Pompey caretaker manager Paul Hart got his tenure – for however long it might last – off to a perfect start, with the aid of course of Brian Kidd, with a win over Citeh at the weekend. These are his thoughts, along with some of my own, on this…
Hart on the response from the players
‘We are delighted for the club and obviously the players. In a very short space of time this week they have worked unbelievably hard.
‘We were very disciplined today and we set out to get a clean sheet and we got it. I think it showed the desire out there today that they were determined to get it.
‘There is quality in the side and on the back of results confidence grows and I think we’ll see a lot more from this team if we maintain this sort of attitude to the game.’
It was fantastic to see us win again, and the impact that this vastly experienced duo added was invaluable – I am disappointed that these same players could not, or would not, always give the same to the previous manager. They are paid ludicrously high amounts of money to do what they do, surely they should do this for whatever manager is in charge?
That said, I am delighted with the response we got and hope this was not just a ‘one off’, and we build on this…
Hart on Glen Johnson
‘He’s a fantastic player.
‘Sometimes I think you only realise how good people are when you get close to them and you work with them and he is absolutely fantastic.’
The improvement that Glen Johnson has made during his time with Pompey has been plain to see – his maturity as a player has also helped this development, and I for one am not ‘expecting’ him to leave in the summer, well unless the unthinkable happens that is!
For me he drifted in and out of the game in the 1st half, but then again who did not! But he is one of those players you look to to make something happen – and he made it happen and was certainly in my top 3 performers on the day.
Johnson skinned Wayne Bridge – something that the Fratton faithful loved – time and time again, and all to often far to easily for me when up against a player who is ‘apparently’ England’s second choice left back!
Hart on his future
‘There’s a chance I suppose – asked if he would be in charge against Stoke.
‘What happens in the future is out of my hands. It was great today the response of the players was fantastic, but I’m planning for next week and we’ll see what we’ve got.’
The longer things go on without Pompey appointing a manager, and doing this anytime soon is not looking likely is it, the more likely it is that Hart – who for me is key to our youth development so we do need him in that role – and Kidd will be in place against Stoke.
To be honest I would not be opposed to this, but would only want this on a short-term basis until the end of the season – as lets be honest track records have proven that both are not really long-term management material are they, although maybe as a duo they are?
They can, and will, do a job until the season is done though if needed I am sure. Time will tell if that is needed, as said though the longer it goes without a new manager appointed the more likely it is these two will see us through this season…
PLAY UP POMPEY!
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