Mick

I don't believe...

Those in control are either arrogant or stupid, which is both of which they've been accused of.

They are neither of those things.

I think they've simply got the balance of their strategy wrong.

A bit wrong.

Recruiting the experience to survive has to come before the investment in promise or at any rate simultaneously.

And the lines are hard to draw.

We've brought in, as I said earlier, players of experience and achievement who haven't shown those qualities for us.

And we've signed young men of promise who haven't developed fast enough to improve our side.

The margins are tiny.

And failure, of course, is a big price.

But we're not there yet, sounders.

Recent attempts to adjust the balance are exciting and, let's be fair, they look hopeful.

We'll know in a month.

This experience may also lead Michael Eisner and his family to be marginally less risk-averse with his Pompey budget.

He may just maybe be asking too much of Messrs Messina and Hughes and their team at the moment with regard to recruitment budgets.

Perhaps there are clever ways to secure extra speculative funding.

Remember, they are learning about the football business, these guys.

They know all about business, believe me, but the football business is a special animal.

Anyway, this learning will continue and that's all for the future.