That "baron run" prior consisted of - using the ten games leading up to the 18th of October - 3-1 win, 2-0 loss, 2-0 loss, 3-0 win, 1-1 draw, 0-0 draw, 0-0 draw, 2-1 loss(cup), 1-1 draw, 3-0 loss. It wasn't the worst of runs and we were still picking up points. Since the 18th October we've been trading wins and losses in the league and performing poorly in the cup - the form being 3-2 win, 2-1 loss, 3-0 win, 2-2 draw (cup), 3-0 loss, 1-0 loss (cup), 3-0 win, 3-1 loss. That's 9 points out of a possible 18. Our form is consistant with a mid-table side, which is about where we should be given out recent history. So you'll forgive me if I get a bit annoyed with people second guessing the quality of the manager when we're doing about as well as I expected we would do this season.
To a degree I agree with you, there will always be a section of fans that demand more than should be expected. I would admit, that I have questioned some of the team selections and formations used, but......at the end of the day, i am just grateful I have a team to support, at one time we very nearly didnt! I would be happy to see us finish strongly top half, and make some different appointments of players with some leaving next summer.......hopefully then we can push on next season, my fear is we do actually make the play offs this year......I would fear for a straight relegation again
No. No I dont. I still think Awford had shown enough to believe that he will become a very good manager for us. We're a mid-table side with mid-table form. This is what I expected going into this season, why would I be bemoaning the quality of the manager when my expectations are being met?
Majr is in the right in lots of respects - a lot of the goals we concede are often poor individual mistakes that can't really be laid at the door of the Manager. I think my only criticism of AA is he needs to pick a team and stick with it for more than a game at a time. Some stability may give the players a sense of confidence to play and concentrate on their jobs rather than their place in the side.
Andy's a bit of a victim of his own success from the end of last season. Going on that unbeaten run raised many fans expectations for what would be possible this season under his direction, and as such many were hoping for a title and promotion challenging season. What I feel many people dont understand is that we, as a club, need a major overhaul to get back into the upper-leagues and stay there. For far too long we have lacked investment in infrastructe and a proper system of development of player, and the transition into the Redknapp style of player management, whereby no youth players are introducted to the main team but every new player is bought in via transfers, exposed our weaknesses as a club to a greater degree. So as long as Awford maintains us safely in the mid-table region, and so long as there appears to be work being done in those areas of club and player management, then as far as I'm concern he'll have done a good job and talk of how he's not up to the task is unwarrented
It is unbecoming to gloat. What you said in the original post is certainly more relevant now than it was 4 months ago however, but still unbecoming. And, for the record, I still dont agree with you, I still think he could turn out to be a good manager for us and can turn things round. "Optimist!" I hear you say cynically? Perhaps, but if I had my way a manager would have an iron-clad contracts for minimum of three season regardless of results simply because I am sick and tired of losing manages after less than a year because people panic during bad spell.
Might not have been gleefully done but I think bumping a thread to say how you were right all along does count as a kind of gloating.
I see it it as more like.... have you heard Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of War of the Worlds? There's a bit when the Artillery Man (David Essex) tells the journalist about the Martian fighting machine, then a bit later they see it in Weybridge or somewhere and he says "There they are! What did I tell you?!" In that circumstance it's not really gloating, unless David was very keen on being dead right, possibly quite literally. And I assure you, I really don't want to be right in this situation.
Is this really just a bad spell though MAJR? The longer AA has had with his squad the worse we have become. 7 wins in 26 games (include the cup games and it's 9 in 32) 3 of those were in August. That's a win rate of around 28%. We're nosediving into relegation problems. Another month should tell if he has the ability to turn things around, if he can all well and good but if not we've got too much to lose by dropping into the conference, and we are only 3 points above the drop zone now.
It is a Catch 22 situation. Do you stick and hope AA can keep Pompey in the "4th division" or twist in the hope that someone might be better? I would hope for the best then when the season ends get everyone together and thrash out a plan for a way forward. For what it is worth the recruitment of players, usually rejects that other clubs see no need to keep, one example being Taylor, has been shocking and that side of things does need a radical overhaul. I think Atanga alluded to the fact that there are some very good and hungry players playing in the Conference and the divisions below and perhaps this is the way forward. I remember Pompey purchasing some absolute diamonds from lower and non-league teams when the club were in a higher division such as George Ley, George Smith, Burns, Guy Whittingham, Andy Awford and Lee Bradbury!! Thoughts???
It's a tough one to call Ides, in his first year as Manager did we expect Awford to take us up? Not really, but probably everyone was expecting to see better football being played instead of the hoofball we're getting, which might be down to the players panicking. A lot of teams go on a barren run and hopefully manage to turn it around before they hit the drop zone, but there's no guarantee that a new manager will succeed either. Especially with the players we've got, playing them in their right positions might help a bit. As for Taylor he was too often used as a lone target man, but instead of pairing him up with Tubbs he puts Westcarr with him. Taylor was brought in by Ritchie Barker by the way, I suspect Steve Coppell suggested him as he took him to Bristol City.
Thanks 3rd Eye!!! Just have a funny feeling there will be an unusual result at Wycombe on Saturday. Sometimes a team that has had its back to wall for many weeks (or months) manages to pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat!!!!!
That would be great - I think everyone on here would love nothing more than AA to suddenly turn a big corner and put a run together that saw us go into Pt 2 of the season on a real roll. I am not holding my breath but stranger things have happened....and 3rd eye spot on re Taylor - he's a very hard working forward and although may not be to everyone's taste I'd put him up there with Tubbs - Jed out wide one side Barch the other and then Atangana and Foden when fit in the middle. Shorey Robinson Whatmough (when fit) Devera and Jones...we may get a few results.
So nearly two months later, and what's changed? Besides a three-game blip, it's been the same rubbish. Awford out in the summer.
If you're going to can him in the summer, might as well do it now. More time for the new fella to get settled in and plan
Don't can your Manager until after next week please. I always hate it when Argyle play a team trying to impress a new man and would prefer the nail in the coffin to be after the result. Not helpful I know but then again you'd expect a bit of self interest wouldn't you......... I have to say I did expect a lot better from Pompey this season even if it wasn't promotion. Easy enough league to get into but as others have found not so easy to get out of as some would have you think. It's a bleddy lottery out there...
