I'd like to say 'whatever possessed them' (the board) to appoint Andy, but the truth is that everyone wanted him after that exciting last few games of the last season, I'm pretty sure the board didn't feel that they dared go against such a popular appointment. The truth is that given 1 more season he might have found the magic formula, but there was absolutely no evidence to support that theory. The crowd didn't turn against him though, unlike Guy, at the Shrewsbury game fans were leaving rather than stay and boo, out of respect for him. But according to those ITK the board had set a target of the play-offs and didn't action his sacking until it became a mathematical impossibility. Iain McInnes did say at the start of the season that the target was the play-offs, although Andy Awford said in an interview his target was to be "competitive". I've seen just about every name going as the one that fans would like. I'm beyond caring now.
As I said contantly throughout the season mid-table was about right for the club currently, and people were expecting too much too soon just because of the stature of the Club - and if true that the Board set the play-offs as a minimum target then they were guilty of that too.. Awford did a good job. He won more matches that he lost, he had us stable in the mid-table most of the season, most of his perminant signings were good ones though his loan signings were hit-and-miss, and there was progress from last season - we're higher up the table, have more points and stronger squad that was beggining to get the core we needed to build around, though that's probably going to change all over again with a new manager. He has the best win/loss ratio of any Pompey manager since Redknapp, and the best one of any manager in Portsmouth's history to have been in control for 50-60 games. He deserved a second season. As to who might get the job now, I honestly have no idea but I do hope that the board are more realistic this time, sign someone they want to be around for a few seasons and have some long-term goals to work towards instead of just short-term ones.
Analysis: Portsmouth legend and BBC football pundit Steve Claridge "Some will feel Andy has not moved the club on, some will feel he should have been given more time. The club has stalled this year, the budget is good and they've underachieved. They are better than the situation they are in, they should be in the play offs. "It's the most wonderful job in the world, they are the most magnificent supporters. I'd do it in a heartbeat, that is well known, it's something I've always wanted to do. I wish I could get it out of my system." Well he certainly thinks its a good gig - hopefully whoever gets the job realises the clubs potential.
Objectionally speaking, Harry Redknapp would be the wrong choice all round for the club. He's a very successfull manager to be sure but he only thinks in the short-term and doesn't plan for the future. As a club that wouldn't be the best thing for us.
Oh Gawd - not the "perma-tanned" one !!! Wonder what Ron Atkinson is doing at the moment ?.................
Harry may have done it for Pompey in the past but he has moved on and so have Pompey so it would be a massive mistake to appoint him!! Names --- that is difficult!!! One or two goods ones have been named already - Johnson, Sturrock!!
Majr as always writes a lot of sense - his stats were not awful in the big scheme of things and I'd agree re most of the signings.....decisions though have been questionable at times - Ricky Holmes for one, tactically rarely settling on a team and when he did he got the Manager of the month award - I truly hope he stays on and runs the Academy again as he did a fantastic job there. We need a long term Management plan set up with ideas that run through the clubs playing levels. We don't need to spend silly money in this division (or any other it should be said) we need a healthy mix of grafters/no nonsense defenders and some guile upfront - I think we have the makings of a good side that is capable of a promotion push next year and I hope whoever comes in looks properly at what we have before going on a recruitment spree - small squad but quality is what will do the job. Best of luck to Awfs wherever he ends up....lest we forget we were on the way out before he took over.
Appointing Redknapp again would be the footballing equivalent of me getting dumped by my ex twice, then going out with her a third time for her to just dump me a third time. Don't do it!
Andy's spoken out about his time as Pompey manager and losing the job and, shockingly I know, I agree with what he says: http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/pompey/awford-my-job-was-to-rebuild-the-whole-club-1-6720217
As I said on the other new article about Awford, I don't think he was sacked because of missing out on the play-offs but due to a combination of factors: our horrendous away form, our poor performances, weird tactics, only being able to play 45 minutes (which going by our last home game seems to have continued under Waddock). Had a few of these things been better, especially performances and only being able to play 45 minutes, I think he would have stayed even if he had missed the play-offs.
I don't think so. As I pointed out earlier Andy Awford has the best win/loss ratio since Redknapp and the best in the clubs history for any manager over 50-60 games, and given the fact that we were one of the form teams in the league prior to injuries - so much so that Awford got the manager of the month award for February - and that the decision to remove him was taken only when it became mathematically impossible for use to reach the play-offs it does seem that league position was the main factor in the boards decision. This wasn't a great season but it couldn't be said that progress hadn't be made, Awford didn't always make the best decision but that was to be expected as a young manager and he had make progress in himself and his management style, he should have been given another season - and I shall never stop believing that.
I listened to that interview as well, but picked up on different things to you MAJR. I think AAs reach was further than his grasp, and that he got carried away with himself as being the be all and end all of the club. Yes, we all know the club has to be rebuilt from the bottom up, but him saying that if that means another 2 or 3 years in L2 so-be-it is remarkably defeatist. As for not blowing his own trumpet...... whilst blowing his own trumpet..... this is the first of his interviews I've listened to since back last year. He's blaming everyone but himself. The other thing is McInnes was very clear in August that Play-Offs was the target, I did wonder at the time when AA said on Sky/BBC that he was aiming to be 'competitive'. It is possible that one more year might have reaped results, but there is no evidence to support that possibility. We all knew February was going to be the easiest month with the games we were playing then. He should have gone and got experience elsewhere first, but like Guy, I doubt if anyone will take a chance on him now.
I didn't listen to the interview. I read it from the link I gave. As a fan I want the best for the club and I want Pompey to be back in the upper leagues as soon as possible, but one has to be realistic.My personal belief is that the club should have laid out a five year plan for getting out of League Two following our coming out of administration or paying off the debt, and that whoever was appointed as manager should have been a long-term appointment given the time required to meet that aim. Going for a promotion push straight off the bat always seemed over-optimistic to me given the chaos of the last few seasons and the fact that the club hadn't yet stabilized as a lower-league side - by which I mean we hadn't had a stable mid-table season where we could redevelop the club and the rebuild the squad since being relegated from the Premier League. It would have been nice to get to the play-offs and I have no problem setting it as a target for this season - however optimistic I might think it - but it shouldn't have been the minimum target and it shouldn't have cost the manager his job if he failed to get there. I think there wasn't enough dialogue or understanding between the board and the manager and I'm sure blame can be laid at the feet of both and Mark Catlin - who, a chairman, must surely at least in part be responsible for ensuring the club and managers are on the same page and misunderstandings such as this don't occur. Andy has done a good job - and I've laid out my reasons for saying that before - and there will be clubs out there who will give him a job if he wants it.
That's the great thing about football MAJR, it's all about opinions. I agree with you that the Club should by now have a 5 year plan, for both the on-field and the off-field matters. I find it hard to believe that as businessmen they all wouldn't have that in place in their own businesses. It might have helped them to focus their minds and avoid employing 2 totally rookie Managers even if they are both legends. I'm not so sure though that having a promotion push as a target is such a bad idea - how does the saying go? Consolidation is followed by relegation? I find it hard to believe though that Andy Awford didn't realise when the Chair said Play-offs, anything else is failure...... that he meant but it's okay if we don't get there. We don't agree on AA having done a good job though - this season has been turgid and that is totally down to Andy.
I read that interview thing and have to say it came across as Awford moaning about being sacked when he thought he should'nt be because he was doing well enough. In a nutshell he was burying head in sand and was in denial. I said this before that it was a load of people's opinion that Portsmouth were going to be one of the teams doing it this term. The end result though is less than mid table mediocrity with a lot of poor results. There are teams out there being run on a fraction of Portsmouth's resources. Given your last two seasons a number of teams would be struggling to get anyone through their gates next season and you are lucky to have the backing you still have. Previous adversity helps as Plymouth have found out since financial meltdown. I just can't see where Awford's opinion squares with the reality of results and league position. I know MAJR doesn't agree with that but I still think Portsmouth should have been up there competing for the play offs as a minimum requirement. I do get the 5 year plan thing though. A club of the size and history of Portsmouth should have that as a minimum and you saying it hasn't is a tad surprising to say the least. You need experience in this league not a previous hero of the pitch.
17,250 not bad for a meaningless end of season game. We finished lower than last season and with less points. That isn't progress by any stretch of the imagination. From what I hear the board aren't settled yet and not working as a body yet. Whether given time AA could have made it as a good Manager will be a moot point, he said himself from the moment he took over he wanted to run the football club - he needed to worry first about his real priority, improving the team/squad. I just see AA being the architect of his own downfall.
