Dear Sacha and Storrie
Whilst I, and most other Pompey fans can understand that we have to do all we can to keep costs to a minimum the idea of appointing Paul Hart as our next permanent manager, whilst of course being a cost cutting measure – as he will know the score and will not be going into the job expecting riches to transform the player staff – it is also an appointment that could have major negative consequences down the line…
I think that it is pretty clear that unless we are taken over this summer that further departures are likely during the summer and January 2010 transfer windows – and basically the club have implied such with the own thoughts on the belief that we can ‘break even’ by the time we have Fratton ‘redeveloped’. This has been implied as further departures would follow the trend of cost cutting measures, how else, from a ‘company’ that is losing money each season, can we reduce debts other than cutting the wage bill, which of course means departures. Most of us accept this is going to happen, and would of course rather this than us keeping on spending what we do not have, which had it not been for banks calling an end to their lending maybe we would have under Jamie’s Dad – that would have of course left us in an even more dire situation than we are in, which to be fair is a situation we have been rectifying, but this needs the said player departures.
In a day and age where ‘money is king’, if nothing else we need to be producing talent that can not only sustain our premier league existence but can then also act as a means of generating cash… We do not want Pompey to be a ‘selling club’, but lets face it we, like the vast majority of other clubs in the country, well European, even World football, we are always going to struggle to hold onto top, top players when the ‘bigger boys’ come calling so if this talent being sold is our own produce, which bar the costs of running the development programs costs nothing, we could be making a mint to at least keep this ‘conveyor belt’ running all being well…
Our best chance of this happening is by having Paul Hart oversee this project; youth development is his area of expertise, so why deprive him, and the club, of this excellent track record? It is all very well giving him the job, but when it inevitably goes belly up, and I feel I would not be alone in thinking we would have another ‘Tony Adams situation’ on our hands, we would lose that as how could he return to his previous job?
With all due respect to Hart, who of course performed the job that was asked of him in keeping us up, if he really was a manager would a guy of his age not have held more managerial jobs – certainly for longer than he has?
From a selfish point of view too I guess, the thought of going through a season where we look for ’38pts’ would be hard going and the value for money factor would be lacking – I, and many others, accepted a win, well more to the point avoiding defeat had to come at all costs however it comes but the thought of shelling out hundreds, well thousands in ticket and travelling costs next season without any real ‘excitement’ leaves me concerned…
It is very easy to play ‘chairman’ from the supporters position, and sometimes the supporter does not know as well as he might think he does but can so many of us be wrong in thinking that appointing Hart as manager next season is a bad thing?
Nothing against the guy, we all like him but we like and value what we believe he can do for the club in another area more and fear the thought of losing him before the 09/10 season is out – as I, and again others, seriously feel this could prove the case.
Of course, as always, whatever is decided we will back it but the thought of making a decision that could set Pompey back years after making such giant strides – with the youth development – to keep up with the modern game worries me.
Yours faithfully, a loyal, dedicated and committed – or should that be ‘should be committed’ – true blue.
Rug
P.S. If the deals we are working on to sell the club go through so many of these problems will go away – and this will be down to hard work from you Peter, but especially the sacrifices that Sacha will make to ensure that we can change ownership hands and plenty of positives can, and will, come from your time as owner of Pompey.
I, like others, am not expecting a ‘multi-trillionaire’ to come in and back us to the top, but someone that can consolidate our position – helping us keep our ‘top players’ and then taking it from there – and of course finish off the redevelopment of Fratton and the training ground, both things we desperately need to become a ‘profit making’ business, would be fantastic!
PLAY UP POMPEY!
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