Gaffer For A Day: Newcastle man has to be better. Paper-thin Portsmouth didn't win battles against Luton

How do you assess that Pompey performance?

Our first half was terrible, we didn’t start playing at all. It was a game of two chances - Luton took their one and we didn’t with ours. That was the match in a nutshell, the rest of it was utter nonsense.

The referee tried to be calm and even-handed, but that meant he lost control of it. For the last 10 minutes, everyone on both sides were having a go at him because he wouldn’t give decisions, he was letting loads of stuff go.

As soon as I saw Marlon Pack and Regan Poole as our back two I knew we were in trouble because Luton are a very, very tough physical team.

We were paper thin that first half, we didn't win many chances, we couldn’t get the ball down and play because we had been muscled off. They also kicked Josh Murphy up in the air and he retaliated and got booked himself.

What did you make of Pompey’s midfield?

Andrew Dozzell was a borderline red card for his fifth-minute tackle on Walsh, he was very lucky. At least Dozzell left his mark on someone, Isaac Hayden didn’t even do that. If you can’t kick the ball, kick the man or something.

Hayden is better than that, well he should be better than that. He didn’t make any challenges, the whole central midfield was really poor, we weren’t linking play, we weren’t winning the battles we should do in midfield.

Hayden likes to drop deep and then sit in between the centre-backs, but he didn’t seem to really get into the game at all. He’s helped Dozzell and Freddie Potts have a rest, but Dozzell and Potts are the best pairing we’ve got.

So where do you stand in the centre-back debate?

With those new centre-half injuries, we are back to where we were two months ago pre-Rob Atkinson - and that’s what Saturday’s performance looked like.

I don’t know what Ryley Towler needs to do to get a game. John Mousinho himself has said he likes to play a right and a left footer, only to then play two right footers.

I would have thought Regan Poole and Towler would have been the best pairing - or even go to a back three, which he did with 16 minutes left. Although, then you’d miss Connor Ogilvie’s attacks down the left.

We are really going to struggle with Marlon Pack and Poole at the back. Let’s write Leeds off next weekend, we’re not going to get anything from that match with that back four and that centre midfield.

The Plymouth game after that is going to be crucial. I’d play Towler and Pack and keep Poole fit for Wednesday against Argyle. If you lose Poole, honestly we are absolutely stuffed.

So is there a man of the match?

It’s a really difficult one, I don’t think anyone deserved it, it was a terrible game, a League One match in all but name.

But I’m going to give it to Kaide Gordon, purely because he looked as if he could play at Championship level. His contribution was impressive after replacing Matt Ritchie at half-time.

The whole team wasn’t working or firing, I didn’t even know Ritchie was there, but not only did Kaide provide some of the best crosses, but actually worked back really well.

My son Kai chose him as our man of the match as well - and his dad agrees!

Nicolas Schmid - 6

Zak Swanson - 6

Marlon Pack - 5

Regan Poole - 5

Connor Ogilvie - 7

Isaac Hayden - 5

Andre Dozzell - 6

Matt Ritchie - 6 (Kaide Gordon - 8)

Adil Aouchiche - 6

Josh Murphy - 6

Colby Bishop - 7