Hart attack!

Could we be about to see a shift in Paul Hart's mentality?

During his reign as Pompey manager, both temporarily and now permanently, he has been 'fairly reluctant' to be too adventurous, more often than not airing on the side of caution - 'if they cannot score we cannot lose, instead of if we score we 'might' win' type of thing!

He has today told The News that with Bolton being a game at home, and one we should be looking to win this is what we will look to do from the off: 'we've got a number of forwards, we've got a number of attack-minded midfielders and we've just got to try to get that blend into a system that works for us.

'The onus is on us to go and grab three points and not sit around and wait on Bolton.

'There's options there. But before I set up the team I want to make sure everyone's back fit and healthy.'

Hart's mandate last season was to 'keep us up at any cost', which we did - in my thinking this was still as much down to others failings than our own play, but we stayed up and that was the main thing.

I know that over in Portugal during pre-season Hart was asked if he would play 4-4-2 this season, he said that he 'did not have the strikers to do this', by his own admission we have plenty of these now, so we have no reason not to do this - especially at home, and especially against a team that we should be looking to beat!

That said, so long as we have the attacking balance right, like he says we must, I think that the 4-5-1 set-up - with a more creative influence in the middle of the park and a more realistic goal threat this could still work, although at home against the likes of Bolton I feel that we should go with the more orthodox 4-4-2.

In his defence I feel that his thoughts about 'creating chances but not taking them' is fair enough, in all honesty we have been doing this - sadly those creating them are the ones that we wanted on the end of the chances, but now 'hopefully' those creating can be doing this for those that want to be taking them more and not creating them!

This is now 'his team', now lets see him get the best out of them - then we can judge, but not after just the solitary game, a few, with this new side, should be given before true judgement is cast.

I tell you one thing though I am looking forward to tomorrow, and I look forward to this with genuine optimism - it is just a shame that we will again see several thousand empty seats...

PLAY UP POMPEY!

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