For a time it seemed that the season might end with a fanfare. On the evidence of the ninety minutes against the league’s bottom club, however, it appears that 2009/2010 will finish with a whimper, a sound that more befits what has gone before. It’s a strange fact of football life that events in the latter stages of a game overwrite what has happened earlier. Last week, against Stoke, a final flurry that produced two goals meant that the dross we played up to that point was forgotten. Similarly, Portsmouth’s commendable second half rally was the game’s abiding memory, rather than our remarkable second goal or Davies’s header in added time that struck the post.
Matty Taylor had gone from zero to hero since the last home game and he retained his place whilst the dramatic cameo by Vladimir Weiss against Stoke gave him the nod over a tired looking Chung-Yong Lee. We began with the following in 4-4-2 formation: Jaaskelainen; Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson; Weiss, Muamba, Wilshire, Taylor; Davies, Klasnic.
On a warm, sunny day Wanderers began as if full of the joys of Spring. We passed the ball confidently and accurately, there was plenty of movement, and play was mostly on the ground. Equally encouraging was the shaky start made by David James in the Portsmouth goal; the England keeper fumbled a fiercely struck free kick from Taylor and Cahill almost converted the rebound. Within minutes, however James showed his true class with good saves from a nifty header by Taylor and a right foot shot by Klasnic.
We had the majority of possession and always looked the more likely to score but Portsmouth threatened when they had the ball and Jussi had to be alert on a couple of occasions.
In contrast to recent games Bolton’s passing movements wove some intricate patterns yet the goal, when it game was a simple one. Steinsson was fouled near the right touchline and Taylor swung the free kick across the goal. Davies headed on, Wilshire sent it back into the goalmouth and Klasnic flicked his header wide of the goalkeeper’s outstretched arm. It was no more than we deserved and we looked forward to more. The second goal a couple of minutes later however, was well beyond expectations.
Weiss had made a solid, if unspectacular, start to the game with some neat passes and plenty of tracking back. Now he exploded into action. Taylor’s crossfield pass to him was misdirected but the youngster controlled it with casual ease, accelerated past a couple of defenders and presented Davies with the easiest of chances. The captain duly tapped the ball home but his celebration was muted; he knew where the praise belonged. It was a stunning run and a pinpoint delivery.
Portsmouth might have crumbled, but though bottom of the league and in all kinds of financial trouble, the appointment of Avram Grant as manager has given them some steel. They gave warning of what was to follow when they responded to the two goals with a series of attacks that saw them strike the post and cut through our defence more than once. Fortunately, their finishing was wayward and the interval arrived with our advantage retained.
On the restart Portsmouth introduced Piquionne, a striker, in place of Yebda in midfield, and switched to 4-3-3, a change that was crucial to the outcome of the game. Before the visitors could benefit from the change, however, the result should have been settled by what would have been another glorious goal. Muamba mad a surging gallop from his own half towards the left of the Portsmouth goal. Rather than shoot himself the youngster passed to Taylor who was better placed but last week’s match winner pushed his shot just wide of the post when he ought to have sealed the game.
Instead, the visitors began to embarrass our defence. They scored a simple goal on the break when Wilshire lost the ball on the edge of their penalty area. We were over committed to attack and when Piquionne pulled the ball back, Dindane was unmarked and scored easily. That was bad enough but the defending that led to the second goal was abysmal and the major culprit was Cahill. Utaka made him look foolish before crossing; once again Dindane had no trouble putting the ball past Jussi.
Having been home and dry we were now very much on the back foot and I thought we would be lucky to get away with the point that we needed for Premier League safety. OC responded by bringing on Elmander, Lee and Mark Davies for Klasnic, Weiss and Wilshire but stable doors and fleeing horses sprung to mind. The three replaced players had all faded badly and, despite their earlier prominence, ought to have departed sooner. The game swung from end to end but our form had gone through the window and we were back to high balls to Davies. In the final second this almost paid off when Davies headed against the post with the goal at his mercy. If he had scored, this report might have been very different but feelings at the end of the end of the game were as flat as the Netherlands. Gary Cahill sat on the grass flinging his sock ties away in frustration. He knew he had had a stinker and any hopes of selection for England had surely disappeared. At least he cared.
It was all such a pity, the disappointment magnified by the early promise. There was much to admire in the first half; much to deride in the second. Portsmouth are far from the worst team to visit the Reebok and deserved their draw. They have a number of players that would improve our team
In his post match interview on Radio Manchester, Owen Coyle reflected on the difference between last week’s game and the one just concluded. He didn’t say it, but I hope he realised, that in both games we prospered when Klasnic and Weiss were functioning. The former appeared to loose interest once he had scored; perhaps thirty minutes is as much as he can play. Given that he is a transplant patient, even that is remarkable, but it does suggest that he would not be a good signing. As for Weiss, he was like a young comet, gradually increasing his glow until he burned out in a glorious burst of glory. He too did little after Davies’s goal although in his case this might have been because of a knock.
The other loanee, Jack Wilshire, will probably divide opinion until he fulfils his undoubted promise, by which time he will be back at Arsenal. He is great on the ball, but is not in the game enough and sometime, as with Portsmouth’s first goal, looses possession too easily. In my view, he is not ready to dictate play from the centre of midfield in the Premier League particularly when playing alongside another tyro, Fabrice Muamba. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that the duo might form an England midfield in the future and they complement each other well, but at the moment Muamba has more to offer to the Wanderers. He had another fine game. Once again his couple of errors near goal were so glaringly ungainly that some will overlook the countless times he won the ball and made a telling pass.
As for the rest, Taylor looked more like his old self in the first half; in the second it appeared that his glandular fever had returned. Kevin Davies was his usual mix; winning headers, a few good touches, a few moves breaking down when they reached him. He scored an easy goal and missed one almost as easy. Knight was the least bad of the back four. He looked happier in previous games, alongside Ricketts than he did partnered with the unhappy Cahill. None of the substitutes made much of an impact though Lee was an improvement on the fading Weiss.
There is obviously much for Mr Coyle to do during the summer. The message boards are full of suggestions, ranging from signing Klasnic to clearing out the lot and starting again. OC has achieved his objective and kept the Wanderers in the Premier League for another season and he should be congratulated for that. Whether Gary Megson would have done the same we’ll never know but it appeared unlikely. Personally I would begin by strengthening the defence and if there is any truth in the media reports that clubs are queuing to buy Cahill for 15 million I would snatch it quickly.
The reports are unlikely to be true and money will be a factor but let’s hope next season will be better than this one. We have two more games in which to end the season on a high but the comings and goings during the summer will be far more important than the outcome of these.
