52 points...

[lovedeanblue]

That is RB's target


POMPEY have been set a 52-point target for survival by manager Richie Barker.


That is the figure he believes can see the Blues emerge from a highly-congested relegation battle to remain in League Two.

To achieve that, 13 points are required from their final 13 matches of the campaign.

In Barkers past 13 games in charge, Pompey have reaped 17 points yet remain in danger of dropping into non-league football.

And such is the nature of League Two this season, the Blues boss thinks at least 14 clubs are fighting the threat of relegation.

Pompey currently sit in 18th spot seven points clear of the relegation zone and 11 short of the play-offs.

It promises to be a tense season finale for more than half the divisions clubs and Barker has his sights on the magical 52-point mark.

He said: you had asked me two weeks ago I would have said 50 points would be enough. I dont know if thats going to be the case now.

I think somebody will get dragged into it who you dont

[Corkhead]

At the minute we are pretty much win one, draw one, lose one, thats the way we are.


Draw tomorrow then? I'll be happy with that. :O

[pompeyx]

But we are not playing until Monday night. ;D

[Corkhead]

Fuddammit! I've already left for the match. :O

Posted from my Nokia E50 mobile phone.

[lovedeanblue]

But we are not playing until Monday night. ;D Got my TV all tuned for Monday too ;D But Yes I'd take a point now. There will be twists and turns this afternoon elsewhere no doubt ?

[lovedeanblue]

Reckon we can be satisfied with the results today. Now if we could get a point Monday evening ...

[geoffp]

I took grandsons x 3 to see Cobblers v Bristol Rovers today (Don't ask - it was a complicated 'trade off' related to getting my son to agree to drive us back from Chesterfield on Monday)
The game was really poor, and (without tempting fate too much) some of the required 52 points ought to be obtained when we play these teams - atmosphere was also funereal. ;D

[kendaldaz]

looking at that table is quite unbelievable to be honest,pompey's had a poor season,but could end up 9th or relegated,it was only a few weeks ago a Morecambe fan up here said to me,you lot could go down again,which is quite true,but I think he will be more than a bit nervous about them staying up now,no win in ten and falling rapidly,been in top half all season,3pts tomorrow would be very nice indeed,play up pompey

[bluekriss66]

Will we acheive this magical 52 points..yes or no ?

[___Whatever___]

Ten points off the playoffs and I am looking up not down!

[Corkhead]

Will we acheive this magical 52 points..yes or no ?

4 wins from 12 games? I should beedin' co-co. That just about matches our season's progress of win one, draw one, lose one.

[lovedeanblue]

Apart from the first 20 minutes or so of the second half it was dire. If we are to reach RB's target of 52 points, We need an average of exactly 1 point a game. We will suffer defeats in the remaining games for sure, so somehow we need to win games. However it is hard to see where a win is coming from, it's not just me who says that. :blue:

[nonsuchmike]

Se my post on the Math(e)matics thread for a breakdown of what we need.

[midhurstblue]

Lets just win the next 3 games XD XD XD XD then we are almost assured of staying up.XD XD XD XD

[lovedeanblue]

50 sent Rovers down, with Wycombe of course staying up on goal difference. God knows how many wed have finished up with if Barker hadnt been sacked. Well done the board :star: even if it did take far too long :blue:

[nonsuchmike]

Or, put another way, Richie Barker was absolutely right in that 52 pts ensured League football next term, and his hunch that 50 pts would not be enough to stave off relegation was also right.

Where he was wrong was in how Portsmouth went about securing the points necessary to secure League status. He used the right 'Droids, but in the wrong formation with totally incorrect tactics to motivate the team into achieving the required results.

When the Management and players are punch-drunk with wrong results and conflicting messages, then the right dose of medicine is to refer them all to AA! Which the Board did, and hey presto! here we are up to 13th and finishing the season strongly, unlike AFC Wimbledon, Bristol Rovers and Oxford United.