Lawrence: Bullies won’t beat us
Liam Lawrence attempts to steal possession of Birmingham match-winner Nathan Redmond during Pompeys 1-0 defeat at St Andrews
Liam Lawrence has called on his battered Pompey team-mates to stand up to the bullies.
The Pompey skipper issued a timely rallying cry to the troops who were undone by a late sucker-punch in Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat to Birmingham City at St Andrew’s.
It was somehow poignant amid Pompey’s ongoing financial crisis that they should be handed another painful boot in the nether regions when Nathan Redmond blasted home a cracking strike just four minutes from the end of what nearly turned into a gutsy away point.
But while it would be so easy for the Blues to curl up and wait for it all to be over, Lawrence knows he and the rest of the squad must stand shoulder to shoulder and face up to a situation that would account for those of a lesser character.
In essence, Pompey have to do what Pompey do best – fight back and land a few telling blows themselves.
Lawrence said: ‘We keep getting kicked. We keep getting bullied.
‘It’s like we keep getting picked on by the school bully every week but we have to get on with it and stand up to it.
‘Since I’ve come here, I’ve learned to dust myself down every time something else goes wrong – especially being captain.
‘But it’s got to change for us sooner or later. Something’s got to be done – enough is enough now.’
During Pompey’s previous brush with financial oblivion, then manager Avram Grant tapped into the mentality of the club and its supporters with his defiant – if sometimes erratic – style of leadership.
Current boss Michael Appleton is a different character entirely but has already won the respect of supporters by facing up to the crisis with his straight talking and honesty – seemingly increasingly rare commodities around Fratton Park in recent times.
For Appleton there is no shirking of tough questions, passing of the buck or reaching for ready-made excuses. All of which, he would be perfectly entitled to do, let’s not forget.
But Lawrence remains an influential figure in the dressing room – especially with the recent influx of younger players who Appleton has been forced to call upon.
Lawrence said: ‘I think it has to come down to senior lads and myself as captain.
‘It’s up to the older boys in the squad to pick up the new lads and the lads who have not played so many games in the league.
‘We’re trying. There is a good togetherness still, no matter what’s going on.
‘Everyone is together. The coaches are brilliant and the gaffer is fantastic, so fingers crossed we will be alright.
‘I’ve got to be seen to be picking the lads up, playing well and we’re trying.’
But the former Stoke midfielder also has sympathy for the club’s long-suffering fans who are once again being put through the mill and fear for their club’s future.
Having turned in another vocal and defiant display for the trip to St Andrew’s on a freezing night, the travelling supporters even burst into a rendition of ‘Let’s all have a disco’ at one stage.
Lawrence said: ‘Everyone involved is getting frustrated and I think the supporters are as well – but they were brilliant again for us at Birmingham.
‘They’ve seen their club go from greatness to how it is now and it’s not good enough. It needs sorting out.’
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Comments
There are 49 comments to this article
Page 1 of 4
russian chris
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 04:17 PMNo problem! Harrowing times for many on this board at the moment! And i,like many of your Saints fans just hope we survive one way or the other. PUP
insane saint
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 03:39 PMsorry russian chris
The Green Man
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 03:14 PMHmmmm, bullied in the sense we are being asked to pay our debts and tax? Mr L, i've been bullied for real and it is not what you're talking about mate.
MattyPUPPTIDc MattyC
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 03:10 PMI have tried most ways of doing it with spaces etc - I have found one method but it will not work with user names without a space in them!!!!!! hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I am mad but not scitso!!
MattyPUPPTIDc MattyC
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 02:59 PMI did speak to a member of the News stafff yesterday who promised he would e-mail me yesterday after he looked at it!!!!! No such e-mail was received, never mind!
southseasteve
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 12:41 PMre the MattyC issue as anyone tried (and i appreciate i could've tried this myself) using an existing username but putting a space at the end - this wouldn't show up when posting. A touch obvious but could be the reason?
southseasteve
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 12:36 PMoh look answered my own question before i asked it.
southseasteve
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 12:35 PMthere you go answered my own question - just tried to become the 3rd MattyC and it wouldn't let me even with space at the end...... so yes as said below why isn't this being looked at urgently? Unless MattyC is schizophrenic?
russian chris
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 12:29 PMAs i said *some of the scumMers* .Wasnt pointing at you in particular inane saint.
insane saint
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 12:27 PMi have history with pompey as i worked in the docks down there for 5 years and have fond memories of the banter, we do not want you to go. so come on be far not all of us are having a dig..
bluelagoon
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 12:19 PMWe have still not learned how it was possible for the fake MattyC to get to use the same name. Either a brilliant hacker (but look at his posts), in which case a serious security problem for the News, requiring urgent action; or he has inside access to the News site, requiring urgent action. -- Has any urgent action been taken? Doesn't look like it. What does that tell us?
russian chris
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 12:10 PMWe must congratulate some of these ScumMers that come on here. They spend a lot of time going through Pompeys history.They must have to open other sites to gain such imformation. So i can only conclude that they have a deep love for Pompey,that their own site is so poor,so full of nothing( like their ground 15 minutes before the match ends,or for FA cup matches) and so boring. If we do go out of existance,what are they going to do? Presumably this site would still operate,but they can only bore us once. If that. So im feeling sorry for these poor people,who would have no life except for the existance of Pompey.
insane saint
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 12:06 PM? community club award PFC are up for in the football league how the fcuk you don't give a sh1t about you club come on prove me wrong
insane saint
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 12:05 PMbut are you sure there are two mattyc's how often are they on the same page at the same time. it looks to me that he or she is having a few problems separating their own realities hmmmmm some might say send the white coated men round to see him. it also has a resounding similarity like PFC arguing between them self's all the time sort it out and save your club or are you waiting for it to fold.
alfonso
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 11:40 AMTo Pompey Steve, The Impersonator and all. I fully understand the anger some of the things posted by "MattyC"can create. It appears that there may be 2 different people claiming to be MattyC. One is perfectly sensible and an obvious Pompey supporter, the other one is clearly not. It is unfortunate that in this age of data surveillance and so on that the website manager cannot separate the 2 MattyC's.
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