they have to stop and start again... there's gambling and then theres Portsmouth, they kept rolling the dice as the odds got longer and longer and longer ... drop out and start again, they will still get 5k a week and with all debt got they can be back in the league within 5 or 6 yrs ...
Michael Appleton has slammed the budget cut that has left him attempting to build a team on a shoestring in a matter of days as he told Portpin: We will be relegated.
The long-suffering Blues boss has only development squad players available to him for tonight’s Capital One Cup clash at Plymouth.
He feels he has been misled after the club’s prospective new owners slashed the previously-agreed wage bill from £4m-per-season to just £1.5m – as revealed by The News yesterday.
Appleton has spent all summer attempting to recruit players with the bigger figure in mind.
He admits he could have coped if handed the reduced budget back in May, but is now certain Pompey will be relegated from League One this season following the 10-point deduction and a budget comparable to a mid-table club in League Two.
Appleton blasted: ‘Unfortunately, the figures that have been reported are right.
‘But if I was given a budget of what has been reported on May 1, for instance, then I would have gone out there and got the best 20 players within that budget.
‘What I did do is spend all summer recruiting the best 20 players under a budget I was originally told.
‘For that budget to change less than a week before the start of the season is slightly unprofessional under any circumstances.
‘The budget is not a big difference – it is a gigantic difference. It is over 60-per-cent less than originally.
‘It is hard enough to deal with that when you’ve got two months to do it, let alone six or seven days.
‘I have now got to somehow go and find 20 players to go and fit a different scenario, but with only six days to do it.’
Asked what the new budget meant in terms of this season’s League One prospects, Appleton replied: ‘Relegation. Without any shadow of any doubt.
‘And that is me being probably the most optimistic person you have ever come across in recent times at Portsmouth.
‘I am also a realist to understand.
‘We will fight it right to the death of the final whistle of the final game but I certainly won’t be putting the players under more pressure than they need to be.
‘If I was given the budget we talked about originally, I basically put my neck on the line at the time and said regardless of the 10-point deduction I would get us back into the Championship.’
Aside from the time he has wasted on attempting to recruit players he can no longer afford, Appleton is also seething that nobody from Portpin will return his calls.
He said: ‘Trevor (Birch) has reported back to me but no-one from Portpin has rung me to tell me.
‘They are not picking up their voicemail or texts.’
The Blues boss was informed of the new budget over the weekend by administrator Birch but is now attempting to deal with the new remit.
Appleton said: ‘You go through mixed emotions. When you get told it is like anything, initially you are angry, disappointed, your back’s up and you want to take it out on someone.
‘Luckily, I get out of it quite quickly. Normally it takes me a couple of hours.’
There was a lot of money placed on Plymouth last night to move them from 11/10 to 4/6 to beat Portsmouth. They only managed to enlist three substitutes. I can see a lot of money going onto Bournemouth win this coming Saturday
I can understand That Appleton would be annoyed but Portsmouth are lucky to still be here. Maybe they need that sort of wage budget and re-group for 2-3 years.
By the looks of one of the Pompey forums, some of them are actually wishing they were just put out of their misery and given the chance to start all over again.
not sure but don't PortPin, Chanrai's mob, own the stadium?
As an aside, nice of Appleton to tell players he hasn't even recruited yet that they are definately going to get relegated.
I think the whole point is that he isn't really going to be able to recruit them with the time/funds he has. Therefore it is likely their going to be fielding teams similar to the one they had last night at Plymouth.
I find it staggering that Appleton can be complaining that they are just about to knock another load of creditors, they have bullied professional footballers that signed contracts in good faith to waive their rights to money and then he wants someone to stump up £4m to find the club for a season so that he can make a challenge for promotion.
I understand how the administration rules work, but if they can afford £4m they should be paying £2.5m off their debts and running a £1.5m team.
FFS this club is the worst ever in terms of financial mis-management and he wants to commit to a £4m a year wage budget when (even with that sum) they are likely to be in League 2 next season. If they go down with a budget of that size they will be asking players to leave for free again next summer.
As much as the fans will suffer this club needs to die. What happened at Rangers is indicative of how the public, and football fans in general, feel about this type of overspending and knocking creditors. It has to end!
I find it staggering that Appleton can be complaining that they are just about to knock another load of creditors, they have bullied professional footballers that signed contracts in good faith to waive their rights to money and then he wants someone to stump up £4m to find the club for a season so that he can make a challenge for promotion.
I understand how the administration rules work, but if they can afford £4m they should be paying £2.5m off their debts and running a £1.5m team.
FFS this club is the worst ever in terms of financial mis-management and he wants to commit to a £4m a year wage budget when (even with that sum) they are likely to be in League 2 next season. If they go down with a budget of that size they will be asking players to leave for free again next summer.
As much as the fans will suffer this club needs to die. What happened at Rangers is indicative of how the public, and football fans in general, feel about this type of overspending and knocking creditors. It has to end!
I think Appleton's frustration more lies within the fact that he was told he had a certain amount of budget and now with 6 days to go before the start of the season is told that it is actually about 30-40% percent of that.
My limited understanding is that, for the supporters bid to succeed, Chanrai needs to relinquish his charge on the stadium for a 'nominal' fee - can't see this happening.
My limited understanding is that, for the supporters bid to succeed, Chanrai needs to relinquish his charge on the stadium for a 'nominal' fee - can't see this happening.
No agent in their right mind will let their player go there. They could have a budget of 400 million and offer prem wages and it wouldnt be worth the paper it's written on as proved by all their players theyve recently knocked.
Think I'd even have to think twice if they offered me guaranteed first team football.
Comments
The long-suffering Blues boss has only development squad players available to him for tonight’s Capital One Cup clash at Plymouth.
He feels he has been misled after the club’s prospective new owners slashed the previously-agreed wage bill from £4m-per-season to just £1.5m – as revealed by The News yesterday.
Appleton has spent all summer attempting to recruit players with the bigger figure in mind.
He admits he could have coped if handed the reduced budget back in May, but is now certain Pompey will be relegated from League One this season following the 10-point deduction and a budget comparable to a mid-table club in League Two.
Appleton blasted: ‘Unfortunately, the figures that have been reported are right.
‘But if I was given a budget of what has been reported on May 1, for instance, then I would have gone out there and got the best 20 players within that budget.
‘What I did do is spend all summer recruiting the best 20 players under a budget I was originally told.
‘For that budget to change less than a week before the start of the season is slightly unprofessional under any circumstances.
‘The budget is not a big difference – it is a gigantic difference. It is over 60-per-cent less than originally.
‘It is hard enough to deal with that when you’ve got two months to do it, let alone six or seven days.
‘I have now got to somehow go and find 20 players to go and fit a different scenario, but with only six days to do it.’
Asked what the new budget meant in terms of this season’s League One prospects, Appleton replied: ‘Relegation. Without any shadow of any doubt.
‘And that is me being probably the most optimistic person you have ever come across in recent times at Portsmouth.
‘I am also a realist to understand.
‘We will fight it right to the death of the final whistle of the final game but I certainly won’t be putting the players under more pressure than they need to be.
‘If I was given the budget we talked about originally, I basically put my neck on the line at the time and said regardless of the 10-point deduction I would get us back into the Championship.’
Aside from the time he has wasted on attempting to recruit players he can no longer afford, Appleton is also seething that nobody from Portpin will return his calls.
He said: ‘Trevor (Birch) has reported back to me but no-one from Portpin has rung me to tell me.
‘They are not picking up their voicemail or texts.’
The Blues boss was informed of the new budget over the weekend by administrator Birch but is now attempting to deal with the new remit.
Appleton said: ‘You go through mixed emotions. When you get told it is like anything, initially you are angry, disappointed, your back’s up and you want to take it out on someone.
‘Luckily, I get out of it quite quickly. Normally it takes me a couple of hours.’
The rest of the players (apart from the stand in keeper who was signed on a game basis on the day) were all 18 or under.
They only fielded 3 subs and one of those was a 15 year old.
http://www.skysports.com/
As an aside, nice of Appleton to tell players he hasn't even recruited yet that they are definately going to get relegated.
Except the bell ringing bloke, not him!
I understand how the administration rules work, but if they can afford £4m they should be paying £2.5m off their debts and running a £1.5m team.
FFS this club is the worst ever in terms of financial mis-management and he wants to commit to a £4m a year wage budget when (even with that sum) they are likely to be in League 2 next season. If they go down with a budget of that size they will be asking players to leave for free again next summer.
As much as the fans will suffer this club needs to die. What happened at Rangers is indicative of how the public, and football fans in general, feel about this type of overspending and knocking creditors. It has to end!
more here about the Trusts chances
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/aug/15/portsmouth-brink-liquidation-chainrai-withdraws
http://www.pompeytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=431:trust-urges-fans-to-dig-deep-to-turn-pompey-into-a-community-club&catid=34:demo-category
Think I'd even have to think twice if they offered me guaranteed first team football.