Blues need to be brave in attack, says club legend
FORMER Pompey striker Guy Whittingham said Pompey weren’t brave enough in their attacking play to warrant victory over Blackpool.
And he accused the Blues’ players of relying on others for the ‘spark’ needed to overcome Neil Critchley’s side.
The visitors ran out 1-0 winners at Fratton Park on Saturday.
The Blues produced eight shots during the game – but, tellingly, only one was on target.
That fell to defender Rasmus Nicolaisen, whose close-range effort was blocked on the line.
Whittingham, who scored 115 goals for Pompey during three spells at the club, said that wasn’t good enough.
He claimed more bravery and a willingness to take responsibility was needed at the Blues’ time of need.
The one-time Pompey boss told BBC Solent: ‘The players weren’t brave enough on the pitch, for me, going forward – to create things, to get on top of the game.
‘Yes, Blackpool came to defend, and to defend solidly.
‘But you’ve got to try harder to break them down, you can’t just try the same old things.
‘It seemed as if everybody was waiting for someone else to be the spark.
‘But individuals need to take responsibility and be the spark.
‘The creative player – go and demand to get on the ball, do something on the ball. If something is not working, try something else. ‘It was lacking.
‘Pompey chances? Probably the best one fell to Nicolaisen and he’s just thumped it towards goal and he’s hit the one man on the line and it’s gone out.
‘So they didn’t create enough to win the game.’
Whittingham added John Marquis endured another poor day leading the line as he recorded a sixth blank in seven appearances.
However, he also pinpointed a lack of service for the front man to make the most of.
He said: ‘Is it the fact that the players are too worried about trying something, being expansive?
‘Nothing stops them from running, that’s the main thing that happens in the game.
‘I don’t think any player goes out onto the pitch not to work hard enough on purpose – they all run around, and I’ve talked about Marquis (in the past) – again, it was a poor game from him, in my opinion.
‘When the ball’s in the final third, he doesn’t get himself in good positions in the box.
‘He did the other night against Bristol Rovers and could have had four goals.
‘He got into some good positions, but didn’t today (Saturday).
‘But is that because the crosses didn’t come in?
‘Nobody seemed to want to take responsibility at the far end of the pitch and make something happen.
‘They all seemed to want to wait for each other.’