Pompey needs the financial backing to match fans’ ambitions
Given the failure to progress over the last two seasons and the less than encouraging start to this seasons campaign, it is to be expected that the manager, Kenny Jackett will be first in the firing line.
I believe it goes deeper than that. It is evident that he has not had the financial backing needed to properly strengthen the team.
Go back to the season before last – Ben Thompson was the main difference between automatic promotion and play-offs. When he left at Christmas he was not adequately replaced during the January window. Many of us felt that in the following pre-season window with the sales of Jamal Lowe and Matt Clarke expected, a minimum of £6m, would be added to the existing transfer budget. This would enable the priority of a midfield player in the Thompson mould to be acquired plus the strengthening of other areas.
When the window opened we did nothing but watched as Coventry and Peterborough were ‘hot off the blocks’ in acquiring good but reasonably priced players. Several weeks later we recruited a small glut of free transfer and loan players and paid £450,000 for Ellis Harrison.
The fans have lost count of the times Pompey have been associated with a particular player and just failed to clinch the signing before another club stepped in.
Portsmouth supporters are the lifeblood of the club. The base of support was one of the reasons the present owners bought the club. Pompey fans are sensible – we don’t expect miracles or vast sums spent on players but we would like to see the hierarchy of the club try to match the supporters’ ambition.
Charles Mos Laburnum Grove, Copnor