Shrewsbury

[Pompey1984+1]

Wrong of our loan players I have only moaned about one throughout this season which was Koroma who I felt was an expensive waste of budget
I’ve not complained about Dale’s inability to cross the ball, the waste leaving Pigott on the bench and only recently Scarlett looking like he has had enough and wants to go back to Spurs
I did object to Griffiths not because of cost but that we had Bass who could have fulfilled the role but Cowley had this obsession with borrowing keepers with potential from other clubs
So please if you want a dig at me read my past posts before suggesting I made comments I did not
And as far as I can see last season we spent money we made from selling players not from increased budget

Imagine the uproar had we signed an expensive flop.

Josh Griffith's is, and will continue to be a better keeper than Bass. Bass is 25 with less than 50 football league appearances to his name, he is being kept out the Sunderland team by a younger player.

[Pompey55]

Wrong of our loan players I have only moaned about one throughout this season which was Koroma who I felt was an expensive waste of budget
I’ve not complained about Dale’s inability to cross the ball, the waste leaving Pigott on the bench and only recently Scarlett looking like he has had enough and wants to go back to Spurs
I did object to Griffiths not because of cost but that we had Bass who could have fulfilled the role but Cowley had this obsession with borrowing keepers with potential from other clubs
So please if you want a dig at me read my past posts before suggesting I made comments I did not
And as far as I can see last season we spent money we made from selling players not from increased budget

Imagine the uproar had we signed an expensive flop.

Josh Griffith's is, and will continue to be a better keeper than Bass. Bass is 25 with less than 50 football league appearances to his name, he is being kept out the Sunderland team by a younger player.

Again you misquote me I did not say Bass was a better keeper than Griffiths just that at this level he was of sufficient quality to have kept MacGillivray out of our team until injured this explains limited number of appearances he made
Hope you saw Griffiths and his recent cock up all over the internet but that’s me just being as petty as you
However I diverge you have not again responded to my specific point that I had apart from Koroma objected to the cost of loan players
As many do when they have lost an an argument you select another issue not related to your original comment regarding your claim I had objected to expensive loan players
Frankly I guess it’s pointless making any more comments as next you will be saying I said Bazunu was and expensive loan which again I never did
If you want a grown up discussion then please stick to the facts regarding my past comments

[NSRailings]

But to say they are 'disappointed' that it looks very much like we won't make the play offs when they haven't really challenged clubs that will make it into the playoffs in terms of player investment is not honest. They couldn't have expected to be any higher than we are without getting in the players that would do that, and that costs money.

Of course they're disappointed we haven't made the play-offs. They should've got rid of Cowley earlier and kept a closer eye on how he was using the playing budget - but that doesn't mean they don't have the right to say they're disappointed. All this stuff about how they don't want us to go up yet implies they have exact control over things. 'Oh no we're playing too well, let's get a Bristol Rovers player to break Thompsons leg' or 'Give Lowery a hamstring injury that'll keep him out for months'. Keeping Cowley too long was the problem and I think they need to be more hands-on to keep an eye on things and learn. That's where Hughes comes in, so fingers crossed.

But next season I think we need to be consistently around the top 6 otherwise support will start to drop.

[Blue Walter]

But to say they are 'disappointed' that it looks very much like we won't make the play offs when they haven't really challenged clubs that will make it into the playoffs in terms of player investment is not honest. They couldn't have expected to be any higher than we are without getting in the players that would do that, and that costs money.

Of course they're disappointed we haven't made the play-offs. They should've got rid of Cowley earlier and kept a closer eye on how he was using the playing budget - but that doesn't mean they don't have the right to say they're disappointed. All this stuff about how they don't want us to go up yet implies they have exact control over things. 'Oh no we're playing too well, let's get a Bristol Rovers player to break Thompsons leg' or 'Give Lowery a hamstring injury that'll keep him out for months'. Keeping Cowley too long was the problem and I think they need to be more hands-on to keep an eye on things and learn. That's where Hughes comes in, so fingers crossed.

But next season I think we need to be consistently around the top 6 otherwise support will start to drop.

What a ridiculously stupid childish post. I didn't say they didn't have the 'right' to be disappointed. I said that without providing the extra funding that they couldn't expect to finish any higher than we will. You are the one that is doing the implying about 'crocking' players which is just about the most stupid notion I have read on here, actually too silly to reply to really. I am pretty sure that if we had somehow got promotion the owners would take it as I believe that is their goal eventually. However, I think that they would prefer promotion when they consider the club is ready with the off field programme. I do agree with you that maybe they should have ended Cowley's tenure earlier, that's the owners error there which is another reason why it should not be that much of a surprise to them that this club has failed once again to show positional improvement.

By all means disagree with me, I might well be reading the whole situation incorrectly and have got it wrong and those arguing the opposite case have called it correctly. But whatever please do and try to be grown up with your own argument and not quote things I never said. Civilised debating is much better.

[Pompey1984+1]

But to say they are 'disappointed' that it looks very much like we won't make the play offs when they haven't really challenged clubs that will make it into the playoffs in terms of player investment is not honest. They couldn't have expected to be any higher than we are without getting in the players that would do that, and that costs money.

Of course they're disappointed we haven't made the play-offs. They should've got rid of Cowley earlier and kept a closer eye on how he was using the playing budget - but that doesn't mean they don't have the right to say they're disappointed. All this stuff about how they don't want us to go up yet implies they have exact control over things. 'Oh no we're playing too well, let's get a Bristol Rovers player to break Thompsons leg' or 'Give Lowery a hamstring injury that'll keep him out for months'. Keeping Cowley too long was the problem and I think they need to be more hands-on to keep an eye on things and learn. That's where Hughes comes in, so fingers crossed.

But next season I think we need to be consistently around the top 6 otherwise support will start to drop.

What a ridiculously stupid childish post. I didn't say they didn't have the 'right' to be disappointed. I said that without providing the extra funding that they couldn't expect to finish any higher than we will. You are the one that is doing the implying about 'crocking' players which is just about the most stupid notion I have read on here, actually too silly to reply to really. I am pretty sure that if we had somehow got promotion the owners would take it as I believe that is their goal eventually. However, I think that they would prefer promotion when they consider the club is ready with the off field programme. I do agree with you that maybe they should have ended Cowley's tenure earlier, that's the owners error there which is another reason why it should not be that much of a surprise to them that this club has failed once again to show positional improvement.

By all means disagree with me, I might well be reading the whole situation incorrectly and have got it wrong and those arguing the opposite case have called it correctly. But whatever please do and try to be grown up with your own argument and not quote things I never said. Civilised debating is much better.

We might aswell forget about the 46 games next season and the players on the pitch and save us all some time and grief and ask the owners of each club to put a number on a piece of paper in an envelope. Highest wins 3rd - 6th play rock paper scissors.

Your view totally neglects all the parts of sport which make sport fantastic - athletes against athletes, injuries, coaching, team cohesion, motivation, the trust in the management to unearth the talent to take you by suprise.

The owners have said previously the expect to see season season improvement - the management were failing in their brief this season and we're dealt with. Therefore the owners obviously did expect better than the Cowley's were in course for at the time.

[Blue Walter]

But to say they are 'disappointed' that it looks very much like we won't make the play offs when they haven't really challenged clubs that will make it into the playoffs in terms of player investment is not honest. They couldn't have expected to be any higher than we are without getting in the players that would do that, and that costs money.

Of course they're disappointed we haven't made the play-offs. They should've got rid of Cowley earlier and kept a closer eye on how he was using the playing budget - but that doesn't mean they don't have the right to say they're disappointed. All this stuff about how they don't want us to go up yet implies they have exact control over things. 'Oh no we're playing too well, let's get a Bristol Rovers player to break Thompsons leg' or 'Give Lowery a hamstring injury that'll keep him out for months'. Keeping Cowley too long was the problem and I think they need to be more hands-on to keep an eye on things and learn. That's where Hughes comes in, so fingers crossed.

But next season I think we need to be consistently around the top 6 otherwise support will start to drop.

What a ridiculously stupid childish post. I didn't say they didn't have the 'right' to be disappointed. I said that without providing the extra funding that they couldn't expect to finish any higher than we will. You are the one that is doing the implying about 'crocking' players which is just about the most stupid notion I have read on here, actually too silly to reply to really. I am pretty sure that if we had somehow got promotion the owners would take it as I believe that is their goal eventually. However, I think that they would prefer promotion when they consider the club is ready with the off field programme. I do agree with you that maybe they should have ended Cowley's tenure earlier, that's the owners error there which is another reason why it should not be that much of a surprise to them that this club has failed once again to show positional improvement.

By all means disagree with me, I might well be reading the whole situation incorrectly and have got it wrong and those arguing the opposite case have called it correctly. But whatever please do and try to be grown up with your own argument and not quote things I never said. Civilised debating is much better.

We might aswell forget about the 46 games next season and the players on the pitch and save us all some time and grief and ask the owners of each club to put a number on a piece of paper in an envelope. Highest wins 3rd - 6th play rock paper scissors.

Your view totally neglects all the parts of sport which make sport fantastic - athletes against athletes, injuries, coaching, team cohesion, motivation, the trust in the management to unearth the talent to take you by suprise.

The owners have said previously the expect to see season season improvement - the management were failing in their brief this season and we're dealt with. Therefore the owners obviously did expect better than the Cowley's were in course for at the time.

I don't disagree with of what you say but I do disagree that I have neglected the notion of sport. As I said before everyone is disappointed at the way the season has panned out again. At the beginning of any season supporters of all clubs look forward to their clubs having a good season, myself included. The prospect of defying the odds or fulfilling creditable potential whets the appetite for all supporters. So I don't really know where you conjure up that veiw from, especially with the rather silly suggestion of deciding the seasons contest.

Michael Eisner himself said he wants promotion but doesn't want to be a yo yo club. He said his preference was promotion on a sound basis that the team is equipped for the challenge of higher grade football and the club is ready with the upgraded infrastructure. That's fair enough but the club doesn't have anything near a team equipped to compete at a higher level and I wouldn't know at what stage the club is ready off field. The owners have shown that they are willing to spend on the ground and other facets of the club, which I think they should be applauded for. As yet I don't think they have significantly invested in the playing side. Maybe we are close to that and next season we may see more investment to give us a better chance of success.

[Pompey55]

I do feel we have progressed in some way with our squad but not on the pitch
We have
Steward Rafferty Swanson Towler Robertson Raggett Ogilvie and Hume at the back maybe get shot of Hume but not much change needed in my view
Pack Lane Morrell Lowery Thompson Jewett-White in Midfield again a couple of additions may help but all fit that’s a decent midfield
Bishop and that it up front although the club should give Curtis a year extension so we have him in the second half of the season
So it clear what we need is it not decent strikers cost money that’s my concern
I have not left Hackett of the list by accident as I’d like to see him gone
We could also promote a couple from the academy as well
This squad is stronger than last season’s in my view

[Blue Walter]

I do feel we have progressed in some way with our squad but not on the pitch
We have
Steward Rafferty Swanson Towler Robertson Raggett Ogilvie and Hume at the back maybe get shot of Hume but not much change needed in my view
Pack Lane Morrell Lowery Thompson Jewett-White in Midfield again a couple of additions may help but all fit that’s a decent midfield
Bishop and that it up front although the club should give Curtis a year extension so we have him in the second half of the season
So it clear what we need is it not decent strikers cost money that’s my concern
I have not left Hackett of the list by accident as I’d like to see him gone
We could also promote a couple from the academy as well
This squad is stronger than last season’s in my view

Yes I agree the squad is stronger than at this stage last season. I think the defence is good enough for League One with, possibly, another central addition. I think that Rafferty is a class act in this department. I think the midfield contains good players for this level but lacks the player that can unlock tight defences. I think that Lowery could be that player and, hopefully, he can stay fit and get a good run of games. I think Morrell is a player that has the quality to perform at Championship level and one we need to keep if we can manage to get there. I think we are light on quality in the forward players with Bishop and, perhaps, Curtis being good for this level. I also think that Bishop is the type of player who needs a strike partner to get the best out of him. I can't really comment on Lane because we haven't seen that much of him but he does seem to have potential to be a decent player. We never really replaced Harness who I think was our ace in the pack. As much as I like Dale for his commitment and work rate, which is often missing in loan players, he lacks end product.

I think we have the nucleus of a decent League One team which needs good players added to it to make it stronger. The one thing we don't want is to let our best players leave, especially to a rival. I don't think we are blessed with players that are ready or capable of stepping up a level. I think this is an area where money will come into the equation and good recruitment. I would think we have. possibly, three or maybe four players capable of being at this standard.

[Mr Dee]

I think the fact that we are still talking about whether or not we have a good enough team for league one, 6 (or is it 7 ? )seasons into the Eisener ownership speaks volumes.

[Pompey1984+1]

I think the fact that we are still talking about whether or not we have a good enough team for league one, 6 (or is it 7 ? )seasons into the Eisener ownership speaks volumes.

We clearly have a team good enough for league one.


But not quite good enough to get out of it.