Options

[bluemal]

With Andy Awford we seem to have the following options:-

1 Sack now, so that the new boss can look at the current squad and plan to bring in "his" players over the summer.

2 Wait to the end on the season and sack him, which would give the boss (unless he is already at the Club) no time to look at the current crop of players

3 Give him the summer to build another team, learning from this season's mistakes, to challange for one of the automatic promotion places. If the board decide to do this then they must give him a clear target (eg 25 points from first 16 games) and then sack him if the target is missed. The boss whould then have time to assess the squad before the January transfer window.

I think the Board will take option 3, although I have recently come round to think that option 1 is best. The one thing we must avoid is another season in mid table

You views please

[dickinson]

Good post, well put.

We have a Board coming under a lot of scrutiny, and deservedly so, their appointments have been until now somewhat, from a euphemistic perspective, uninspiring, I agree with you bluemal, I too think they will take the third option. They probably feel they owe AA one for baling them out of the Richie Barker debacle at the back end of last season. However, football is a results driven business, and this business is now failing. We are in what educationalists would what regard as special measures. The Board have to show some spine but I fear the worst. They will, I suggest, almost certainly dither, worry and procrastinate.The corollary of which would be; the opportunity will have been missed. If this scenario is realised then there is little hope for PFC unless of course, the fortunes of Lady Luck has a hand to play.

So, if I was on the Board what would I do? One option is that we are not yet clear of relegation, with AA i believe we would scrape a win or two to see us over the line, although season ticket sales will undoubtedly drop. I personally will keep going mainly because I tend to be a creature of habit and ridiculous loyalty, but I know of others who are not intending to renew. In this scenario I would keep AA and take the hit on Season ticket sales and advertising losses.

However the best option is most definitely option 1. Sack now and advertise, give Waddock the opportunity to impress just for a few matches- categorically not to the end of the season , but leave the field clear for everybody else to apply. There are indeed some good managers available even now, eg Adkins, Brian McDermott, Gary Johnson (who incidentally would be my current choice).
Season tickets would only IMO show a slight drop, concomitant revenues such as advertising maintained.

The Board have to be brave now, and severe the management of Portsmouth FC away from the likeable AA. Only failed businesses display sentiment in forsaking forward thinking. Business can be a cruel master,and this master is shouting out loud and clear, that this is without question, the time to act; -and act now.

[Fratton End Exile]

Sorry Andy, option 1.

[Pompey1985]

Perhaps a job swap with Mikey Harris for the remainder of the season

[Fratton End Exile]

Perhaps a job swap with Mikey Harris for the remainder of the season

Maybe a swap job with Ronald McDonald is more likely. Both clowns

[Mitchampton]

They wouldn't have to sack him at the end of the season as his contract expires. But the sensible thing would be to look for a replacement now. No idea how much it would cost to sack AA but it might be worth it in the longer term as more people are losing faith.

It's a big shame as I thought and hoped AA would do well. I watched him back in the 90's and would be good if he could stay at the club in some capacity.

[Pompey1985]

They wouldn't have to sack him at the end of the season as his contract expires. But the sensible thing would be to look for a replacement now. No idea how much it would cost to sack AA but it might be worth it in the longer term as more people are losing faith.

It's a big shame as I thought and hoped AA would do well. I watched him back in the 90's and would be good if he could stay at the club in some capacity.

About two months wages!

[pompeygunner]

They wouldn't have to sack him at the end of the season as his contract expires. But the sensible thing would be to look for a replacement now. No idea how much it would cost to sack AA but it might be worth it in the longer term as more people are losing faith.

It's a big shame as I thought and hoped AA would do well. I watched him back in the 90's and would be good if he could stay at the club in some capacity.

His contract doesn't expire, its a rolling contract which means there will be the matter of compo.

[Pompey Penguin]

Sacking Awford now would be a bad move. There is no-one at the club that I would want to take over; Waddock must take his share of the blame for the current shambles, as I am sure we would have heard if he was having serious disagreements with Awford's approach. If you appoint a caretaker, and they do well, would the board have the nerve to let them go at the end of the season? Or would we be in the situation we were with Awford last year, in that it looked good, but couldn't be sustained.

As SB alluded to in another thread, advertising properly might draw out some good candidates no-one is considering at present. Managers will be prepared to leave clubs, for whatever reason, at the end of the season as it looks less like them "walking out" on their present team.

My choice would be to let Awford play out the rest of this season. Put some gentle feelers out as to who might be available. Then carry out a proper, but quick-ish, recruitment exercise once the season is over. We finish on 2nd May; the L2 play off final is three weeks later, during which period not much will happen. This gives us time to find a new manager without putting them at a significant disadvantage.

One problem might be dealing with the out-of-contract players, but there doesn't seem too much argument about who should stay/go and that should be doable without a manager. Whoever comes in is going to need players, and won't be able to bring in too many new ones.

[pompeygunner]

I'm not sure it would be such a bad move Pompey Penguin. I'm not entirely comfortable with people other than a Manager deciding which contracts to renew or not. I think it would be better to let AA go now & get a new man in who can have a good look @ the squad & make his own decisions. Then he goes into the summer in an informed way. I sadly cannot see anything good about keeping AA in to the end of the season, the vitriol is getting worse & its sad to see a Pompey legend copping such flak.
Sad situation & a difficult one to deal with for the Board but deal with it they must for an outcome that must be for the best all round.

[Pompey1985]

The only positive that might come out if waiting till the end of the season is that a manager elsewhere loses his job for failing to meet their targets this season.

[LiT other account]

Don't forget the Director of Recruitment Andy Melville. Anyone coming in will work with them.

[dickinson]

Sacking Awford now would be a bad move. There is no-one at the club that I would want to take over; Waddock must take his share of the blame for the current shambles, as I am sure we would have heard if he was having serious disagreements with Awford's approach. If you appoint a caretaker, and they do well, would the board have the nerve to let them go at the end of the season? Or would we be in the situation we were with Awford last year, in that it looked good, but couldn't be sustained.

As SB alluded to in another thread, advertising properly might draw out some good candidates no-one is considering at present. Managers will be prepared to leave clubs, for whatever reason, at the end of the season as it looks less like them "walking out" on their present team.

My choice would be to let Awford play out the rest of this season. Put some gentle feelers out as to who might be available. Then carry out a proper, but quick-ish, recruitment exercise once the season is over. We finish on 2nd May; the L2 play off final is three weeks later, during which period not much will happen. This gives us time to find a new manager without putting them at a significant disadvantage.

One problem might be dealing with the out-of-contract players, but there doesn't seem too much argument about who should stay/go and that should be doable without a manager. Whoever comes in is going to need players, and won't be able to bring in too many new ones.

Sorry Pompey Penguin,

If you want to get ahead of the field you have to act before your competitors have a chance to take a breath. There is a truism which says 'he who hesitates is lost'. We need to be the first in the queue not the last. Your deliberating docile approach will ensure that we end up with the manager no one wants.

You wrote,
'Managers will be prepared to leave clubs, for whatever reason, at the end of the season as it looks less like them "walking out" on their present team.'

Let me assure you that no manager worth his salt will care about this. If he did I would hope that his level of insecurity would be a reason precisely not to employ him.

Your last paragraph seems at best muddle headed, football people know that some managers get the best out of players often ill considered by other failed managers. Let the new manager decide who he wants. Give him the clean sheet from which to choose. For this to happen, it is imperative that a new manager be brought in before the seasons end.

[Portchester PFC]

The problem with option 3 is that he does not seem to be able to learn from his mistakes. Unfortunately I have to say option 2 or 1.

[Pompey1985]

Don't forget the Director of Recruitment Andy Melville. Anyone coming in will work with them.

That's a very good point, the structure of the club might put some people off.