SFC Forever

I don't really care. I will wear whatever the team is wearing.

My point about the number actually getting a game is mainly because even if we have a diamond in the squad he could easily slip through our fingers.The reserves don't play as many games as the first team. some players seem to play most games in the reserves yet never even see the bench for a first team game. Whilst playing in the reserves they are taking a place that could be giving a first team player match playing time though of a lower standard. I think sometimes we have queried player selection even before a game has started. I have I know. Lastly size of our squad. Hopefully this problem will be sorted in May. Then we will also hopefully get two midfield players and a RB as cover or to replace. puncheon might be a usefull addition but we have to wait now to find out.

OK RandW91 I'll agree that you have made a case. Not every player can perform as is required. Not every error can be laid at the manager's door granted. Like all business if a team isn't working you look for the root cause. Then you weed it out. Football is slightly different in so far as there are so many ponderables available. Players performance can be altered by several things. Health, confidence, fitness, strength, skill and even experience. This you have to be able to take on trust as you learn more about the game as a manager maybe. However the manager is the person who along with a team of coaches and medical staff etc train these players to perform as required. They ensure that players are ready to play. They try to teach them ways to improve individually and as a team. This my friend is where we differ. The manager picks the players that he feels will play best as a team for a specific game. He picks players for whatever system will in his opinion do the job necessasry. AP still has my trust but not to the extent he had 2 months ago. For me he has failed to provide the answer to the biggest problem we have. Our midfield. At very few matches has our midfield run a game. Time and again we have been overrun leaving our defence open to unprotected attacks. how many managers would bring in 4 new players like he did and play them all as he did with little or no preperation. I don't feel it was a move forced upon him either. We all have our own idea as to who should start every game if fit and I am no different I guess to you in that way. However, who I pick is down to me as would your pick be to you, and Alan Pardew's down to him. Even Fergie has admitted making mistakes. Not very often but he has. So as the person who picks the players we buy and then picks the players to play the manager must shoulder the responsibilty. It is his job to get the players fired up and ready to go and play in his chosen style.

i would hazard a guess and suggest that the majority of managers who last any length of time build teams that have a very strong spine. Teams of battlers that are sometimes needed to get a result.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote: Originally Posted by CB Fry Paul Lambert seemed to manage it with Norwich. Just without the "six months to create a new team" bit. He had, let's see, no months. Noone disputes Lambert is doing a good job. But the number of teams where this works is limited in the extreme - especially over the medium-long term. Some managers can have an instant impact which wanes, others need longer and build something sustainable. Some have an instant impact which lasts - but feck me I couldn't name more than Mourinho and he was backed with oodles of cash. Maybe Wenger - I think he won the title in his second season. Grayson is now in his first full season, but last season Leeds went backwards under him. So why can't Pardew be a Grayson? Or a Billy Davies? His first half season with Forest was shocking - they were calling for his head. Bet they're not now. I agree with CB Fry on this. And there was a few calling for him before we got pards. The one thing which would help us fans would be to see the team giving everything. There are a lot of times when we have left after a disappointing performance bemoaning the fact that there seemed to be no heart. No fire. Give us that and we will all be a bit happier.

Quote: Originally Posted by Block 5 It's hilarious how some simple folk think they know more than AP. How can people who are sat at a computer spout off about tactics without being: a) at the game, and b) involved in the game as a professional, with years of experience playing and managing at the highest level? I go to every home game and the occassional away. you are like a lot of others on here who start name calling because they disagree with you. Well boo hoo. I am simple. Congratulations you are so bloody intelligent I bow to your superior knowledge. Now tell us simple guys and gals why our 40 odd strong squad isn't playing as a team because obviously we don't have a clue. It couldn't be because there are too many players to pick from could it? It couldn't be because half of the squad don't get a game very often, could it. It couldn't be because he has still not sorted out our midfield, could it? I am so looking forward to seeing your pearls of wisdom.

Now you are being a prat. Pompey were in a much worse mess if only because he took over with Pompey bottom and with no money to buy. Not one of the points made have you answered. Pardew has brought in enough players to make his own team minus a goalie.I wonder why. Is it because you find it easy to call people names but can't back it up with sensible argument. Give the reasons for it being the players faults. Everyone especially me can make mistakes. That is why I didn't become a top manager and only ran a team in a little Sunday league for 7 years. the vast majority of fans who attend our games regularly have said at some time or other hoe they were baffled bt some of our manager's decisions. We all want the same thing and that is taken as read. so if you disagree explain why if you can. Or are you afraid you really will look like a prat?

we have a squad full of attack minded players and a manager that is negative in his thoughts. Why does he spend on these players if he hasn't a clue how to play them together.

Why not have Fonte and Jaidi

Okay smartass so it isn't the managers fault that a team doesn't play well and win more games. The manager is the person who buys and trains the players directly or with help. The manager picks the team. The manager who prepares the team for each match. The manager who makes substitutions which don't work and indeed sometimes costs us points. So if it isn't his fault who do we blame? The fans? The owner for employing him? The players for being too dumb to do as he wants? Though he brought them here?

one win and I'll be happy. Two wins and I'll be ecstatic.

People scoff at Wotton but could someone check out the ratio's for when he plays and when he doesn't. His type of player is essential in this league. IMO

I predict we will beat MK Dons this week. I will enjoy my 4 tickets to Wembley. I shall cry in my milk when the blue army start laughing at us after the game.

I am often worried by the double standards shown on this board.Some of us get pilloried because we don't think AP has done as well as at first we thought. He has had plenty of opportunity to solve two of our weakest areas but failed in my eyes. RB is no better than at the start of the season. Midfield is still causing us a problem. But by saying so we are not received with glad tidings but bitter comments.

You highlight a throwaway line but have nothing to say about the more relevant part of the post. A lot of people who go to games have been querying some of AP's selection decisions for a long time. Not just recently. These same people have also frequently queried his substitutions. that doesn't necessarily mean they/we necessarily want him out tout sweet. Any more than Utd supporters who query a decision of Fergies at times.

I have to agree that we are not winning enough. However I don't think it is because we are Southampton as someone is bound to suggest as the reason why I am feeling that way. It quite simply is because we still don't have a good enough team. As to Hammond - injured, nearly ready Harding who has severe competition from a better prospect Jaidi who would be an automatic in my team at the moment. You could add Thomas who in my book has done enough to play as our RB as we have nobody better. If Hammond,Thomas and Jaidi can play on Tuesday i would fully expect us to overpower MK Dons and get to Wembley. If available they would also be in my team for Pompey.

I honestly don't think he will. Interesting to see Neil Danns scored another well taken goal to help Palace to 3 more points today. Almost from day 1 a lot of people myself included have been calling for the midfield to get sorted. We have brought in a hell of a lot of players and still don't seem to have our midfield sorted. The midfield is going to be his downfall more than anything. my hope is that once the cup games are finished we can get our teamrunning smoothly and we can see some improvement. Something that we have not seen for a couple of months. If anything we seem to have gone backwards but what do I know.

If we lose our next two games I don't think there will be any doubt about it. Further more I would consider it a blight on his CV and Markus might not be best pleased either..

very interesting to see how that plays

In this world we always have hope so a few prayers and you never know.

Does that prospect not look good.

Here we go. I knew if I posted that last one I would get a response and I was corresct. C B Fry why on earth you would want an ex Pompey player as your name I don't know. Though I can hazard a good guess. At no time did I say that we didn't have a chance. TDD made a statement and I have to say that I gave one example of why I don't take that as gospel. You in your Pompey Blue have to have a go because I am a wet. congratulations. You know me so well yet we have never met. You are a mouthy abnoxious lttle toad but I don't want to go around telling everybody. You seem to be under the impression that we only have to step on the pitch and we will win. Wrong. We have failed to beat Stockport at theirs and they are bottom. We have failed to win when it should have been a doddle. I don't really care this season because we are so much better than last. Even though a league below. Now I am quite prepared to shout the boys home and even when losing still enjoy cheering them on. I do not like people who seem to feel everything they and their cronies say is fact according to the bible. So if you have nothing better to do maybe you should return your good name to the blue half of Hampshire.

This shyte team beat Leeds 2-0 so what does that make us?

Have to disagree with you I am afraid. If they are still alive in two weeks time they will auction one.

I think that a lot of us feel like that. we could have died 7 months ago or so and we now have a chance to tread the heights of Wembley. Bring it on.