Portsmouth | 6-1 | Leicester |
(HT 2-0) | ||
| Lawrence (pen) 10 Lawrence 33 Nugent 58 Kitson 59 Kitson 83 Brown 90+1 | Howard 71 |
- Luck is not on our side. King had another perfectly legal goal disallowed, Vitor was sent off for what was if not fine challenge then a legal one and the referee was out to kill the game. That said, however...
- We are not clinical enough. Waghorn was meant to be the saviour, but he apparently can't hit a barn door. Fryatt is clearly off pace, disgruntled at the new regime or both. Howard, however much he brings to the team, is not an out-and-out goalscorer. A midfielder is our top scorer and, great as Andy King is, it should be a front man firing us to victory. Sousa failed to deliver one in the transfer window.
- We lack direction. Our performances are all over the shop, from a great victory on Tuesday night to a completely dire defeat tonight. We were fantastic against Cardiff, and against Leeds, but against QPR and Reading we made poor mistakes borne of a lack of confidence. A win should spur us on to a high, but it just doesn't seem to be so.
- We miss Nigel Pearson. Awful as it is to admit it, but Pearson's departure was the disaster we knew it would be - and Sousa's appointment, for whatever reason, has simply not worked. It can't be long before it's time for him to go.
Winners
Milan Mandaric
Who can blame him if he leaves the club now? There were points in the game where Pompey fans were chanting his name in sheer adulation: and he responded with a wave. If Portsmouth is where Mandaric's heart truly lies, nobody can blame him for going back there where he is revered as a man and can see results on the pitch. As Ian Stringer said: "Milan is in the directors' box and he has a wry little smile on his face".
Lloyd Dyer
Another performance proving what a quality player he really is. Does everyone for pace and played all the right balls - again - but Waghorn's anonymity meant they never really had much impact.
Losers
Paulo Sousa
Laughing in the face of adversity? Or laughing at the farce he's created on a how-many-figure salary. He was spotted by the TV cameras giggling at 4-0 down and that is simply not the way a professional football manager should react to that situation. He also failed utterly to show any sense of anger, remorse or frustration in the way the game went in his interview. He was "proud" of the way the team responded. If he's proud of a thumping from the worst side in the league, he must go fast. His tactics tonight were woeful, there were clear issues with his team selection and, above all, we are bottom of the league and there are more than a few games gone now. C'mon, it's October next week and we've won just one game. How long ago does Kermorgant's penalty feel now?
Yuki Abe
Poor fella was the best player on the pitch before he was forced off by Sousa's dodgy tactics. He must now be wondering why he bothered with the paperwork.
Conrad Logan
However well Logan played tonight, he was never going to enjoy himself behind a lacklustre defence. He pulled-off some spectacular saves to keep the Foxes in it but any keeper that lets in six goals is never going to be anywhere near first choice.
Michael Morrison
He's had his break playing in his preferred position as centre-half under Sousa and had been doing rather well, in a fans' favourite/first name on the team sheet sort of way. Tonight, he was to blame for at least three of Portsmouth's goals. He was dreadful, appalling... A very off day for him, but he will get over it: he's only 22.
Bruno Berner
What happened to the Bruno of last season? Where is his professionalism? His leadership? His picking-out of a pin-point pass? Looks like he might just have had his day.
Andy King
What does the lad have to do to score? He, again, put in more effort than the rest of the team combined. He, again, had a goal controversially disallowed. He, again, proved that he has blue blood coursing through his veins and will one day be a full-time Leicester City skipper.
Leicester City's Renowned Fighting Spirit
If Leicester City are known for anything, they are known for digging-in, fighting hard and competing for their all. Tonight, that seemed to go somewhat awry. Whether it's Sousa's choices in team selection, his tactics, or his not getting the point across, this isn't the Leicester we know and love.
Alan Young
Surely BBC Leicester won't ask him to do another commentary? The man's a curse!
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