It has been an ‘up and down’ season for Liam Walker.
He has found himself in and out of the side, out more often than not, but most definitely does possess ability – although that is not always enough is it, you have to have the right temperament and be physically up to it.
These are areas that could, and have, been questioned…
‘Rumours’ were circulating that Walker was not being retained, he had in fact ‘been shown the door’ – Guy Whittingham, as quoted in The News today, has dismissed such stories.
The door is open for Walker to have a Pompey future, and Whittingham says he wants him to have it too: ‘I have heard all the rumours about Liam. He is a good kid and wants to play for Portsmouth.
‘He has to realise – and he does realise – it’s physical in this league but it is a lot more physical in League Two.
‘He knows he has a future here if he can prove he can be physical enough to withstand the battering his body is going to get.
‘I hope he’s going to come back for pre-season. We will see.’
To be fair coming from the real lower regions of Spanish football to the lower regions of the English football league is totally different. The set-up in Spain, and most of European and world football, is nothing like it is in England so the standard lower down, and the demands on you, are much, much lower abroad and adapting from that can take time, as I think we have found with Liam.
With the benefit of a good summer in the gym, and a proper pre-season, I think we could see a much better player all-round in Walker next season.
I think back to Marc Wilson some years back.
You could never doubt his ability, but his physicality was called into question. He came back a shaven headed guy one pre-season and looked a totally different player, quite clearly he had spent a lot of time in the gym – and the barbers! – and that allowed him to make the step-up that I always felt he could.
Walker is not the only one he wants to keep though, Whittingham has said he wants to keep everyone: ‘today I will go into the office, make plenty of phone calls, go and meet people and try to do the hard work as quickly as we can to get a squad that is going to be able to compete in League Two.
‘I have spoken to every one of the current players – whether I have talked to them or an agent – so I know where every one of them is.
‘They have brought some pride back into the team and I think they deserve a chance to help us rebuild.’
If it is felt that Pompey can be an easy place to earn your corn these days though you have another thing coming!
We are very much going to be living within our means now, if they will accept that then ideal, if not they will be wished well: ‘I’m interested in having them all back but what I won’t do is go back to where we have been.
‘They have got to realise the budget we are on is the budget we are on.
‘If they can get more elsewhere, good luck to them but if you fancy being part of a group of people on and off the pitch who want to restore some pride and want to help this club rebuild then you are the one for me.
‘I have told them they all have a chance.’
I am not averse to keeping all the players at all, the only one that I would question is John Akinde.
Not that Whittingham is: ‘John Akinde is a good guy and you need people around like that. I wouldn’t dismiss anybody.
‘I know he hasn’t had time on the pitch but he is a presence. People have said to me that he is a handful.’
Guy is right we should not ‘dismiss anybody’, and he knows best, but he most definitely must have seen something in Akinde that I, and many others, have not I must say!
Lets hope the coming days and weeks can see us actually looking like we have a playing staff put in place sooner, rather than later so we are not scratching around at the last once more – these scraps, that we eventually picked up, have been polished and are certainly the ones to move forward with, in the main, if financially viable…
PLAY UP POMPEY!
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