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Talking Sport: Why Cotterill is the right man for Pompey
Is Steve Cotterill the right man for the job? It's a categorical yes for me, writes Jack Preston.
The former Notts County manager has found himself under immense scrutiny in the past month after failing to win single game so far this season in the Championship campaign.
Cotterill, 46, led the Magpies to League One last season after they finished as champions, but has been the subject of much criticism from a minority of Pompey fans after doing nothing but praise them.
On many Pompey message-boards and fan sites, supporters of the club have compared the club's current brief spell to our last tenure in the Championship under Harry Redknapp.
These comments are extremely harsh. For starters, Redknapp didn't have a transfer embargo or various looming court cases to contend with, neither did he face an on-going battle with the tax-man who has been constantly issuing the club with winding up orders.
So to compare the two managers and their policies is no more better than comparing black to white.
Lately, he has openly expressed an interest in loaning out a couple of the younger lads, who have in the past rejected moves elsewhere. The club have been told they must have at least 20 players in the squad, and seeing as Pompey fall a little short of the figure, they have been given special permission to bring in some new recruits, despite having yet another transfer embargo hanging over them.
Cotterill has found a loop-hole in the system; by loaning certain young players out, they can free up even more spaces in the squad for further additions who may be a little older, wiser and more experience than some of the current squad.
So far that's all gone well for Cotterill after completing a double swoop for Stoke duo, Liam Lawrence and Dave Kitson, two players with proven Premier League and Championship pedigree.
The deal is being regarded as a real coup for the club after receiving a nominal fee in addition believed to be in the region of 2.5m in exchange for the young Irishman, Marc Wilson.
It's been rumoured that FA Cup finalist Ricardo Rocha is set to turn down a return move to his native Portugal after finally managing to agree a deal to bring him back to the South Coast.
Cotterill is also reported to have expressed an interest in bringing Kyle Walker and Kyle Naughton to the club on a short-term deal.
Pompey look set to have competition from other rival clubs for the Spurs starlets, but are said to still maintain the belief that the two lads will opt for a move to the South Coast.
Look at the positives: We've won 50 per cent of our last two games and are unbeaten in September. Granted, we're still yet to play a game in September, but it's still a foundation for us to build on!
We're also still yet to win a league game, but with Kitson and Nugent leading the front-line, with a combined total of 162 League goals between them, they are arguably the most dangerous striking partnership since Amy Winehouse and Blake Fielder-Civil.
What do you think? Agree with Jack - or is he talking rubbish? Email us your views and we will publish them
Your views
steve w, cramlington: I diagree with in Jacks opinion that Steve Cotteril is the right man to steer pompey forward.
He states that SC has been struggling with court cases etc, where as Harry Redknapp did not. This is a fair comment, however Cotteril has not been through the pressures that Avram Grant went through during his tenure at Fratton. Most Pompey fans were sad to see Avram go at the time he did.
And as for Steve Cotteril being the right man for Pompey, that is his opinion, and i stress this is only an opinon. This is not the opinion of most Pompey fans and I for one was very dissatisfied when he was touting himself and then duly employed. It appeared to have been a rushed appointment based on his pulicity stunt to advertise himself.
i would dearly like to be proved wrong in this matter, but without a decent manager with quality motivational skill, i fear my beloved Pompey will stay at the bottom of this league and fall back to the declined when we were in the bottom reaches of the four divisions.
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