Pompey heroes analyse deadline-day drama
Three Pompey heroes give their thoughts on the transfer deadline-day dealings and the prospects for Cotterill and his men.
It was a hectic transfer deadline day and everything did not go Steve Cotterill's way.
Pompey landed Stoke City pair Dave Kitson and Liam Lawrence, but lost Tommy Smith and Marc Wilson, and sent Marlon Pack out on loan.
The Blues did hang on to David Nugent, who had been linked with a switch to Premier League outfit Blackpool.
With the transfer window now shut until January, Pompey boss Steve Cotterill knows exactly what he has to work with as he bids to get the Blues moving up the league.
Alan McLoughlin
Of course it is worrying. There's no other way of looking at it.
We've got a couple of bodies but are still thin on the ground.
You do get injuries and suspensions and, when that happens, we are going to be running short.
It's going to be an uphill struggle this season.
Yes we have proven players in the Championship who have had time in the Premier League. They will add a new dimension.
Liam Lawrence is a good player who has shown excellent form.
He would have wanted assurances about his international prospects before dropping down to the Championship.
If that was going to affect his chances of playing for the Republic of Ireland, I doubt he would have come.
I did the same thing when I was at Pompey and did it year in, year out. If I was not capable of doing that I would have moved.
Hopefully Liam can give us something new now.
I think Dave Kitson will do that by helping lighten the load off David Nugent.
He will allow us to get to 4-4-2 a bit easier, and hopefully make us stronger in the last third.
It's about survival this year – that's the aim. Anyone who is looking past that is naive.
The squad still has gaps in it. Hayden Mullins is filling in at right-back.
I was slightly surprised to see Marlon Pack let go.
The experience of going out on loan is important to a player's development, but it looks like we need the numbers.
Steve Cotterill has a tough, old season ahead of him – and nothing has changed my mind from that.
But he pretty much has the hand that he's been dealt now. It's up to the players to step up.
You can talk about systems all you like but people haven't performed so far. That has to change.
Alan Knight
I feel for Steve Cotterill and what he has had to deal with.
It looks like there is a lot of stuff happening at the club which is totally out of his hands.
He has been intimating there are things happening behind his back, and he has had to watch players go.
That is a difficult situation to handle and he seems like he is a very frustrated figure.
People may think he knew what he was walking into, but it appears there has been some surprises along the way for Steve.
Looking at the squad, the lack of numbers is scary.
We may be able to bring in a few emergency loans, but the squad is looking wafer-thin at the moment.
Injuries and suspensions do occur and will happen for all teams.
We have a lot of players with a record of picking up injuries, too. So that is a major worry for me. I wonder how much Liam Lawrence wanted to come here as well.
I think Dave Kitson clearly wanted to come down – and there is going to be a lot of pressure on his shoulders to score goals. That's been the problem.
We could do with adding a bit of extra class to the team. What I'm talking about here is not just makeweights but quality.
It's okay for us pundits to moan and groan, but I don't want to be too critical because it's a difficult situation.
I remember when John Deacon was chairman and we went up to the old First Division. We needed investment, but only really spent money on people like Malcolm Shotton.
Then we sold Mick Kennedy at a crucial time of the season.
Alan Ball became really disenchanted.
But things weren't as bad as they are now.
The club is going through a transitional period big time.
We are paying the price at the moment for what has gone before.
Hopefully, the lads can pull together and make one big effort to survive this season.
Steve Claridge
Steve Cotterill will be disappointed with the start he's had this season.
But the arrivals of Liam Lawrence and Dave Kitson from Stoke gives his squad a bit more balance than it had beforehand.
Those additions will allow Cotterill to be able to play a 4-4-2.
He can get Lawrence in on the right and use Dave Kitson up front with David Nugent.
I think that you would be able to use John Utaka on the left as well.
Lawrence will be a good signing and a useful addition to have at Championship level.
He's a decent, quality player and I'm surprised that Stoke decided to let him go, to be honest.
Dave Kitson has played at the level before and has a point to prove.
He didn't do very well at Stoke but was useful at Reading.
I think they will both prove to be very decent acquisitions.
At least Cotterill has been given a bit more room for manoeuvre now, though.
If they are talking about players like Kyle Walker and Kyle Naughton as well, that will help him further.
I don't know if they are Premier League players but they will be decent in the Championship.
It's a shame it's not been the best of starts for Pompey because there is an opportunity this season for someone.
I don't see an outstanding side in the division, and it's there to be had for someone.
I don't see a great deal of difference between the top and the bottom.
You certainly wouldn't have had Leicester and Pompey in the bottom three.
Considering the players still at the club, Pompey should be doing better than they are.
Hopefully these arrivals will help them to get things moving.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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