If we get Primus...

[alex_ncfc 662]

Or any other central defender for that matter, then who do we play? And taking out playing ability for the moment, won''t Mackay and Flem be slightly ''annoyed'' to be dropped having been the partenership that helped us win Division 1 (including a player of the year and an international call up) Likewise, wouldn''t Charlton and Primus (should he or anyone else join..) be annoyed if they weren''t first team regulars? Or would worthy ''mix and match'' or use alternate defensive partnerships?

[Steeno Martins 0]

To compete in the Premiership you need a good squad of players not just a good first 11. Worthy knows we need extra competition for places in defence and I''m sure he will start with the partnership he feels will give us the best chance of winning matches. The players know they may not be starting every match and will just have to work even harder to get back in the team.

It has all gone quiet on the Primus front do you still think he will be signing for us? and are Pompey prepared to sell him at all?

[Left Testy 0]

Its quite simple, we are going to play a 2-6-2-1 formation

2 Keepers - Green and Gallacher in Goal (1 Glove each)
Back 6 - Edworthy, Malkay, Charlton, Flem, New Boy, Drury
Middle 2 - Holt & Safri (Hack every one down before they reach the defence!)
Huckerby - Catch them on the break, the boys got 15 goals a season in him!

Lets face it we are building a team to BOUNCE BACK not to stay up! as long as we go down respectively and hold onto our players... if you notice all our signings are the type that will play in the first division if its comes down to it......not like defoe!

We need 2 or 3 big signings in i.e. Ray Parlour, Nicky Butt types to have any chance of staying up!

Becoming a premiership team is a long journey these days.... 3 season or more... we are taking our first steps, Div 1 Champions 2004 ! Relegated 2005, Div 1 Champions 2006, 16th Place in premiership 2007! Jesus 2007

[susie b 0]

On the subject of getting Primus, I''ve noticed a definite change in tone (and substance to a degree) on the Pompey fan sites today. On one in particular, although it runs with a story about chairman and manager wanting to keep the player, one fan is adamant that Harry is ready to let him go for the 750k that has now apparently been offered. His source, he claims, is a mutual acquaintance (of himself and the player), and he has been told that, although the player loves the club, the fans and the area, he is being allowed to go because the money will go some way to funding a younger replacement. The fans are very upset at this but seem almost resigned to losing him to us now.

As with all this stuff, there may be no truth in it whatsoever, but I thought people might be interested anyway. If it doesn''t happen, I beg you all not to shoot the messenger. Thank you!

[Dirty Lyle 0]

Primus will be a very useful squad player next season after his experiences last year. It is no coincidence that both he and Charlton come backgrounds where relegation has has been successfully avoided.

008 - you may be right about NW putting a Division 1 side together and you are certainly right concerning a long term plan (at board level at least) to establish the Club as a Premiership force even if that involves relegation in the short term. Besides who cares if it does take until 2007, 2010 or 2020 its not as if we are going anywhere to support someone else. The fans are always the ones who benefit most from long term planning like this because, unlike the players, management or even the Board we are the only ones who are guaranteed to still be here when those plans bare fruit. Enjoy the ride.

[Temp the Revelator 0]

Ah, DL, once again you are a man after my own heart. you have just articulated the point I am trying to get across to Saint Canary on the ''you won''t agree...'' thread. There seems to be an increasing amount of people posting on here who are expecting us to stay up as a bare minimum........which has changed considerably since the end of last season. Of course I would love us to stay up, but not at the possible expense of the long-term future.......

As for Primus, expect a press conference next week when the team are back from Malaysia......this will be yet another good solid signing.

[Flick Fleck 0]

I must say Templeton that your assertion that,

"I would love us to stay up, but not at the possible expense of the long term future"

is a very worrying statement indeed...

Surely staying up is the most possible positive thing that could happen for our long-term future, non?

I recently came back to Norwich for a one-week visit and was pleasantly shocked at the level of optimism from everyone - friends, press, bloke in the street - that we could actually stay up this season. It kind of reaffirmed for me the crest-of-the-wave-feeling that we are still riding with Delia and the board. It is a great sign of hope. (Remember that we were given our own squad number for precisely this reason...).

Staying up should indeed be seen as our "bare minimum" for this year. I find it hard to see how anyone can see otherwise. We are not West Brom and we do not need to expect that going down is the best thing that can happen for us... Let us look forward to the season with this viewpoint. Reality may, of course, come along and slap us in the face, but I for one want to keep my squad number in the team...

[ZLF 274]

Alex I have to say that NW has to play his best players, irrespective of how well they have contributed recently.

My brother in laws brother (BILB) (honest!) played for the charlton side that got promoted via the play offs but despite being in his prime, playing better than ever, liked by the fans and management and being a near ever present during the season was moved away from the club before they even arrived in the prem. The club didnt think he was good enough to cope with the prem. It was harsh at the time but probably a realistic assessment. IMHO there are a lot of similarities between Mackay and BILB who both looked good at Div 1 standard but are probably not up to the next level.

Without that hard edged judgement we may conceed more goals than needed and find ourselves the wrong side of 17th spot purely for sentimental reasons - strongest players only please - whhich so far means Mackay replaced by Charlton and, if Linvoy arrives, Fleming also losing his spot.

The only way I would start with Mac/Flem is if S Charlton is unable build any sort of partnership in central defence - their understanding could be their only advantage.

OTBC

[Temp the Revelator 0]

Yes, i can see how that reads now - obviously staying up wouldn''t harm our long term future, what I meant was that I would hate to see us throwing money around (like many on this board would have us do) in an attempt to stay up, only to fail.

I, too, am optimistic, even if it doesn''t seem that way - I feel pretty confident we can finish lower mid table personally, with what we''ve already got!

[Dirty Lyle 0]

Shucks Temp! You''ll make me blush!

I think we will still stay up this year because there are at least three teams worse off than us.

The dedication to the cause at FCR alone would have us finish in the top half. A team who trust in each other will get further in the long run than a team of individually skilled mercenaries.

I believe that Palace, Baggies and either Man C or Everton will go down. Over the course of 38 games our collectiveness will prove a greater asset than any of the above have on their books (especially after Roonaldo goes in January). Our signings, Safri included (Wiz, you scamp!), are all good apples who will only add the to the rich vein of commitement already present in the squad.

However, if we do fail this year, as it stands we would have nothing to fear in the Championship with the current squad.

[knowwhatimean 0]

I am getting really fed up with the negative talk of relegation even before a ball is kicked in the PL. While I realise it is not going to be an easy ride, I do not even contemplate relegation and feel a lower mid table position is quite within reach. Realistically, I am sure the players who served us so well last season equally realise that they may not be automatic choice this year. Of course we have to strengthen the team and I imagine the newcomers to the club are aware that they may well be squad players until established. On the question of who to sign and when, I am quite happy to leave that to Worthy who has shown to be excellent judge of players potential in the past.

Lets be positive!!

OTBC

[LinkNR9 0]

To go back to the top of this thread, we''ll get a chance tomorrow (against Malaysia) to find out how Flem does with another central defensive partner. It looks like ''Charlie'' Charlton is in for Malky, who''s got a slight injury.