Looks like he could be
available this window.... Would you be interested in a return?.
I would be... I don't think he got the game time he should have, definitely has ability.
We could do far worse.
No.
We need players who will improve us.
Underwhelming when he was here, to say the least
Look at the shit around him though.
Morrell looked pants at first. He was the first caliber signing and looks miles better now with quality surrounding him.
I remember the reverse happening to Kranjcar in 2010 before he went to Spurs. He was one of the last quality players out the door to be replaced by Championship shit.
Byers is a proper player and has done well since he left us.
Byers isn't the right character. He's a gobby little shyte who argues with coaches on match days.
(12-01-2024, 02:05 AM)Pedalo_menders Wrote: [ -> ]Byers isn't the right character. He's a gobby little shyte who argues with coaches on match days.
Maybe it’s just my imagination but your second sentence amuses my tiny mind, no end.
Michael Smith also available from Wednesday ... I'd welcome him on loan for the rest of the season.
(12-01-2024, 11:21 AM)DeepBlue Wrote: [ -> ]Michael Smith also available from Wednesday ... I'd welcome him on loan for the rest of the season.
Yep, me too.
Mind you he might not be too keen to come after the dog’s abuse he got from some.
As nearly always, the cyber warriors anonymously from behind their keyboards
Michael Smith would be a great signing if he really wanted to come and prove some of us wrong about him. The away fans who sat around us in the Fratton End back then all thought he was great. But seemd to end up frightened of playing at home.
I reckon he improved in spite of us. No chance.
Fuck me he did need to improve though.
He was very good when he was here. Not a very good finisher but the best leader of the line we'd had for ages until we got Bishop
The way our fans treated him was embarrassing IMO
(12-01-2024, 09:37 PM)DeepBlue Wrote: [ -> ]He was very good when he was here. Not a very good finisher but the best leader of the line we'd had for ages until we got Bishop
The way our fans treated him was embarrassing IMO
Yes he led the line very well, better than Bishop imo.
I would bring him in. Never played under jackett or Cowley no wonder he was pissed off with the players that were playing in front of him. He was quality for Wednesday in their promotion season.
Time is a healer.
There is also something to be said for romancing the memory of performances over goals scored.
Ryan Taylor, Michael Smith, John Marquis are an archetype of front men who do all the track and field bits, fail to put the ball in the back of the net anywhere near enough during their stay at Pompey, and point and pout at the other blue shirts on the pitch in the process.
Pompey strikers need to be able to start and finish their own work. Very few seasons has that not been the case.
Don't remember Smith or Marquis complaining about anyone else
I never saw Smith point or pout, he just was not that kind of character, nor Ryan Taylor come to that though he was nowhere near as good.
The assumption that a forward has to be a good goalscorer himself rather than be valuable to the team by creating goals for others shows a lack of knowledge of the game. Michael Smith was brilliant at that and fans ignorance made his time here a nightmare. Nothing to be proud of. Ollie Hawkins suffered in much the same way, though again he was not as good as Smith.
Start and finish Deep. Start and finish. We agree on the start bit.
We can add Eoin Doyle to the list too. Underrated for his creation play but again, nowhere near enough in the back of the net.
Probably hard on Smith for the pointing and pouring, he was a bunny in the headlights with zero confidence. I think his time at Pompey hardened him up and has subsequently made him. He enjoyed his goal against us for Rotherham no end.
Marquis was the worst I have ever seen for it though. Ironically against Bristol Rovers at home stands out. He was doing so much of it we were joking it was like he was doing disco
I suppose we can’t have all our strikers doing sterling work leading the line but not scoring.
Quite happy with Bish. He just needs some help in the box and he’ll get even more in the net. That’s not to say we need two up front, we need a decent 10 (who can also score).
Agree. Our central midfield 3 (Pack, Morrell, Robertson for the most part) have been generally excellent but have only 2-3 league goals so far between them. This seems to be an issue. You would normally expect that part of the team to contribute more.