The bottom line is that we don’t have a good enough team to go up and, even if we had won today, we would probably have been knocked out in the play offs.
As Danny Cowley says:
‘We weren’t good enough to get promoted, even if we had got in the play-offs, we weren’t good enough to get promoted’
We all knew that though didn’t we?
People are, understandably, disappointed and are lashing out with all the usual ‘xxxx out’ stuff.
The problem is that Jackett assembled a crap squad, virtually devoid of strikers, and we are left with that legacy.
I don’t think we can blame the owners just because they haven’t spunked silly money on players. They have, in the main, backed the decisions of Catlin and the manager. Catlin can’t really be blamed either, Jackett is respected in the game and his appointment was not controversial. Similarly the Cowleys come with a good pedigree and many clubs would be happy to have them. We have no divine right to promotion just because we are Pompey.
We now need to allow the Cowleys to build their own team and then we will see what they are made of.
Knee jerk ‘get rid of everybody’ stuff does no good whatsoever.
I think we are in good hands and I’m looking forward to next season.
PUP
Absolutely right, and there ARE still some decent players there. However, would be good to hear the players response to the question "you were top at Christmas, what went wrong?"
Sorry Gaffer but Catlin absolutely can and will be blamed because as you know, Catlin should have pulled the trigger on Jackett last summer
Good to know that a poor season was, apparently, just one persons fault and with just a change of manager all will be well.
So the money spent on Marquis, Harness and Harrison wasn’t spunked, good value for money buys then. The money spent on the wages of the likes of Morris, Daniels, Hiwula etc etc etc was an investment worth making.
So Jackett single handedly takes the blame ! I was never a fan of KJ and extending his contract was an act of madness but his aren’t the only dirty hands.
Catlin, The coaching staff, recruitment team at home and in Europe, all the backroom boys seem to fall into the “not me Guv” category.
I don’t advocate a root and branch clear out but to believe that all will be well by just appointing The Cowleys seems fanciful to me, but, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating.
(09-05-2021, 07:05 PM)scumslayer Wrote: [ -> ]Sorry Gaffer but Catlin absolutely can and will be blamed because as you know, Catlin should have pulled the trigger on Jackett last summer
What scumslayer said. In fact I'd go a step further & say KJ should've been sacked after the Sunderland play off debacle 2 yrs ago. He's overseen a period of backing the wrong man until it was far too late. I suspect the penny has well n truly dropped tonight.
exgaffer , I dont agree about not needing a mass clearout. I think 2nd best is embedded into a lot of our team, they lack heart & fight in the crucial games & have no leadership on the pitch. Johnson, Brown, Big Mac. The rest can sod off for all I care, I'd rather not see them in the blue shirt again. For such a big game to underachieve like that-unforgiveable.
(09-05-2021, 07:13 PM)bluebollox Wrote: [ -> ] (09-05-2021, 07:05 PM)scumslayer Wrote: [ -> ]Sorry Gaffer but Catlin absolutely can and will be blamed because as you know, Catlin should have pulled the trigger on Jackett last summer
What scumslayer said. In fact I'd go a step further & say KJ should've been sacked after the Sunderland play off debacle 2 yrs ago. He's overseen a period of backing the wrong man until it was far too late. I suspect the penny has well n truly dropped tonight.
exgaffer , I dont agree about not needing a mass clearout. I think 2nd best is embedded into a lot of our team, they lack heart & fight in the crucial games & have no leadership on the pitch. Johnson, Brown, Big Mac. The rest can sod off for all I care, I'd rather not see them in the blue shirt again. For such a big game to underachieve like that-unforgiveable.
Agreed 100%
(09-05-2021, 06:30 PM)exgaffer Wrote: [ -> ]The bottom line is that we don’t have a good enough team to go up and, even if we had won today, we would probably have been knocked out in the play offs.
As Danny Cowley says:
‘We weren’t good enough to get promoted, even if we had got in the play-offs, we weren’t good enough to get promoted’
We all knew that though didn’t we?
People are, understandably, disappointed and are lashing out with all the usual ‘xxxx out’ stuff.
The problem is that Jackett assembled a crap squad, virtually devoid of strikers, and we are left with that legacy.
I don’t think we can blame the owners just because they haven’t spunked silly money on players. They have, in the main, backed the decisions of Catlin and the manager. Catlin can’t really be blamed either, Jackett is respected in the game and his appointment was not controversial. Similarly the Cowleys come with a good pedigree and many clubs would be happy to have them. We have no divine right to promotion just because we are Pompey.
We now need to allow the Cowleys to build their own team and then we will see what they are made of.
Knee jerk ‘get rid of everybody’ stuff does no good whatsoever.
I think we are in good hands and I’m looking forward to next season.
PUP
Totally agree with all of that!
Yes agree pretty much with all that Gaff
As I suggested in an earlier post, and acknowledged by this thread, there is a need to significantly improve the squad in order to have any realistic chance of sustainable progress competing at a higher level. Today was not a disaster in terms of bringing to the fore the need to implement actions required to realize the ambition of the club and fans alike.
To my mind there is undoubtedly an urgent need to build a squad containing experienced players of proven ability, along with promising youngsters and one or two old heads, some would say were past their best. Merson anybody?
I know this would require investment in the playing staff and while I certainly do not advocate splashing silly money around and bearing in mind any restrictions under the wage cap situation, I believe this to be the way forward.
The owners must understand that Pompey, as a big club, are losing ground to others. In the past our big club label was justified but now the gap between us and even teams such as Norwich, Watford and Bournemouth is widening. The catchment area of those three is considerably smaller than that of Pompey.
Success breeds success. Businesses grow through wise investment and lack of foresight can lead to stagnation.
The time is right now for significant investment, before the new season starts. Optimize the potential.
Interesting times could be ahead
Far too many billy big bolli characters in the squad.
How wiliams gets games is beyond me running around a lot achieving very little seems to be seen as good ffs
You can carry a lightweight who can turn a game but pompey currently have 4 or 5. Hugely disappointed with Harness. Jack, in fact most of them.
it was madness to bring Jack back so soon - bad management.
Not sure who is out of contract but the players I'd like to keep are MacG, Curtis, Brown. Raggett (scores more goals than most of our front 4) Jack, Marquis, maybe one or two of the midfielders who see little game time.
One thing that really struct me was the pre match warm up, our lot trotted through the exercises, later I watched the prem players in a couple of games their warm ups were sprinting and working hard.
Our set up is unprofessional, too many think they just need to turn up and it's job done, the attitude STINKS.
The cowleys? Jury is out for me - did they get any more out of the shower of excrement then KJ?
(09-05-2021, 09:59 PM)muschi Wrote: [ -> ]Far too many billy big bolli characters in the squad.
How wiliams gets games is beyond me running around a lot achieving very little seems to be seen as good ffs
You can carry a lightweight who can turn a game but pompey currently have 4 or 5. Hugely disappointed with Harness. Jack, in fact most of them.
it was madness to bring Jack back so soon - bad management.
Not sure who is out of contract but the players I'd like to keep are MacG, Curtis, Brown. Raggett (scores more goals than most of our front 4) Jack, Marquis, maybe one or two of the midfielders who see little game time.
One thing that really struct me was the pre match warm up, our lot trotted through the exercises, later I watched the prem players in a couple of games their warm ups were sprinting and working hard.
Our set up is unprofessional, too many think they just need to turn up and it's job done, the attitude STINKS.
The cowleys? Jury is out for me - did they get any more out of the shower of excrement then KJ?
Williams is a very good player at League 1 level and, if you bothered to actually watch him, does a lot more than ‘run around a lot’.
As for the Cowleys getting more out of the ‘shower of excrement’, you can’t polish a turd can you?
You will also have great difficulty creating a winning line up when you don’t have any fecking forwards to speak of.
The jury is still out though, because they haven’t built their team yet. No judgement could possibly be made until then.
I’d only keep Mac, Brown and Curtis the rest are below average. If we get good money for Curtis then take it and use for rebuilding.
Accrington Stanley were better than us in all positions yesterday and their budget is at the very bottom end . We need a 90% cull and a rebuild either with or without the Cowleys
Well, we now know it's with the Cowleys so onwards and hopefully upwards. I was wondering yesterday after the debacle how many of that team would get into Pompey's league 2 winning side. Not many! Curtis for Bennett / McG and neither team had a striker of any note (Marquis / Naismith).
(10-05-2021, 01:30 PM)ForeverPompey Wrote: [ -> ]Well, we now know it's with the Cowleys so onwards and hopefully upwards. I was wondering yesterday after the debacle how many of that team would get into Pompey's league 2 winning side. Not many! Curtis for Bennett / McG and neither team had a striker of any note (Marquis / Naismith).
Not one player for me. The simple fact is that we have a far worse squad 4 years on from winning league 2. Thats down to Jackett and Catlin.
I wonder if Michael Eisner thinks he's bought an American football team.
(09-05-2021, 06:52 PM)Rocketman Wrote: [ -> ]Absolutely right, and there ARE still some decent players there. However, would be good to hear the players response to the question "you were top at Christmas, what went wrong?"
spot on. I've never seen a team collapse like that in close to fifty years if following pompey. Yes we'v all seen bad teams, but a reasonable team fall apart like that ???
(10-05-2021, 06:33 PM)Jizbag Wrote: [ -> ] (10-05-2021, 01:30 PM)ForeverPompey Wrote: [ -> ]Well, we now know it's with the Cowleys so onwards and hopefully upwards. I was wondering yesterday after the debacle how many of that team would get into Pompey's league 2 winning side. Not many! Curtis for Bennett / McG and neither team had a striker of any note (Marquis / Naismith).
Not one player for me. The simple fact is that we have a far worse squad 4 years on from winning league 2. Thats down to Jackett and Catlin.
I wonder if Michael Eisner thinks he's bought an American football team.
is it a worse squad completely, or a very unbalanced squad with too many wide fancy players and not enough gutsy types through the core of the team.
We all knew the midfield was liable to be over run at any stage in the last few years. Made worse now with a paper thin strike force and little or no cover in central defence.
All made much much worse by Kenny's ability to completely right ff players who might have been half decent with different man management. Bolton, Downing, Pitman for starters.