With great thanks to Vital Pompey editor Rug, we ask a few questions on his club, their current financial situation and tonight’s game….
With great thanks to Vital Pompey editor Rug, we ask a few questions on his club, their current financial situation and tonight’s game….
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1) Considering the financial problems, do you think relegation is going to be forgone conclusion?
A ‘forgone conclusion?’ No way!
Of course the gap is opening, the players are leaving more frequently – and I dare say at least one or two more, maybe more, will be ‘loaned out with the view to buy’ before the loan window closes and the actual belief is being drained away but it is never over until it is over. Lots of games, and winnable ones, coming up and whilst its looking hard I am not throwing in the towel yet.
2) Who are the player/s to look out for?
Scott Allan was pretty quiet at the weekend but he seems lively so I would watch him. We ‘might’ get a sneaky loan striker in before the game, so that would be interesting. If Luke Varney is up to speed then he will cause problems but Stephen Henderson has been awesome in goal so if he is at his best, which he will need to be, he could frustrate you.
3) Do you sympathise with Michael Appleton?
Without a shadow of a doubt, this was not even remotely what he signed up for and had he had an inkling of what was in store why the hell would he have taken the job!
Absolutely gutted for the man as he, for me and many others, is the best thing to happen to this club in years – exactly what we have been crying out for an age, but he has come in at the wrong time and even if we do survive beyond the end of this season I cannot say I would hold it against him if he decided that was that…
4) It sounds strange, but do you think relegation would possibly be the best option for Pompey at the moment?
Definitely not, relegation will make a tough position for the next few years to come even tougher.
That said if it is relegation or liquidation then of course its a no-brainer, relegation all the way but as it stands the concern is that relegation will take us a step closer to the latter anyway…
5) What’s your prediction for the game?
You are unbeaten in 6, having won them all I think, we have not won in 6, having lost all but 2, so the writing is on the wall – Pompey win! Nah, seriously you would have to say that the head rules the heart and Reading will win.
A point is of course better than nothing but in the grand scheme of things I am not sure how much difference that will make to be honest, on the flip side if our rivals play you and get a point and we nothing then it is better than nothing!
With a pretty decent goal difference I would like us to start going all out for wins, even if it costs us defeat – then again perhaps this is what we should do against the likes of Bristol City, Coventry, Doncaster etc. as Reading will tear us a new one if we go gun ho tonight I guess…
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Thanks again to Rug for doing that and it goes without saying that everyone concerned with Reading Football Club would like to with Pompey the best of luck through their current financial troubles.
