Football League World
·4 October 2024
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·4 October 2024
Portsmouth goalkeeper Will Norris had a nightmare against Stoke City as Pompey were hammered 6-1
Portsmouth have struggled to adjust to life in the Championship this campaign after winning the League One title last season, and have failed to find a win in eight attempts in the second tier.
Despite being winless, Pompey will have been satisfied with their early season form as they picked up an unlikely point at Elland Road on the opening day following an entertaining 3-3 draw.
John Mousinho's side then kept a clean sheet as they drew 0-0 with Luton Town in their first home game of the campaign, which the Hampshire outfit will have been particularly pleased with given the fact that the Hatters were plying their trade in the Premier League last season.
Pompey then drew 2-2 with play-off hopefuls Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium, but since then the Fratton Park outfit have been on a worrying downward trend.
In fact, Mousinho's men have lost four out of their last five Championship outings, but they can take some pride from the fact that they drew 0-0 with promotion hopefuls Sheffield United.
However, Pompey will now be heading into their weekend clash with fellow newly promoted side Oxford United with very little confidence, having been hammered 6-1 by Stoke City, who were previously on poor form, on Wednesday night.
No individuals in Mousinho's team covered themselves in glory as they fell to a crushing defeat in the West Midlands, but perhaps no one will be more disappointed than goalkeeper Will Norris.
Norris' difficult night against the Potters was clear for all to see, as he conceded six goals - five of which came in a 10-minute flurry either side of half-time.
The goalkeeper's poor display earned him a shocking FotMob rating of 2.3/10, on a night in which he managed just two saves, and maintained a pass accuracy of just 41%, as his distribution left as much to be desired as his shot-stopping efforts.
The 31-year-old would be thoroughly troubled by letting six goals past him in any case, but he may be particularly ashamed by the manner in which he conceded such a big haul.
Pompey supporters may feel as though Norris could have done a better job at dealing with Tom Cannon's free-kick which established the lead for the Potters.
The Pompey shot-stopper will also have been disappointed by the fact he gave away a penalty, which handed Cannon's hat-trick opportunity to him on a plate.
The former Everton man duly obliged and scored his third goal of the night from 12 yards, before scoring his fourth on the 51-minute mark with a powerful left-footed effort.
Norris' woeful display certainly helped Cannon produce a performance he will always remember, but the goalkeeper himself would rather forget his awful showing quickly.
Last season will live long in the memories of Pompey fans, as their side won 97 points in a promotion-winning season, returning to the Championship for the first time since 2012.
However, the Fratton Park outfit currently look out of depth, having suffered a 6-1 hammering at the hands of a Potters side who had not previously managed a victory since August.
Unless Mousinho can find a win soon, Pompey could be set to face a long and difficult season which currently looks like it will result in an unwanted return to League One.