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Writer: pompeyrug 
Date:Saturday July 12 2008
Time: 10:27AM
UK time is: 21:41:11
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Pompey to target 4th? Why not!
There can be a fine line between 'targets' that are set, which is something everyone should do and what some might 'expect' to happen with Pompey this season... Some clubs, the Arsenal's, Chelski's, Manyoo's, Liverpool's, Real Madrid's, Barcelona's etc. have expectations, not targets but I hope we never become a club that out and out 'expects' anything, merely targets and hopes for.
Whilst I am not expecting Pompey to do anything, well, I say not expecting anything, I am expecting them to at least match last seasons league achievements and why shouldn't we? - Winning a cup is not something that I expect in the slightest, but I would love it to happen! We are good enough to finish at least 8th again, and even that 8th place from last season I feel could, and maybe should have been better to be honest...
To all intent and purpose once we beat Manyoo in the FA cup quarter final our season was about the FA cup. We did not give up on the league entirely, well not until we had made the final itself, but as near as had on the whole - so taking this into account had we given it 100% in all of our final half a dozen games or so we could have been really knocking on the door for 4th, I would suspect 5th would have been easily achieved.
By the time the 2008/09 season comes around we will be another year stronger, wiser, have a bigger squad and all being well be a few top quality players better of, Peter Crouch is a very, very good start and makes a real signal of intent!
Liverpool are a fantastic club, I have nothing against the scousers at all but they are there for the taking - as they were last season. Every season is going to be 'the season', but it is not and the chasing pack are closing the gap on the top 4, well maybe not all of them but Liverpool in particular for me.
So, if we have that bit of luck, rotate our squad around to use it to it's fullest, have the complete belief that we can do it should we not be capable of being the side to breach the top 4? Everton, Villa and Spurs all fully believe that they can do this. On paper - and I know nothing is won in this way - we have a squad currently easily as good, some might say better than each of these sides with other possible arrivals too...
It is crazy to think - and I genuinely never thought I would see the day when I thought this - but I really do think that we are capable of obtaining a top 4 finish this season! Although once again I must stress I am not expecting this, I merely think that it is not beyond reason to target this.
Someone I once worked with told me - and I am sure this is a well known saying - 'if you reach for the moon and fall at least you will land among the stars', this is something I have tried to use as inspiration over the years and adapt it to suit us this season in as much as if we aim for 4th but fall short we will at least fall among the chasing pack and hopefully at least match last seasons achievements, which will make me more than happy, but why should Pompey not be aiming high...
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Your Comments
Great to aim high. I would imagine, Man City, Everton, Spurs, Newcastle & Aston Villa have the same thoughts. To be honest it will hard for all of us to crack the top 4 & I can't see it happening. We will have our battle in the mix for 5-10th places. That in itself will be great. Let's have another cup run or three & see where it takes us.
storagematt
It would be magic to see any team break into the Top 4 that for too long has been almost set in stone (with the odd team breaking in here and there). Obviously I'd rather it was us, but as 'Arry would say it's a massive massive task....
You can tell the targets are high from the signing of Rodney alone, and hopefully there's more to come!
Tantona
What needs to happen is that the teams in the 5th to 10th place like us, villa, everton, blackburn etc need to start beating the top teams or at least take more points off them. This is the only way that the top four will ever be caught and passed. Apart from Chelsea last season our away form at the top four was just plain awful.
sneakay
doesn't matter if you lose away to the top 4 sneakay - because we should expect to beat them at home like we did the season before last. If you take points away and beat THEM at home then by definition you are probably the best team in the league and we aren't there..... yet.
ChrisW
In the last two seasons I think I am right to say Pompey have lost at home to the top 4 only once. Chelsea 0-2. That is quite a record. And top four we will get there it is a question of when rather than if.
eastneydave
yep you are right Dave, and you may recall we could have had a few more away wins at the big four if we had had a finisher at the time; i dont think Crouch actually meant this season but as one who believes you must always try for the top i whole heartedly agree with his sentiments, truly exciting times
russellm
We need a playmaker and possibly a wide man. It is no use having goal scoring strikers if we cannot feed them. Without these additions a top ten would be fantastic.
007
I think that if we don't get too many injuries,a top 4 place is possible. IMO it will be Arsenal who will drop out. We have shown we can match Man U on the day and our strike force will be far more dangerous this season. Chelsea will be the team to beat for any team.
frattonaussie
I think it'll be the Gunners that struggle to retain their top 4 status this year.. but I said that last year and until that Birmingham game and that horrific injury to Eduardo they were flying... 4th is possible but I think only if one of the four have a bad year.. and of course the Everton, Villas and Citeh's will be chasing too.. as well as that club who had such a poor start last year they hardly recovered from it.. don't write off Spuds !.......... Also, I'm not convinced Scolari is the right man for Chelsea .. a couple of slips and who knows what could happen
Chix
Chix, don't be a pessimist. We will be in the top 4 because we are good enough not because anyone else has a bad season. When we get to the end of July I am going to, if no one else has done it first, put up a forum to predict the league positions in 5 blocks of 4, together with Pompeys best player for the season, most successful signing from this transfer period, best player, worst player, number of goals we will score, and number of points down from the premier league champions we will be.
We have all done poorly on all our other forcast so lets see who can improve.
frattonaussie
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