Gaffer: Time to cut out silly little digs about budgets and get on improving Portsmouth player recruitment

What did you think of that performance?

It was poor, really poor, that first half alone was one of the most one-sided I have seen this season.

This team is lightweight, it can get rolled over at the drop of a hat, if things get tough, they don’t like it.

I don’t think Joe Morrell won a 50/50 all day, which is a shame because he has so much ability, but we are not going to win the league with him alongside Louis Thompson.

They are both lightweight and prone to injury, they’re not fit enough to play three 90-minute games in a week. It has to be one playing or the other.

Having said that, our back four on their day is good enough, but at least one of those is leaving, so that will change next season.

Enjoy a rare visit to Hillsborough?

It’s such an amazing ground and going there felt like a real occasion, which is why we want to get promoted out of this league.

Having 50 away fans in the Milton End doesn’t create any form of occasion, it feels like a friendly, and I’m not being snobby or elitist.

Whereas you go to Hillsborough and there are loads of different songs, a good variation too, a great atmosphere and they genuinely deserve to be in the Championship. Good luck in the play-offs.

The ground was rocking in the first-half, it was fantastic. As ever, though, football got in the way.

What next for Pompey?

Firstly we need better recruitment, not silly little digs from Danny Cowley about the owners and budget, it’s driving me absolutely mad.

Ipswich have the biggest budget and finished 11th, I can’t imagine MK Dons or Plymouth are bigger than ours, while Morecambe on their budget should have beaten us handsomely last month.

We can moan about it all day, but Cowley would not have had to deal with a budget like this before in his career, so cut out the jibes and complaints. It’s such a poor excuse.

I actually don’t think he’s far off it, things have got better. However, we need to recruit a spine – our old spine just won League One with Wigan.

Who was your man of the match?

Had it not been for Gavin Bazunu we would have conceded seven. He kept on going when it must have been maddening for him having to play with such players.

He is clearly so much better than everyone else and it’s hard not to see him playing in the Premier League one day.

It’s incredible that he’s aged just 20 and performing like that. He’s a different class to Alex Bass, who is four years older and has been sent to Bradford to develop.

I didn’t vote for the Player of the Season, but would have gone to Bazunu. I know Sean Raggett got it, but, if you use your head, Bazunu should get it all day long in terms of ability.

Gavin Bazunu – 8

Hayden Carter – 5

Sean Raggett – 6

Clark Robertson – 5

Connor Ogilvie – 5

Joe Morrell – 4

Louis Thompson – 5

Marcus Harness – 2

Michael Jacobs – 4

Ronan Curtis – 7

George Hirst – 8

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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