We can now see what I had to say when asked a few questions about Pompey, the season just gone and the one ahead along with the ‘possible’ future ahead.
Vital Pompey has previously brought you the ‘knowing me knowing you series’ – which is still running, so others will be added and if you want to do one just email – and we had the ‘talking Pompey with’ series last summer, this now returns under a new name and some fresh questions as ‘Pompey talk with’.
pompeyrug was asked 6 questions about the 2008/09 season and what the hopes are for the 2009/10 one, and indeed our future.
This is what they said…
Frustrating
Disappointing
Unforgivable – in some ways! As I have said before it is forgettable but not forgivable…
We ‘seem’ to have suddenly gone from not seeing any daylight at the end of every road we turned to, which only seemed to lead to ‘doom and gloom’, to actually having a long term future secured – and potentially a very bright one!
Slow, steady growth is what I would like.
Investing heavily in youth development is the way forward but we also need to bring in some extra quality and/or commitment to the 1st team as it is, along with keeping ‘most’ of our players, particularly the better ones, which hopefully we can?
We say we want to ‘stabilise the current squad’ so lets do that.
Lets finally get this training ground sorted to bring us in line with other premier league clubs on that score, as ours are currently not even fit for some lower league/non-league clubs – I mean no disrespect with that comments. Also lets get Fratton redeveloped as planned, do that first and then take the rest from there – if we, England, win the world cup bid then we can think about a move to a bigger, but maybe not necessarily better, home.
Awaken this sleeping giant of ours, but lets do it the right way!
The squad as it currently is, minus a few departures for those released that are not good enough/fit to wear the shirt leaves it in midtable shape or thereabouts. Bring through some of the talented youngsters we have and give them a chance as well as the midtable stability is assured!
If we can bring in maybe a quality player throughout the spine of the side it will help, say a central defender, central midfielder and a forward then I think, again with most retained, we easily have a top 10 squad.
I am not talking ‘star names’ I am talking ‘work horses’, the ‘grafters’ and types of players that do want to play for the shirt – too many did not do this last season.
The likes of Matty Taylor, Gary O’Neil, Pedro Mendes and Benjani are what we were crying out for last season – if we had that commitment added to the quality that we still had, and to be fair the quality they have, we would have been top 10. I would not be disappointed to see 3 of those 4 return in all honesty, that said you always worry about tarnishing the past by returning…
Several that will be released will be released with my blessing!
But, and this might come as a surprise to many, but I think I might put Sylvain Distin quite high in this list! I was appalled by his on the field and off the field actions many times last season – he was quick to ‘give it all that’ but was often one of the first to make the balls-ups that he was slating others for. Ok, maybe Tony Adams did not have a clue but players are paid a fortune to do a job and too many were not doing that and he was one that really stood out as not ‘giving a toss’ for me…
Consolidation, lets stabilise the squad like we say we want to and add the youth to it and a few players – but I want to see a team of players that do care again that will give everything for the shirt, the club and the fans. Overpaid, underachieving and underperforming mercenaries is not what I want.
I would take a top 10 finish and hopefully good cup runs – taking all cups seriously! – as a very good season.
I also hope to see work seriously underway, if not completed with the training ground by the seasons end and also ‘hope’ that we see the first signs of redevelopment of Fratton too…
I managed 31 home, away and abroad last season and with the season ticket renewed again, all being well at least the 19 home games – if we are at home on Boxing Day again I think I would have to miss that, but health permitting will do all the home league games and look to do several away and most, if not all, cup games.
Thanks to pompeyrug for answering these.
PLAY UP POMPEY!
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If anyone else wants to answer the questions simply drop me an email as a request, or send your answers to be direct at portsmouth@vitalfootball.co.uk and I will make it happen.
