Portsmouth away, 4th August

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I don't buy this bollocks it's ALL about match fitness, but if it is, can someone tell me who saw today's game, if we're looking like match fit?

Chris Eagles thinks so, in today's local paper:

The Championship is a tough, tough league because there’s a game every few days as opposed to one a week in the Premier League, which I quite enjoy. Don’t get me wrong, our intention is to go straight back up – everyone knows that – but I’d certainly rather be out there on the pitch because you can get sick of training. We have certainly got a fit squad because we have done a lot of hard running. It probably took it out of us up in Scotland when the results weren’t so good, but I’ve certainly felt the benefit.

[Lord Kangana]

I told you that midfield looked a bit lightweight....

[Worthy4England]

I don't buy this bollocks it's ALL about match fitness, but if it is, can someone tell me who saw today's game, if we're looking like match fit?

Chris Eagles thinks so, in today's local paper:

The Championship is a tough, tough league because there’s a game every few days as opposed to one a week in the Premier League, which I quite enjoy. Don’t get me wrong, our intention is to go straight back up – everyone knows that – but I’d certainly rather be out there on the pitch because you can get sick of training. We have certainly got a fit squad because we have done a lot of hard running. It probably took it out of us up in Scotland when the results weren’t so good, but I’ve certainly felt the benefit.

Oh goodie, so it's not unreasonable to assume then that these later friendlies are as much about performing as a team, as fitness? Note, I didn't say winning.

[BWFC_Insane]

You can't tell anything till Burnley.

That's not actually true really, is it?

You can tell if you look joined up as a team, you can tell that you've been beaten 3-0, you can tell if some players are looking sharp or not, you can tell if player Y is linking up with player Z.

You might not be able to use it as an indication as to how you're going to do in the first game of the season. But if you "can't tell anything" there's little point in bothering with pre-season friendlies. I don't buy this bollocks it's ALL about match fitness, but if it is, can someone tell me who saw today's game, if we're looking like match fit?

As I said before we looked ace pre-season when Lee was in charge. Looked sharp, fit and almost won that peace cup thing in Asia.

Didnt give us much indication of what we were in for.

Clearly losing today is less than ideal, but personally rather be shit and disjointed pre season than win everything at a canter and go into Burnley for the stroll we did first half on Allardyces return with Newcastle that time!

[officer_dibble]

I just wish he would sign a defensive coach!

[Harry Genshaw]

I've never taken much notice of pre season friendlies but 0-3 against a side who could only name 7 players before hand? The manager questioning committment? I'm currently trying to drown out the screams of "crisis" inside my head

[Gooner Girl]

I've never taken much notice of pre season friendlies but 0-3 against a side who could only name 7 players before hand? The manager questioning committment? I'm currently trying to drown out the screams of "crisis" inside my head

I'll be honest, it didn't look good...

But - as some have said on here - sometimes pre-season friendlies can mean sod all. Pompey were far more 'up for it' then you lot.

[bobo the clown]

I just wish he would sign a defensive coach!

... or a coach at all !!

[BWFC_Insane]

Need to be organised and defend as a team. Defensive coach not the answer unless everyone including the manager buys into it.

Sounds like we just weren't arsed today. Let's see what happens at Burnley. If we don't turn up for that then I think it's time to unfurl the banners. But let's wait till then.

[thebish]

just back from the game....

will write more later when i can think of words adequate to describe the utter shitness of what we had on offer today...

seriously - if anyone on here still seriously thinks our squad is mostly and obviously superior to the rest of the championship - go and jump in reality lake!!!

[BWFC_Insane]

just back from the game....

will write more later when i can think of words adequate to describe the utter shitness of what we had on offer today...

seriously - if anyone on here still seriously thinks our squad is mostly and obviously superior to the rest of the championship - go and jump in reality lake!!!

Maybe that's what Newcastle fans said when they got beat 6-1 by Leyton Oreint in pre-season before going on to win the championship.

We have the players. If they don't achieve it's just more piss poor management. Which would be no surprise with the gubber we've got in charge!

[CrazyHorse]

Promoted my arse.

To chief spokesman?

[Harry Genshaw]

just back from the game....

will write more later when i can think of words adequate to describe the utter shitness of what we had on offer today...

seriously - if anyone on here still seriously thinks our squad is mostly and obviously superior to the rest of the championship - go and jump in reality lake!!!

Maybe that's what Newcastle fans said when they got beat 6-1 by Leyton Oreint in pre-season before going on to win the championship.

We have the players. If they don't achieve it's just more piss poor management. Which would be no surprise with the gubber we've got in charge!

Aye, good shout, i'd forgotten about that - hope to God you're right

[Worthy4England]

You can't tell anything till Burnley.

That's not actually true really, is it?

You can tell if you look joined up as a team, you can tell that you've been beaten 3-0, you can tell if some players are looking sharp or not, you can tell if player Y is linking up with player Z.

You might not be able to use it as an indication as to how you're going to do in the first game of the season. But if you "can't tell anything" there's little point in bothering with pre-season friendlies. I don't buy this bollocks it's ALL about match fitness, but if it is, can someone tell me who saw today's game, if we're looking like match fit?

As I said before we looked ace pre-season when Lee was in charge. Looked sharp, fit and almost won that peace cup thing in Asia.

Didnt give us much indication of what we were in for.

Clearly losing today is less than ideal, but personally rather be shit and disjointed pre season than win everything at a canter and go into Burnley for the stroll we did first half on Allardyces return with Newcastle that time!

We'd probably all rather be shite pre-season and win everything at a canter, so I'm not sure that's particularly personal. Pretty much same as last season, I'll reserve judgement until a few games in, (probably) the end of September. I'm not currently highly hopeful.

[thebish]

ok - will attempt a flavour of the game...

nice to meet up with Il Pirate with young Pirate in tow - and GG (as ever!)

first off - have to admit - it took a wee while to work out who the feck everyone was!

Bogdan (who looks even more dayglow than ever)
we played Mears, Mills, Knight and Rickets across the back

Andrews, Petrov, little-Davies, Lee and Eagles across midfield

Ngog up front

so - 4-5-1 (which I thought we were told was the saviour-formation)

within 15mins we were 2 down

the first - winger bombs down the right - whacks a fairly tame cross all along the floor which evades our entire defence who are all looking somewhere else - and is rammed home by some other unknown bloke in a pompey shirt... disastrous defending

the second - free-kick - curled fairly tamely into the top-ish corner - has to be said it looked like Boggers could have done better - either at getting to it (he was nowhere near) or at organising the wall...

not that long to suss out Ngog - as he crashes into the hoarding and foes off injured to be replaced by superKev - who seems to have put 4stone on and waddles...

mark davies also seems to have put on weight... despite what was reported above about Eagles' comments - we did not look superfit.

we were outmuscled, out-harried, out-passed, out-thought, out-skilled - we made them look like Brazil...

Mears??? bag of shoite

Lee - was played out wide and seemed lost

Knight?? calamitous... has suddenly got it into his head that he is david beckam and can spray 70yd passes to moving target-men... he can't

(This indeed prompted my new branded tongue twister - "another perfect pin-point pass to petrov" - which after a pint of John Smiths, I failed to say... and i was being sarcastic...)

it was pretty much impossible to guess what our midfield shape was other than that Lee was stranded out on the right... there was no discernible defensive cover - and boy could they have done with it...

KD up front on his own - utterly and totally toothless...

Mills - looked like a lumbering liability - nowt to choose between him and Knight

Andrews.. who? not sure he ever got the ball

mark davies? - if anyone offers £4mill - take it now... just didn't look interested

eagles?? - lightweight

Ricketts - got skinned for their first goal wayyyyyy too easily

Petrov?? - pants

bogdan - looked off the pace - a bit flappy - and at fault for the f-k


so - then we had a flood of subs - some of them came on at H/T and it took a while to notice...

pratley got smuggled on - and (sorry BWFCi) - he looked pants

Adobe PDF made an appearance - and if there was a glimmer of a tiny spark of summat to be optimistic - he at least looked interested - but had a 1-1 with the goalie and bottled it...

on came Joe Riley, O Halloran, Alonso, blah blah blah - and (affected by the sun) GG reckoned we got slightly better - but that was clearly bollox - we didn't - she was just trying to cheer us up.

somewhere in there they scored a third - but it was down the other end and I have no idea what happened save that there was a cross that none of our players could be arsed to go and meet - and it looked like a glancing header past boggers - tho Pirate thought it might have gone straight in...

we were lifeless, clueless, fightless, talentless and goolie-less

I have had the privilege to have seen MANY crap Bolton performances - I have seen none worse than this...

we were UTTER garbage and deserved to lose by 4 or 5

on the plus side - the pompey fans booed ben haim every time he touched the ball! It was nice to be able to join in - especially after he scythed down Adobe PDF with a totally un-necessary horror tackle...

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

however - it was a nice sunny day and it was nice to meet up with GG and then with Il Pirate & Son in t'pub!

HURRRAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

PS - did I say Mears is utter shoite??

[Tals-biggest-fan]

Yes but Newcastle were only half way through their pre season when they lost to Leyton... and they had also won their first 3 pre season games 3-0,7-2 and 1-0 and were playing good football aswell... they 6-1 was one of those freak results that would probaly happen once in every ten times they played... we have been poor all pre season!

[wanderers_on_tour]

In other news Chelsea also lost 3-1 today to Brighton, these things happen!!

Didn't watch the match today as was at St James' Park for Brazil/Honduras and only just glanced at some of the comments on here.

So...without knowing all of the facts (mahoosive disclaimer!!)..I guess it's a relief that if we were to get found out (through lack of fitness, defensive prowess or whatever else) it was today and not two weeks time. Pre season also comes with a pinch of salt, or a big ladle full if you want, but like the rest I cant pretend i'm not a tad gutted at the result, in the same way id be a wee bit chuffed had we done em 5-0.

But yeh, it's pre season, on paper it doesn't mean owt and in the long scheme of things it wont. And Bish about making Pompey look like Brazil, after watching them scrape through against Honduras today, that might not be a bad thing

[bobo the clown]

But otherwise, Bish ?

[Devon White]

Well you could be the last team we ever play, so I hope at least a few of you will come down!

Could you do us a favour and turn the lights off in the Milton End when you leave at the end of the game, please?

Just got back,
Your fans were superb, they never stopped the nosie from kick off until way after the match had finished, good luck with everything,

TO ALL BOLTON FANS,
We must all take our rose tinted glasses off, I have never witnessed such a shambolic attempt to play professional football in my life.
We are nowhere near match fit, our skill level is worse than it was in the prem, so based on that I warn you now we could easily go down, yes I will get abuse for this but after watching a team that has been put together for the sole purpose of jumping straight back into the prem '' forget it ' not a chance.
All players were pathetic in attitude, fitness, skill and the will to at least try.

[SmokinFrazier]

Not that it really excuses the loss but I can understand players not being arsed about anything but their fitness and also being cautious about trying too hard. Remember, this time last year, we were all pissed off because our best player had just broken his leg because he was too committed against someone not fit to lace his boots, and yet people now are wondering why the team aren't up to much? I think it's perfectly understandable that you get sub-par performances against opposition like this.

Remember; the pre-season games mean nothing. They serve no purpose whatsoever apart from getting the players fit. As long as our players come into the season all 100%, the pre-season will have been a success whether we lost every game 10-0 or won every game 10-0. The results are irrelevant, the only thing which matters is the fitness levels.

Would it be nice to win these games? Of course, but I'm not sure whether it's worth the chance of injuries. Imagine a scenario where we won 5-0 today but Petrov or Mark Davies had just broke a leg. Would we all be happy or would we be saying "We shouldn't even be trying in these games! I'd rather have lost 3-0 than to lose a key player all season!".

Let's just wait until the season starts before getting disappointed with results.