Last week the Apple only had 14 fit, available players at his disposal and therefore only had three players on the bench. With Kitson being sent off and now Huseklepp of to Birmingham, how many subs will Pompey be able to name on Saturday? Will Jamie Ashdown be sitting there wearing a blue top rather than a goalkeeper's jersey? Tough times....
You reap what you sow kids. I hope you all agree. This is what you have an academy for. Play the 18 year olds.
I can tell you that one of the reasons (not the only one) that Steve Cotterill wasn't so popular with the fans was a) his total reluctance to play the academy players and b) getting rid of a load of academy players like Matt Ritchie etc. Most fans thought that they should be played and no big earners brought in. So no, you will get some arguments from some, but probably not the majority.
Not really talking about the fans. I'd hope the more intelligent amongst you would agree about playing the academy players. What I'm saying is you can't really argue that the position you are in now is calling for some of these players to be on the bench.
Without a doubt - but because we have already offloaded the most promising youngsters, they will literally be called in to sit on the bench and thats it.
Saturday's game will be a baptism of fire for any youngster. Leeds always bring a full contingent and are the noisiest visitors we will get this season and, hopefully, the blue sides of the ground will be defiantly noisy. That said I agree whole heartedly that what must be must be and we should at the very least make sure the bench is full. If we survive this this necessary purge then some of them could become regulars next season.
