[BigSmokeBlue]

Our first choice Richard Hughes has decided to stay at Forrest Green Rovers after they improved his current package. Shame, because he has had significant influence in the signings Rovers have made, which is one of the reasons they have progressed up the leagues over the past 2 seasons. He has good pedigree too after working with Stoke and Everton previously. You have to ask if we sold the role in the right way? I mean he chose to stay at Rovers rather than join a supposedly bigger club with ambitions for promotion next season?

Pompey are now focussing their efforts on Cambridges Sporting Director Ben Strang. However, he has also turned us down and staying at Cambridge.

Looks like we’ll be appointing our third choice whoever that is?

[bluetagagain]

He was that high profile i’d never heard of him before he was linked with us and his high profile signings like Luke McGee

[Pompeyg100]

If you believe the news of course.

[Pedalo_menders]

I think you have to take the news at face value.

I know I seem to be the boards resident miserable coont at the moment but riddle me this... 

Your strategy hinges on having a superior recruitment team to snap up young talent. But you aren't willing to pay more than forest Green rovers for the most important role to execute the strategy. How does that translate into success? Or demonstrate ambition?

It doesn't look good when you're heading in to the biggest rebuild in 6 years without the recruitment team in place and multiple players mouthing off in the press about lack of communication.

Or is the actual strategy to keep costs down as much as possible and just hope the punters keep showing up?

[Cunninglinguist]

The news will only print stories they hear about and I doubt that they hear anything from the clubs hierarchy.

Regardless of how the news big up the reputations of Pompeys supposed targets, they haven’t arrived and the club hasn’t expressed any disappointment.
They are just stories. Wait for announcements of staff who do arrive and then judge the club on that.

[Pompeyg100]

I think you have to take the news at face value.

I know I seem to be the boards resident miserable coont at the moment but riddle me this... 

Your strategy hinges on having a superior recruitment team to snap up young talent. But you aren't willing to pay more than forest Green rovers for the most important role to execute the strategy. How does that translate into success? Or demonstrate ambition?

It doesn't look good when you're heading in to the biggest rebuild in 6 years without the recruitment team in place and multiple players mouthing off in the press about lack of communication.

Or is the actual strategy to keep costs down as much as possible and just hope the punters keep showing up?

You know there is people at the club who are capable of signing players? You don’t need a DoF to sign a player.

We have no idea if we have been after the guy from FGR and quite frankly I’m in no doubt if we did take him there would be moaning about getting him and not the DoF from Man City.

[Rick Pumpkin]

I think you have to take the news at face value.

I know I seem to be the boards resident miserable coont at the moment but riddle me this... 

Your strategy hinges on having a superior recruitment team to snap up young talent. But you aren't willing to pay more than forest Green rovers for the most important role to execute the strategy. How does that translate into success? Or demonstrate ambition?

It doesn't look good when you're heading in to the biggest rebuild in 6 years without the recruitment team in place and multiple players mouthing off in the press about lack of communication.

Or is the actual strategy to keep costs down as much as possible and just hope the punters keep showing up?

It doesn't always hinge on money though does it?

Consider the FGR guy and his current workplace - every morning he gets to drive through the Cotswolds to their training ground - would he really want to swap that for Copnor Road?  And say what you like about Dale Vince, he might be a hippy, vegan, wind farm lover, but he's given Forest Green a direction and it's debatable right now what direction Pompey are taking, plus there's a strong management team in place over there and their new training ground is due to open in the not too distant future.

Their manager moving to Watford yesterday might change the dynamics, especially when the new guy arrives, but I wasn't surprised to see Hughes decide to stay.

[Hammie]

So many of our moans seem to ignore the family factor. If whichever player/coach/technician etc etc it is, if his family is happy and settled then he is unlikely to move except for a life changing deal.

[firqdays]

Lots of truth in that one Hammie - kids settled in schools/friends etc.

And, in certain respects, the same may be said about players ..... here it comes -

But ..... our old adversary/magnet of a massive monetary incentive can override even those issues.

[Hammie]

although our successful managers have only signed players who really want to play for pompey not sure bribing them into coming gets that level of commitment that we all want.

[Cunninglinguist]

What's the incentive for players 'who really want to play for Pompey'?
Is money really the be all and end all?
I believe the promise of being reasonably remunerated whilst feeling settled and feeling part of something that is going somewhere, is probably far more important to most players.

[Hammie]

The most committed Pompey team I watched, was Alan Ball's lot who were on reasonable basics and big top ups for winning/league position. He also insisted they all lived locally to feel the fans' pain/joy according to their performances. Seemed to work. The team that most consistently did what we, as fans wanted.

[Cunninglinguist]

I loved the football under Bally. Didn't always win but.........

[firqdays]

Geographical location does have a big affect upon committing to clubs and up sticks and moving to new areas !