The Great Cotterill Debate

Like you both I think I have wanted this to work; however with the results, the lack of discipline but I think most importantly SC has lost the patience of the crowd. I just don't know who else would want it and is better Full praise must go to SC he stuck with us when we nearly did not have a club

I was quick off the mark last season saying he was not doing a good job then we went off on that run and I was eating my post. To be honest he is not my fav but I will give him a while longer to get this team to start winning and picking up points. The discipline in the side needs to improve though.

Maybe like a lot of fans - but certainly true of Pompey fans - we have a habit of reacting to a few defeats with talk of relegation and the solution being the immediate removal of the Manager. And then, on the back of two or three wins we start talking about conquering Europe. It's been this way for a long time and public pressure more than anything else created the situation where our reputation for hiring and firing, particularly during the Mandaric reign, gathered pace. Yes, we eventually got HR in and he brought some success - but even that, in hindsight, has to be tempered by the mess that we were then left in. Look at the majority of Manager's CV's and most of them have lost their jobs at some point so at that precise time would have been regarded as "incompetent" and"rubbish at managing a football club". And that fact leaves very little out there as a viable alternative unless we simply want to oil the wheels of the managerial merry-go-round and take pleasure in change for changes sake. unfortunately, I think there are too many football fans (not just at PFC) who are as much pacified by changes to the playing or managerial staff as they are by results pon the field. Maybe this is borne out of the fact that in football, because it is more a financial than sporting battle now, any real success is so distant that the real excitement from going to see your team play can only be enhanced by seeing new players in the shirts or a new managerial team in the dugout. And this is fine, but it doesn't necessarily get you any further up the table.

I always though we would have a tougfh start & was scared stiff that the scummers would have a good one. That just compounds the pressure & misery on us all.Delicate job sacking the manager, new man comes in & if he doesn't get off to a flyer you are no better off. Nobody expected us to be up there, a mid table position is a realistic place for us now. Give him another 4-6 games & I expect some improvement. Like last season, win 1 & you can't stop winning.

The 'great debate' does seem to be going around in circles, so I won't bother repeating my opinions here as well as in the forum, but I've made my defense of Cotterill quite clear.

In addition, seen as I keep seeing the 1 win in 16 statistic everywhere I look, I've decided to reply with my own every time I see it. "We have avoided defeat in over 70% of games under Steve Cotterill, the highest rate under ANY manager in the last 90 years."

I think Cotterill still needs a little time to prove himself with the new squad, on paper you would think it will work, so hopefully things will start to click soon enough, we do have to stop getting cards though!!

We lack leadership at the top, someone who embodies the spirit and direction of the club. This can be the manager, e.g Ferguson, or the Chairman, e.g Abramovich. Pompey has neither. SC may grow into being a 'Fergie', lets give him more time. Ferguson had a dreadful record when he first arrived at United. One win in 16 is a major worry however.

When assessing how well a team will do in a league I tend to look at the goal difference. -2 is not bad (not great either of course) but there are worse teams out there. Of course, if you lose every game 1-0 then the GD won't be terrible but you will finish bottom. I went to the fans forum and I thought he looked like a guy that was under a little bit of pressure but I feel like he thrives on that and I think he will get the best out of this team. He showed us loyalty when we were on the brink. Let's show him some loyalty now and get behind him! Yes, there is no loyalty in football, but why can't we be the first to give a manager a PROPER chance. Reassess in December and if results are still poor then we have JAN window with a new manager to sort it out but personally I hope he stays the whole season. If we go down then so be it. This is football, let's get real, I would rather be DIV1 then non-existent. Of course I'd rather be CL winners beating BARCA 10-0 and dominating the world but that isn't going to really happen. I expect us to finish in the lower half of the table and above the relegation zone. What the lot down the road do isn't my concern at the moment. We are in no shape to compete with them at the moment! Let us take stock, build our team up and challenge in the next 2-3 seasons. Remember the 5 year plan... Rome wasn't built in a day! (Ok I',m rambling on lol)

A referee insprired brighton beat us, a woeful penalty decision gave WHU the lead, we have played 5 out of the top 8 so much to early to question the manager. Regards cards good job hermann hasn't played much.

A few defeats Dave? A few, I think his record is a little worse than that; something like 1 win in 4. I am of the same opinion as Chixy, I am now getting worried and think if things haven't improved by the end of October then the club might need to start the process of replacing him. His delusional idea of our discipline problems and frequent " we were unlucky and should have won that" is becoming the joke of the league as it was the last 10 games of last season. If it hasn't improved by mid November he needs to get opportunities elsewhere.

I don't think we can wait until xmas at this rate we will be adrift by then. I hate to say it but I don't think cotterill will tun it around. The question needs to be asked why the whole team turned in a performance like they did on saturday'' and its not the first time its happend Barnet springs to mind, its not down to not wanting to play! I think its more of a case they are not being allowed to play. Sorry he has to go.

Nobby, well put! I wasn't going to say anymore about SC, but that sums up my fears exactly! I feel we have the personnel to come good, but SC is the reason we're not performing not the players! He might be able to get away with it at league 1 and 2 levels but not the Chumps; and certainly not the Prem!! we'd never get close as long as he has control...I personally dont think it's a case of will they get shot of him but; when! He won't be here come May...Mark my words

Thanks penton I honestly believe there's more than enough talent in the squad, to more than hold their own in this division. The system and style of play sc clearly wants to employ doesn't suit the players we have, and they aren't happy playing it! hence we end up with performance's like saturday, then frustration creeps in and they end up picking up silly red and yellow cards. its plain to all by now sc is never going to admit he's wrong! the sooner he goe's the better, then maybe we can get back to playing proper football.

I've always been behind SC, and I'm grateful that he was prepared to take on the club in our darkest hour. Nonetheless I am getting worried at the moment, and I suppose the easy place to go is the manager's door. I like the idea of showing some loyalty and giving him more time. As to whether a new man would turn things round - sometimes it does quite dramatically! And is Uncle Avram still free? I'm not sure at the moment how much time to give SC, December/January would seem fair, but there's such an important fixture in the middle of December, we really must sort things out by then!