Indications for next season.

[BroadstairsR 0]

I have stated before that I think the current squad to be capable of holding it''s own in the Championship, even though I did not expect play-offs just yet.

After recent performances, is this blind optimism? All teams have bad games and poor spells, but as a poster previously asked, "When did we last play well?" 

Whereas we should scrape promotion, a bit more is obviously needed for next season''s campaign not to become a  matter of a relegation zone dog-fight (again!)

Instant remedies: Get rid of Elliot, he epitomises so many of the loan players of the past in attitude and effort. Poor punt.

Was it really worth signing Ollie Johnson?. After last night in particular, his future as a Championship player seems doubtful. He''d not set the World on fire before.

I am prepared to persevere with McNamee, but am not over-confident. Could well turn out to be another poor signing.

Russel Martin, no thank you. Let''s get Spillane in there ASAP.

Rose? No, no and  no again.

Sorry Cody, you are not likely to make it at Championship level. You hardly did at League 1. level.

Give Nelson a rest. Let''s find out if Whitbread is as good as his apparent reputation.

Hughes is being messed around a bit. There is a bit of class there, but it is thwarted by him being consistently in and out of the side.

In sum, the current set-backs mean that we now have to keep focussed on collecting points, rather than use the final games of the season to experiment with formations and find out the real worth of certain newish and fringe players in respect of Championship football..

So far, our only certs for next season are, IMHO,  Forster (fingers crossed,) Drury, Spillane, Doherty, Whitbread, Russell (although I would not shed a tear should he move on), Smith, Hughes, Hoolihan, Martin.and Holt. The rest I think are questionable if we intend making waves in the division above.

It seems to me this club has made a habit of signing players who become instant failures so that we want rid a half a season later. Poor old Peter Grant started this, although Worthy did sign a certain Carl Robinson amongst others.. 

In sum, our present squad, unchanged, would be good enough to scrtach enough points next season to avoid relegation, and we have Lambert & Co. as a bonus. However, quite a few of them do not over-excite me. We look like scrapping with Ispwich for  positions in the lower reaches of the League as things stand at the moment..

 

 

[Yellow Shirt 17]

Personally I think the squad is thinner than you mentioned. I would say the jury is still out on Doc, Whitbread, Russell and Hoolihan as well. I would say that Hughes can cut it and McNamee in right side could be very dangerous.I suspect that next season there will only really be two relegation spots if Portsmouth don''t find big investment. They are going to be starting the season most likely with a whole new team bought on almost no budget by a new manager.

[BroadstairsR 0]

[quote user="Yellow Shirt"]Personally I think the squad is thinner than you mentioned. I would say the jury is still out on Doc, Whitbread, Russell and Hoolihan as well. I would say that Hughes can cut it and McNamee in right side could be very dangerous.

I suspect that next season there will only really be two relegation spots if Portsmouth don''t find big investment. They are going to be starting the season most likely with a whole new team bought on almost no budget by a new manager.


[/quote]

 

Yes. Get your point about Pompey, they seem destined to struggle, even with parachute money. The two other relegated sides (Burnley? Hull?) should do OK, again parachute money.

Assuming the current  bottom three in the Championship go down, then we will have left,  Crystal Palace (financial problems),  Scunthorpe (a bit out of their depth there these days), Watford (gradual decline, sorry Malky) as sides we could  better. I also feel that both Doncaster and Blackpool will fail to repeat this season''s successes and will both struggle. They always have to lose their best players in the S|ummer recess in order to survive..

The two other teams coming up with us (from Leeds, Millwall, Swindon as is probable) seem unlikely to do anything but struggle. They have had a season to show they are no better than us.

Being the devil, I see Keane''s reign at Portman going one way or the other. They could well implode or they could threaten play-offs. Let''s hope for the former.

As usual, there will probably be one surprise side who bombs (as we did.)  Maybe a Coventry, or a Swansea. There is always one.

Hopefully, we will sit comfotably somewhere safe until Christmas. Improve the squad in the Winter Window (a la Worthy) and make a late push for a play-off spot. Wishful thinking I suspect.

[0ridgemanddMMyyyy0Falseen-USTrue 0]

Much depends on whst type of football we decide to play. If we decide to play football with the ball on the ground we could do alright if we do as we did last night and constantly pump high balls into forwards that aren''t going to win the headers then we will struggle.

[Harry 0]

If we want to play with 2 wide players we might as well sell Hoolahan as he can''t play in this formation, he needs freedom to go where he wants, if we want to play the Diamond we might as well sell McNamee as he can''t fit into this formation, makes you glad you''re not a manager doesn''t it.