Gaffer: This Portsmouth team lacks goals, it lacks fire. It's looking like a mid-table season - and I'm not happy with that

You were among 1,242 Pompey fans present, what did you think?

We’re Pompey, we want to support the players, but this is looking like a mid-table season. I’m not happy with that, not happy whatsoever.

With the team we’ve got, we should be fighting for the play-offs, but that’s not happening. We haven’t even got the guts to win away from home.

We travelled all that way, spent all that money, and the players couldn’t give us 20 minutes of playing well.

We never expect to do things easy, that’s the way. I won’t boo, but I was never going to clap that at the final whistle. Seeing them play like that was gutting.

What was the issue?

This team lacks goals, it lacks fire, we need to discover that – and fast.

Look at the strikers Plymouth and Rotherham have, they’re better than ours. In comparison, we have far too much faith in John Marquis.

Our priority in the last transfer window was to get a goalscorer and we’ve got anything but. We’re still crying out for one and I think panic loaned Gassan Ahadme and George Hirst.

At 4-1, Cowley brought off Marquis for Hirst. Marquis doesn’t know where the goal is at present, but let’s put two strikers on together. I’d rather get smashed while going for it.

There doesn’t look to be a goalscorer in this team, we lack that edge going forward, whereas Rotherham have Michael Smith, Will Grigg and Freddie Ladapo.

Next we have Ipswich. Look at their attacking potential, you could see us being hurt. Then compare their strikers to ours.

Who was your man of the match?

I’m giving it to the fans. Not one player put in more than 60 per cent on Saturday, so I’m not choosing any of them.

Mahlon Romeo did okay, while Gavin Bazunu made some fantastic saves, apart from the mistake for the second goal.

But Connor Ogilvie looks lost, as a centre-back he doesn’t have that physicality and fails to win a lot in the air.

Along with Paul Downing, he looks like a League Two defender. Not sure why Gillingham were gutted to lose him.

As for Lee Brown, he looked very tired and made silly mistakes on the left when usually he’s very steady.

You mentioned Bazunu, what did you make of that mistake?

Yes, he dropped the ball, but we could have been a few goals down in the first half had it not been for his saves.

Even though he made that mistake, Michael Smith still had to get past those defenders to tuck it in.

Buzunu is brilliant, he’s such a good keeper. I was gutted when we lost Craig MacGillivray, but this guy is a better all-round goalkeeper.

I feel sorry for him playing behind that defence. Even so, he is probably our player of the season at present.

Gavin Bazunu – 7

Kieron Freeman – 6

Sean Raggett – 6

Connor Ogilvie – 4

Mahlon Romeo – 7

Lee Brown – 5

Shaun Williams – 6

Ryan Tunnicliffe – 7

Joe Morrell – 6

Marcus Harness – 6

John Marquis – 5

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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