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Chapter 1: What insights does Steve Bone provide about Pompey's recent performance?
One of the many, hopefully, highlights of Pompey Sound's output and podcast library is the gentle but piercing tone of Steve Bowen. How are you going to describe that? I wasn't sure where it was going either. Best not to play. We could start on the field or we could start off the field. Your call. Let's start on the field, shall we? I always think that's what we're here for, isn't it?
That's kind of, at the end of the day, the most important thing. Agreed. You made it to Derby. You made it to Derby. Yes. Went to the Derby game, sadly. I was going to say, and? It wasn't memorable, was it? I think we went into that game feeling under a bit of pressure because of having lost to Swansea in the previous game and given away the late goal against Blackburn in the game before that.
And I thought the pressure got to us a little bit actually. I thought when Derby scored that early goal, when their man was given too much time to take a touch and shoot on the edge of the area after the corner was handed out, I don't think many people in the ground really felt there was much chance we were going to get back into it. We're just not scoring goals, are we?
Or not scoring enough goals. You're absolutely right. It was, you know, we had a lot of possession, played some neat football, got the ball forward, but never really did work the keeper at all, did we? I don't think the keeper made a save, a serious save. And it's worrying. It is. He just had to bend down and pick the ball up. At his feet, so feeble were our efforts.
Yeah, we had a couple of headers, didn't we, that sort of bounced through to him. Yeah, it was... The pressure's on, really, isn't it now? I think when you've only taken one point from five games and you're in the position we're in, people are worried that you've got the wrong form at the wrong time.
Yeah, I do think surviving relegation battles, you may or may not agree with me, surviving relegation battles is very much about momentum. It is. Yeah, you've got to hope to get the momentum at the right time, which we still might do. You know, we've got nine games left. I think we need three wins and that will be enough.
But, you know, we were saying that three or four games ago, we were saying we needed three or four wins from the last 13, 14. We haven't got any of them yet. You haven't won since Millwall, which is now a month ago on Saturday. Well, as I say, one point for those five games. Other teams are picking.
I think what added to the pressure on Monday was that between the Swansea game and the Derby game, all of those other four teams down at the bottom had won a game. West Brom, Oxford, Blackburn and Leicester had all chalked up a win in the intervening time.
so that didn't sort of help ease things for us and you've now got I think you've got the five clubs you know ourselves and those four separated by four points and you've got a gap of six points going up to Charlton and you kind of think that probably anyone who's on 48 or more at this stage is okay and
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Chapter 2: How does pressure affect team performance in critical matches?
Yeah. Which you would think would be three points for them. It's not guaranteed, but it's likely. And I think, in fact, West Brom's last game is against Sheffield Wednesday. It's definitely one of them. It's either West Brom or Blackburn. I think you're right. You're right. It's West Brom, yeah.
So if it comes down to all the clubs needing a win on the last day, that's going to give them a huge advantage, isn't it? They'll be confident going into it. So, yeah, we just need some points. We need some wins. Before then, we did it last year. We got the two wins over Easter against Norwich and Watford. It would be lovely to do the same again. We've got one game now before Easter.
We've got QPR Saturday. Then come the two Easter games again. Again, it's Norwich away and on this occasion Oxford at home, which looks a huge one. Yet another lunchtime kick-off for us. You just hope that we can get the points. I always divide it down into little groups of games, as you know, and so we've got you can look at it and say we've got three groups of three games.
We need to win one in each group. And if we can do a bit more than that, then we might be safe before the last day. So one win from QPR Norwich and Oxford should be possible, shouldn't it? Because you would think Oxford, you know, if we turn up and we've got our wits about us, we've got a couple of players back, you know, might have Anderson...
does our back people like that by then hopefully paul and shaughnessy are still fit in the middle of defense we should be able to beat oxford but well you know it's going to be some nervy moments along the way i think yeah if we if we manage a goal early against qpr and go one up um the the traveling faithful and there'll be thousands of them of course they're incredible they we will hear them singing the great escape we will hear them singing the great escape
Oh, yes. Yes, that's right. I think we started to sing The Great Escape in December, didn't we? I think we have heard it, yeah. It was quite early. It's a common tune around those parts. When you go behind a goal after eight minutes at home, there's two things the crowd can do. And the Fratton crowd are very good at this. As the ball is heading back towards the centre spot for kick-off,
you hear the crowd go, come on, Bumbley, and they go, come on, let's do this. We've got a full 90 minutes ahead of us. Come on. Or there's this kind of uh-oh, and I got a lot of uh-oh against Derby. I think so. It was a bit quiet, wasn't it? Wasn't it? And it was kind of quiet for the whole...
game really there were moments where we probably had a bit of pressure where the crowd were a bit louder but generally it wasn't a sort of backs to the wall blue army people are hurting yeah people are worried by the recent form of the lack of goals aren't they standing on Fratton station after the game it was jam packed of course but there was a silence
Men were, mainly men, were gazing into the middle distance, stony faced. There was that kind of atmosphere that you get at a funeral when the coffin has arrived and you've got to stop talking but just acknowledge that something you don't want to happen is happening. Yeah. That's what it felt like. What to say or where to look, do they? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and it's understandable.
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Chapter 3: What are the financial implications of Pompey's recent losses?
Whereas I think just away from home, generally speaking, we play with a bit more freedom. There's less expectation on you to win. And I think we've seen that in some of the away performances this season. I know our away performances are great, but I think you can see a different style, sometimes a different approach. I should say, this is not to denigrate the frat and faithful in any way, at all.
But we're only human and we feel our disappointments and if a promising move breaks down because somebody controls the ball badly, there will be that noise. But you multiply that 18,000 times. And the player just wants to dig a hole and jump in it. Yeah, that's right. Yeah. It's bound to, as you say, human nature, isn't it? It's bound to affect players.
The other side of it at home is if you're on the front foot and you're knocking it around nicely and you're scoring goals and you're creating chances, the crowd are right behind you and it lifts you. So you've got to take the rough with the smooth, don't you? But I just think away from home, there'll still be decent numbers there at QPR and then at Norwich on Good Friday.
But I don't think you'll see the same nervousness as we're seeing at home. Very interesting theory. I'm going to be watching out for that. I like it. It's original. You're always original. And actually, I'm going to put you on the spot because you've got very good gut instincts. Good instincts. Good gut. I don't mean that. I think I know what you mean. Yeah. Do you think we can do it?
Well, stay up. Yeah. Yeah. Yes, I do. I still think we will. At no point this season have I thought we won't, actually. I've kind of stayed confident all the way through. I think I started the season by saying we might finish mid-table somewhere between 11th and 14th. Obviously, I've had to lower my sights there. But even in the spells where we've struggled for points and goals...
I've always thought we've got enough about us to get over the line. And I still think that, partly because of how we did it last season. You know, we're on one of the smaller budgets in the division, but we've got a very good manager. We've got some good players in that squad. You've got some experience.
You've got some players in there now who have got twice as much experience in the Championship because they're in their second season with us at this level. And I'm talking about people like...
Paul and Ogilvy and Pack and others and yeah I do think we'll do it I don't know how we'll do it and I don't know when we'll do it but I still think we'll stay up I'm kind of thinking I keep looking at that bottom of the table and thinking who will go down with Sheffield Wednesday and I'm A lot of people say West Brom are bound to get out of it. They're a big club.
Leicester are bound to get out of it. They're a big club. I'm kind of thinking one of those two will go and one of Oxford or Blackburn will go as well. If you were to say which one of the two, I really don't know. It's hard to call because there are still some unpredictable results. Why do I see Oxford as being a league one side period? Yeah, I know what you mean.
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Chapter 4: How is Michael Eisner's approach to financing Pompey changing?
And they're talking about another new ground now, aren't they? So I still think of the Kassab as a new ground, but it's not really. They've been there about 20 years. Yeah, but they've given themselves a chance, haven't they? They were getting a little bit adrift of the rest of us, weren't they, a few weeks ago, but they've won three out of four, I think. So they're right in there.
They'll think they've got a great chance of staying up. But yeah, it would be a massive surprise to see them go down. Who would you give the number nine shirt against QPR? Who would I give it to? Yes, who would you start in the number nine shirt? You see, before the Derby game, and I know I wasn't all here last week, but had I been, I would have been saying yes, probably.
After the Swansea game, where I thought Bishop had a hard time, he gave away a lot of fouls and he didn't really look as though he was getting anywhere. I was saying let's give Brown a chance as the main striker against Derby and that's what happened. I didn't think he really took his chance very well. He didn't make much of an impression for me.
And he actually, in terms of his all-round play, I thought he offered less than you normally get from Bishop. So I think I would probably go back to Bishop as number nine at QPR. But I would look at who the three behind him are quite carefully. Go on. Because you've got some selection options there. I don't think this will happen. If it was going to happen, it probably would happen by now.
But you know who I'd play as the sort of right winger in that three behind Bishop? I don't. Tell us. Terry Devlin. Terry Devlin. I'd push Devlin forward. I'd put Williams or Swanson in at right back.
By the way, I thought just when we were talking about who might play across the back four, I thought when Shaughnessy came on and Ogilvy went back to the left, I thought we just looked better balanced. We looked more confident playing it out from the back. There were a number of times where Shaughnessy got it from the keeper.
played it to Ogilvy, and he was already on the halfway line and getting forward by that time. Was he moving a little gingerly, or was that just my imagination? It's what I would do if I was him. I'd move gingerly. Did he? I didn't spot that, actually. I don't know. Sorry, Shaughnessy you're talking about? Yes, I'm sorry, Shaughnessy. Once a week, Shaughnessy.
Yeah, he's not going to play every game, is he? Which is a shame. Yeah, he might have been. I'm hoping he'll be OK to start Saturday, having only played 20 minutes or whatever it was. I mean, if he was moving a bit gingerly, you can kind of understand it. He's had so many setbacks, he doesn't want to come back out there and run for a ball and then be out for another three months, does he?
But I do think we're better side with him in there. We're better at the back. He's a threat from corners. I thought, you know, when he came on, everybody said, well, that's our best chance for a goal now, getting him to head in a corner. He didn't manage it. But sorry, going back to who I would play where, I would move Devlin forward by bringing in either Swanson or Williams at right back.
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Chapter 5: What are the potential risks of loans versus equity in club ownership?
I thought he was quite involved on Monday night and he covered a lot of ground. The quality from his final action and his final ball I didn't think was great. So I think I'd put Ali back over to the left, Devlin on the right.
I've seen a suggestion, and I can't remember who it's from now, on social media, is Cavallaro worth a try in the centre at number 10, looking to pick up any balls that Bishop might flick on and he can run on to. So that's an interesting one. Well, I mean, we wouldn't get bored if you were the Pompey manager, would we? You wouldn't know who was playing where, would you?
I'm not sure I'd remember myself. I'm thinking hard about it because you've covered the only concern I would have with this, which is that if you're Gus Caballero and you've come over from Santos, one of the great clubs, and you are displaced on the right, your favoured position, by a boy we got for loose change from Northern Ireland...
and who's 10 years younger than you, it's a bit of a kick in the teeth. But these are challenging times and perhaps we do need to think even further outside the box. Yeah, got to do what's going to bring results at this time, haven't we? Got to not worry about upsetting a player or two by moving him or leaving him out.
Caballero, after a really bright start, and really did well at Charlton and Millwall, didn't he? Has faded a bit and he has looked a bit lost at times. And I didn't think playing him on the left works particularly well. If I was going to play him on the wing, I think I'd put him back on the right side. But I don't know, just wonder whether anyone else thinks Devlin is worth a try.
It's an excellent talking point. We've got other options at right back. We'll get on to your thoughts about QPR in just a moment. But I know you've tooled yourself up on the stories that the very profound and occasionally prescient Neil Allen is propagating in the news and some good journalism there about QPR. Pompey's general finances and investments and the nature of the investments.
I'm not an accountant. I know you're not an accountant. No, certainly not. But you've acquainted yourself with the main points. So perhaps you'd like to delight your listener by just going through them one by one.
Yeah, and this will be a bit of an overview really because I don't understand the fine points of an accounts sheet, a balance sheet, and there's a lot of different elements to it that many people will understand better than I will. But obviously we had the news that came out on Wednesday afternoon that Pompey posted losses of Ā£4.3 million for what is effectively last season.
We call it last season, it's sort of April to March, isn't it, I think, the finance year. And I don't think anyone was too surprised at the figures. Basically, we made more money. We made more income in our first season in the Championship compared to our last season in League One, as you would expect.
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Chapter 6: How do fans perceive the current financial situation of Pompey?
And I know that with student debt, ridiculous. of rent and so on, they're permanently skint. So in theory it's a loan, but it's actually a glorified equity. Your mum and dad are never going to ask for the money back if they know you can't afford it.
So he says that because Michael Eisner is the owner, he's not going to suddenly, you know, what's in it for him to suddenly want some of that money back?
that he's put in he's you know it doesn't he said it wouldn't make any sense for him to want or need that obviously Pompey fans will still then have the nagging doubt of in years to come if Michael Eisner passes the club on to his sons they don't see it as something they want to do long term what happens then you know then it becomes an issue because you've got
things propped up with loans that they might then want back at the point where they try to sell the club. So you can understand fans being worried about it, especially given our history of 10, 15 years ago, what happened with Guidemach and some of the other people that followed.
but it is quite encouraging to hear someone like Kieran Maguire say that Pompey's accounts are pretty good given the cost of the industry that they're in and the level of football they're at everybody will have their own view on it, but it's good to hear different views from people in the know. Yes, well done.
I think you nailed that, and as you say, as a non-accountant, and, you know, no offence, but who'd want to be a nailed-on accountant? Anyway, and I don't think there are many of them in either the North or the South or the Milton or the Fratton on a Saturday afternoon, but...
there is we do we do need them um what i what i want to ask you though from what you've said is is your friend kieran mcguire 100 when he says because michael eisner is the owner then those loans are a rock solid
Because I read a piece a week ago, and I probably misunderstood it, so therefore, in which he has transferred 75% of the share ownership of Pompey to his three sons, retained about 20-25% for himself, but, crucially, he's the only board member who's allowed to vote. Yes. Yes. Yeah, I don't really understand the ins and outs of that. So he's kept a slightly larger share.
I think he's got 25.5% and the three others have all got 23.5%. So that is probably significant. But yes, he's retained all the voting rights. And we're told that that is to do with succession planning. That is to do with the handover. He's putting his affairs in order, isn't he? Yeah, seems like it, doesn't it? Yeah, yeah.
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Chapter 7: What strategies are suggested for improving team performance?
Appreciate it. On to matters where you have an even greater level of expertise, predicting the QPR results. Oh, I don't know about that. Yeah, my last prediction on here was that we would draw 0-0 at Blackburn, which for 83 minutes looked good, didn't it? Oh, I'd rescued the clip. I was going to lead the five o'clock bulletin with it. Yeah, I was quite pleased with that for a while.
And then Connor went and scored and we said, no, never mind, nil-nil, we're going to win one-nil. And then, of course, we didn't. It was one-all. So we ended up with what we thought we'd get, but we were disappointed. Only Pompey could do that. I'm going to go draw again at QPR. That would be nice. Yeah, I think it would.
Chapter 8: What predictions are made for the upcoming QPR match?
After two defeats, you just want to end that. You want to step that little run, don't you? I think if we could get a draw after hope that some of the other teams around us don't pick up wins, we could be in the bottom three by the close of play Saturday. Ouch. And we've then got 13 days off to wait for the next game.
So I think if we get a draw, just starts to turn the tide a little bit, I'm going to go QPR 1, Pompey 1. Steve, as ever, a million thanks. A million thanks. Thank you.