What should we expect?

[Blue Walter]

The decision to sell Harness and/or Curtis also might be heavily influenced by the players feelings. If they've both stated to the manager that they'd like to leave then no manager is going to want to keep unhappy players.

haa anyone at the club actually said we are looking to sell them?? is this just more paper speculation ??

As I mentioned earlier in this thread that Danny Cowley is reported by Radio Solent Sports as telling them that he will have to sell both players to fund signings. Harness himself has said he expects to be sold as the club never offered him a longer term contract with only the option being activated.

[PeteM]

The decision to sell Harness and/or Curtis also might be heavily influenced by the players feelings. If they've both stated to the manager that they'd like to leave then no manager is going to want to keep unhappy players.

Yes I agree with what you say concerning both players. I know that Harness expected to be sold because the club only exercised the year option but did not offer fresh terms. That told him that he didn't figure in the clubs plans going forward. He said that he would be quite happy to stay another season because at the end of next season he could go for free being out of contract, which would give him better wage options elsewhere, or he would be open to stay here. So therefore the club showed their hand, with only activating the option, and shown that they were only interested in cashing in on him. Curtis has been open to a move for some time and with only a year left on his contract selling him is the sensible thing to do for the club if they don't want him. It does show once again, however, that to take any notice of Cowley's comments is folly. He spoke of how he wanted to keep as much of the squad together and how there wouldn't be too much in the way of inward & outward movement this summer. The truth is that is just what is going to happen, which is what he planned. Talk of promotion sounds a bit wistful when you want to get rid of your best players. The players may well want to go but as far as we know neither player has been offered a new contract to keep them here.

It's a plausible scenario that both players have made it clear to the club that they won't sign a new contract and would like to leave to play in the Championship. If that is the case, then the club at least have to consider how much they could get for them as a transfer fee this summer rather than lose them for nothing next year.

It's not at all unusual for clubs to exercise a year option on a player without negotiating a new contract. I'm interested in how you know for a fact that Harness expected to be sold as a direct result of that decision?

The only quotes I've been able to find from Harness on the subject are these (link here: https://the72.co.uk/2022/04/28/portsmou ... ll-desire/):

“From what I know they are going to take up the option,”

“The gaffer has mentioned that they are going to take it, but there is nothing formal yet. That’s all I know at the minute.

“Obviously, I’ve enjoyed being here but I’ve never quite got to where I’d hope to go. It’s been tough at times but I’m enjoying my football here and playing for the gaffer and Nicky. They’ve put so much faith in me, I can’t complain. I couldn’t ask for any more than that. So I will see what will happen now over the next few weeks.

“I’d be happy to stay here, though, of course.”

And I don't think it's at all likely to be the case that Cowley "wants to get rid of his best players". No manager would want to do that.

[Selsey Bill]

[I would pick out Rotherham & Oxford as the standout games.

Surprised you haven't mentioned the Wigan game - what an exciting game of football that was. Undeservedly 2-0 down at half time, to come back and win 3-2 playing some of the attacking football we did is something that would never have happened under Jackett.

[Blue Walter]

PeteM, Harness told a relative of mine who met him a few times in conjunction with some donations he was making to a charity cause. You are right that both players may have told the manager that they would like a stab at the Championship. As far as Harness told my relative when he asked him if he was staying at Pompey his reply was that he didn't think so. He said that the club never mentioned a new contract and with that he assumed that the club were looking to sell him. He said as he has got a year on his current contract he thinks that the ball is in his court because he can stay and leave next summer as a free agent. That would allow him to negotiate better wages on a free transfer. I can't remember if he mentioned his preference as to going or staying at Pompey but he did say he hadn't given it a great deal of thought to get away.

I wonder what all this really means to be quite honest. As you say no manager would want to lose his best players so we are left to ponder several scenarios. Has Cowley got better players to replace them up his sleeve and needs funds to pay transfer fees? Is the funds so tight that without selling players is the only way to do it? You would assume that as, Cowley himself says "we are working very very hard to get players in", there is a plan in place that was hatched before the end of last season. Is there no money available and our promotion tilt will be made using free transfers and loans? Whichever way you look at it the quote by Cowley about having a settled and basis of a good side without too much upheaval this summer is appearing to be more bluff from him. It certainly doesn't seem much like a promotion campaign under way.

[Blue Walter]

[I would pick out Rotherham & Oxford as the standout games.

Surprised you haven't mentioned the Wigan game - what an exciting game of football that was. Undeservedly 2-0 down at half time, to come back and win 3-2 playing some of the attacking football we did is something that would never have happened under Jackett.

Yes you are absolutely right about that game. I forgot that one and on thinking about it it was probably better than the Rotherham game.

[PeteM]

PeteM, Harness told a relative of mine who met him a few times in conjunction with some donations he was making to a charity cause. You are right that both players may have told the manager that they would like a stab at the Championship. As far as Harness told my relative when he asked him if he was staying at Pompey his reply was that he didn't think so. He said that the club never mentioned a new contract and with that he assumed that the club were looking to sell him. He said as he has got a year on his current contract he thinks that the ball is in his court because he can stay and leave next summer as a free agent. That would allow him to negotiate better wages on a free transfer. I can't remember if he mentioned his preference as to going or staying at Pompey but he did say he hadn't given it a great deal of thought to get away.

I wonder what all this really means to be quite honest. As you say no manager would want to lose his best players so we are left to ponder several scenarios. Has Cowley got better players to replace them up his sleeve and needs funds to pay transfer fees? Is the funds so tight that without selling players is the only way to do it? You would assume that as, Cowley himself says "we are working very very hard to get players in", there is a plan in place that was hatched before the end of last season. Is there no money available and our promotion tilt will be made using free transfers and loans? Whichever way you look at it the quote by Cowley about having a settled and basis of a good side without too much upheaval this summer is appearing to be more bluff from him. It certainly doesn't seem much like a promotion campaign under way.

Fair enough, I just wondered whether I'd missed an interview somewhere! It might work for all parties then for them to move on to a higher level and allow Pompey to bring in several players with the money (both in terms of transfer fees and wages). Equally I'd be happy if they both decided they want to stay and signed new deals.

I think the truth is probably somewhere in between, in terms of recruitment. I'm sure some of the players we sign will be free transfers and loans but I do suspect that the club will be prepared to pay money for the right player too (especially if we do increase the transfer kitty by selling one or both of Harness and Curtis). I don't doubt that they are working very hard to bring players in though.

[Portchesterblue2]

The decision to sell Harness and/or Curtis also might be heavily influenced by the players feelings. If they've both stated to the manager that they'd like to leave then no manager is going to want to keep unhappy players.

haa anyone at the club actually said we are looking to sell them?? is this just more paper speculation ??

As I mentioned earlier in this thread that Danny Cowley is reported by Radio Solent Sports as telling them that he will have to sell both players to fund signings. Harness himself has said he expects to be sold as the club never offered him a longer term contract with only the option being activated.

the words say that he expected to have to sell them, not that he had to, semantics I know but vastly different meanings
as you and others have said they both want a crack at the championship, but they need a club in the championship to want them first

[Blue Walter]

An interesting article in the Ipswich local news paper quoted what Andrew Cullen said concerning this transfer window. This was some weeks ago and he was talking about announcing transfer targets before the window opened. He was referring back to when Ipswich had a prospective player agreeing a deal with them before the window opened but then opted to go elsewhere when the window actually opened. Apparently this player was offered more money by another club so he reneged on the deal with Ipswich. He was talking about the dangers of alerting other clubs concerning the availability of players by making public announcements. He said we (Portsmouth) will not announce any deals for that reason. That was an indication that Pompey had players ready to sign already agreed. This still could be the case as most players contracts terminate at the end of June. So I would think we will have to wait until the end of the month before we can make any judgements.

[Pompey55]

I would have thought that they would want as many players on board as possible before flying out to Spain on 4th July thus giving the maximum amount of time for new players to gel

[Pompey55]

He said we (Portsmouth) will not announce any deals for that reason. That was an indication that Pompey had players ready to sign already agreed. This still could be the case as most players contracts terminate at the end of June. So I would think we will have to wait until the end of the month before we can make any judgements.

So the implication of accepting this as our strategy is that we are mainly looking at free agents and loans as any deal involving a fee doesn’t fall into this category

[Sam_Brown]

He said we (Portsmouth) will not announce any deals for that reason. That was an indication that Pompey had players ready to sign already agreed. This still could be the case as most players contracts terminate at the end of June. So I would think we will have to wait until the end of the month before we can make any judgements.

So the implication of accepting this as our strategy is that we are mainly looking at free agents and loans as any deal involving a fee doesn’t fall into this category

https://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/news/202 ... ey-return/

[Blue Walter]

He said we (Portsmouth) will not announce any deals for that reason. That was an indication that Pompey had players ready to sign already agreed. This still could be the case as most players contracts terminate at the end of June. So I would think we will have to wait until the end of the month before we can make any judgements.

So the implication of accepting this as our strategy is that we are mainly looking at free agents and loans as any deal involving a fee doesn’t fall into this category

I really don't know what to make of it. When I read the article a few weeks ago I thought that meant that they had got players under wraps and were ready to pounce, which still might be the case. As you say these players are most likely to be frees if we have to wait until the end of the month but even then there are good players for this level that will cost money virtue of wages. There is more talk of players going out rather than coming in. Until we get to the end of the month we can't really gauge anything.

[Locky_McLockface]

On the radio this morning, in the sports news, they said that Danny Cowley has told them that he expects to have to sell both Harness & Curtis to fund team building. Does that mean that players he has in the pipeline are going to cost more than his current budget or is his current budget is too small to recruit any new players? Also could it be that they are two of the last players that he inherited from Kenny Jackett and on money he sees as too high? If he does sell these two players that also makes a mockery of his end of last season quote about the size of the upheaval.

I think you have to read between the lines of everything that comes through official channels.

There is no way on Earth that Tornante & Cullen will tolerate the Cowleys saying anything in the media that is not sanctioned from higher up. If they're saying they may have to sell Curtis and Harness, it's either saying to clubs that you can't hold us to ransom, or it's advertising that those players are available.

Or both.

But it is not, IMHO, Cowley saying we have no budget.