The Pompey Chimes Forum

blue architect wrote:Season ticket renewal gauge - maybe to unlikely.

I'm tending towards unlikely at the moment. With the current set up next season is going to be no better than this

It was very bad on Saturday.
We (My 10yo son and I) discussed on the way home whether or not to watch Pompey next season until they showed signs of promise. We have been Season Ticket Holders for all of his life and more and yet after too many games this season Home and (our 3 trips) Away (two losses and a nil-nil) we seem to be beaten or matched by better teams, with better tactics, and better players. Is this an inherent nervousness of the lower league footballer that he does not like the crowd? I fear the Pompey fans will soon vote with their season ticket subscriptions and ultimately feet. Expect sub 10000 attendances next season unless we put some wins together.

We have had an opportunity in the last two years, for ugly pragmatic football, win at all cost, in front of one of the biggest gates in the lower leagues. Higher level football will attract a higher level of talent. but instead we have assembled a team who seem to be comfortable losing or running their opponents close; not looking to impose or dominate.

I have backed Awford in the past and continue to do so, but we NEED to widen our network of contacts much wider, perhaps Melville is already, but I fear Awford will not want the flak in the longer term. He has a status in the history of the club which is in danger of being tarnished by his management of the current side.

I am unsure why we bring in Nosworthy, who looks like another Sam Sodje, ok heading but still not sure if he is right or left footed. Chorley is so poor at the moment, it would have been kinder to all concerned, to simply blood youngsters at the back alongside Devera. Why have we brought in a young left sided defender/wingback, when we have one, in Butler, looking for an opportunity to renew his contract? Is he to be released? if so do so!

A year ago we had Hollands on loan who was attacking everything, winning headers, scoring and creating goals. He is now slow, unfit due to injury or perhaps weight, and seems to be playing in a role deep alongside Dunne but not so deep that he puts tackles in, he has however become a "long throw specialist", but these are wearing a bit thin and predictable now.

We seem to concede goals from shots from just outside the box, a lot! No closing down unless by Dunne, and we seem to rely upon Jones to make at least two excellent saves each game. I recall our wins this year and at every one Jones has made a top drawer save. When he makes a mistake, we concede, but far too many goals he has no chance with.

I feel there is a great deal of poor management at Pompey at the moment, in the Stadium the language levels in the "Family Section" are getting ridiculous with stewards "not wanting to make a scene" in response to a vile bout of expletives including Fs and Cs aimed at other Pompey fans (about who were applauding Liam Lawrence when he came to take a Milton/South Stand corner.

The transfer policy seems a shambles, we need a midfield creator, due to Hollands change of position, so in January we sign a top striker and some defenders of dubious quality, commitment (Passley's timekeeping!) and even technique (Kpekawa's one footedness).

We need players to apply themselves better and be fitter than they currently are. They concede early goals due to lack of concentration, and late goals due to lack of fitness.

We can keep the ball when attacking but with minimal chances created, but often struggle to clear our defence. We have a good goalie, a good centre back Robinson, a good thug midfielder in Dunne and a goalscorer in Tubbs. We have good youngsters in Wallace and Whatmough, who are saleable assets, more promise from Webster but he never seems to play as centre back, but otherwise players arrive and dip in form or injury at an alarming regularity. Is this scouting? is it conditioning? Fitness or Strength? all the team who win at Fraatton Park raise their game, how come our team doesn't?

Directors need to resolve the direction of this club, we are becoming a basket case!

Far Post Brisley wrote:It was very bad on Saturday.
We (My 10yo son and I) discussed on the way home whether or not to watch Pompey next season until they showed signs of promise. We have been Season Ticket Holders for all of his life and more and yet after too many games this season Home and (our 3 trips) Away (two losses and a nil-nil) we seem to be beaten or matched by better teams, with better tactics, and better players. Is this an inherent nervousness of the lower league footballer that he does not like the crowd? I fear the Pompey fans will soon vote with their season ticket subscriptions and ultimately feet. Expect sub 10000 attendances next season unless we put some wins together.

We have had an opportunity in the last two years, for ugly pragmatic football, win at all cost, in front of one of the biggest gates in the lower leagues. Higher level football will attract a higher level of talent. but instead we have assembled a team who seem to be comfortable losing or running their opponents close; not looking to impose or dominate.

I have backed Awford in the past and continue to do so, but we NEED to widen our network of contacts much wider, perhaps Melville is already, but I fear Awford will not want the flak in the longer term. He has a status in the history of the club which is in danger of being tarnished by his management of the current side.

I am unsure why we bring in Nosworthy, who looks like another Sam Sodje, ok heading but still not sure if he is right or left footed. Chorley is so poor at the moment, it would have been kinder to all concerned, to simply blood youngsters at the back alongside Devera. Why have we brought in a young left sided defender/wingback, when we have one, in Butler, looking for an opportunity to renew his contract? Is he to be released? if so do so!

A year ago we had Hollands on loan who was attacking everything, winning headers, scoring and creating goals. He is now slow, unfit due to injury or perhaps weight, and seems to be playing in a role deep alongside Dunne but not so deep that he puts tackles in, he has however become a "long throw specialist", but these are wearing a bit thin and predictable now.

We seem to concede goals from shots from just outside the box, a lot! No closing down unless by Dunne, and we seem to rely upon Jones to make at least two excellent saves each game. I recall our wins this year and at every one Jones has made a top drawer save. When he makes a mistake, we concede, but far too many goals he has no chance with.

I feel there is a great deal of poor management at Pompey at the moment, in the Stadium the language levels in the "Family Section" are getting ridiculous with stewards "not wanting to make a scene" in response to a vile bout of expletives including Fs and Cs aimed at other Pompey fans (about who were applauding Liam Lawrence when he came to take a Milton/South Stand corner.

The transfer policy seems a shambles, we need a midfield creator, due to Hollands change of position, so in January we sign a top striker and some defenders of dubious quality, commitment (Passley's timekeeping!) and even technique (Kpekawa's one footedness).

We need players to apply themselves better and be fitter than they currently are. They concede early goals due to lack of concentration, and late goals due to lack of fitness.

We can keep the ball when attacking but with minimal chances created, but often struggle to clear our defence. We have a good goalie, a good centre back Robinson, a good thug midfielder in Dunne and a goalscorer in Tubbs. We have good youngsters in Wallace and Whatmough, who are saleable assets, more promise from Webster but he never seems to play as centre back, but otherwise players arrive and dip in form or injury at an alarming regularity. Is this scouting? is it conditioning? Fitness or Strength? all the team who win at Fraatton Park raise their game, how come our team doesn't?

Directors need to resolve the direction of this club, we are becoming a basket case!

Can't disagree with much of that FPB, whilst walking back to the Rifle after the game we were all talking about whether to renew the season ticket next year and what sort of attendances we will see. The general concensus (and there is a large group of us that go) was that if they have the neck to increase the ST prices then most of us won't renew, they have to keep them the same (even then there are some that wont renew if things don't improve) or lower them as i think they are going to have a bit of a reality check with crowd numbers if things do not improve, and to be honest i can't see it improving as AA does not seem to learn, week in and week out. There were lots of other people having very similar discussions as well around us !

One of the most noteable things Saturday was the reluctance of people to leave the bar under the Fratton End (us included), normally the stewards are chasing you out but for some reason they were not, i think they recognised the fact that people were cheesed off and not in the best of moods ! When we walked back up the bar/concourse area was also much busier than normal, this to me and the mates was a clear indication that there were not a great deal of people who had the stomach to endure more of the same in the second half.

If Shrewsbury can afford a playmaker of Liam Lawrence's stature on the gates that they get then why the hell can't we ? Was no effort made to sign him when he was released by Barnsley at the end of last season ? It's obvious from today's article in The Snooze that he still holds the place in his affections so probably would have jumped at the chance to come back but instead he becomes another one that slips through the net.

rumourmonger wrote:If Shrewsbury can afford a playmaker of Liam Lawrence's stature on the gates that they get then why the hell can't we ?

We don't have a chairman chucking 7 figure sums at the club.

LiT other account wrote:

rumourmonger wrote:If Shrewsbury can afford a playmaker of Liam Lawrence's stature on the gates that they get then why the hell can't we ?

We don't have a chairman chucking 7 figure sums at the club.

At wages are 60% of income we're richer than most at this level

Here comes AFC wrote:At wages are 60% of income we're richer than most at this level

Yes but not all and that has developed lopsidedly as well.