Back in August 2013 the season review supplement in "WSC" had each 2nd Division team's representative nominate Portsmouth as runaway favourites for promotion. It's funny how your season has turned out and the fact that two candidates for the manager's vacancy before Barker was appointed were alleged to have been rejected for suggesting that you were in a relegation battle. I think it is pretty clear that you will struggle to pull yourselves in to mid-table yet I think Northampton are as good as down and there are plenty f other teams in the mix to enable you to avoid the drop. That said, you seem to be able to shoot yourself in the foot so effectively that there I still a risk even if you are too big a team for non-league football. If Portsmouth get relegated again, I think your club can only blame itself and your rivals in the relegation battle should not really be causing you sleepless nights as they are so poor.
It is quite funny as a Saints fan to see your in this kind of predicament and the PFC supporting colleagues at work hardly seem to have any fight in them to counter the suggestion that their team is hopeless. Back in the summer everyone connected with Portsmouth seemed pleased just to have a team yet I expect you all anticipated instant promotion. The first game against Oxford must have been a major shock. I don't think anyone could have predicted this season being so appalling.
As I have commented here before, I feel that, for the good of the game, you do need to be successful and show that community clubs can deliver. From what I hear on Radio Solent or have read in the newspapers, it really seems that the people running your club have little idea as to how to achieve this and stories that players seemed to be allowed to train if they wanted is suggestive that the regime installed is pretty relaxed or even lax. Whilst I appreciate that money is largely unavailable, your support should generate better revenues than your fellows in division two and it is odd that you haven't managed to attract better players purely on the strength of the club's reputation and historic standing. You may be in the doldrums but let's not forget Portsmouth as a "big" club and the most -passionately supported along the whole of the South coast. Barker seems to be making some peculiar decisions and letting Connolly leave for Oxford seems perverse. He was still very good player in his last days at Saints.
Last night someone on the radio suggested that your board was clueless. From an outsiders point of view, the failure to even compete for a play off place let alone being mixed up in a relegation battle is suggestive that there is a problem with your set up. Whilst I am appreciate that your directors budgeted for a mid-table position, I can't see how the current regime can deliver a promotion push next season. You seem stuck in this division for the long haul and although must independent football fans wanted the community club experiment to be a success and maybe usher in an alternative model to that which has exposed so many teams to financial ruin, perhaps it is now time to get some professional experience / proper finance in place so that Portsmouth can gain the kind of stature that the club merits. To be honest, scrapping against the likes of Torquay is a sign of desperation that demonstrates something is amiss. I'm staggered at how poorly you have done this season whereas you should be playing mid-table Championship football at the very least. I doesn't look like the Supporter's Trust is capable to restoring the club's fortunes to some less embarrassing that current circumstances let alone putting the club on a footing where it truly belongs in the football hierarchy. I'm surprised that the national press has not given this greater coverage as the Trust is a brave and new experiment and perhaps more newsworthy in relation to the game at a national level than the constant bickering of Mourinho or Wenger.
It is quite funny as a Saints fan to see your in this kind of predicament and the PFC supporting colleagues at work hardly seem to have any fight in them to counter the suggestion that their team is hopeless. Back in the summer everyone connected with Portsmouth seemed pleased just to have a team yet I expect you all anticipated instant promotion. The first game against Oxford must have been a major shock. I don't think anyone could have predicted this season being so appalling.
As I have commented here before, I feel that, for the good of the game, you do need to be successful and show that community clubs can deliver. From what I hear on Radio Solent or have read in the newspapers, it really seems that the people running your club have little idea as to how to achieve this and stories that players seemed to be allowed to train if they wanted is suggestive that the regime installed is pretty relaxed or even lax. Whilst I appreciate that money is largely unavailable, your support should generate better revenues than your fellows in division two and it is odd that you haven't managed to attract better players purely on the strength of the club's reputation and historic standing. You may be in the doldrums but let's not forget Portsmouth as a "big" club and the most -passionately supported along the whole of the South coast. Barker seems to be making some peculiar decisions and letting Connolly leave for Oxford seems perverse. He was still very good player in his last days at Saints.
Last night someone on the radio suggested that your board was clueless. From an outsiders point of view, the failure to even compete for a play off place let alone being mixed up in a relegation battle is suggestive that there is a problem with your set up. Whilst I am appreciate that your directors budgeted for a mid-table position, I can't see how the current regime can deliver a promotion push next season. You seem stuck in this division for the long haul and although must independent football fans wanted the community club experiment to be a success and maybe usher in an alternative model to that which has exposed so many teams to financial ruin, perhaps it is now time to get some professional experience / proper finance in place so that Portsmouth can gain the kind of stature that the club merits. To be honest, scrapping against the likes of Torquay is a sign of desperation that demonstrates something is amiss. I'm staggered at how poorly you have done this season whereas you should be playing mid-table Championship football at the very least. I doesn't look like the Supporter's Trust is capable to restoring the club's fortunes to some less embarrassing that current circumstances let alone putting the club on a footing where it truly belongs in the football hierarchy. I'm surprised that the national press has not given this greater coverage as the Trust is a brave and new experiment and perhaps more newsworthy in relation to the game at a national level than the constant bickering of Mourinho or Wenger.
............it was only the delusional and blind that felt we were certs for a top 7 finish, we were a club at the point of ruin, we are starting from the bottom of the FL, just one click away from the exit door........and yet there is still a huge fan element that think we have some god given right to just walk this league.........with what? or who? a bunch of out of contract players that are not fit and not payed for months on end.........I like many get really down when we loose or throw away a lead..........but that is because i am a fan,and love my club.......which ever league we are in!
