'Portsmouth FC: FA Cup and Asia Cup Champions 07/08'

MonkeyKnuckle · 07-11-2007, 10:34 AM

Seeing as almost every other team has their own thread I thought it was time Pompey did as well.

What a season so far, fifth in the league, five straight away wins, unbeaten in 8.

To top it off a new Premier League record in the 7-4 match.
[youtube]TNXDuMnEJYo[/youtube]

Last game highlights
[youtube]yjUZ-O8tLfM[/youtube]

And Benjani is actually scoring, no need to bring back Mornar now.

C'mon where are the other Pompey fans?

thfccambs · 07-11-2007, 1:17 PM

Great start for Pompey,Harry seems to be doing a great job there.Can never understand why a top team (no offence) hasn't snapped him up?

I would love to see him in the England job,he seems to take your average/older players and gets the best out of them.

Play up Pompey.

Pezerinno · 07-11-2007, 2:08 PM

I think he has said he wouldn't want the England job; just signed a new contract anyway and would imagine he would retire after Portsmouth and maybe buy Bournemouth FC. I think we have a chance of Europe this year although there are numerous clubs fighting for those two spots (I assume normal top 4). I'll be happy with top ten finish.

overkill · 07-11-2007, 2:11 PM

Would like to see Harry get some silverware at Pompey tbh. It's about time someone got the FA cup off the big four and Harry's got the team, and the nous to do it.

thfccambs · 07-11-2007, 2:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick25

I think he has said he wouldn't want the England job; just signed a new contract anyway and would imagine he would retire after Portsmouth and maybe buy Bournemouth FC. I think we have a chance of Europe this year although there are numerous clubs fighting for those two spots (I assume normal top 4). I'll be happy with top ten finish.

Think he'd jump at the chance to manage England.Think he'd do a bloody good job also.I know he's just signed a new contract but what does that mean now days?

city fan · 07-11-2007, 2:29 PM

Yeah, great start from Pompey. Hope it doesn't continue on Sunday

Got some good players there now. When I've seen highlights that Utaka always seems to play well.

Easily a top 10 finish this year for you boys.

overkill · 07-11-2007, 3:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by city fan

Yeah, great start from Pompey. Hope it doesn't continue on Sunday

Got some good players there now. When I've seen highlights that Utaka always seems to play well.

Easily a top 10 finish this year for you boys.

No offence CF, but this is what worries me, both about clubs and fans. If I was a pompey fan right now, I'd want to see them go for the Cup, get a bit of silverware on the mantlepiece, and have something to look back on for Harrys hard work. Sod getting into the poxy CL, or, even worse, the UEFA cup. They are full (as recent results by Utd, Spurs, Arsenal and Liverpool have shown) with dross teams, playing crap football.

At the same time the lack of ambition is frightening among many PL clubs! Oh, let's hope for a top half finish in the PL! Big sodding deal!

Who's going to look back on that in twenty years time and say 'God that was a vintage year - we finished 7th in the PL'..........

Again, not having a go at you CF, but the lack of any will to achieve anything bar a 'good leauge place' is a mentality I just cannot grasp.

And I hope I never do.

thfccambs · 07-11-2007, 3:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by overkill

Sod getting into the poxy CL, or, even worse, the UEFA cup. They are full (as recent results by Utd, Spurs, Arsenal and Liverpool have shown) with dross teams, playing crap football.

You can only beat the teams that are put in front of you mate.
See you mention the teams with really European history.

Agree though, i would/are

also be looking to a good cup run maybe a final to show the good work the manager has done.
I've been saying for ages the CL is a complete joke,the only reason i want Spurs in Europe is i can have a little trip abroad.I'd love a good FA cup win though.sure most team would.

city fan · 07-11-2007, 3:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by overkill

No offence CF, but this is what worries me, both about clubs and fans. If I was a pompey fan right now, I'd want to see them go for the Cup, get a bit of silverware on the mantlepiece, and have something to look back on for Harrys hard work. Sod getting into the poxy CL, or, even worse, the UEFA cup. They are full (as recent results by Utd, Spurs, Arsenal and Liverpool have shown) with dross teams, playing crap football.

At the same time the lack of ambition is frightening among many PL clubs! Oh, let's hope for a top half finish in the PL! Big sodding deal!

Who's going to look back on that in twenty years time and say 'God that was a vintage year - we finished 7th in the PL'..........

Again, not having a go at you CF, but the lack of any will to achieve anything bar a 'good leauge place' is a mentality I just cannot grasp.

And I hope I never do.

Non taken. I was merely saying they should finish at least 10th. They may well get into Europe, which for Pompey would be a good result. I don't think they've won anything since the 50's.

Discounting the top four places you've 2 places for a UEFA place, so to get one of those two would be a great success, as would a cup win, but there's only 2 of those two, and they're out of one.

I don't think its lack of ambition by clubs its just realism. At the end of the day over a long season, no one can really compete with the "big four", unfortunate as it is.

overkill · 07-11-2007, 3:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by city fan

Non taken. I was merely saying they should finish at least 10th. They may well get into Europe, which for Pompey would be a good result. I don't think they've won anything since the 50's.

Discounting the top four places you've 2 places for a UEFA place, so to get one of those two would be a great success, as would a cup win, but there's only 2 of those two, and they're out of one.

I don't think its lack of ambition by clubs its just realism. At the end of the day over a long season, no one can really compete with the "big four", unfortunate as it is.

Nope, sorry. When you see clubs outside the big four putting out 'B' teams in the cups that just doesn't ring true. If anything the cups represent their best chance of winning things. Yet, in the last six or seven years, year in year out, they play a full strength side in some poxy PL game against say, Middlesbrough, and then play, say, someone top six in the cup and send out five reserves. They also tend to play a full strength side against the top four too..........

Lack of ambition there I'm afraid. Pure and simple.

city fan · 07-11-2007, 4:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by overkill

Nope, sorry. When you see clubs outside the big four putting out 'B' teams in the cups that just doesn't ring true. If anything the cups represent their best chance of winning things. Yet, in the last six or seven years, year in year out, they play a full strength side in some poxy PL game against say, Middlesbrough, and then play, say, someone top six in the cup and send out five reserves. They also tend to play a full strength side against the top four too..........

Lack of ambition there I'm afraid. Pure and simple.

Depends where they are in the league I suppose. If someone like Bolton are scrapping for survial have a midweek cup game and then a 6 point relegation battle at the weekend, they will no doubt "save" their big players for the weekend.

That's the way it is. You can call it lack of ambition, and that lack of ambition has been caused by the money pumped into the game in the PL a team can lose £40m if it drops out

In a perverse way the money in the PL has scared clubs from actually trying to win anything. I think we need to see some £40m prizes for the League and FA cups. That'd solve the problem.

rio1981 · 07-11-2007, 4:45 PM

Good old 'arry - still miss him, it was always an adventure with him in charge. He signed some proper duffers (how much of that was related to him actually wanting to sign those players is debatable) but un-earthed some real gems too.

And with him at the helm with Tony Carr looking after the youngsters at West Ham we saw our most healthy youth team and progression onto the senior squad (Rio, Lampard, Carrick, Cole, and eventually Johnson). He also brought us Paolo Di Canio

I often refer to Pompey in jest, normally after my team takes another pasting I'll turn round to the Mrs (like she cares about football!) and say "that's it, I'm off to support a decent team like Portsmouth or Dagenham & Redbridge"

Got a lot of time for Pompey in general, I like the fact that the ground is a proper English football ground (not a "stadia") but it looks as though a move is on the cards at some point as well? That would be a big disappointment for me but understandable given the current capacity there...

MonkeyKnuckle · 07-11-2007, 4:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by city fan

Non taken. I was merely saying they should finish at least 10th. They may well get into Europe, which for Pompey would be a good result. I don't think they've won anything since the 50's.

I think you are forgetting the Asia Trophy.

Pezerinno · 07-11-2007, 4:58 PM

Hunts I'm only going on what Harry has said to the press in that he wouldn't want the pressure of the England job but I agree contracts don't really mean much at all anymore.

Overkill if you've had a couple of relegation battles in previous sessions then a goal of top ten finish is ambition; you have to be realistic - who jumps from near relegation to winning the league.

Rio I'm a bit worried about the new ground in regards to atmosphere as well however a new stadium is needed if we want to progress.

city fan · 07-11-2007, 5:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonkeyKnuckle86

I think you are forgetting the Asia Trophy.

I did spot that

. Thought is wasn't worthy of a mention

overkill · 07-11-2007, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick25

Hunts I'm only going on what Harry has said to the press in that he wouldn't want the pressure of the England job but I agree contracts don't really mean much at all anymore.

Overkill if you've had a couple of relegation battles in previous sessions then a goal of top ten finish is ambition; you have to be realistic - who jumps from near relegation to winning the league.

Rio I'm a bit worried about the new ground in regards to atmosphere as well however a new stadium is needed if we want to progress.

Who's arguing? That wasn't the point.

Quote:

Originally Posted by City fan

Depends where they are in the league I suppose. If someone like Bolton are scrapping for survial have a midweek cup game and then a 6 point relegation battle at the weekend, they will no doubt "save" their big players for the weekend.

That's the way it is. You can call it lack of ambition, and that lack of ambition has been caused by the money pumped into the game in the PL a team can lose £40m if it drops out

In a perverse way the money in the PL has scared clubs from actually trying to win anything. I think we need to see some £40m prizes for the League and FA cups. That'd solve the problem.

Again you see, that wasn't the case in the days of yore. I know, because when Bolton, using them as an example, went down in 1980', I saw all the games between the two sides. Bolton played, despite facing relegation, their best sides against us in the Cup games, not in the leauge. The FA cup back then was seen as something to keep your season going, despite relegation fears, not distract from it.

In any case, as I said above, I was referring to the mid table sides, not those, who, quite rightly given the financial loss, need to scrap for survival. It's the clubs with the 'let's finish top ten this year and look back on a great season' that lack ambition. In days of yore, you'd look a right tit coming out with a statement like that if your team was dumped out of the FA cup in the early rounds.............

I would agree with the last point, if it weren't for the fact that the situation is already too far gone for that. If you offer massive prize money, all that will happen is the big clubs get their hands on even more dosh, as their huge squads will then be used to full effect to make sure of winning the cups, not just 'blooding' the younger talent.

I agree though that the ludicrous prize money for leauge placings has scared all the ambition for silverware out of the 'other' clubs. The 'Leeds thing' has also had the added effect that clubs on smaller budgets are frightened to compete with the big boys in case they go the same way.

Basically, it makes for a boring PL season as the same faces (pick from Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea) win all the majors, and usually only two clubs challenge for the leauge. In reality, some of the PL' seasons have been so poor, it's been a 'one club' race. If Arsenal drop a few points with VP injured, it will be so again.

At least this season City and Pompey look like they might sustain. But then, we've said that in the last few seasons about Bolton, Everton et al, and still ended up in May with the same four teams occupying the CL slots, and the same names on the FA, and in recent years FLC.

Pezerinno · 08-11-2007, 3:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by overkill

Who's arguing? That wasn't the point.

Sorry I thought you were suggesting clubs that aimed for a top ten spot lacked ambition.

MonkeyKnuckle · 08-11-2007, 4:45 PM

Who's going to the match on Sunday? I sure am.

It's on TV as well.

overkill · 08-11-2007, 5:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick25

Sorry I thought you were suggesting clubs that aimed for a top ten spot lacked ambition.

Nope. Only when that's their only ambition.

thfccambs · 08-11-2007, 5:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by overkill

Nope. Only when that's their only ambition.

Thats me this season then.

overkill · 08-11-2007, 6:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hunts1uk

Thats me this season then.

MonkeyKnuckle · 11-11-2007, 7:09 PM

Bit disappointed with only the one point. I thought our second half performance was not good at all.

How unlucky was Nugent.

city fan · 12-11-2007, 5:00 PM

Though a draw was a fair result. City probably shaded it second half, but you would have been well in front if not for some great saves by Joe Hart

It'll be interesting to see how this season pans out. Both teams have had big investement and should be in the mix at the end of the season.

BTW you've got some big guys in your team. Watched them in the tunnel Campell, Utaka, James, Distan, Muntari. Very scary. Just glad Diop wasn't playing

Pezerinno · 12-11-2007, 8:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonkeyKnuckle86

How unlucky was Nugent.

It took a big deflection though so he would have been lucky if it had gone in really.

Abbeygoo · 13-11-2007, 11:44 PM

Thought it was a great game on Sunday and a 0-0 draw between two teams who were as good as each other and both played looking for something more than a goalless draw.

Pompey hit the woodwork a couple of times and we had our moments ... if Vassell was a real centre forward we would have stolen all the points.

Great atmosphere at Fratton Park again, really is a pleasure to watch games with Pompey involved, good luck for the rest of the season.

gowdewiz · 17-11-2007, 4:05 PM

Yay! About time the mighty pompey had a forum of our own

I for one will be plenty happy enough with a top ten finish this year.... we've been through a lot over the years, and its just great to be sitting here in November feeling comfortable and just enjoying watching some great football.

The pressure is off for once and the players can just go out there and express themselves, and as such we're seeing some great stuff. Football ultimately is about entertainment - if it comes with results its a bonus.

Harry's got some damn good players down here now, and they're playing well... even looking at the city game, it may have ended 0-0 but it's one of the most entertaining no score draws you'll see, as both teams were really going for it.

One thing annoying me lately is a lot of talk about how we'll do when the african nations comes round.... we only have 4 player that are going, 3 of which are first choice, but on the other hand we have some great players on the side ready to step in, such as mendes and taylor. It wont effect the back 5 either so we'll still be damn hard to beat.

I think we'll be fine, and baring any major injury problems i'm confident we'll still be up the right end of the table come May.

Play up Pompey!