Interview with the Eisners...

[Pompey1984+1]

https://theathletic.com/5457859/2024/05 ... d=10435191

Says we had the 8th highest budget in league one...

[NSRailings]

A lot of interesting things in there. I particularly like this:

“We realised that letting the coaches have full autonomy wasn’t as good a system as having the coach focus on what happens the pitch and a sporting director responsible for player development and a lot of other things,” says Eisner.

“One coach wouldn’t work that way (Kenny Jackett, who was sacked in 2021). Danny Cowley (his successor) would but it was when we got (sporting director) Rich Hughes and (manager) John Mousinho, who fully embraced it, that it really worked. Youth, strong transfer windows, fewer loans.”

There is not stability when you have one person having an effect on too much. Too many people trying to build their career or make a packet by doing things completely their way is massively selfish. I remember when Jackett arrived and he brought in Pitman, making him captain straight away of a squad who'd just got promoted as L2 champions. To me, that was him trying to stamp his authority on things rather than being part of a team. And you see similar things happening in all businesses - too much self interest.

However, relying on youth too much isn't a good thing. You need sharp older heads as this season has shown. And again, that's relevant to all businesses.

[PeteM]

Really interesting article, thanks for sharing the link.

Good to hear also that Hughes has been planning for the Championship for two and a half months. Clearly the structure works well with him and Mousinho. Really important that we keep hold of both this summer as I'm sure their good work with us won't have gone unnoticed!

[Blue Walter]

Yes, this is a really interesting article covering the philosophy of how the Eisner's approach business. The article is not particularly news to us as it was how the Eisner's explained how they would approach ownership of our club on the outset. However, it does graphically lay out just what they have done and how they will continue to move forward.

Very often new ideas in ways of doing things can be seen as being 'trendy' and new words are made up to go along with this 'trendyness'. Some people are stuck in the old tried and trusted ways, which often is right, but then a new approach can also be right. Having the set up we have at Portsmouth seems to be the right approach where no-one has overall control, like in the Ferguson era at United or even Redknapp at Pompey. I think a new young manager will stand a better chance of success starting out as a Head Coach in the set up as we have at Portsmouth. But as Mr Railings has already said you do need older heads to run in tandem with youth in any organisation.

I have always thought we have been 'marking time' and that the owners would only welcome promotion when they considered the club was ready. I always thought they had ambition and would have taken promotion earlier if we were to have stumbled across the line. I think they were looking for year on year improvement but promotion only really welcomed when the infrastructure was in place. I think that has shown in our playing budgets over these last seven years where our 'competitive' budget has largely been inflated by player sales. This last summer wasn't funded by sales, although the article shows that seven clubs had bigger budgets. It would be interesting to see who those clubs were and how they fared.

I certainly feel we are in safe hands with the Eisner's and they now seem to be eying bigger and better targets. Although, still sticking to their tried and trusted ways of doing things.

[Pompey1984+1]

This last summer wasn't funded by sales, although the article shows that seven clubs had bigger budgets. It would be interesting to see who those clubs were and how they fared.

At best they yielded 5 less points than us!

[Blue Walter]

This last summer wasn't funded by sales, although the article shows that seven clubs had bigger budgets. It would be interesting to see who those clubs were and how they fared.

At best they yielded 5 less points than us!

I have managed to work out that they got less than us but, nevertheless, I would still be interested in how they fared and how much lower in the league they ended up.

[Pompey55]

This last summer wasn't funded by sales, although the article shows that seven clubs had bigger budgets. It would be interesting to see who those clubs were and how they fared.

At best they yielded 5 less points than us!

I have managed to work out that they got less than us but, nevertheless, I would still be interested in how they fared and how much lower in the league they ended up.

It's interesting whos statistics you use or find on the internet and what you term as the "budget"
I've found one survey that has us as second only to Derby based purely on player wages
Whilst another based on financial value has us 8 th behind Derby Bolton Bristol Rovers Oxford Barnsley Blackpool and Reading
I would say the latter or similar is the one used for this article as the only actual reliable figure must be the annual FFP. figures which as yet are unavailable for 2023/4

[Pompey1984+1]

This last summer wasn't funded by sales, although the article shows that seven clubs had bigger budgets. It would be interesting to see who those clubs were and how they fared.

At best they yielded 5 less points than us!

I have managed to work out that they got less than us but, nevertheless, I would still be interested in how they fared and how much lower in the league they ended up.

It's interesting whos statistics you use or find on the internet and what you term as the "budget"
I've found one survey that has us as second only to Derby based purely on player wages
Whilst another based on financial value has us 8 th behind Derby Bolton Bristol Rovers Oxford Barnsley Blackpool and Reading
I would say the latter or similar is the one used for this article as the only actual reliable figure must be the annual FFP. figures which as yet are unavailable for 2023/4

Each club is shown it's place in the league table based on wages I think but doesn't seem where other clubs are.

[NSRailings]

Having the set up we have at Portsmouth seems to be the right approach where no-one has overall control, like in the Ferguson era at United or even Redknapp at Pompey.

I wasn't aware that it was like that under Redknapp. But it makes sense to me that you have someone with overall responsibility for the playing and coaching side of things, while someone else looks into recruitment but they also communicate with each other about style and other things.

I can't wait for the transfer window and next season. But we definitely need to increase the capacity of Fratton Park.

[Pompey55]

Having the set up we have at Portsmouth seems to be the right approach where no-one has overall control, like in the Ferguson era at United or even Redknapp at Pompey.

I wasn't aware that it was like that under Redknapp. But it makes sense to me that you have someone with overall responsibility for the playing and coaching side of things, while someone else looks into recruitment but they also communicate with each other about style and other things.

I can't wait for the transfer window and next season. But we definitely need to increase the capacity of Fratton Park.

I thought Redkrapp had total control of all player matters in fact as I recall he was originally Director of Football before Pullis got the sack to let him take over

[Blue Walter]

Having the set up we have at Portsmouth seems to be the right approach where no-one has overall control, like in the Ferguson era at United or even Redknapp at Pompey.

I wasn't aware that it was like that under Redknapp. But it makes sense to me that you have someone with overall responsibility for the playing and coaching side of things, while someone else looks into recruitment but they also communicate with each other about style and other things.

I can't wait for the transfer window and next season. But we definitely need to increase the capacity of Fratton Park.

Yes, as Mr 55 said, Redknapp had control of playing matters. I remember that in one interview concerning the start of our money woes he said how surprised he got what he asked for. He explained that if he wanted a certain player he would go to Gaydamac and say who he wanted and, invariably, he would get him. He said it surprised him how much money was being spent recalling the time he asked for Peter Crouch from Liverpool. He said that amazingly he got him.

[drewdavis]

https://theathletic.com/5457859/2024/05 ... d=10435191

Says we had the 8th highest budget in league one...

Thanks for sharing, great article!

[Pompey1984+1]

This last summer wasn't funded by sales, although the article shows that seven clubs had bigger budgets. It would be interesting to see who those clubs were and how they fared.

At best they yielded 5 less points than us!

I have managed to work out that they got less than us but, nevertheless, I would still be interested in how they fared and how much lower in the league they ended up.

I'd guess:
Derby.
Peterborough.
Barnsley.
Charlton.
Bolton.
Reading.
Blackpool.

No knowledge just some thought on my side.