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MAJR's All Purpose Pompey Thoughts Thread

Discussion in 'Portsmouth' started by MAJR, Apr 18, 2014.

  1. MAJR

    MAJR Well-Known Member

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    Every now and then I get these thoughts come into my head - often prefaced by the comment "for the hell of it" or "for something to do" - and they dont seem worth making an entirely new thread for them, so this here is an all purpose thread for me to post thoughts, or go off on tangents, without cluttering the forum up with pointless threads that would occur otherwise.

    I have often bemoaned Pompey's policy on youth player development in recent years, and for the future of Pompey I have advocated a self-contained player policy where by we produce the majority of the squad through youth development and add only a handful through transfers as I believe this is the most beneficial way for a club to operation because it allows a club to have sellable assests on the playing staff and also allows them to compete in the league.

    In the spirit of this...attitude, I decided today to look through the past ten seasons and work out what kind of squad we could have had if we had employed a better youth development system. This is what I came up with:

    Goalkeepers

    Asmir Begovic

    Defenders

    Lewis Buxton
    Shaun Cooper
    Jason Pearce
    Joel Ward
    Lennard Sowah
    Adam Webster
    Jack Whatmough
    Edit: Dan Butler

    Midfielders

    Gary O'Neil
    Marlon Pack
    Matt Ritchie
    Marc Wilson
    Jed Wallace

    Forwards

    Rowan Vine
    James Keene
    Nadir Ciftci
    Ashley Harris

    This team, on its own merit, I feel, could have been competitive at the championship level, though there are obviously weak points. The defence would be fine but the midfield would need a couple of players as backup and the forward line would definitely need reinforcement as there is no out-and-out goal scorer amungst them, and obviously it'd need another goalkeeper as back-up to Begovic.

    And that's it for this segment. Any thoughts anyone?
     
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    The Ides of March likes this.
  2. 3rd eye

    3rd eye Well-Known Member

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    No Dan Butler in your squad?

    I really like the kid, he puts me in mind of Jason Pearce.
     
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  3. MAJR

    MAJR Well-Known Member

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    Forgot Butler. I'll add him to the list.

    Also, looking through that squad, it strikes me that we have produced quite a good quality of midfielder over the past 10 years.

    Anyway, how well do you think that squad would do in the league and where do you think we'd be if we had it now?
     
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  4. MAJR

    MAJR Well-Known Member

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    Some old videos of British Pathe news I discovered today featuring Pompey from the 30's, 50's and 60's. Thought I'd share them.

    Portsmouth feature in Famous Football Clubs 1934:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87kYWWxx7Bw

    Pompey lose 2-1 to Brentford in the 4th round of the FA Cup in 1938:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A6Lpps3yVU

    Pompey lose 4-2 to Newcastle in the 6th round of the FA Cup in 1952 (special appearance by Pompey President and Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClDyuWVwuzM

    Pompey beating Lincoln 4-0 in the 3rd round of the FA Cup in 1952:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9FrERY38qw

    Pompey draw 1-1 with Burnley in the 3rd round of the FA Cup in 1953

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjHixr7YuOc

    Pompey loses 2-1 to Bolton in the 5th round of the FA Cup in 1954:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3-JFmrIIc0

    Pompey lose 2-0 to West Brom in the FA Cup 1956:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw8HEHGiWs8

    Pompey lose 2-1 to West Brom in the 5th round of the FA Cup in 1968:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeSHbOD4fKA
     
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  5. Wooperts_duck

    Wooperts_duck Well-Known Member
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    Nice thread, MAJR <ok>

    Not a bad defence with Begovic in goal, and a back four of Joel Ward/Jason Pearce/Adam Webster/Dan Butler.

    As you say midfield and attack need a bit of "beefing up", but not a bad nucleus of players.
     
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  6. MAJR

    MAJR Well-Known Member

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    It is a shame we never went down that route really. I mean, if we'd only added a few of the players transfered in over the years - for example: Hislop, James or Ashdown for Keepers, Primus, De Zeeuw, Stefanovic or Priske (never got a fair shot under Redknapp) for defence, Stone, Merson, Berger, Mendes or Taylor for Midfield and Todorov, Yakubu, Benjani or Kanu for forwards - we'd probably be a lower-table premier league side or promotion chasing Championship side. It's just an interesting experiment on how we could have looked if we'd been more sensible or conservative over the years - but, then, Pompey doesn't do sensible or conservative.
     
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  7. Piebacca

    Piebacca Well-Known Member

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    With good management, that team could do well in the Championship.
     
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  8. 3rd eye

    3rd eye Well-Known Member

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    This is an impressive list of news features.

    Over the last couple of years there have been a lot of brilliant video clips posted, then lost in the myriad of other topics.

    Perhaps we could have 1 thread stickied just to post 'relevant' videos' on so we don't lose track of them?
     
    #8
  9. MAJR

    MAJR Well-Known Member

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    Dont know if it'd be worth it to be honest. I'd just be a dead thread on the front page of the forum most of the time.
     
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  10. MAJR

    MAJR Well-Known Member

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    For some reason when I look back at our Premiership years I seem to recall Lomana Lua Lua being a proflic forward, but looking up his stats that does not seem to be the case as he only scored 19 goal in 88 appearances overall. And I'm wondering now why I thought he was prolific and the only reason I can come up with is perhaps he scored very important goals for us in games we had to win or that his goals were flashy which made him stand out more in my memory.
     
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  11. SaintLapras

    SaintLapras Well-Known Member

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    Remember those days when we used to have FA Cup runs? I miss them.
     
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  12. Wooperts_duck

    Wooperts_duck Well-Known Member
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    You must be thinking about the "Demolition Derby" for some reason.....<magic>
     
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  13. pompeymeowth

    pompeymeowth Prepare for trouble x
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    .
    please log in to view this image
     
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  14. MAJR

    MAJR Well-Known Member

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    I thought today I would attempt to look up what happened to our 2002/2003 First Division winning side and see where all of the players from that team are now.

    Goalkeepers

    Shaka Hislop - retired in August 2007, was a coach in Canada briefly in 2009 before becoming a pundit and commentator for ESPN. Also had a high profile feud with disgraced former CONCACAF President Jack Warner over money owed to the Trinidad and Tobago team for the 2006 World Cup.

    Sasa Illic - retired after failing to find a new club once released by Leeds 2005. He has since had investment in interior design companies and in banking in Austria, and had acted in some low-budget films like this one: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1109582/

    Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi - returned to Japan after being released by Pompey and failing to break into the Danish league. Wracked up over 200 appearences for Jubilo Iwata and moved to F.C. Gifu in 2014 where he seems to have been their first choice keeper.

    Defenders

    Jason Crowe - last know information I can find about hims is that played 26 games for Corby Town in the Conferance North in the 2012/13 season

    Eddie Howe - retired because of injuries and moved into management where he's in the middle of his second successful spell as Bournemouth boss and had some success at Burnley

    Hayden Foxe - returned to Australia in 2007 and retired after the 2010/11 season. According to transfermarkt.com he's an assistant coach at Melbourne Heart F.C.

    Arjan De Zeeuw - retired in 2009 and works as a forensic detective in Holland

    Linvoy Primus - retired in December 2009 and was a club amabassador for a while, currently working as a campaigner for his own Faith in Football charity and a public speaker.

    Gianluca Festa - retired after 2009 and moved into coaching. Was the head coach of Lumezzane in Italy and was linked with Leeds and Massimo Cellino's takeover

    Carl Tiler - retired in 2003 because of injuries and currently plays cricket for Aston Hall cricket club

    Lewis Buxton - played 53 games for Stoke between 2004 and 2009 before moving to Sheffiled Wednesday where he's played 195 times

    Midfielders

    Kevin Harper - played for Stoke and Dunfermline before retiring and was, the last I heard, attempting to set up a football academy in Scotland

    Nigel Quashie - went on to play for Southampton, West Brom, West Ham and QPR before moving to Iceland where he's plaed with IR and Bolungarvik

    Lassina Diabate - he played in France, Belgium and Switzerland before retiring 2009, dont know what happened to him after that.

    Matthew Taylor - moved to Bolton where he played over 100 games and currently plays for West Ham

    Carl Robinson - moved to Sunderland and Norwich before going to play in the MLS for Toronto and the New York Red Bulls. He moved into management and is currently head coah of the Vancouver Whitecaps

    Steve Stone - retired in 2007 and moved into coaching, currently a first team coach at Newcastle

    Richard Hughes - returned to Bournemouth but was released in 2014 and retired. He plans to work for BT as a pundit and to open a restaurant with his borther

    Tim Sherwood - retired after 2005 and moved into coaching at Tottenham where he was recently employed as their manager before being released at the end of last season

    Paul Merson - retired in 2006 after a spell as player/manager but made a one match return for Welshpool Town. currently a SkySport pundit.

    Forwards

    Mark Burchill - went on to playe for Hearts, Dunfermline, Rotherham, Kilmarnock, Enosis Neon, Edan United and currently contracted to Livingston

    Svetoslav Todorov - after injuried practically ended his Pompey career and he failed to find a club in England he returned to Bulgaria where he scored 36 goal in 82 appearences over three seasons for Litex Lovech. He moved into management and is currently manager of Dobrudzha Dobrich

    Vincent Pericard - played for Stoke, Carlise, Swindon and Havant and Waterlooville before retiring in 2012. He set up his own company which provides support for foreign players to help them acclimatize to life in new countries.

    Lee Bradbury - retired in 2011 and moved straight into management at Bournemouth before he was released after 69 games. He subsequently took up the riegns at Havant and Waterlooville

    Yakubu Aiyegbeni - played for Middlesborough, Everton and Blackburn before moving to China and subsequently to Qatari where he currently plays for Al Rayyan

    Deon Burton - played for Brentfor, Rotherham, Sheffiled Wednesday, Charlton, Gabala, Gillingham and S****horpe where he's still contracted today
     
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  15. devonFRATTONiser

    devonFRATTONiser Well-Known Member
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    As 'Where are they now' threads, this is excellent. Great bit of research <ok>
     
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  16. Wooperts_duck

    Wooperts_duck Well-Known Member
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    Good thread indeed, MAJR.
     
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  17. MAJR

    MAJR Well-Known Member

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    Looks like Marco Futacs is on his way back to Hungary after his time at Leicester didnt work out and his contract was cancelled by mutual consent. He spent sime time at Diosgyor on loan recently and they want him back for next season. I'm kind of dissapointed for him. He was decent for us during a difficult season and I really hoped he's stay with us in League One but he went to Leicester's for a better contract instead but just ended up sitting on their bench. I feel he never really got the chance to show his full potential in English football.
     
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  18. Wooperts_duck

    Wooperts_duck Well-Known Member
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    I bet he will be earning less back in Hungary, than we could pay him in the second division !

    Agree, he had something about him when he played for us. Wish him well in his career.
     
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  19. MAJR

    MAJR Well-Known Member

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    As a point of interest I thought I'd share what Exeter City FC think of us for the coming season: http://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/news/article/in-opposition-this-season-portsmouth-1711255.aspx


    An exciting-looking game against Andy Awford’s Portsmouth lies in store for Exeter City on the opening day of the 2014/15 Sky Bet League 2 season. Oliver Roderick takes a look at Pompey as the first League 2 side that will go face-to-face with the Grecians this term.


    Last season
    Portsmouth’s first season in the fourth tier of English football in 23 years culminated in a decent-looking 13th-place finish, though that was in part due to Andy Awford’s resuscitation of the team’s form in the campaign’s latter stages. Pompey’s struggles had led to the departures of two managers: Guy Whittingham left the club in late-November after seven months, and his successor, Richie Barker, was in the hotseat for an even smaller period.

    Guy Whittingham’s side were handed a harsh introduction to League 2 as Oxford United stormed Fratton Park, winning 4-1 on the opening day. The club never managed to string to wins together all season until Andy Awford’s second caretaker spell, when impressively he led the team to five in a row. Both games against Exeter City were memorable: a 3-2 Pompey win at Fratton Park was followed by a late Liam Sercombe equaliser saving a point for the Grecians at a packed St James Park in February.

    Two high-scoring draws – 4-4 at Bury before a 3-3 with Plymouth – were an entertaining way to finish the season, but Andy Awford will be tasked with using some of his defender’s experience to help his side keep them out in the coming campaign.


    The summer so far
    This season will see a new-look Portsmouth side as no fewer than 13 players departed the club at the start of May, following the conclusion of the last campaign. The first player to agree terms to join Pompey was midfielder Danny Hollands, who scored a hat-trick against Plymouth Argyle at Fratton Park on the final day of the season as his initial loan from Charlton Athletic came to an end.

    Nicky Shorey, the 33-year-old full-back who earned two England caps while with Reading in 2007, signed a one-year extension to his Portsmouth contract on May 27th, while Jed Wallace, followed suit by agreeing an extra three years on his own deal. Goalkeeper Paul Jones was signed to a three-year deal after the end of his stint at Crawley, not long before defender Sonny Bradley headed in the opposite direction.

    Boss Andy Awford’s recruitment drive continued when he secured the signatures of former Walsall striker Craig Westcarr and Nigel Atangana of Havant and Waterlooville, shortly before French midfielder Romain Padovani became the seventeenth player to depart Fratton Park this summer.

    James Dunne and goalkeeper Michael Poke joined from Stevenage and Torquay respectively this week as Pompey’s squad appears to be taking shape ahead of the big kick-off at St James Park in August.


    The manager
    Andy Awford
    Andy Awford was handed a one-year rolling contract to become Portsmouth manager on a permanent basis on May 1st, following a second spell as caretaker which began when previous boss Richie Barker departed the South Coast club after less than four months in charge.

    A loyal servant at Fratton Park, former defender Awford appeared over 300 times in Pompey blue between 1989 and 2000. Since retiring at the turn of the millennium, Awford has been gathering managerial experience through spells of chief scout, reserve team manager and academy manager at Portsmouth (his son Nick Awford, now in Portsmouth’s first team squad, is a product of the academy), in addition to tenures as head coach under Jim Smith at Oxford United and assistant manager at Bognor Regis Town.

    Now, as the official number one at a Football League club for the first time, Awford finally has the chance to show what he can do. Winning five of his seven matches as caretaker toward the end of last season was an impressive start.


    Ones to watch
    Patrick Agyemang
    New signing Craig Westcarr was a League 2 winner with Notts County in 2009/10, and after dropping down a division from Walsall, the former England Under-21 international will be looking to replicate that feat with Portsmouth this season. Former Ghana international Patrick Agyemang, meanwhile, was a part of Neil Warnock’s Championship-winning Queens Park Rangers in 2011.

    Midfielder Nick Awford will be looking to make his mark at first-team level with his dad in charge, while attacker Ricky Holmes caught the eye in Portsmouth’s match at St James Park last season.


    Head to head
    Though this is a fixture which dates back to 1914, Exeter City and Portsmouth have only met in competitive action 20 times. Portsmouth have enjoyed the better of things with eleven wins to Exeter’s three, with the Grecians’ last win over Pompey coming way back in January 1981. City thumped Portsmouth 4-0 in the first meeting, which took place before the First World War, and also came out on top in a 4-3 thriller in 1923, but there haven’t been many other high points since as far as the Grecians are concerned. Hopefully that will change this August.

    Exeter City wins: 3
    Portsmouth wins: 11
    Draws: 6


    Club links
    Alan Ball
    A whole host of former players and managers boast both Exeter City and Portsmouth on their CVs.

    Goalkeeper Paul Jones was the Grecians’ first-choice for long periods between 2005 and 2011, and became Andy Awford’s first signing as permanent Portsmouth boss in June.

    World Cup winner Alan Ball was Exeter City manager in between two spells in charge of Portsmouth. He took Portsmouth to the First Division in 1987, before going down the next season, and famously led the club to a great escape amidst financial difficulties in 1997/98 during his second spell. He had precedent – he kept Exeter in the third division against the odds in 1993.

    Former Wales international Richard Duffy had a disappointing five-year spell at Portsmouth, spending most of the time on loan elsewhere and making just the one appearance. His most successful period came while at Exeter City, where he was a full-choice full-back for three years before leaving for Port Vale, where he still is today.

    Defender Scott Hiley came through the Grecians’ youth system and had seven successful years at SJP before leaving for Birmingham City. Six years later he signed on at Portsmouth, from where he was sent on loan back to Exeter in 2002 before completing his return to Devon on a permanent basis later that year. Winger Martin Phillips enjoyed a similar career trajectory, coming through at Exeter, returning on loan four years after leaving and then heading to Fratton Park.

    Other links between the two clubs include former City manager Noel Blake, Jason Rees, Vince Hilaire, Lee Sharpe, Jon Gittens, Andy Gosney, Keith Viney, James Dunne, Lee Bradbury and Mark Chamberlain, father of Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.


    Key clash
    Exeter City 1-1 Portsmouth, St James Park, Saturday 8th February 2014

    A packed house looked on as Liam Sercombe rescued a point for Exeter City right at the death as the Grecians drew 1-1 with Portsmouth at St James Park.

    Jake Jervis side-footed Pompey in front in the first half, and the away side had for a long time looked like heading back to the South Coast with what would have been a rare three points after an open second period. But Sercombe had other plans, as his deflected effort at the end of second-half injury time saved the draw.


    Odds
    Portsmouth are joint third-favourites to win the Sky Bet League 2 title this season at odds of 10/1.

    Pompey’s odds for promotion are 9/4, while there is a 14/1 chance of relegation according to the league’s official sponsors.

    As far as the opening day goes, Andy Awford’s side are rated at 11/8 to get their campaign underway with a win at St James Park on August 9th, with the Grecians at 13/8 and the draw at 23/10.
     
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  20. Wooperts_duck

    Wooperts_duck Well-Known Member
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    <cheers> MAJR. Very informative post.

    Should be a great start to the season, and hopefully a Pompey win, to get us underway for what should be an exciting season ahead <ok>
     
    #20

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