Cook out

[portchesterblue]

For goodness sake get that man out. No clue what's going on, has completely lost the players, players out of position, old boys club getting games for the sake of it, he won't ever get us out of this league he is ***** ......
Oh hang on a minute.
I hope all those who wanted his head three months ago are hanging theirs and have the good grace and guts to admit to being wrong
PUP

[No Shot Sherlock]

Happy to admit I had grave doubts, but also more than happy to congratulate Cook and the team for the way they've come good toward the end of the season. Have also to say that if Carlisle had not so spectacularly imploded then even our recent run of form may only have been enough for the play-off lottery again.

Attention must now turn to the impending bid from Tornante (assuming one arrives). Resolving that quickly, one way or the other, will be crucial to planning for next season.

[uspompeyfan]

I was one of the Cook out brigade, and while we are joyous at the current moment in time, we will sober up and have serious questions to ask for next season.

Our success is also about the failure of those around us - add Luton and Stevenage to Carlisle, for dramatic changes in fortune. With our budget, we could and should be challenging a good Doncaster side. Cook has been hesitant to give his forwards free rein, and we have been clogged up in midfield too often. We have squandered points at home with dreary tactics....all of these could have been vital in a different situation.

Let's enjoy the victory, giving credit to the players and the coaching staff as a whole. Cook got us what he promised, so kudos to him for that.... but we were always allowed to question him, especially as we were dire in some of those games.

[Mickemo]

I was one of the Cook out brigade, and while we are joyous at the current moment in time, we will sober up and have serious questions to ask for next season.

Our success is also about the failure of those around us - add Luton and Stevenage to Carlisle, for dramatic changes in fortune. With our budget, we could and should be challenging a good Doncaster side. Cook has been hesitant to give his forwards free rein, and we have been clogged up in midfield too often. We have squandered points at home with dreary tactics....all of these could have been vital in a different situation.

Let's enjoy the victory, giving credit to the players and the coaching staff as a whole. Cook got us what he promised, so kudos to him for that.... but we were always allowed to question him, especially as we were dire in some of those games.

I could have written this pretty much word for word as it sums up my view very well.

I said at the time (about 7 weeks ago) that I didn't think PC would get us promoted but I hoped I'd be proved wrong - and he did prove me wrong so hats off to PC and his team for getting Pompey out of this godforsaken league !

PUP !!

[Pompey Gary]

For goodness sake get that man out. No clue what's going on, has completely lost the players, players out of position, old boys club getting games for the sake of it, he won't ever get us out of this league he is ***** ......
Oh hang on a minute.
I hope all those who wanted his head three months ago are hanging theirs and have the good grace and guts to admit to being wrong
PUP

Football fans spouting nonsense - who'd have thought it. A lot of guff is spoken about the game, it's worth tuning out from most it. Apparently even now Pompey are only getting promoted because other teams have got less points. Yeah, that tends to be the way the league works.

Pompey are going up, and going up comfortably. They could still get 87 points - that's good in anyone's book. It's been a great season, let's enjoy it!

[<dj.>]

I was one of the Cook out brigade, and while we are joyous at the current moment in time, we will sober up and have serious questions to ask for next season.

Our success is also about the failure of those around us - add Luton and Stevenage to Carlisle, for dramatic changes in fortune. With our budget, we could and should be challenging a good Doncaster side. Cook has been hesitant to give his forwards free rein, and we have been clogged up in midfield too often. We have squandered points at home with dreary tactics....all of these could have been vital in a different situation.

Let's enjoy the victory, giving credit to the players and the coaching staff as a whole. Cook got us what he promised, so kudos to him for that.... but we were always allowed to question him, especially as we were dire in some of those games.

Luton, Stevenage and Carlisle are not automatically promoted because they crumbled at the death, and that is not how you get promoted. This season Pompey have put together some great form when it really mattered and that is the difference. Our success is not in any way about the failure of those around us, it is about our success. That's what I'm celebrating this evening: our success, not someone else's failure.

I've never managed a football club (Champ Manager doesn't count!) so I'm never going to question someone who does.

[portchesterblue]

Some of you are saying that we have only been promoted due to the failure of others, surely that's how this football thing works. At Christmas there were complaints that we were only in the play off places and not in the automatic, would you rather have been Carlisle?? We produced decent form throughout the year and then when it really mattered licked on when others faltered. We have to remember we are in league 2 with league 2 players we can't expect brilliance every week. The ultimate goal was promotion and that's what we have so let's be happy and look forward to next season

[Lost in Transportation]

It hasn't been an easy campaign but doesn't that make it sweeter that when it counted, these players put a run of 22 points from a possible 27 to ease away from the chasing pack?

I doubted Cook in particular when the Doyle-Burgess fight occurred but Cook, his staff and his players have proven me wrong. I'm delighted.

[The Cincinnati Kid]

Don't see anything wrong with critiquing the manager myself.....early doors, and even up until recently...the 2 poor home performances a few games back....the guy got some stick and it was well deserved stick imo.
One might argue he took some of that deserved critique and made some adjustments. In FACT, I seem to recall he said as much 'bout 3 months back.
I'm sure if you visit other boards you'll find Kloop / mourhino / Wenger etc etc all getting some flak. Its what boards are for...opinion de jour.

[Pompey Gary]

Don't see anything wrong with critiquing the manager myself.....early doors, and even up until recently...the 2 poor home performances a few games back....the guy got some stick and it was well deserved stick imo.
One might argue he took some of that deserved critique and made some adjustments. In FACT, I seem to recall he said as much 'bout 3 months back.
I'm sure if you visit other boards you'll find Kloop / mourhino / Wenger etc etc all getting some flak. Its what boards are for...opinion de jour.

Sure, constructive criticism is absolutely fine but what was being referred to in the OP is not constructive.

[Locky_McLockface]

Don't see anything wrong with critiquing the manager myself.....early doors, and even up until recently...the 2 poor home performances a few games back....the guy got some stick and it was well deserved stick imo.
One might argue he took some of that deserved critique and made some adjustments. In FACT, I seem to recall he said as much 'bout 3 months back.
I'm sure if you visit other boards you'll find Kloop / mourhino / Wenger etc etc all getting some flak. Its what boards are for...opinion de jour.

Sure, constructive criticism is absolutely fine but what was being referred to in the OP is not constructive.

What is being referred to in the OP is not criticism of Paul Cook, it is mickey-taking of those that were criticising Paul Cook only a few short weeks ago.

[RubiconCSL]

On the matter of PC, taking 2 seasons isn't so bad really; one to settle in (and to be fair, nearly get promotion) and one to get the business done.

Now though, he has to prove himself again at a higher level. How high a league has he managed in? If this is new territory, then let's hope he can do well again, even if it takes a season or two. Consistency at management level is very important I think. I'm sure he will have learned a lot in the past two seasons; since Christmas I think he has shown that more than any time before.

I do feel though, that criticism is not only acceptable, but essential - as long as it remains fair and not simply abusive. One thing that is certain, is that we all want the same thing. We will all have different views - hence a forum such as this to discuss. I'm also sure that he does get to read what people write on these things (not necessarily this one, but bigger forums for sure). If some of that has helped, then all the better.

[Locky_McLockface]

On the matter of PC, taking 2 seasons isn't so bad really; one to settle in (and to be fair, nearly get promotion) and one to get the business done.

Now though, he has to prove himself again at a higher level. How high a league has he managed in? If this is new territory, then let's hope he can do well again, even if it takes a season or two. Consistency at management level is very important I think. I'm sure he will have learned a lot in the past two seasons; since Christmas I think he has shown that more than any time before.

I do feel though, that criticism is not only acceptable, but essential - as long as it remains fair and not simply abusive. One thing that is certain, is that we all want the same thing. We will all have different views - hence a forum such as this to discuss. I'm also sure that he does get to read what people write on these things (not necessarily this one, but bigger forums for sure). If some of that has helped, then all the better.

He took Chesterfield into the League 1 Play-offs in the season before he joined us.

[No Shot Sherlock]

Just to come back on some of the comments about unfair criticism, may I remind some of you of this thread - http://thepompeychimes.net/forum/viewto ... =2&t=76725 - from just six weeks ago.

Even the most ardent of Paul Cook's supporters were expressing doubt at that time - questioning player commitment, formation, tactics, substitutions, etc. Now perhaps that woeful performance, and the fan reaction to it, was the kick up the backside needed (every cloud and all that) but something clearly changed thereafter, though frankly not before time.

As to my observation about Carlisle, if (and I accept it's a BIG if) they'd continued to perform as they'd done up until New Year, I stand by my comment that we'd be facing the play-offs again this season.

[Pompey Gary]

Don't see anything wrong with critiquing the manager myself.....early doors, and even up until recently...the 2 poor home performances a few games back....the guy got some stick and it was well deserved stick imo.
One might argue he took some of that deserved critique and made some adjustments. In FACT, I seem to recall he said as much 'bout 3 months back.
I'm sure if you visit other boards you'll find Kloop / mourhino / Wenger etc etc all getting some flak. Its what boards are for...opinion de jour.

Sure, constructive criticism is absolutely fine but what was being referred to in the OP is not constructive.

What is being referred to in the OP is not criticism of Paul Cook, it is mickey-taking of those that were criticising Paul Cook only a few short weeks ago.

Yeah, I don't think it needed explaining, Locky. I did manage to read all the way to the end of the post.