A really good read - well done - a footy management sim brings out the Manager in all of us but you've successfully coupled it with an excellent sports reporting style blog. Keep it up - with summer nearly here we'll need our daily fix of Pompey goings on to see us through. Thanks very much.
please log in to view this image 13/8/10 I'll chalk off Saturday's disaster against Forest as a one off, and we have to look forward to a proper meaty midweek cup clash at home against Walsall. I'll stick with my core of experience but with a couple of changes, I'm bringing Lewis in at centre back and giving Gregs a start in midfield alongside Scotty. My bench looks strong as well, as I'll be able to call on Mike and Rohan if I need to later on in the game. Away from the first team, I've continued my stance on bringing youth through by signing 18 year old Roscoe Brown and 21 year old Gareth Liddle on frees at the recommendation of my scouts Matt and Ian, and with a few more hopefully to come in. Roscoe's a pacey young winger and former Crewe man Gareth both look set to become useful players for my squad, so we'll wait and see how that pans out. I'll be taking a closer control of my reserve team this season so hopefully will get the chance to see how they perform. Right, back to the important stuff, Walsall. (CARLING CUP) please log in to view this image PORTSMOUTH 4 - 1 WALSALL please log in to view this image Macken 11 Walshe 81 e x t r a t i m e Standing 93 Ward 113 Kay 120 Manager's Thoughts Our superior fitness showed today. The Walsall boys started brilliantly, with a very good goal but faded badly towards the end. I think we must've slipped Duracell into the lads breakfast this morning because they kept going and going and going. One minor negative point was a little niggle Walshy picked up scoring his goal. We've left him in the care of the physio department and they'll get back to us soon but the consensus is he's just twisted his knee a little bit and he should be back in the squad for Saturday away at QPR.
When's the draw for the next round? Shooting practise and more intensive fitness training would seem to be the order of the day.
please log in to view this image 16/8/10 Good news today from Fratton - Nicolas Noudjeu's work permit has come through and he'll join us today for the trip to QPR, with squad number 28. I've also put in a loan bid for unsettled centre-back Sam Hird for a few months, he looks a good youngster and definitely could be one to invest in for the future, but for now we'll just see how that pans out. Also, I have my first reserve game in a few nights against Hayes & Yeading. Really looking forward to seeing what my youngsters can do, and I'll also be giving a couple of the older lads a look in, especially Nicolas to see if I think he'll be able to cut it in the Championship. I've also got a couple more youngsters trialling at the ground this week, I'll give you more on them if I decide to sign them next time round but for now, the coach to Loftus Road awaits! please log in to view this image QUEENS PARK RANGERS 1 - 2 PORTSMOUTH please log in to view this image Mackie 4 Ricketts 35 Nugent 68 Manager's Thoughts My first thought is what a lovely away kit, but more importantly the boys did themselves proud. To come away from a squad with the likes of Taarabt, Buzsáky, Chimbonda, Helguson in with three points is massive, a massive boost. If we can nick a few results like that this season then I guarantee there will be no chance of us going down. No chance at all if we play that well every week. We got caught out a few times but the belief, the passion was all there for us today. The defenders worked their socks off, young Lew and Wardy in the middle weren't the most positionally aware and that is something we'll need to work on but when they did get caught out they recovered brilliantly. Top class committment to the cause. Football League Championship Table please log in to view this image
Sometimes it takes time for a new side to gel, but kudos to the lads, for a fine away win, to a side that the pundits have tipped to do well.
RESERVE GAME Reserve game tonight - ideal to test out some of my youngsters. I've managed to bolster my reserves with a couple of new signings - Ross Diamond will go straight into the team in the centre of the field, with 16 year old Alan Tutton heading up my development squad. I'm giving Nicolas a full 90 to see how he performs, but five first teamers are making the trip down, including Danny, Wardy, Lew, Stacko and Mike join the lads in London, I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do, and am hoping for an injury free match. Hayes & Yeading United Reserves 0 - 3 Portsmouth Reserves Walshe 45+1 Webber 47 Higgins 83 please log in to view this image Tallack 90 Manager's Thoughts Pleased with the result, and the players performance tonight. Lew took his goal brilliantly and Roscoe down the left was sensational. The result I expected due to us sending out five or six Championship standard players but the way the youngsters performed was fantastic, just what I like to see.
please log in to view this image 23/8/10 Game time! This time Hull are he visitors to Fratton for a game I'm fairly confident about, but first to the week's news: Roscoe Brown's commandeered a callup to the main squad for today's trip after impressing me in the Hayes game on Wednesday, and will start with number 30 ahead of Rohan, who will drop to the bench to provide cover upfront due to his versatility. I'm leaving Nicolas in the reserves for the time being as he looked very out of shape and will need a lot of match practice this season. Walshy is also taking a step back to the ressies, as I'm much happier giving him a run out each week due to the in form Nuge and Danny. Ross Diamond (nickname needed) will stay in the reserves despite his good performance, but I've rewarded him with the captaincy ahead of the first teamers dropping down into the squad, he's definitely one for the future. Also in the development squad, I've raided Dartford for two 16 year olds; Ted Ansell and Alan Tutton have signed on alongside Michael Sinclair, all three of whom I managed to bring in on frees. They won't be playing full games yet but I'm confident I can bring them on for 20 or so minutes for a run out in the games. Also in the development squad, young Trinidad & Tobagan keeper Andre Charles has had his application for a work permit turned down, so I'll be off to London this week to plead his case, and I've also offered a contract to young striker Leon Mike. Elsewhere, I've also been busy on the staff front, with two new scouts looking to join the payroll - 31 year old Ian John, who has just retired from playing at Moneyfields, and former Ipswich legend Charlie Woods being offered jobs, and becoming the third incoming staff members this year following Martin Kuhl's appointment as a coach. So, to cap off a very busy week Hull City arrive at Fratton Park with me hopeful of at least a point today. please log in to view this image PORTSMOUTH 5 - 1 HULL CITY please log in to view this image Webber 2 Nugent 9 Simpson 40 Nugent 45+2 Mullins 70 Nugent 90 Manager's Thoughts It's a very funny game football, two weeks ago I was sat here on the receiving end of 5 goals against Forest... Two weeks later we've just smashed 5 past Hull, I can't believe the turnaround and that is completely down to the lads. On paper we have 7 or 8 Championship standard players with the rest made up of youths and we've just turned over a team who last year were playing Premiership football, so I can say with pride that the players have won this game. Young Tom Kilbey's only 19 years of age yet he bossed that midfield today, it was like watching Diop or Yaya Touré in there today, the amount of tackles he put in was phenomenal. Also, hats off to Nuge for 5 goals in 3 games, week in week out he's just getting better and better. Football League Championship Table please log in to view this image
RESERVE GAME Peterborough tonight for the ressies, and my new young guns are on the bench for the short trip up to West Leigh Park. Rossy Diamond retains his captaincy, and I'm looking for young Roscoe to play another game on the left side of midfield. Danny drops down again to partner Walshy up front. Portsmouth Reserves 4 - 2 Peterborough United Reserves Mackail-Smith 28 Diamond 45 Webber 61 Webber 66 Brown (pen) 69 Yates 74 Piergianni 90 please log in to view this image Manager's Thoughts Another good performance by the ressies tonight, very pleased Rossy got his first taste of scoring as well. Also it's good to see Danny scoring, it's always great to see your forwards racking up goals, I'm just hoping now that'll translate to Championship goals for him, and for us. Very pleased with the result today.
please log in to view this image 30/8/10 i dont ****ing believe it. having to type my notes this week on my iphone because the sodding decorstors ****ed my laptop. how is it posisble to spill pain on a laptop??????? stupid poles. all the offfice needed was a touch of paint. and i cant ****ing type on this thing. bollocks to it. got a game today at cardiff but im not typing my mathc notes out on this piddly thing. Sent via Notes for iPhone please log in to view this image Cardiff City 2 - 1 Portsmouth please log in to view this image Webber 24 please log in to view this image Blake 45 Bellamy 45+1 Nugent 90+3 Manager's Thoughts We weren't quite good enough today. I had to jiggle the starting 11 round a bit and losing Danny was a big blow for us halfway through the first half, however I thought the youngsters Rossy and Gaz did very well when I brought them on, so there are positives to take from the game. Football League Championship Table please log in to view this image
Worst time of the season to play Cardiff away. They always come out all guns blazing, at the start of a new campaign.
