Since we didn't have a match thread he's a reaction thread. Richie Barker had rightfull laid into the Pompey squad after their lackluster display against Scunthorpe. Barker says he feels there are too many players just trying to see out the season who are not prepared to put the effort or dedication in to match teams higher up the league, and that contributed to Pompey being out-fought by the Iron. SkySports.com: http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/9180425/barker-turns-on-portsmouth I admit I gave up with the game when we went 3-0 down in the first half. With this result even I have to admit that even my limited goals of a safe mid-table season has not been achieved. I still think we'll avoid relegation but we have to write this season off as a lost cause, which means next season will have to be a stabilization one - which is what I was hoping this season would be. I think it's time to give the kids a chance. The senior squad are constantly underperforming so it cant be any worse.
I think Barker is as carp a manager as the Crawley fans warned us he would be. The football is boring and the team is set up not to lose (although that didn't work yesterday). The thing is the team that started yesterday was in large part Barker's own recruitment. He brought in Alfei, Chorley, Fogden, Diagouraga, Jervis and handed contract extensions to Carson, Painter and Racon. The only starters who weren't part of his recruitment were Wallace, Barcham and Bradley. Barker has no motivational skills and has shown he can't inspire the team. His man-management skills are dire - before the game he let it be known to the whole world that he was going to get rid of most of the squad. He has already got rid of the 2 goal-scorers, both of whom are scoring for fun at Cambridge and Oxford. What would you do if that was your manager threatening your livelihood? They played as they had been told to. Even his choice of Captain had his head down yesterday. I wouldn't mind betting that Andy Awford is keeping the youngsters as far away as possible from the 1st team. The man blamed everyone except himself yesterday - his "papering over the cracks" comments are designed to shift blame to the previous manager. He might, might, just about keep us up this season, but I can't see us going anywhere with him frankly.
Seems the Pompey fans made the Scunny goalie get up off his deckchair yesterday to have his photo taken. http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/a...keeper-sam-slocombe-during-the-game-picture/? Brilliant...............
It't hard to judge him for this season, as we've been **** from start to finish. See what he does in the summer, things could be a lot different next year. I don't think we should get rid.
I'm waiting to see what happens with the Accrington game before I come to a definitely conclusion on whether Barker should stay or go, although I am certainly leaning towards the latter. What I am fairly certain is though is that Barker was the wrong choice. If the Accrington match is as rubbish as I fear it may be, I would say keep Barker until the end of the season and hope we limp our way to safety, then dispense him and get someone DECENT (or give the managerial role to Coppell). Though I'd rather we played Portsmouth Ladies against Accrington. They won again today 4-1, conceding just their first goal of 2014.
As I said when we sacked Guy, chopping and changing the manager will do nothing to help us develop. It might achieve short term improvements - though that failed this time didn't it? - but we would suffer in the long term. We need to lay down a blueprint for the direction of the club for the playing side and we can't do that if we only give a manager a year or less in the job before getting rid of him. We need someone here long term, and we need to support him in good times and bad, or else we will condemn ourselves to long term inconsistancy in form and thus must resign ourselves to languishing in the lower divisions never recapturing even a fraction of the clubs potential. So you see, no matter how bad it gets in the league I remain the most devoted of opponents to removing a manager before his contract has come to an end.
The board set out a task of finishing in the top 7, I believe that 7th was the goal......... once the season was well under way and we struggled it became apparnt that GW was not the man for us.......now, IMO it was going to be hard for any one as new manager to come in with the layers GW recruited. The payers were unfit and not up to the job.......any one remember Ertl off on his hols, trekking some where and not wanting to be rushed into a contract......signed at the death as I remember......and not performed at all this season.........and few others like him as well. In comes Barker, now.....I have to admit I had reservations with his appointment based on his last form at Crawley, but I also have to remind my self of the following: 1/ he did well at lower league level 2/ he has back up from Coppell 3/ we have a squad of has beens, out of contract and loan players why....because 4/ we have NO money to purchase quality lower level players! So........for me, this season is a classic case of get over the line, that line is staying in L2........ then I would like to see some of the squad moved on and out, let barker do his wheeler dealing he says he can (with Coppells help) and lets see what next season brings. Although we have had some right dodgy performances I do feel we ave been better under Barker.......but please, fellow pomponians......remember where we were a year a go....... there was never going to be an easy fix, and I like many probably secretly looked at our season beginning, looked at the opposition and thought "we can do this".......but alas, a few games in I came back down to earth! We wont go down, we will struggle to the end, I am prepared for that............ be patient, keep the faith and pack the park, as supporters thats all we can do
Agree mate, I don't think any team in this league has rushed out with massive budgets, but most of the teams have been together for at least one season or more, that time together is in valuable, chopping out the odd player here and there is one thing, changing a squad two times over is something else.........I am not wanting to make excuses for bad performances, and don't get me wrong I am as disappointed as the rest..........but I do think a reality check in some quarters is in order........
I agree with MAJR that we can't go chopping and changing managers at the drop of a hat but I'm as much concerned about Barker's skills as a Manager as I was about Guy's. Far from having no money to purchase players, which doesn't happen in this league anyway, he shipped out 2 of our strikers and brought in Alfei, Chorley, Shorey, Diagouraga, Fogden, Dennan, Taylor and Jervis = 8 and handed contract extensions to Carson, Painter and Racon. This basically is his team. Yesterday he started Bradley, Barcham and Wallace - these were the 3 who were not part of 'his' recruitment. I don't go along with that they're all has-beens, yes the defence was leaky under Guy but we were also scoring goals. How many games under Barker have we scored more than 1 goal? Once - away to Morecambe. We have now dropped to 21st place with a goal difference of -12. The three teams below us all have 2 games in hand, we only have 1 and Accy are already above us now. We are now 13 points away from 7th and only 7 points away from 23rd. A team mirrors its manager, it's his style the players play to, and the Crawley fans did warn us it would be ugly. I was quite happy to give him time, but his pre and post match comments were the final straw for me. He shifted all blame away from himself. Compare that to Ole Solsjkaer's comments after his team's thrashing yesterday.
I too have questioned his tactics on occasion, but with regards to yesterdays game, he stated that the coaches and back room staff versed and prepped the players on scunny........he states the players didnt do what was asked of them........if this is true why? what went so wrong? maybe we will never know..... with regards to connolly going out on loan.......its been well versed that he (connolly) was not happy at not getting the coaching role alongside barker having been unsuccessful at applying for GW's job...........in my book, NO player is bigger than the gaffer.......he had to go whether we like it or not.
Ah yes, Connolly. Well there are a lot of things being said about him, including that his loyalty to Guy let him down and that the board weren't happy with him for not speaking up over Whittingham's faults as manager. If so I can't imagine they would be eager to hear him speak up about Barker's faults. The thing is BP, if you set up a team to be defensive, which is what Barker does, and they let in 5 goals, then something is very wrong. Bradley might have been at fault for 1 or 2 of the goals but he was only 1 of a back 4. So the players didn't do what was asked of them, including all his own recruits. It was noted that his own choice of Captain was head down yesterday as well. The players didn't actually play badly apparently - but we only had 2 shots on goal all game, they had 8. The man sets his teams up to be defensive and grind out results. The most interesting thing about Connolly I find is that he has gone out on loan - not that his contract has been torn up/left by mutual consent. I do wonder if Oxford are covering all his wages. If not, then get him back, he can score for us rather than them. I think the board was blinkered because appointing Barker would bring Coppell into the club. And to be honest if I was on the board I'd have been enticed by that as well.
Have to think a lot of it was a reaction to the interview that went to press Saturday morning. If you are trying to motivate your side for a relegation scrap surely the last thing you do is tell the press that they are all basically scrap in the summer. I've like the fact that he has tightened us up as a team up until sat but there where some huge steps backwards on the pitch. Also yet another major reshuffle in midfield didn't help, the game was lost in midfield. We set up with 5 and were still second to everything, there's only so much the defence can cope with when the midfield said shambles. Also the back 4 completely ignore Carson there's clearly no respect for him. He's screaming for them to push up and they stand still or turn round and argue with him.
I don't see the board getting rid - not yet - they'll lose access to Steve Cotterill. But you know Barker hasn't ever really put a team together, the Bury team were on course for promotion anyway, Barker took over about 6-8 games before the season end, and the Crawley team were put together by his predecessor. Anyway, the Chairman has given him his backing............
RB was not my first choice but I openly accepted his appointment and liked much of what he said when he first arrived. However, but I do question whether rubbishing your players in public is wise. I have said all along that most of this squad is not good enough, and by that I mean their footballing brain. This lot can't read the game, that has been obvious from the start of the season and is backed up by RB saying they just don't do what they are asked to do. I'm an STH but have missed a few games this season - in fact I have only seen one win and that was a 1-0 more-boring-that-watching-paint-dry game agains ... I can't even remember who it was against. The only time that I have seen anything to remotely cheer me this season is when we close the opposition down, don't let them settle and play up the park rather than sit back. However, most of the time we sit back and let the opposition close us down and bully us. I couldn't decide whether this was down to poor awareness or coaching. The fact RB crtiscised them for this on Saturday suggests the former. The problem is in the midfield - it is up to them to close the opposition down, win possession then keep it then feed the forwards. I think I have already said that we should do away with wingers, keep the midfield narrow and use the backs to overlap. If we get the ball into the box enough times we will score - simple really but probably not within the capability of this squad!
well it will be interesting to see how the players react to their drubbing tomorrow night........... Accy come to town, cant imagine too many fans will make the trek with them.............not only do we need the points.....badly, but we need a real pick me up.....for every one, fans included! Barker has the backing of the board..........not sure that means anything in this day and age! PUP
I'm expecting a win tomorrow But that's nothing to take any notice of............ it's just the triumph of hope over experience as per usual
