Portsmouth (H) Post Match Reaction

[memzey]

This is the best ever start by any team in ‘Premier League’ history.

I could have sworn Newcastle won their first 10 games a few seasons ago under KK?

[bobbyfallon]

I could have sworn Newcastle won their first 10 games a few seasons ago under KK?

same as that first thing i thought actually with any cole??

[memzey]

Yeah I think so. Was that the season they imploded at the end with the 'I would just love it if we beat them' rant?

[Neil Young]

This is the best ever start by any team in ‘Premier League’ history.

I realise this doesn't contradict your stat but didn't we have 30 out of 36 one year under Houllier? Two wins in the next two games or we won't have beaten that.

[dww]

I think the fact that it is the best start in this years PL is what counts and we have played both Chelsea and United which makes it a pretty fair sampling of teams. Arsenal must be worried by their start with all the big teams to come. If they don't buy a defensive midfielder and or an aerially dominant centre half I think they are aiming for fourth at best.

We have ridden our luck at times but have had tough games and injuries and have survived both in a way we never could have before this season. We still have a lot to do though to challenge all season though as we need someone other than Stevie and Torres to chip in with goals over a sustained period.

Watching last nights highlights I think against the lesser teams we need to play Benayoun who last season terrorised the ****e teams and weighed in with goals.

I also think Lucas was getting into some good positions in the box ahead of Gerrard - I really hope he gets some games this season as I think he has something about him (no matter what anyone else says). I feel he is learning things and will be a very good player for us but needs games to develop. I think what will happen is that like Flamini one year he will get confidence and blossom.

[Neil Young]

I think the fact that it is the best start in this years PL is what counts and we have played both Chelsea and United which makes it a pretty fair sampling of teams. Arsenal must be worried by their start with all the big teams to come. If they don't buy a defensive midfielder and or an aerially dominant centre half I think they are aiming for fourth at best.

We have ridden our luck at times but have had tough games and injuries and have survived both in a way we never could have before this season. We still have a lot to do though to challenge all season though as we need someone other than Stevie and Torres to chip in with goals over a sustained period.

Watching last nights highlights I think against the lesser teams we need to play Benayoun who last season terrorised the ****e teams and weighed in with goals.

I also think Lucas was getting into some good positions in the box ahead of Gerrard - I really hope he gets some games this season as I think he has something about him (no matter what anyone else says). I feel he is learning things and will be a very good player for us but needs games to develop. I think what will happen is that like Flamini one year he will get confidence and leave for Juventus.

You're quite right about what matters. I also seem to recall that in the start I referred to, like this season (last Sunday aside), people said we'd been winning without playing well. It turned out then we couldn't play any better. I don't think that's true now.

And as you say we have players like Torres to come back from injury.

[SB]

I could have sworn Newcastle won their first 10 games a few seasons ago under KK?

They'll be lucky to win 10 in the whole season now

[PTP]

Firstly we got the 3 points which was the main thing - the last five mins the whole ground could sense that the players just wanted the whistle to blow - almost a bit of a nervy finish

secondly - it was a poor game to be at, portsmouth tactics were obv - defend and then lump it to crouch - i was uprised with our starting line up - granted in hindsight, great with gave a few players a rest and it was another game with out torres but too only play one man up front at home against anyone is dissapointing, against a team who had 10 men behind the ball it was painful at times to sit through. Kuyt as always worked is bollocks off and was unlucky not to score but up front on his own he was isolated. We just looked to do the bare minimum we had too to get the three points - which is fine, except when you have paid for your ticket and are sitting there freezing your bollocks off

I'd have liked to have seen two up top - who i don't know, but we needed to stretch them a bit - too many players seemed to just go through the motions - gerrard drifted in an out of the game, lucas was well just plain average, babel did his usual which is why i get so frustrated with him, a moment of brilliance followed by ten minutes wandering round with his head in the clouds, pennant tried hard but offered no real quality, kuyt worked his bollocks off and did what he could, i thought carra and hyypia were prob are best two players.

[Craig_H]

A 'did enough' performance if i ever saw one.

Dont care about how we played, the win was the only important thing after the Chelsea game.

[BG1973]

i'm still cold, don't know what u guys saw on the telly but we were lucky to leave with the 3 points. we were awful.

no idea what formation we played 4411 maybe but it didn't work. today showed why we need agger in the team as neither hypia or carra can really bring the ball out well enough, they tried mind as portsmouth just played for the draw.

attack wise we were far to narrow, kuyt whilst having improved will never succeed as a lone striker and pennant and lucas were awful. i'd go as far as to say lucas is worse than diao!

i agree that portsmouth offered virtually no threat but i expect most teams to line up this way against the league leaders and we need to come up with a bit more creativity if we are to remain at the top

I pretty much agree with this.

Seems daft as our 8 wins and 2 draws is the best ever start to a premier league campaign by any side. But if we don't start scoring more goals at home and stop relying on the mistakes of the opposition then we won't be top for much longer.

As most have said though, we had some very influential players out tonight so hopefully the home performances will come.

[Craig_H]

Firstly we got the 3 points which was the main thing - the last five mins the whole ground could sense that the players just wanted the whistle to blow - almost a bit of a nervy finish

secondly - it was a poor game to be at, portsmouth tactics were obv - defend and then lump it to crouch - i was uprised with our starting line up - granted in hindsight, great with gave a few players a rest and it was another game with out torres but too only play one man up front at home against anyone is dissapointing, against a team who had 10 men behind the ball it was painful at times to sit through. Kuyt as always worked is bollocks off and was unlucky not to score but up front on his own he was isolated. We just looked to do the bare minimum we had too to get the three points - which is fine, except when you have paid for your ticket and are sitting there freezing your bollocks off

I'd have liked to have seen two up top - who i don't know, but we needed to stretch them a bit - too many players seemed to just go through the motions - gerrard drifted in an out of the game, lucas was well just plain average, babel did his usual which is why i get so frustrated with him, a moment of brilliance followed by ten minutes wandering round with his head in the clouds, pennant tried hard but offered no real quality, kuyt worked his bollocks off and did what he could, i thought carra and hyypia were prob are best two players.

I was crying out for Babel to go up front and Riera to come on for Lucas.

442 with Gerrard next to Xabi and Babel up with Kuyt.

And if Babel MUST play on the wing, stick him on the right for heaven's sake - he ALWAYS goes on his right foot so when he plays wide left, he NEVER gets to the line and crosses, he always cuts inside and runs into traffic - so predictable.

[lfc1394]

We played reasonably well until we scored, created a fair few chances and hit the post.
Lucas played OK, kept play ticking over, but was ****e once we scored.
Pennant was really not very good at all, I can only imagine Rafa is playing him in the hope that someone will buy him come January El Zhar has been far more effective every time he has come on.
Kuyt did very well up front on his own, he held the ball up very well, brought other players in to play and was unlucky not to get on the score sheet.
Considering the team we put out and the way pompey set up we can only be pleased with the 3 points.
We are having a mini injury crisis at the moment, with players not 100% fit and it’s breaking our rhythm up.
I could see after the Madrid game that the players were looking a little jaded, and after a huge performance on Sunday a lull was to be expected.

[Craig_H]

This is the best ever start by any team in ‘Premier League’ history.

Didnt Chelsea win their first 9 games in one of their tite-winning seasons?

[PTP]

A 'did enough' performance if i ever saw one.

Dont care about how we played, the win was the only important thing after the Chelsea game.

yeah I agree - it was importan to get that win, as i said to a mate before the game, you just know the media have already wrote their articles if we draw or lose - u could almost sense it with the players as well, esp the last five mins they just wanted the whistle to go, three points and **** off home.

Can't complain about the three points but didn't like the do the bare minimum to win - seriously i hardly ever criticise Liverpool, esp when we win - we never looked like losing yesterday but until gerrard scored the penalty I know i wasn't the only one who was thinking it was heading to a draw.

[Craig_H]

So I guess the rotation worked OK then?

It just about worked, thanks to Papa Bouba Diop having a moment of madness

Home games against lesser sides are the ones to rotate in, for sure.

But even then, we changed 4 players last night - not 6 or 7, as we were doing sometimes last season.