As sung today, we will go up from the pub league and meet the Scummers in the derby again the season after next. Because we are going up and they will come straight back down as previously predicted by the well informed and clairvoyant SB3( I have a pet Octopus you know who predicts footy results)!
With the complete overhaul the team will go through over summer I think safe mid-table finish, preferably upper-mid-table, should be the goal. Next season should be a stablizing one.
Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. League 1 was a lot of fun, but you somehow have to negotiate the summer with no income. If no buyer comes forward then I am afraid 3 weeks from now relegation might be the least of your worries, and trust me when I say that I take no pleasure at all in stating that.
Let's be fair, Pompey supporters should know wether they are good enough to walk league 1 as they say, Because they have spent the best part of the last 50 years doing it
No next season should be aiming for promotion. We are too big a club for league 1, just like Leeds, Leicester, Southamton, Norwich etc. were...
Why do think Portsmouth ate a big club? You spend most your time in the lower leagues with a small ground and small support. You were shown a few seasons jn the top league and bankrupted buying short term success. You have a Small good die hard number of supporters and that's it. Sorry but you are defiantly not a big club.
Be realistic. We dont have an owner at the moment and when we do he's not going to be able to splash the cash like so many others have before, and frankly doing so would hurt us more than help us. We cannot keep hold of the top earners because would coulnd't afford them, so most of the first team will be sold to offload their wages and bring some money in. Appleton will be relying on loans and youth players next season. We cannot expect to bounce straight back. If we had overhauled the team and began the rebuilding process when we were relegated from the Premier League then I would be more positive but we didn't and now it falls to Appleton and whoever comes in as a new owner to do it and we cannot expect challenge for promotion straight off the bat. An upper-mid-table is a sensible target, if we do better than that it'll be a bonus.
Southampton were lucky. At death's door they got a rich owner, that's all it boils down to. Money. Of course now, their fans are in the happy position, to be able to tell us how badly we've run our club and we should do this that and the other, how brilliant their set up is and we should try to learn from it, but it's all down to money. Money. And selective memories. If we don't get the same, that's probably it for us. If we do, then our fans, in a short while, will be claiming the same as Southampton fans, oh we're great, we're the best run club in the land, blah blah blah. Money. And myopic, amnesic, football supporters.
No, not just money, but we were so, so lucky in who bought the club. Markus had a vision to grow the club in a sustainable way. Yes, his money made all that followed possible and I certainly wouldn't lecture Pompey about 'how to do things". At our hour of desperation we would have been delighted to welcome any dodgy bloke with a tea towel on his head to save our club. Like I say, lucky beyond belief.
Morning PM, yes we were very lucky when Markus came along. However the majority of us are incredibly appreciative of how things have gone since then and the progress and investment that has been made, along with the drive, energy and vision of our chairman. We do not have selective memories and we will NEVER forget what could have happened to us. We sing Markus' name at every match to show our adulation, respect and thanks for what he did. The majority of us do not have myopia or short memories I can promise you that. Try to remember that the outbursts of a few young upstarts, or embittered old codgers is not representative of the views of the majority of fans. Soton fans should not have to point out to you Pompey how badly your club has been run because you guys are painfully aware of that yourselves. I appreciate that this weekend has been painful for you guys to deal with but in the long run the experience will serve you well, allow to re-build and get back on your feet. Some great away days to be enjoyed there and just make the best of it. Wishing you guys all the best
Yes, I haven't been very selective there, have I. Good honest Southampton fans know the score, of course. The long term good eggs on here, bar a couple of long term bad egg layers. A lot of newbies however, fit my descriptions to a T. And they form a depressingly large minority.
I'd like to add that, on the whole, there has been very little abuse actually, concerning Pompey's relegation, in fact almost non existent. Which I don't know how to feel about, actually!
No abuse from me.....i hope your club finds a buyer and that you stay afloat. I remember the feeling of 2 relagations so i dont feel the need to rub it in.
Cheers Richie. I've been dealing with some persistent wums over the course of the year, and was fully expecting a night to forget last evening, but it didn't happen.
