Stats underline a lack of attacking threat as display ranks among poorest of campaign
IF YOU could get your hands on the viewing figures from Pompey’s trip to Blackpool, you’d likely see streaming numbers in the PO area plummeted at around 8.20pm on Tuesday.
Sections of supporters knew their side’s fate when Keshi Anderson scored on 64 minutes. Despite there being more than a quarter of the Bloomfield Road fixture remaining, they’d seen enough.
Those who flicked over in frustration would have felt their decision was justified at full-time as the Blues fell to a 1-0 loss. Predictions of the visitors not being capable of equalising rang true.
As attacking displays go, this was as poor we’ve witnessed from Pompey all season. After a weakened side put six past non-league King’s Lynn Town on Saturday, the Blues scarcely looked like finding the net once on the Fylde coast.
And in a footballing world where data and analytics have become so prevalent, not even the numbers could mask an abject performance.
The key statistic that’s used when analysing games these days is expected goals (xG) – which measures the probability of a shot being scored from zero to one.
There have been several occasions in the past when the numbers have at least offered a crumb of comfort following a Pompey defeat. Not this time, however. Pompey managed an xG of just 0.8, according to the boffins at Experimental 3-5-1, with Blackpool’s coming out at 1.2.
Pompey’s xG at Blackpool was the second worst they’ve recorded all season. Only the 2-0 loss at home to Charlton Athletic on October 31 when the xG was 0.7 ranks inferior.
John Marquis’ individual xG for the evening was 0.4 – the joint-best along with CJ Hamilton and higher than goalscorer Anderson’s 0.3. In layman’s terms, he was more likely to bag than Blackpool’s match-winner.
More worryingly, though, was perhaps the lack of openings that fell to fellow dangermen such as Ronan Curtis and Marcus Harness, although the latter was Pompey’s brightest outlet by some margin.
To Pompey’s credit, scoring goals hasn’t been too much of a problem since their early-season struggles.
No side in the division has netted more than the Blues’ 26.
They have a potent arsenal of forwards when on top form, boast League One’s current top scorer in Marquis and still have Michael Jacobs to come back from injury.
There is no need to panic and there’ll be hopes the Blackpool loss can be poinpointed as just an off-day come the end of the season.
But if Pompey are to achieve their target of promotion, they can ill-afford such blunted performances.