Pompey vs PNE preview w/ Pepe Lacey

Lancashire Post

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00:00Pepe, great to have you on.

00:02Thanks for joining us.

00:03Portsmouth-Preston to round off the first block of games

00:06before the international break.

00:07What do you think P&E can expect this weekend

00:10heading down to Fratton Park?

00:12Well, I mean, it's going to be a tough game.

00:13It's going to be a tough game for Preston.

00:16Pompey at home last year especially were incredibly good at home.

00:20I think they lost to the last 16, to the last 17 at home

00:24and got their first win at Fratton Park last year

00:28against P&E obviously and we were just speaking about it there.

00:32Pompey that day were phenomenal, boosted by Colby Bishop's return

00:36and then it just sort of kick-started Pompey's survival bid really

00:42because they almost looked down and out after the first 15 games,

00:46one win in 14, and you're thinking you're almost right off the season.

00:49But last year Pompey used Fratton Park to their advantage really.

00:55Pompey were fantastic at home.

00:56They tore apart Leagues United, who won the league,

01:00drew against promoted Burnley, other big wins sprinkled in as well.

01:05And then you're thinking this season Pompey won way to Oxford, sorry,

01:11and then obviously you had Norwich the second game of the season,

01:14which was the first one at home, and everyone was sort of thinking,

01:16well, Pompey could get a result here.

01:19Norwich obviously lost their first game of the season against Millwall.

01:22And then Pompey were 2-0 down in 15 minutes through incredibly poor defending.

01:28So they did turn it around in the second half and Norwich were sitting back,

01:33but it's already a loss at Fratton Park this season,

01:36which usually it'd be the other way around where Pompey would lose away

01:40and win at Fratton Park.

01:41So I think just because there's only been one home game this season,

01:45I don't really know what to expect,

01:47but we do know how Pompey are playing this season.

01:51They're up for it.

01:52They're pressing every team in it and they're making it difficult.

01:54So expect a tough game on Saturday.

01:57Yeah, yeah.

01:57I know managers always say, don't they, expecting a tough game.

02:01But I thought when Moussini said it yesterday,

02:03he seemed like he really expected a bit of a ding-dong.

02:06Do you think Preston are that kind of team,

02:08Heckingbottom, Pompey are going to come at it?

02:11It could be two teams locking horns

02:12and I think two fan bases that will engage with that.

02:15So it could make for quite a fight, really.

02:18Yeah, absolutely.

02:19And it was the Preston game when Pompey lost 2-1 away.

02:23That was a proper scrappy game, especially the first half.

02:27Pompey could have probably been up 3-0 at halftime

02:30if they converted their chances.

02:32They didn't and ended up losing.

02:34But that was a proper scrappy game.

02:36Even going back to the November contest,

02:39it was two teams who looked well in the Championship.

02:45And it was scrappy.

02:47And you do see that for Atapar.

02:49It is scrappy.

02:51Pompey do make it tough.

02:52And they almost use it to their advantage, really,

02:55where it's a small pitch and they press teams

02:58and they make it hard.

03:00And it is scrappy.

03:01And that's what's good about Pompey

03:05and that's what John Massino tries to get into his teams

03:07is that he does try and press the opposition,

03:11try and make it as difficult as possible.

03:13And obviously Preston, knowing how they play,

03:16they'll be up for it as well.

03:18And I'm sure Paul Heckenbottom will be saying

03:19the same thing to his players,

03:22is make it as difficult as possible for them.

03:24You've got Michael Smith up top,

03:25former Pompey player.

03:27He's got an absolute worldie for Sheffield Wednesday

03:29last year at Fratton Park.

03:31So he'll be looking to do the same.

03:33But again, he's a tall, dominant figure in the box

03:37and will no doubt cause Regan Paul

03:39and Connor Shocknessy problems.

03:41But then we could also see Josh Knight

03:43coming to centre-half too.

03:45So yeah, plenty of things that would excite, really.

03:52Both teams are going to be up for it

03:54and it's going to be a proper scrappy game,

03:56which we absolutely love, George.

03:57Yeah, I was going to say like,

03:59did the Fratton Park faithful feed off that?

04:02Because it's kind of viewed as negative in this day and age,

04:04or certainly the last five years.

04:05But I think that's what I grew up watching,

04:07like tackles and getting the ball forward if you can,

04:10get crosses into the box.

04:12And I felt like when I came there last time,

04:14my first trip to Portsmouth,

04:15the home crowd just loved it and energised the place.

04:19And I couldn't believe them stats you mentioned before,

04:22they were on a bad run

04:22because it didn't feel like a place that had been losing

04:25or I thought these are going to go on a run here.

04:28So that was a massive turning point, wasn't it?

04:30But yeah, gone on a roundabout there.

04:31But they like that kind of football.

04:33Yeah, the crowd absolutely feed off it.

04:35I've got a season ticket as well when I'm not covering the games.

04:40And the crowd absolutely feed off it.

04:42You put in a hard-fought tackle.

04:45We had Christian Sadie last year and he'd make it tough.

04:48He was a big physical player and he would make it tough

04:52and would go flying into challenges.

04:54And you'd get that from everyone.

04:56When the crowd are up for it, the players can feel it.

04:58And then they're going to challenges

04:59and then the crowd are almost off their feet really

05:03from just the tackle.

05:05And that almost sort of changes the game almost.

05:07It sort of spurs Pompey on.

05:09It spurs the players on.

05:11And when the fans can see the players working

05:15and they can see the players trying

05:17and really playing for the badge, that's what they love.

05:20If you get turned over 2-3-0

05:23and you haven't easily the second-best team

05:26and you haven't given anything,

05:28then the fans will be unhappy and they'll let you know.

05:31But if Pompey lose 2-0,

05:32but they almost match the other team,

05:37it was a hard-fought but still lose,

05:39then they can accept that.

05:40You can accept that.

05:41It's when performances are pretty bad.

05:44After the first 15-20 minutes against Norwich,

05:47there was that sort of disgruntlement

05:48where you're not playing as well as you could.

05:53And that's all Pompey fans ask,

05:54is to play 100% all the time,

05:58which obviously it's not going to happen.

06:00But they demand that.

06:02And that's the expectations when you play for Pompey,

06:04is that you have to play to your best at all times.

06:07And then you go flying into tackles and stuff.

06:11And if it crosses into the box,

06:12even crosses into the box,

06:13like you mentioned,

06:14like Josh Murphy on the left,

06:16he's so good at getting balls into the box.

06:19And even if a winger turns around

06:22and doesn't put a ball in the box,

06:24fans sort of quite disgruntled at that,

06:27which, okay, it might lead to a goal,

06:29but they want balls in the box.

06:30They want sort of,

06:31I wouldn't say route one football,

06:32but they want balls in the box.

06:36They want challenges

06:37and they just want to show passion, really.

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