt saying that he will make a decision on Charles at the last possible moment & also we picked up more injuries following the Reading game that he didn't know about until the last few days. Looks like we are down to the bare bones - or perhaps more Evatt mind games ?

[Worthy4England]

Evatt saying that he will make a decision on Charles at the last possible moment & also we picked up more injuries following the Reading game that he didn't know about until the last few days. Looks like we are down to the bare bones - or perhaps more Evatt mind games ?

Dunno about mind games for them, I'm having fcking palpitations...

[TANGODANCER]

Que Sera, as ever, keep the faith.

[BWFC_Insane]

Given we have 3 squad places un filled it doesn’t look like a great decision to go in so light. Flexibility is ok until you get a few out….