Pinch me, I'm agreeing with Deep ffs.
We won't really know what DC is made of until the end of the season. The only thing we know right now for sure are:
1: He can't improve another managers players.
2: He doesn't know how to balance a squad in 1 window.
Sackable offences? I guess thats where the division in opinion comes from. I think he needs a whole season to be given a proper chance to have every position 1-11 his player. If we don't see a significant improvement from there, its fair to say he's had a fair crack of the whip.
I think one of the big adjustments DC has not been able to make is how he motivates players. He is used to dealing with shit players who know they are shit. Therefore they are open to DC's work ethic and development plan.
The players at PFC are shit but think they are good. (Or in the case of Jacobs are decent players with more experience than DC at this level and higher). How he tailors his messaging to them should be adapted to account for this. I'm guessing this isn't happening.
Cowley will get binned sooner or later. This year next year whatever.
Eisner is like a self employed builder who buys an end of terrace from an old biddy for fifty grand, spends a couple of years tarting it up and then looks to sell to some middle class mugs for £350 k.
Wish he’d hurry up with the plastering and feck off.
(03-11-2021, 05:07 PM)Jizbag Wrote: [ -> ] (03-11-2021, 03:53 PM)Pangus Wrote: [ -> ]Jamal Lowe, Gareth Evans, Enda Stevens, Matt Clarke, Michael Doyle , Christian Burgess, Kyle Bennett, Kai Naismith et all '................
I'm not sure what you're saying but we only sold Jamal Lowe for a profit. There is no-one in our squad that anyone would pay for.
Curtis will go for over a million for a start. Raggett, Harness, Bass, Morrell & Marquis could all attract decent fees too if they are not out of contract.
Raggett could attract a decent fee? Not laughed so much in a long time. Thanks Deep.
Saw my first Pompey game 70/71 season as a boy. Since then we have had mediocre teams on a good few occasions. When we had those teams there was always the hope and belief that we would improve. With these owners, our current manager and the less than mediocre team we have, this is the only time that I feel neither Hope nor belief that things will improve.
(03-11-2021, 07:06 PM)Pedalo_menders Wrote: [ -> ]Raggett could attract a decent fee? Not laughed so much in a long time. Thanks Deep.
From a non league side,poor guy is a trier,decent in the air but when the ball is at his foot he is weak........only going one way ,backwards down the leagues(will do a job lower down)
(02-11-2021, 10:25 PM)Northstander Wrote: [ -> ]A guy i know said "I only come cos I bought my season ticket"....I have to agree, we are that bad. Just seen the Vassell miss again, it would have been easier to score Lol
You talking about mad Mickey Eisner?
my big worry is that trying to build through a youth system is so difficult now. First off, the likes of Chelsea are allowed to hoover up all the young talent. Then as soon as you get a decent youngster they are allowed to take them off your hands.
So being able to build a young team fro the likes of Jim Smith to play is incredibly difficult
Its a big task to turn it around. Yeh its outrageous how Chelsea can have academies on our turf. We would be relying on the loyalty of the kids to PFC and a path through to the 1st XI.
Its catch 22 as the longer we stay routed to L1 the fewer kids will see their local club as an exciting place to watch football. Similarly, without getting promotion, we have less revenue to support an academy.
It was particularly depressing to see that Plymouth are now getting bigger crowds than us. We keep slipping further and further away from what we used to be.
Having seen every game (more or less) since he arrived, I can safely say that Raggett is one of the most improved players in recent years. He wins virtually everything in the air, practically never misses a game, is a definite threat at set pieces and scores goals. His positional sense has also improved no end and his distribution is not too bad although he did get into trouble more last season with his Cruyff turn. Perhaps having Baz behind him gives him more time. I was very critical of him when he arrived but he’s been a stalwart this season and we’d be in real trouble without him. He’s good at this level, as is Curtis and could probably command a fee.
Pedalo, our average is over 3000 more than Plymouth and they’re top while we’re floundering. They had more than us last week but that was the only time this season I believe and we entertained Cheltenham who brought a couple of hundred while they played Ipswich who took a few thou.
Yep but its still an indication of Plymouth crowds growing and ours shrinking. We are going in the wrong direction and now ther is yet another south coast club pushing us further down the list.
Only Yeovil & Exeter to overtake us now FFS
(03-11-2021, 02:28 PM)exgaffer Wrote: [ -> ] (02-11-2021, 10:49 PM)MiltonPFC Wrote: [ -> ]Add to it the embarrassing ‘clapping love-in’ at the end of games …when we’ve just looked piss poor against a pretty average side … again
Fecking right Milton, what is all that about?
I’d extend that to the ovation Marquis got when he came off. Wtf were people clapping ffs?
I asked that question of a few of the clippers and got a load of bollox like ‘you can’t fault his effort’, or, hilariously, ‘he’s going through a barren spell’. Fecking long spell isn’t it?
If I went on I’d put in 100% effort but I’d still be totally ineffective 
.
The man is paid to score goals and he not only isn’t doing it, he isn’t looking like doing it (the occasional scuffed fluke aside of course). Why are people applauding failure?
The first time I saw Marquis play (away at Wycombe) I couldn't believe he was a footballer. He couldn't control, pass, head, anything. We were 1-0 down and hadn't had a shot on goal in 70 mins and then Pitman came on, immediately hit their bar with a great header and almost saved the game. January transfer window - Pitman would still do a better job, by far.
As for the Cowley's not having achieved a big turnaround in 30 games - we're impatient after years of not very much, but Alex Ferguson got about 5 times that 30 before he had any real impact on Manure (avoid impact with manure kids).
Zoolane
Are you suggesting that, if we give Cowley 150 games, we will go on to win The Champions League, multiple Premier league titles and FACups ?
If not, what do you expect him to achieve by the end of the 150 games ?
I personally don't think DC will make it to 150 games so I guess we'll never know.
But I would agree with his sentiment that you have to let him build his own squad, however painful that may be in the interim. It needs a minimum of a season to stamp his mark on the squad.
(04-11-2021, 10:54 PM)Pedalo_menders Wrote: [ -> ]I personally don't think DC will make it to 150 games so I guess we'll never know.
But I would agree with his sentiment that you have to let him build his own squad, however painful that may be in the interim. It needs a minimum of a season to stamp his mark on the squad.
Hope he starts soon then, it's nearly fcuking Christmas!!
MWhilst it may be fair and reasonable to ask for Cowley to be given more time there is a presumption in that view that Cowley is indeed capable of hugely improving the squad in terms of quality, fitness and tactics especially as it seems that EWWK will be in operation for the extended period.
But is he ? His performance in the last window was far from impressive and his press conferences certainly don’t give me any confidence and how does this particular leopard change his spots in terms of personnel and tactics ?
Unless we are in very serious danger of relegation I think he will get his 150, I doubt Eisner is prepared to pay Cowley off.
Of course there is the question of Season Ticket sales, the financial bounty provided by the 12-14,000 STs enjoyed thus far by Eisner should not be taken for granted. My understanding is that match day ‘attendances’ are boosted by including non-attending ST holders whether they attend or not…..but will all current ST holders renew if the football remains as dire as at present and match day tickets are freely available as they usually are this season (even if marginally more expensive).
The football we currently play isn’t worth more than 10-12,000 diehards (the Stockport Crowd !), that really does put EWWK in the frame, meaning even less for the playing budget than at present.
Give him the extra time by all means but do consider the implications, it’s quite possible that in trying to do the right thing, Pompey may well end up doing the wrong thing.
(05-11-2021, 09:57 AM)Wightblue Wrote: [ -> ]MWhilst it may be fair and reasonable to ask for Cowley to be given more time there is a presumption in that view that Cowley is indeed capable of hugely improving the squad in terms of quality, fitness and tactics especially as it seems that EWWK will be in operation for the extended period.
But is he ? His performance in the last window was far from impressive and his press conferences certainly don’t give me any confidence and how does this particular leopard change his spots in terms of personnel and tactics ?
Unless we are in very serious danger of relegation I think he will get his 150, I doubt Eisner is prepared to pay Cowley off.
Of course there is the question of Season Ticket sales, the financial bounty provided by the 12-14,000 STs enjoyed thus far by Eisner should not be taken for granted. My understanding is that match day ‘attendances’ are boosted by including non-attending ST holders whether they attend or not…..but will all current ST holders renew if the football remains as dire as at present and match day tickets are freely available as they usually are this season (even if marginally more expensive).
The football we currently play isn’t worth more than 10-12,000 diehards (the Stockport Crowd !), that really does put EWWK in the frame, meaning even less for the playing budget than at present.
Give him the extra time by all means but do consider the implications, it’s quite possible that in trying to do the right thing, Pompey may well end up doing the wrong thing.
Stockport County was 8,600 if memory serves, so considerably fewer than the figure you quote.
I’ve been disappointed with the Cowleys this term, but you only have to look at clubs like Tottenham who spunk money on managers every five minutes to see that it isn’t as simple as changing the manager every time things don’t go well.
It is far too early to sack the Cowleys IMO.
Things can change very quickly in football, we should stick with them at least until the end of this season.
A few good results and things could look very different.
You could put Bill Shankly in charge of this lot and he wouldn’t have a clue what to do with them. If there’s an unemployed magician out there that can make a silk purse out of a sow’s earhole he best put his name forward.
(05-11-2021, 09:57 AM)Wightblue Wrote: [ -> ]MWhilst it may be fair and reasonable to ask for Cowley to be given more time there is a presumption in that view that Cowley is indeed capable of hugely improving the squad in terms of quality, fitness and tactics especially as it seems that EWWK will be in operation for the extended period.
But is he ? His performance in the last window was far from impressive and his press conferences certainly don’t give me any confidence and how does this particular leopard change his spots in terms of personnel and tactics ?
Unless we are in very serious danger of relegation I think he will get his 150, I doubt Eisner is prepared to pay Cowley off.
Of course there is the question of Season Ticket sales, the financial bounty provided by the 12-14,000 STs enjoyed thus far by Eisner should not be taken for granted. My understanding is that match day ‘attendances’ are boosted by including non-attending ST holders whether they attend or not…..but will all current ST holders renew if the football remains as dire as at present and match day tickets are freely available as they usually are this season (even if marginally more expensive).
The football we currently play isn’t worth more than 10-12,000 diehards (the Stockport Crowd !), that really does put EWWK in the frame, meaning even less for the playing budget than at present.
Give him the extra time by all means but do consider the implications, it’s quite possible that in trying to do the right thing, Pompey may well end up doing the wrong thing.
I accept what you're saying but have his transfer dealings really been that bad? Personally I think Freeman was a mistake, especially letting Johnson effectively leave on a free as I think his contract is up at the end of the season, and there's no doubt Hirst and Ahadme are woeful, but the others are more than adequate for this division.
It's the players he inherited who worry me. Harrison and Marquis are as much attackers as I'm an award winning pole dancer, Lee Brown this season seems to have forgotten how to defend, Jacobs clearly doesn't want to be at Pompey and I'd put RHF in the Kenny Black mould - runs around a lot and tries but isn't actually very good. Also look at the coaching team he's put together. There's his brother, some other guy who would have relegated Barnet last season if the NL had relegated clubs, and a journeyman goalkeeper who actually didn't play very many games in a ten year career. That's it, four people - Bromley has a bigger coaching team!
While I've no problem with the majority of players Cowley has brought in I think the coaching side needs more depth and more experience. That's the stick I'd beat him with anyway.
That's a really good shout actually. Perhaps what we need is an experienced coach to help DC and offer some advice on basic tactics and the like. Fresh ideas.
His signings were all established championship players or premier youngsters on loan, and none of them bad signings per se IMO but obviously Hirst & Ahadme have not worked out, which is the risk you take when you take inexperienced youngsters - but they are only on loan, he hasn't signed them.
The stick I'd beat Cowley with is his inability to instil any confidence into the team. The way the heads drop when they concede is symptomatic of a team scared of something. Rescuing points against Accrington & Cheltenham is perhaps a sign that he is addressing this, but lets see it against better quality opposition before we can say the problem is fixed.
This bunch of players is capable of performing much better than they have done so far this season - the capacity for improvement is there. Cowley's job is to bring about that improvement and I'm hopeful that the addtion of a couple of decent signings in January can help that. January should hopefully be a more normal window than the summer was with maybe better players available than you normally see in a January window.
But sacking Cowley would be stupid IMO, I don't see why any new unemployed manager we could bring in mid-season would be any better placed to improve this bunch. I might think differently if Cowley was denying the problems that exist or pretending things were OK - he isn't - he is facing them head on like an experienced manager should do.
Bottom line is I think the players, collectively and in some cases individually, are underperforming far worse than the manager is. I think Cowley is a good manager and you don't solve the problem of having a good manager and bad players by getting rid of the good manager. That just makes things worse.
(05-11-2021, 11:03 AM)DeepBlue Wrote: [ -> ]His signings were all established championship players or premier youngsters on loan, and none of them bad signings per se IMO but obviously Hirst & Ahadme have not worked out, which is the risk you take when you take inexperienced youngsters - but they are only on loan, he hasn't signed them.
The stick I'd beat Cowley with is his inability to instil any confidence into the team. The way the heads drop when they concede is symptomatic of a team scared of something. Rescuing points against Accrington & Cheltenham is perhaps a sign that he is addressing this, but lets see it against better quality opposition before we can say the problem is fixed.
This bunch of players is capable of performing much better than they have done so far this season - the capacity for improvement is there. Cowley's job is to bring about that improvement and I'm hopeful that the addtion of a couple of decent signings in January can help that. January should hopefully be a more normal window than the summer was with maybe better players available than you normally see in a January window.
But sacking Cowley would be stupid IMO, I don't see why any new unemployed manager we could bring in mid-season would be any better placed to improve this bunch. I might think differently if Cowley was denying the problems that exist or pretending things were OK - he isn't - he is facing them head on like an experienced manager should do.
Bottom line is I think the players, collectively and in some cases individually, are underperforming far worse than the manager is. I think Cowley is a good manager and you don't solve the problem of having a good manager and bad players by getting rid of the good manager. That just makes things worse.
Didn't you back Jackett throughout his tenure?
The loan forwards have no experience at a higher level, they were brought in to gain experience. I think Ahademe when he plays is played out of position, he's more of a CF I think.
I backed Jackett until he lost the play-offs to Oxford and stated several times he should have resigned then. He'd come very close but 3 years was long enough.
Not sure what your point is about the young players being brought in to gain experience. Of course that is the point of such loans. So what ? Earning your place in the team is part of that experience and they haven't (yet), but that does not mean they should not have been signed to give them that chance.
But you are wrong about the previous experience at a higher level because Hirst had a whole season in the Championship last year. Not very succesful experience admittedly but higher level experience all the same.
And Ahadme a centre forward ? What evidence do you have of that ? He looks more someone who plays alongside a centre forward to me, not the main man. His loan has been affected by his remarkable success in the friendlies (playing as the support striker btw) which resulted in a weight of expectation that he has not been able to live up to because he was not physically up to Lge 1 football. If he has been trained correctly (and it sounds like he is a hard worker at training with a great attitude) he may yet come good but needs to do so before January because we cannot afford to have the squad place filled by someone who is not going to be up to the job. And certainly not two of them.