Gaffer For A Day: New Portsmouth wingers have proven they are far from the quality we need
Gaffer For A Day Darren Joseph, aged 38 from Paulsgrove, assesses Pompey’s 1-0 defeat to Derby...
How do you assess that performance?
I half agree with John Mousinho that we didn’t play poorly - but we weren’t good enough in the final third, where it actually matters.
There was a lack of creativity, a lack of ideas. We lacked quality going forward and didn’t have any idea how we were going to score, with far too much passing backwards and sideways.
The crowd hasn’t been great at Fratton Park over the last couple of games, but at the beginning of Tuesday night it was loud, they were there and backing their team.
However, the more the game went on and the more the wingers passed the ball backwards rather than take someone on and cross it in, you could feel the atmosphere starting to get a bit sour.
Who stood out for you?
If we had 11 Terry Devlins in our team, we’d be all right. He gets what Portsmouth Football Club is about, he’s passionate, he always gives you 110 per cent, he wears his heart on his sleeve.
Against Derby it was his hunger, his desire, looking to get the team going forward. He didn’t have the best of games against Swansea, but, considering the amount of matches he’s played this season, he’s always going to have one where he goes off the boil a bit.
Devlin is my player of the season. Connor Ogilvie has had a very good year as well, especially going in at centre-back from left-back. While Ebou Adams has made a massive difference coming into that midfield.
What did you make of Pompey wingers Milli Alli and Gustavo Caballero?
Both have proven in the last few games they are far from being the quality we need. If I was given a pound for every time they beat their first man, I would have a pound.
Caballero is struggling with English football and the only South American who doesn’t want to take a player on. Alli had more crosses which went out for goal kicks than finding a team-mate.
Watching that last night, you can understand why Colby Bishop hasn’t scored many this season, you can’t score if you are not delivering the ball into the box.
If I was manager I would employ a back three with Zak Swanson and Devlin as wing-backs for a game to see if they can offer us something better going forward.
Can Pompey stay up?
They need to get some results - and quickly. We are not in the relegation zone at the moment, so it's still in our hands, but you need to start picking results up. It’s pretty simple.
All the teams below us have still got to play Sheffield Wednesday, while last year our home form kept us up, yet we currently have one goal in four games at Fratton Park.
We’ve not necessarily conceded massive amounts of goals at home, but we've not scored nearly enough to push away from the relegation zone.
Okay, the other teams below us have had a couple of wins and a couple of good results of late, but they’re going to have another blip at some point as well. They aren't going to keep that form up.
Plenty of people are saying we are down, but we’ve still got to stick behind the club until it mathematically says we are - or aren't.
Nicolas Schmid - 6
Terry Devlin - 8
Regan Poole - 6
Connor Ogilvie - 7
Zak Swanson - 7
Marlon Pack - 7
Ebou Adams - 7
Milli Alli - 4
Conor Chaplin - 6
Gustavo Caballero - 4
Jacob Brown - 6