marketharboroughfox

In a season of conceding farcical goals that has to be the winner. Incredible.

Had a whole week to prepare for this game and it’s like we’ve spent it treating things like business as usual.

Portsmouth look knackered from midweek. We don’t look like this is a must win game. Defending embarrassingly deep.

They had two prolonged spells of brilliant form broken up by some unconvincing runs like they're having recently. You don't end up top after 46 games by fluke though.

I haven't clapped them off all season.

I don't think even the most deranged Cov fan thinks they'll win the league!

An old fashioned mail campaign instead I think. Swamp them in so much post addressed to the various figures who need to read it; emails can be deleted/sent to spam, social media can be blocked, post physically arrives at the club and is a lot harder to ignore a big pile of it on your desk. I'm happy to share templates of the sort of stuff I've been sending in/

Interestingly I've had more success sending things in by post than e-mail, but nothing that amounts to more than 'duly noted'. Maybe Rudkin has a thing for envelopes, I don't know.

I've just got into Portsmouth, expecting another disinterested performance and bad result. But let's be clear, if we only went to games when the going was good we wouldn't have started out supporting this club.

It's got back very little, but being a fan isn't conditional in my book. I go to games hoping for the best, I join protests and write in to the club to do what I can to make things better on the pitch. I can both try to support the team that's out there while also trying to help effect a change of ownership. Again, these things aren't mutually exclusive.

Bizarre. I support the players on the pitch and separately join in any protests against the ownership. That's hard work with a group of players that have checked out months ago, but even so. They are not mutually exclusive 'Spanner'.

What’s the West Midlands Mayor got to do with this?

The Rowett to my Cifuentes you might say.

Is it? People on here have written about not going to games any more over the current state of the club. There’s proof tonight that it eventually turns around. That is all.

People who’ve a problem with my post tonight can find me in the away end tomorrow…I won’t hold my breath. Not missed a game all season unlike the majority on here I dare say.

Provided we’re only in it for one season there’s a lot to look forward to. Rediscovering a winning feeling, rebuilding the connection people have lost with the club, and getting our house in order. Sunderland got stuck for a few seasons but look at them now, it can often be what clears out all the problems and allows you to start fresh.

We couldn’t even beat Pompey the Great and he’s been dead 2000 years.

In an ideal universe… 1. Downsize all the training facilities and non essentials so the upkeep is in line with top end Championship/lower Prem standards. The bloated stuff we have now isn’t doing us any favours on the pitch and is costing a fortune to maintain. 2. Institute an internal wage cap to something like 70-80% of turnover. 3. Sack everyone associated with the current regime. 4. Start next season’s squad from a clean slate-ideally none of this season’s squad. 5. Double down on reconnecting the club with the community in the form of outreach, open training sessions etc. With new players who actually want to be here and will have a point to prove that is considerably easier than doing it with players who gave up yonks ago.

The reasons to be hopeful aren’t really there as far as the next 3 games are concerned. The future beyond that though…absolutely. The club will eventually recover from this, today’s villains will soon be gone and KP will follow at some point. Yes we are going to have to endure more pain before it gets better, but it will get better. I’ve been watching this club and following football too long to think otherwise.

Agents are about the only things more unpopular in the game than VAR. People who are there to leech off others’ success purely because players can’t be arsed with the admin.

The sight of that player carrying the ball all the way up the pitch reminded me so much of the LOTR bit where Aragorn screams to Legolas 'take him down!' as an orc runs in to blow up the fortress. If I have some time I'll make it into an image.

Next season a lot of those players will be gone and replaced with ones who care more about the shirt. The owners will take a while longer to move on but eventually will too. I’ll gladly continue going to protests and joining condemnation of the owners but the players on the pitch next season will be mostly different and deserving of our support.

Is a change of shape going to compensate for low work rate and individual lapses?

The idea that it’s more convenient to go and watch a double relegation than to stay away is…cute.

Who would you have appointed instead who could have turned things around in the same limited time?