The sack Barker Brigade

[17thMay08]

Like everyone else at FP yesterday I was left with inevitable conclusion that we were shocking and ultimately the buck stops at the manager. However, does anyone in their right mind think that sacking Barker would be a move in the right direction. He's been in the job for 2 months, he has a squad, that at best is very average at league 2 level & he is now having to deal with a crowd that feel that because we are averaging 15k at home & at least 1k at every away game that these extremely average players should be more than a match for their opponents, our players obviously can't raise their game to the levels expected of the crowd, & let's be honest the crowd have not lived up to their previously awarded accolades, at all this season. At best we've been loud in spells of a game this season, but then 15k voices should be.

12 months ago we were on the brink of extinction, 12 months on a section of our support are sounding like the mega rich chairman who throw their toys out of the pram &

[Pompey_Gezz]

Sot on.

[EnfieldBlue]

Pretty much agree with all of that except the average league 2 squad. Lots of them have experience of playing at a higher level, including some at Premier League. They should be doing better.

[kendaldaz]

I also agree with the above,richie barker also has players that he has to get who are either loans or frees,[no excuse for not giving their all though]we all new what we were to get when the club come out of admin,3 games in 7 days on heavy pitches won't have helped as rb more or less said the players he inherited weren't fit,im not making excuses as I feel as frustrated as everyone else,i think this season will continue to frustrate us all too,but we will survive,then rb will have a full summer to sort out what he wants,then we can judge him,keep our heads up and love pfc,it could have been so very different for us all

[midhurstblue]

Talking of the ave. 15000 gates. I think that that average is going to drop off soon, Its O.K. for the Pompey based fans to leave home in the afternoon, go to the match and straight back home, but there are a large proportion of fans who travel for hours to get to the match and back,I suspect that some will soon stop bothering and listen on the radio. After being out played by Torquay their loyalty must be getting very thin.:(

[gosport]

one shot on target in the entire 90mins against the team 2nd from bottom says it all . baker is so negative it is untrue . a win yesterday would have take us 9 points clear of the drop zone but barker sets out for a draw.
SACK HIM

[mothman]

When our best goal scorer who could come on and change a game is sent to Oxford, I question the managers capability.
Unacceptable.

[17thMay08]

Who would you replace him with on a punitive rolling 12 month rolling contract, where would you get the money from to pay up Barker's contract & would you sack your new manager if his record was the same

[gosport]

Barker is taking the club down . his style of football is rubbish at least under witts we looked like we could score .

[johno2499]

Playing someone like Shorey out of position for no apparent reason is worrying. Over the years managers who persistently play people out of position usually turn out to be unsuccessful. Changing winning teams is another very worrying sign.

[17thMay08]

So Gosport, if you made the decisions would you recall Whittingham...I'm as frustrated as everyone but even Abramovich wouldn't sack a manager after 2 months

[17thMay08]

Johno, fans were singing Shorey's praises in centre mid after the Oxford & Morecombe games, Painter is the only other left back at the club, so maybe someone other than Padovani to partner him in centre mid might be a more plausible debate

[gosport]

not sure 17th of may . maybe the club should have stuck with whittingham but its all in the past now . but I really think Barker will take the club down the bloke has not got a clue. if he does go I would give Awford the job until the end of the season

[PompeyScarf]

"I started out playing in midfield when I was a kid and it has always been my favourite position," - view external link (http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-City-defender-Nicky-Shorey-reveals-desire/story-19748408-detail/story.html)

[gosport]

I would play Racon ahead of Padovani

[PompeyScarf]

Under Whittingham the players were unfit and blatantly taking the pi55 when it came to training. If the club had stuck with him it would've been bad for him aswell. He looked terrible in his last interviews and no one should want to see that.

Barker has at least addressed the fitness issue. He needs to address quality now and that'll take a long time. But he knows this and said so in his early interviews.

And Awford doesn't want the job.

[17thMay08]

Gosport, Racon was dreadful in his last game against Oxford, his 1st touch & timing was awful & he had to be dragged off before he got sent off. However, I agree you can't play 2 ball players in centre midfield, especially at this level

[Mangosmate]

Whittingham was awful and signed awful players and persisted with the crap when he had better on the bench. Awford wasn't convincing and barker is a mate of the chairman.

I think barker has steadied the ship, but is far too defensive, so its hardly being right or brave in doing so.So unless he tries to win games we're in real trouble.

Yesterday at home playing an awful side we created NOTHING and barker didn't change it around when after 10 minutes anyone could see we were terrible.

Unfortunately richie has no football pedigree, so the style of his football is of a very poor defensive standard. Yesterday he was yet again too concerned about a poor side rather than how we can hurt them.

bad times with bad players and shocking performances.

[chiblu]

At least the players we have out on loan will have plenty of conference league experience ready for next season.

[AndoverPFC]

Barker is a small club manager, Pompey is too big for him.

[17thMay08]

So with that conclusion, we'll never be able to afford a manager to match the expectations of some

[gosport]

I think the conclusion is we are right royally **** ed . I just hope we can stay in this league somehow PUP

[PompeyScarf]

So with that conclusion, we'll never be able to afford a manager to match the expectations of some

Nope. Some people's expectations have nothing to do with reality - it's always been there whichever league we're in.

Yesterday some were expecting a 3-4 goal win - ridiculous. Why should we suddenly be able to create plenty of good chances when we've barely created any - even at Wycombe?

[17thMay08]

I was suggesting that we're only a biggish club because we get home gates of 15k, apart from that we're on a par with Torquay, no more no less. The fact that we've attracted players because we currently get 15k gates, which they cant cope with, is the bigger issue

[BileysThere]

I was suggesting that we're only a biggish club because we get home gates of 15k, apart from that we're on a par with Torquay, no more no less. The fact that we've attracted players because we currently get 15k gates, which they cant cope with, is the bigger issue

Do we accept our present status then?
If we go out of the lg will we attract managers/players who won't be under pressure to get us back up?
The board do not have anymore mistakes to make.
Get rid of Barker now.

[chiblu]

I was suggesting that we're only a biggish club because we get home gates of 15k, apart from that we're on a par with Torquay, no more no less. The fact that we've attracted players because we currently get 15k gates, which they cant cope with, is the bigger issue

Do we accept our present status then?
If we go out of the lg will we attract managers/players who won't be under pressure to get us back up?
The board do not have anymore mistakes to make.
Get rid of Barker now.[/quote]Before it's irretrivable. He's brought in players which in all honesty are no better than we had - they all need their collective arses kicked.

[17thMay08]

IMO, Taylor, Jervis, Fogden & Shorey are as good if not better than we already have/had...Still, lets sack him & get someone else in, we're loaded.

[BileysThere]

IMO, Taylor, Jervis, Fogden & Shorey are as good if not better than we already have/had...Still, lets sack him & get someone else in, we're loaded.

First get rid of him, he is not the long/short term answer. Get Awford to finish the season.
Or get Whitts back.
We need a Ballie or Harry end to the season, someone who will lift the whole place, Whitts is our best bet.

[17thMay08]

Fortunately, you're not in control of my share money Biley

[chiblu]

IMO, Taylor, Jervis, Fogden & Shorey are as good if not better than we already have/had...Still, lets sack him & get someone else in, we're loaded.

I dont think that any of them have pulled up any trees. Taylor and Jervis in particular. I know it's all a matter of opinion.

[17thMay08]

As you say all about opinions, they'll all do for me, compared to what we have

[kendaldaz]

when looking at the league table,only 10pts,seperates 8th and 23rd,pompey,inconsistant as are most teams in league 2,but 17 games to go and I reckon 20 pts should keep us up,its worrying time for all pompey fans,but imo,sacking managers willy nilly won't help

[dsmg]

IMO, Taylor, Jervis, Fogden & Shorey are as good if not better than we already have/had...Still, lets sack him & get someone else in, we're loaded.

First get rid of him, he is not the long/short term answer. Get Awford to finish the season.
Or get Whitts back.
We need a Ballie or Harry end to the season, someone who will lift the whole place, Whitts is our best bet.[/quote]

We all have opinions but I think you're living in cloud cuckoo land if you think any of that is going to happen.Guy will not come back in the foreseeable future. Awford doesn't want the job. We can't afford to sack Barker after two months.

[Lancer]

Our players just need a bit of get up and go.

The manager needs to install a bit of 'Want to win' and not the current 'Ya, that'll do' attitude.'

They need to start earning their wages, at the moment they are just appearing for 90 minutes.

[lovedeanblue]

We can't win home games as we don't ever create owt. We've only scored 2 goals in the last 5 home games, our Fratton End scoring total is pathetic. I have to say Saturday was one of the worst Pompey home performances I can remember and I've seen a few. I walked out with 2 minutes of normal time left, I don't do that sort of thing. The Saga Louts will get the blame no doubt :blue:

[Jim]

Our players just need a bit of get up and go.

The manager needs to install a bit of 'Want to win' and not the current 'Ya, that'll do' attitude.'

They need to start earning their wages, at the moment they are just appearing for 90 minutes.

I disagree with that. I think the players have been giving the effort but they're just not good enough going forward.

Taylor and Jervis are hardly going to be prolific, Agyemang is a shadow of his former self, Barcham has been terrible since October, Holmes keeps getting injured and Wallace is too inconsistent.

This team has plenty of graft but not enough creativity. I do wonder why Barker insists on playing Shorey and Padovani in the middle, but then Racon is hardly anything special either.

A question for those who want Barker out: Who would you like in instead to save us from this mess with the same crop of players?

[Corkhead]

Who would you like in instead to save us from this mess with the same crop of players?

Mourinho and Wenger as a duumvirate.

[EnfieldBlue]

Joe Kinnear anyone?... :O