Cup game next week.

[Lady Whistledown]

Lawrence loan turned into a permanent deal today - but paperwork provented him playing in time this evening. Michael Brown and Richard Hughes are close to waivering clauses for new deals if they make another appearance. Dave Kitson is a permanent signing for Portsmouth but they do have Dickinson and Sonko on loans from Stoke.....

It's good to know those plucky minnows can still find a few pennies to pay Kitson and Lawrence £20k per week. Shame about all the little people they couldn't be arsed to pay in the meantime. I notice Tal Ben Haim is also due back following his loan spell away from the club...I just hope they can scrape together the thirty odd grand a week he earns too.

Cue another week of Steve Cotterill banging on about his bare bones squad...when in reality they should have far fewer players than they do because they shouldn't be allowed to play the ones they've obtained through blatant financial chicanery.

 

[HAILSHAM SEAGULL]

I think playing a weakened side in the first couple of rounds led to a drop in momentum, so I want us to put out a strong team, and keep that going. Though, on the other hand, I would prefer league success to a run in the cup.

But we have had a two week break , so the players should be champing at the bit, admittedly we will have had three league games in 5 days, so have they, and that is why you have a squad, something Pompey havnt............so put out a strong team Gus and lets do 'em

 

[Spun Cuppa]

I think if we go into any game with a 'this doesn't matter' attitude, we are destined to lose. Footballers are by their very nature winners, so there shouldn't be any half measures, AND it's Portsmouth FFS!

 

[Return of the Rev]

full strength we have a great chance,our last season to bring man utd,chelsea etc to the mighty withdean would love a last hurrah! for withdean

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Here's a question then. Greg Halford is currently on loan to Pompey from Wolves. He also got sent off today for a head butt and thus presumably would be suspended for the Albion game.

So if you're a loan player who is prevented by your home club from playing in a cup game because they don't want you cup tied (or because you were already cup tied), would that match still count towards your suspension? Even if you could never play in that match anyway?

 

[severnside gull]

Kitson was suspended today but will be back for the cup game and is expected to be allowed to play. Liam Lawrence's loan is being made permanent so he will play. Mike Brown can't play for them again without triggering a clause costing Pompey an extra pile of money and Hughes likewise if he plays another game will trigger a clause giving him a 12 month contract extension. He has offered to take a 50% pay cut so whether there is a deal done or he is up for sale who knows?


Of course they also have Nugent Kanu and Utaka - that is one hell of an attack for a team with a squad of 17 or 18.


I think we will play a pretty much full strength side (I hope so because I do subscribe to the change the side and lose momentum faction) and I think we are more than capable of winning it. However, as long as no-one is injured or suspended I really couldn't care less about the result. I am more concerned that our competitors in the league will be able to close the gap on us. Indeed depending on tomorrow's results the scc could even overtake us at the top while we play in a competition we cannot win.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Of course they also have Nugent Kanu and Utaka - that is one hell of an attack for a team with a squad of 17 or 18.

Not to mention a debt of £100 million

 

[severnside gull]

Here's a question then. Greg Halford is currently on loan to Pompey from Wolves. He also got sent off today for a head butt and thus presumably would be suspended for the Albion game.

So if you're a loan player who is prevented by your home club from playing in a cup game because they don't want you cup tied (or because you were already cup tied), would that match still count towards your suspension? Even if you could never play in that match anyway?

Good question but as far as I can work out it doesn't matter if he wouldn't be allowed to play by his club - the suspension still applies to the cup game.
If he was already cup tied on the other hand I THINK that the suspension would carry over to the next game for which he is eligible.

By my working out it means Halford won't be able to play and I reckon they will be down to about 4 players on the bench (which as you can only play 3 of them I guess doesn't matter)

 

[Spun Cuppa]

By 'a competition we cannot win' I take it you mean The FA Cup, which has been going on for 100 years (?) or more, and has over six hundred clubs entering every season?

Taking your logic further, perhaps it should only be for the top sixteen Premiership clubs that season, going through three rounds, followed by the final?

I think the players love the competition and are not overly bothered about results that might or might not go their way while participating in it

 

[severnside gull]

Normally I would be the first in the queue to support your view but this season a few extra games in the cup could be crucial to us losing league momentum and our opponents gaining momentum. And THAT could be the difference between kicking off at the Amex in the Championship or not.

I reckon this is the first and last time in more than 50 years of following football that I've said I'm not fussed whether we progress in the FA Cup or not

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I must say I'm far more interested in this tie than I am in either of the two previous games. They were a mere inconvenience.

This time the atmosphere should be a lot better (yes FC United sung a lot, but it was only them bothering) and I think that will transmit itself to the players. If we win, it'll be fun, if we lose, it doesn't matter so long as nobody gets injured or suspended as a result. I also don't think Poyet will fill the team with the likes of Hart either: it's not as though we've played loads of games lately so players can't complain of exhaustion.

 

[Spun Cuppa]

Fair play to you. I just want us to go as far in the cup as possible, and keep the momentum in the chase for promotion, which, tbf, doesn't look like abating. If anything, it looks like we are hitting a good bit of form right across the squad and should be more than a match for the opponents coming up. Having watched them myself for over forty years now, I know our propensity for folding, but don't see it happening, mainly because GP won't let it happen

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I can't say I will lose any sleep if we do go out, as I would hate the competition to get in the way of our league campaign as it seemed to do in November, but that said, I despise Pompey, so, you know, I will quite happily enjoy the moment if we win.

 

[HAILSHAM SEAGULL]

Kitson was suspended today but will be back for the cup game and is expected to be allowed to play. Liam Lawrence's loan is being made permanent so he will play. Mike Brown can't play for them again without triggering a clause costing Pompey an extra pile of money and Hughes likewise if he plays another game will trigger a clause giving him a 12 month contract extension. He has offered to take a 50% pay cut so whether there is a deal done or he is up for sale who knows?


Of course they also have Nugent Kanu and Utaka - that is one hell of an attack for a team with a squad of 17 or 18.


I think we will play a pretty much full strength side (I hope so because I do subscribe to the change the side and lose momentum faction) and I think we are more than capable of winning it. However, as long as no-one is injured or suspended I really couldn't care less about the result. I am more concerned that our competitors in the league will be able to close the gap on us. Indeed depending on tomorrow's results the scc could even overtake us at the top while we play in a competition we cannot win.

Be surprised if Kanu would last 90 minutes

 

[mickywilkins]

Kitson is a perm signing for Pompey plus cash in exchange for Mark Wilson. So he will play...he is not a loan.

Kitson was suspended today but will be back for the cup game and is expected to be allowed to play.

 

[cheshunt seagull]

I wouldn't have been too bothered had we been up against 90% of the sides in the 3rd Round Draw, but I have been so disgusted by PFC's mismanagement with small companies and others picking up the tab for their false successes in the competition, that this really tie matters to me. They represent everything that is wrong about the modern game and I would love to see us massively rub their noses in it.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Portsmouth are the prime example of avoiding your debts and common sense to get out of them. I would love it if we beat them!

An FA Cup run could spur on the side not do our league run down unless we loose to poor opposition. This is what we did in the league cup and it messed up league form and cost us a profitable and fun tie against Liverpool. With the FA Cup being far bigger than the League Cup I feel we should try 100% to win. It matters less than a league game if we loose, but that doesn't mean we should aspire to IMHO!