TOPIC: Portsmouth (A) Match Thread

Your team today – Gillespie, Miller, Raynes, Ellis, Grainger, Joyce, Stacey, Comley, Kennedy, Hope, Wyke #cufc

Your subs today - Hanford, Atkinson, Sweeney, Ibehre, Gilliead, Asamoah, Gillesphey #cufc

That’s two changes from last Monday – Joyce for Gillesphey and Hope for Gilliead #cufc

4-5-1 I can see the steam coming out of MRF's ears cartoon style right now!

Smith the unlucky Loanee this week.

No Pedro at all?

Suggesting on Radio it's a 4-1-4-1/4-5-1 with Joyce playing deep on Roberts...

Last week was hopefully a massive kick up the back side for Hope. Can understand why Pedro isnt in squad, Not the type of game where we can go and give him half an hour to prove himself, need players who we know can perform.

Hopefully no red cards today and a neutral referee.

Looks like trying to hold 0-0 for aslong as possible and hopefully nick a result. We'll see how it pans out

Wukkie wrote:
Was he complaining about the 4-5 f***ing 1 before the Bristol Rovers match?

CCU wrote:
looks a very tactical line up, hopefully it works. Get Gilliead on to run at them near the end.

UTB!!!!!!

He didn't go, hence why we won. I think he's missed all the good performances this season.

Lewis - Ref is from Surrey so he may be a bit of a homer like the bloke at Yeovil was.

Phillips saying Pedro was poor in the friendly this week.

Sounds a scrappy opening half hour...

Sounds like we're putting in a decent performance so far.

Hope and Wyke have wasted a couple of good situations. Need a goal to show for it.

Hartlepool seem to get penalties more than any other team. All these penalties are making fat boy look like a poacher supreme.

May be a day for Asamoah.

Sounds like a decent job we've done in that first half. Doesn't sound like we've been under much pressure.

Keep this going second half and then maybe introduce Jabo, Asamoah and Gilliead and hopefully nick it.

As things stand a point would put us only 3 points off 7th with Tuesday's game in hand.

1-0 Pompey.

Another Gillespie howler. Best keeper in the league my arse.

Time Gillespie was dropped. F**king useless. Shocking.

These aren't just one offs are they?

It's becoming a catalogue of costly Gillespie f*** ups just this season alone.

crunchblue wrote:
Are you at the game?

crunchblue wrote:
That's 2 penalties from fat boy today.

Must be in to double figures for penalties this season.

crunchblue wrote:
5 I think.

Goalkeepers make mistakes from time to time. Our outfield players have cost us goals often but nobody makes a song and dance about them.

He seems to be making more and more of them though. His decision making and concentration need to improve or he needs replaced. Sounds harsh I know but I'm sick of "good effort but a basic error cost us points".

Time to give Hanford a go. Gillespie making too many mistakes, considering some on here claim he's one of the best keepers in our league. Yes, last week he made a few decent saves, but that's his job. Don't forget he very nearly planted one in his own net too.

Its league two, keepers are in league 2 for a reason, he's made a big mistake today but if you think we are going to find a better keeper then your sadly mistaken Gillespie is still very young, We maybe need to look at why we switched to using a part time keeping coach.

carlisleunited wrote:
I think he was at fault for Bristol's second goal as well.

I don't rate Hanford at all, but maybe Mark needs dropped to give him a boot up the arse.

Happyblue wrote:
It's not just a mistake today, It's a catalogue. Bristol on Monday, Portsmouth today, Exeter away, the penalty he give away against Wycombe (fair dos he made up for it), the sending off at Wimbledon. These are just off the top of my head.

And he's not very young, he's a seasoned experienced goalkeeper with over 100 football league appearances under his belt. We're not talking about an 18yr old who's just been thrown in.

It's complacency. We all know there's a good keeper there, but he needs competition to keep him on his toes IMO.

crunchblue wrote:
23 for a goalkeeper is young , considering you'll find most play into there mid to late 30's most of the first choice keepers are in the top leagues are in the 30's , he is far from a experienced goalkeeper , but i agree he needs competition but he also needs a full time coach to work with him on improving his game.

Happyblue wrote:
Compensation you say? Well, I suppose he has had an injury at work this season! Hat and coat on,heading for the bus!

Just to add, If you're good enough, you're old enough! For me he's not as good as folk think, He may improve but did he improve that much under Caigy!

A bit of back slapping on RC tonight-KC remarkably upbeat.

We lost!

Bruntonpasty wrote: Thats because Caigy was useless he only got a job because he had cult status here , we would not get a better keeper, i can tell you that for a fact you watch the other keepers in our league, watch the goals they concede on the football league show, the problem is we've been treated to well in terms keeper westwood, krul etc so a lot of our fans dont know what a keeper at this level is.

Happyblue wrote:
Arsenal - Petr Cech
Aston Villa - Brad Guzan
Bournemouth - Artur Boruc
Crystal Palace - Julian Speroni
Everton - Tim Howard
Swansea - Lukasz Fabianski
Watford - Huerehlo Gomes
West Brom - Ben Foster

So less than half in the Premier League.

I don't care how old he is, a goalkeeper with over 100 league apps can't be classed as inexperienced, whether he's 23 or 33.

It's not as excuse. He's proved that he's a good enough keeper but recently errors have been creeping in on a more regular basis. He needs to step up his game because he's better than what he's showing.

Curle was singing Simon Tracey's praises a few weeks back (With a couple of digs aimed at Caig for good measure). Time for Tracey to earn his coin?

My point about Caigy was that he was a full time keeper coach. we have had some good keepers but they've not always been ours. We had a keeper who was pillioried for mistakes on messageboards who went on to play at a higher level, people were screaming for Gillespie to play instead of him, are the same folk now saying that Gillespie isn't the new messiah? At the time, I often stated that we had two keepers who were very much equal, ones weaknesses were the others strengths, If either had been loads better than the other, they'd not be at BP for long!

The huge issue id have with dropping Gillespie for Hanford is Hanford's kicking and passing ability. He gives the ball straight back to the opposition nearly every time either by passing straight to them or launching out for a throw in.

Whatever you think about Gillespie, Hanford is not as good. How's that for a fact Happyblue?

cufcdeano wrote:



And some of those are either way past their best or not very good. Gomes for instance is a calamity looking for somewhere to happen and always has been! Guzan is heading out the division, not entirely to blame but he will have to take his share. Cech had to leave because a much younger keeper was deemed better than him.

I can see I'm up against it here but just becareful what you wish for , but for god sake dont play hanford

Anyway i was att work didnt listen to game.... assume he set up for a draw and we got fk all out of it...more keeper errors then?

Sent from my GT-I8200N using Tapatalk

Happyblue, by all means express your opinion but at least back it up with a decent argument. Your observation that most keepers in the top leagues are over 30 has been proved wrong and your fact about us not getting anything better than Gillespie isn't a fact at all, it's just your opinion.

I don't think Gillespie's a bad keeper but I don't think he's that good either, just a pretty average fourth division goalie with room and time for improvement. I've said from the off that his inability to command his area and his reluctance to come off his line will hamper his progress but his other attributes often made up for this. However the last few months he's gone backwards, mistakes have crept in and his concentration levels are a big concern for me. I still think he's a better option than Hanford but there's not a great deal between the two in my opinion. As for the statement were not going to get anyone any better. Why not?

One other point regarding Simon Tracey and his part time role. Anyone know how many hours a week he works? How many days does he do? Considering being a footballer is essentially a part time job in itself, would it not be possible for Tracey to work part time yet still attend every training session the players do? It's possible he works more hours for the club than Ibhere does!

Thought he was unlucky at first but seeing the highlights he has fumbled it badly, unfortunately falling straight to their striker. A similar one later on had a more assured push out which allowed the defender to get a challenge in to stop it going 2-0. A lot of messing around at the back putting pressure on the defence today leading to numerous mistakes.
We set up for the draw and created chances, with 15 left went more attacking and were unlucky not to get back in it. Didn't think there was much between the two sides.
My first proper away day for a long time but nowt changes supporters shouting for Jabo on within first ten minutes and then slagging him when he didn't score when he did get on.

Not many. They normally only train Wed,Thurs,Fri anyways and often he isn't there. Too many coaches etc that don't need to be there. Ie Fearn, what a waste of time and wage that is. Were a league 2 club for Christ sake so why the hell do we need a strength and conditioning coach or even come to think off it another 2 more other than him that seem to have made up roles too.

My friend was made chairman of Hibs many years ago and he had never played football he asked my advice for a successful team.I said to him it starts at number 1 which is the goalkeeper and I still think this is the most important position on the field.I do not think Hanford is any better than Gillespie but iwould advise Keith Curle and management to spend as much as possible on a keeper for next season.

Hope is more a liability than Gillespie

Why is Hope more of a liability than Gillespie Chopper?

Whilst not disputing that Gillespie made a fumble, thought Raynes was doing his best scarecrow impression and Grainger asleep when the lad who scored made his run in when the shot went towards Gillespie...

cufcdeano wrote:
Palace have Hennessey (29) as their keeper now; Everton's first choice is Robles (25); so he's even more wrong.
Mind you this is the guy who thinks Rooney should start for England...in midfield.

crunchblue wrote:
In fairness, Gillespie hasn't been all that great recently. He's mis-kicked his fair share and actually played someone through with a poor left footed clearance a few weeks back at BP.

Hanford in the last few games he's played hasn't been as shit as usual with his kicking, can't remember many going straight off the pitch...

Gillespie is a top class shot-stopper. Probably in the top 3 I've seen play for us in my 30 years watching CUFC.
But it's not his ability that is up for debate IMHO; it's his judgement. In a 46 game season, of course a lower division keeper, indeed any keeper, will make the odd mistake that costs a goal now and then. People rave about De Gea but he's conceded direct from a corner this season! It can happen to anyone. Gillespie's problem is judgement - when to catch, when to punch, when to come at all. He ruined an amazing performance at Burton 12 months ago by flapping at a cross at the end, costing us 2 points. He needs to cut out these mistakes fast.
Interesting that some presume that it must be Curle's fault for employing the wrong goalkeeping coach, as if Tony Caig would make everything better. Distribution and coming for crosses - Caig's biggest weaknesses by far (if you discount his weakness for the odd Steak Bake).

Caig however had an amazing season in 1995 when he had genuine competition pushing him. The current version of Gillespie wouldn't have made the bench in 95. If we sign someone in the Summer to push him, he'll hopefully get better. Hopefully.....