Play up Pompey
After 12 years languishing outside of The Championship, 7 in League One, Portsmouth finally found the secret sauce to get themselves back in there after coming from behind to beat Barnsley tonight and are crowned L1 champions.
We’ll miss those points we usually take off our long time peers, but Pompey are a proper club, so congratulations to them and their supporters.
Pompey became very hard to beat under John Mousinho and finished last season on an unbeaten run. They recruited well in the summer, and have found a real level of consistency throughout the season.
Sounds so simple doesn’t it, but Pompey haven’t had to be anywhere near amazing to get out of this league. In other season’s 100 points were needed to secure promotion, or there would be four or five unwavering challengers, but not this season.
Bolton or Derby will stutter to promotion and one of Lincoln, Oxford or a bang average Blackpool could easily win the play-off’s.
We have long known that this has been the weakest L1 for many a season, and whilst we looked a gift horse in the mouth, Portsmouth achieved promotion by building a spirited team, setting a realistic ambition backed by a grounded yet clear-sighted board which has allowed them to lead the table pretty much all season.
Not jealous at all, however the blueprint is there for us to follow, but L1 will not be this weak again for a long time.
Well Done Pompy, Pompy well done.
I’m really pleased for them, let’s make sure that is us next year please!
While Ipswich and Pompey appear to have found the formula to finally get out of this league and we may try to follow their leads.
I don’t think personally it’s as simple as that, I think there are many factors that need/are being put in place to make everything at our club gel and of course, ‘the best laid plans of mice and men’ and all that but I guess one has to start somewhere.
Let’s hope we succeed and then I might regain my desire to attend matches, I haven’t been at all this season and can anyone blame me?
I haven’t been to a live game either this season, Martin. First time other than that Covid year since 1975.
I was thwarted by an International call up cancellation, but in all honesty I didn’t want to waste money or watching them, when years previously money wasn’t really an object.
Still watch the games on CATV, but like you I’m hoping Nathan Jones brings the fire back where I’d fly home literally just to see a game because I felt compelled to do so.