On another thread I referred to ‘The Stockport Crowd’ as representing the absolute bedrock of Pompey support and suggested that the 10-12K at Fratton Park that evening was where Season Ticket sales could fall to in the event of our current cr*p football becoming the norm and the fans becoming disenchanted and deserting in droves
ExGaffer has corrected me regarding the attendance and it would seem to be more appropriate to view our bedrock following as more like the 9,000 fans/season ticket holders there that night, a fall of about 3-5,000 Season Tickets and its terrifying implication to revenue and EWWK.
If Eisner want to avoid having to fund the club himself (and it’s the fans who are providing the current revenue stream) or seeing the whole thing going extremely sour he needs to act and act quickly.
If we are to be stuck with Cowley (and the majority on this Board seem to favour his staying), Eisner needs to bring in (maybe on a short term basis) someone in an advisory role both to him and Cowley to help unravel the current mess and to add another voice to January’s recruitment which seems to be vitally important. I don’t think the Curran is that person.
Wiser heads than mine can compile a list of candidates (and I imagine our erstwhile employee from Sandbanks might be on the list) but there is no shortage of a potential candidates for Pompey’s own Eminence Grise.
Leaving Cowley and Pompey to plod on as at present surely isn’t an option.
I saw Warnock is currently jobless. I would think an advisory role would be valuable to our setup. Would require ME putting his hand in his pocket though...
Actually, the wall of noise started at Crewe on the Saturday before. I was at Crewe, but, living away from Portsmouth, the midweek games were more difficult. I am still a committed supporter, though.
For me, the best fit to take this club forward is Chris Wilder. He was the right man before we appointed Ritchie Barker and still is.
Looks llike Chris wilder is taking over at Middlesbrough.
I think Wilder’s expectations and our prospects are travelling in different directions. As much as I’d like it there’s no way he’d come down here. But Warnock’s available…
Hasn’t Warnock spoke kindly of Pompey and it’s fans in the past ?
Pedalo’s idea has lots of merit, Warnock has loads of experience of the good and the bad and has had enough success and failures (and, perhaps, we all learn more from our failures than our success’s) to be able to shine a guiding light on Eisner’s and Cowley’s plans.
Of course, they may not like what they hear !
Warnock or anybody else is not going to come for a few buttons, they will want to be paid and I doubt whether EWWK can fund it so either we fans will have to have a whip round (not the first !) or Eisner spends am infinitesimal amount of his vast wealth instead.
Quick ! Somebody get the collection buckets ready !
I can see the attraction of an advisor role, and Warnock would be ideal if he doesnt want a rest, and he has indeed spoken well of the club before. In fact he was about to sign a contract for us when Mandaric had a late change of mind and brought Harry back.
But I'm not at all sure Cowley would accept being treated like a young inexperienced manager by having someone brought in over his head.
For me the problem is that Cowley was not able to get rid of the players that he wanted to, and hence not able to bring in all the players he wanted, especially up front. He was given the impossible task of filling two thirds of the squad with one third of the budget, and in those circumstances getting so many championship players in was quite an achievement.
To sack him before giving him January to sort that out seems harsh, and it would also let off the players who have been letting him down. Underperforming players is more of a problem at the minute than an under-performing manager.
I'm really unsure what is going on. There are some talented players in the squad, and players that have got CV's to suggest that they can more than cope with this division. But it doesn't look like they are cohesive, together and fired up at the moment, and you are constantly judges on results.
Agree that the squad doesn't become yours until you have had 2 or 3 windows. Positive there is that we get better with each window (and there's one coming up). Negative is that with 14 players come in, have we strengthened an improved the other areas (i accept that the front line and wide players were already here).
With regards to DC, has the length of his contract ever been released? It was mentioned when they appointed him as not being made public. They seemed happy to announce KJ's and subsequent extension. Could it be that he is on a 12 month rolling one?
Hopefully, the lack of real form is down to injuries, bedding in new players, some performing worse than you had expected and some better meaning that you change plans, and of course a couple of rather different formations to get used to. I really hope that the players have respect for the manager. They can be a very set in their way bunch, and I hope that the new modern coaching language, and lack of high level football on his CV, aren't the reason for some of the odd performances.
I think we are all watching and noticing that something is slightly off.
I like Warnock, would he want it? If they got him in on an advisory role, might wet his whistle for next season.....like happened with Redknapp.
(07-11-2021, 09:01 AM)Cleaver Greene Wrote: [ -> ]Looks llike Chris wilder is taking over at Middlesbrough.
Yes confirmed he has taken over at Boro
I really can't see Cowley agreeing to having an 'adviser' come alongside him. He strikes me as being very much 'his own man' as they say and not amenable to advice other than his brother's of course.
(07-11-2021, 10:13 AM)Wightblue Wrote: [ -> ]Hasn’t Warnock spoke kindly of Pompey and it’s fans in the past ?
Pedalo’s idea has lots of merit, Warnock has loads of experience of the good and the bad and has had enough success and failures (and, perhaps, we all learn more from our failures than our success’s) to be able to shine a guiding light on Eisner’s and Cowley’s plans.
Of course, they may not like what they hear !
Warnock or anybody else is not going to come for a few buttons, they will want to be paid and I doubt whether EWWK can fund it so either we fans will have to have a whip round (not the first !) or Eisner spends am infinitesimal amount of his vast wealth instead.
Quick ! Somebody get the collection buckets ready !
Could be wrong Wightie, but isn't that Ian Holloway who said he'd like to manage us? Could be both, of course...
(07-11-2021, 01:04 PM)Santa release Claus Wrote: [ -> ] (07-11-2021, 11:26 AM)Peter_Mellor's_Got_No_Hair Wrote: [ -> ]I'm really unsure what is going on. There are some talented players in the squad
Not really.
Morrell looks OK, Curtis good but inconsistent and Raggett's probably our best player. Raggett FFS!
Blue-tinted specs out the way and this squad is shambolic, hence our strongest XI barely scraping past a pub team at home yesterday. No affinity with a single one of them and wouldn't give two shits if none of them ever pulled the shirt on again.
Disjointed bunch of cloggers, journeymen and out of their depth lower/non league chancers led by possibly the thickest bloke ever to take charge of a professional football team.
Owners with little interest and even less of a plan, the ground looking as tired as ever, nothing original coming from the terraces in a decade and a long winter looming. Apathetic torpor is very much the order of the day in PO4.
I genuinely feel sorry for the mugs that spend a fortune travelling up and down the country to watch these clowns embarrass themselves week after week. Can't be a great feeling spending five hours driving up to Accrington then seeing Marquis on the team sheet and only George '50 professional appearances 0 goals' Hirst on the bench to replace the useless gurning turd. Of course the real tragedy isn't that Hirst and Marquis continually fire blanks, it's that their father's didn't.
Going from centre backs of Burgess, Webster, Whatmough and Clarke in L2 to the toothless wonder and that balding ginger cabbage from Gillingham who can't run, tackle or head a ball in L1 takes some doing. When the club can't even be arsed to sort out some dentures and a razor to protect the club's image it's clear everyone involved from top to bottom is just going through the motions.
Time to sack the Brothers Dim, sell anyone we can and release the rest, sell the club and start again.
I wouldnt want to give Cowley money to spend. The claim is Cowley had an increased budget if this is the case, does anyone really believe that Whatmough, Cannon, Naylor, Williams, Close Macgillivray etc were on less money than their replacements. Who with the exception of Morrell are all significantly poorer players. If Cowley did indeed have more budget why would he not have used some of it to retain some of those players. The only consolation is there are few loans who can be sent back in January. Hopefully a new manager can salvage something from this season. The Cowleys are simply not upto the task
Not really.
Morrell looks OK, Curtis good but inconsistent and Raggett's probably our best player. Raggett FFS!
Blue-tinted specs out the way and this squad is shambolic, hence our strongest XI barely scraping past a pub team at home yesterday. No affinity with a single one of them and wouldn't give two shits if none of them ever pulled the shirt on again.
Disjointed bunch of cloggers, journeymen and out of their depth lower/non league chancers led by possibly the thickest bloke ever to take charge of a professional football team.
Owners with little interest and even less of a plan, the ground looking as tired as ever, nothing original coming from the terraces in a decade and a long winter looming. Apathetic torpor is very much the order of the day in PO4.
I genuinely feel sorry for the mugs that spend a fortune travelling up and down the country to watch these clowns embarrass themselves week after week. Can't be a great feeling spending five hours driving up to Accrington then seeing Marquis on the team sheet and only George '50 professional appearances 0 goals' Hirst on the bench to replace the useless gurning turd. Of course the real tragedy isn't that Hirst and Marquis continually fire blanks, it's that their father's didn't.
Going from centre backs of Burgess, Webster, Whatmough and Clarke in L2 to the toothless wonder and that balding ginger cabbage from Gillingham who can't run, tackle or head a ball in L1 takes some doing. When the club can't even be arsed to sort out some dentures and a razor to protect the club's image it's clear everyone involved from top to bottom is just going through the motions.
Time to sack the Brothers Dim, sell anyone we can and release the rest, sell the club and start again.
Apart from that are you happy with everything else?
Do you think STEVE has swallowed a dictionary?
(07-11-2021, 01:39 PM)Tomsk Wrote: [ -> ]Do you think STEVE has swallowed a dictionary?
Or Giles found his old one.
The great problem visible on the distant horizon is that more and more people begin to feel like Deebo and support drops and Season Ticket renewals drop substantially with all the consequences.
The Snooze carried a list of players available on free’s or out of contract basis etc, People like James Norwood, Hal Robson Kanu and similar were listed as being capable of addressing our striker issues.
But where is the money coming from and which one(s) will Cowley choose if it’s left to him ? Curtis apart, I don’t see many players who we can unload for a fee and moving Marquis, Downing and a host of others will cost Pompey money we don’t have (none of them will leave without a significant financial inducement).
We desperately need fresh blood to rejuvenate our flagging team but where does the necessary cash come from ?
Eisner can dip his hand in his pocket of course but probably won’t so how do Pompey escape from this particular impasse ?
(07-11-2021, 03:46 PM)Wightblue Wrote: [ -> ]The great problem visible on the distant horizon is that more and more people begin to feel like Deebo and support drops and Season Ticket renewals drop substantially with all the consequences.
The Snooze carried a list of players available on free’s or out of contract basis etc, People like James Norwood, Hal Robson Kanu and similar were listed as being capable of addressing our striker issues.
But where is the money coming from and which one(s) will Cowley choose if it’s left to him ? Curtis apart, I don’t see many players who we can unload for a fee and moving Marquis, Downing and a host of others will cost Pompey money we don’t have (none of them will leave without a significant financial inducement).
We desperately need fresh blood to rejuvenate our flagging team but where does the necessary cash come from ?
Eisner can dip his hand in his pocket of course but probably won’t so how do Pompey escape from this particular impasse ?
In January he will hopefully shift Harrison, Jacobs & Downing and send back Hirst. That would give him the wages for 2 new centre backs and 2 new forwards of decent quality, which may be all we need. This team already has the players capable of much better, they are not as far away in talent as everyone is making out because the talent bar is low in League 1, but they are clearly lacking in belief at the moment, and dare I say it motivation. Several of them do not all seem to want to do it for the fans, let alone the manager and they need shifting out of the team but we don't have the depth to replace them at the moment.
I'm not really a good example Wighty. My round trip for home games is nearly 240 miles and I did the trip for nearly 45 years. Jacketball put an end to that. It's when punters closer to home get turned off that it will become a real problem for the club. Football generally seems to have lost sight of the fact it's in the entertainment business. When centre forwards get clapped off the pitch for running around like headless chickens rather than scoring or making goals you know there's a problem.
We’ll end up with 3 more midfielders
(07-11-2021, 04:52 PM)bluetagagain Wrote: [ -> ]We’ll end up with 3 more midfielders
Never a truer words spoken in jest.
Bearing in mind how many young kids were in the crowd yesterday.
I wonder how many regulars actually turned up?
I can't do a ST at present, but deliberately went because I value the FA Cup.
Overall this current team is a tedious watch and much of the support is tedious too.
No more songs that are ours, or for individual players. Just seems like the same old play list game in game out.
Just feels like we are working in the opposite direction to the a bit better each season that we were doing until last season.
Harrison, Downing and Jacobs will only leave for the same money as currently paid by Pompey OR maybe for slightly less and a 2/3 year contract. All 3 are out of contract at seasons end, why should they do Pompey a favour and move in January unless there is something in it for them
Would you offer a 2/3 year contract to Harrison or Downing ?
Jacobs may be moveable but none of those three will free up much as it at first seems, I think Pompey will have to pay a signing-off bonus, any such payments will surely have to come out of the EWWK bank.
Hirst is one to send back and I would add Ahadme as well, frankly for what Azeez has brought to Pompey thus far he might as well go back to N London or is he to dazzle us in the 2nd half of the season (I didn’t see yesterday’s game just listened to Express, Azeez didn’t seem to dazzle yesterday).
I agree that some players are underperforming but a majority on here want to retain Cowley and therefore don’t seem to attach blame for non-performing players to him
Please Sir, Can I know whose fault it is ?
Good Debate Guys. I also remember those Div 4 Depressing Days of 9 -11k Crowds & don't want us going there again. Like most I can't see ME investing his own money in the team although he has said in one of his interviews that he would if it was deemed essential to secure a particular player. I'd love to see that player being Jack Willshire on a pay per play deal but that could prove to be expensive if he plays a lot of matches. I think he managed to play around 17 games for Bournemouth last season & wasn't badly injured but would need a very thorough medical Not just the club doctor. Loans return if we can Hirst & Ahadme also possibly Azeez unless he can adapt to Div 1 level & keep things simple. Keep Baz & Romeo. Priority a decent striker & CB. I think DC has the CB in mind on Loan from Arsenal as long as he's up to this level. The striker is a lot more difficult one. Need to wait to see who's free in January. Then need to see if we can move anyone on Jacobs is the onre who other clubs could show interest in as long as they can meet his wage demands. Harrison, when back to full fitness will do a good job for a team looking for a 2nd striker to hold up the ball & create chances for a goalscorer. If we can move both on then we have a lot more recruitment power & even one will help. I think we need to sort out the Ben Thompson drama & go in with a positive cash offer or Millwall wil just keep him as a bench warmer.