Right now there are 2 words I can use to explain what is happening with PFC, We're Fucked.
We haven't won a league game since 11/12/2010 away at Norwich, which was also the last time we kept a clean sheet. We haven't won at home since 30/10/2010. These are startling facts.
We are paying for a few seasons of success, an FA Cup win, our first forrage into European competition and some high Premier League finishing positions. This was an incredible time to be a Pompey fan but last year it began to unravel and this is why I am writing this blog.....
We were relegated from the Premier League last season following a points deduction from entering administration. I, for one, did not have a problem leaving the league with the situation we found ourselves. It gives us time to rebuild and restructure the club. This is beginning to happen, although the guy that owns the club, Balram Chanrai has said that he doesn't want to keep the club. However, if you do want to sell an asset you need to make it an attractive prospect to buyers. PFC are currently 5 points clear of the relegation zone. Not the kind of position I'd look at if I wanted to purchase a team. So, if I were Baloo, I'd invest some money into the team whilst I owned it. Maybe upgrade the facilities or buy a few low-grade players to show that we have a squad with a lot of depth. But that's just me.
One question I have been pondering this week is, Would relegation to League 1 be that terrible?
Understandably, revenue would likely drop. TV money would be less, gates and replica shirt sales would fall, although PFC do boast an extremely proud fanbase. But, if the team did well in the league, as Brighton are this season, you would expect more fans to come to games. it would be interesting for fans to go to other grounds and likely cheaper than PL and championship tickets and travel. So, I am not adverse to dropping another league as long as the men upstairs are prepared for this and have some solutions to build a squad etc. As we would have to sell the likes of Nugent, Kitson, Lawrence and so on. But that can be helpful towards bringing in revenue and gambling on buying low budget players from the conference/lower leagues. There is also this funny little list that shows all the players who are currently available to sign for free, why haven't we looked at this and gambled on a couple of the younger players. Ill post a link to the list in a second but you will see that there are some players released from the likes of Notts Forest academy. Teams like this boast incredible standards from their academies so we should look into it! I know wages will be a matter but if you offer an unemployed 18yr old pro footballer 5k a week, I'm sure he'll bite your hand off! Anyway, here's the list. Free Players, right here.
This would be a great way to build a decent League 1 team and challenge for promotion on a budget.
Moving on to talk about the current "team". I really don't know where to begin!!
How about the fact that we have 2 very good championship players under contract who we wont play for the rest of the season?! Um, WHAT!!
The reason we wont be playing them is that if we do, they instantly get a new contract next season on their current wages (estimated 20-30k a week). Which we clearly wont be able to afford, especially if were relegated. However, I have a few options that could be discussed whilst these 2 are sitting around doing sod all.
1) Drop the clause, they both know our situation and I'm sure they would understand that right now we cant promise to be able to pay those wages next season.
2) Keep the clause but ask them to take a pay cut to 15k or whatever we can realistically afford.
3) Apparently teams were looking at Michael Brown in the January transfer window. If he isn't going to play the rest of the season, teams wont be able to see how he's performing. So, tell him and Hughesy to play to keep them in the shop window so to speak. And to keep tabs on any clubs interested in them.
As for the rest of our squad at the moment, STOP DROPPING YOUR HEADS WHEN YOU MISS OR CONCEDE! This is going to happen in a game of football. Yesterday, when Derby scored, Liam Lawrence went ballistic at the defence. This was understandable as we always make schoolboy errors to let other teams score. But, just shake it off, its a game, we conceded, fine. Get the ball back on the centre spot and go for it! We eventually equalized and that's fantastic. But, we now need to look at keeping clean sheets and winning games. Realistically we need to win the next 4 home games and hopefully pick up points away as well. To do this we really need a new back 4, Hreidarsson is getting old and does not have the pace to play at left back against pacy younger right midfielders he faces. Sonko, well, um, yeah that's enough said about him. Moko is a decent CB but keeps booting the ball forward rather than looking for an outlet, who has an excellent partnership with Ricardo Rocha (when he's fit) but shouldn't be captain. Halford is a good player but keeps on getting caught out with players running across him, this has happened in the last 2 games when we have conceded. Up front, Kitson is useless, flicking it on to nobody, I'm not sure what happened to him as he used to play well when he first arrived. Nugget is a good player who knows this is his level but needs target practice to know not to put it at the keeper every time.
That's enough for now I think. We really need to start playing well and do everything we can to win games and stay in the championship. Easier said than done I know but I will use the same argument that everyone in the pub uses. Your job is to play football, one dream a lot of people would love to come true. Your making money in a week that some people don't even make in a year. Think about the fans and play out of your skin for them.
So I bid you all farewell, I hope you enjoyed reading my gripes and possible solutions for the club.
I will always support PFC whether we're relegated or whatever happens.
Portsmouth til I die. Play up Pompey, Pompey Play up.
You talk a lot of good sense Dave ...I hope the powers that be at PFC listen.............but, most of all I hope they ACT!!
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