How Portsmouth fans have reacted to news that Danny Cowley will operate with reduced budget next season

With the club losing £700,000 a month during the coronavirus pandemic, the new head coach admitted he would be operating with a budget that worked out less than the £4m afforded to Kenny Jackett prior to last season’s salary cap of £2.5m, which has now been scrapped.

That has seen the Blues offer reduced terms to the likes of out-of-contract duo Ben Close and Ryan Williams – and helps explain why club captain Tom Naylor is set to exit Fratton Park after three years.

Pompey’s willingness to cash in on assets is also seen as a way of bolstering the money Cowley has available to him to carry out his overhaul.

Yet the new man at the helm isn’t complaining, with the head coach knowing that Pompey’s rivals face similar financial difficulties.

It hasn’t stopped the Fratton faithful debating the subject, though.

Many are of the opinion that such prudent planning is necessary in extraordinary times – and that money doesn’t guarantee success.

Others, however, feel the club is gong backwards and might remain in League One for seasons to come.

Here’s a selection of the views shared on our Facebook page...

Glenn Mcguiness: I’m sorry to say but I think it looks like club are going backwards now.

League 1 going to be so competitive next season I will be very surprised if we’re in the top 8. But we’ll see, you never know, we may be presently surprised.

Andy Lanc's: At some point the owners have to spend, but will they wait till we get in Championship or not bother again?

We don’t need to spend 10s of millions, just a bit so we can compete.

Andrew John Farndell: You mean like when we spent on Marquis who our fans decided was rubbish?

Of course it would be nice to see us spend but after not having fans in the stadiums for a year or so we're not making the money we would usually make.

Andrew Burgess: When we spent big we got Marquis.

When we use a bit of nous we get players like Curtis.

Let's just see how we go. Look at Lincoln, Blackpool and Oxford they are hardly money bags.

Mark Willoughby: The Eisners are running the club like a business, a self sufficient thing, which it should be.

I don't understand why people demand they simply hand over the cheque book and bank roll huge investments in players.

They bought the club as a business, which is supposed to make them money not cost them!.

They have no ties to Portsmouth, they're business men and quite frankly I'm glad they're not running up huge debts only just to get us promoted and sell us on for a quick profit,

When we were a supporters owned Club I'm sure I read somewhere that it would be run as a self sufficient business and never go back to the disastrous ways of 2000's.

Seeing so many clubs on the brink, selling their STADIUMS and training grounds to stay a float.. I'm relieved the Eisners manage the purse strings very well.

I don't fancy going through administration again any time soon.

Lindon Boast: Accrington Stanley always have a lower budget than all the others but John Coleman manages stop moaning and get on with it.

Joe Parkinson: Luton, Barnsley, Lincoln, Blackpool, all mid-table finances, absolutely killing it right now.

You can have decent players, who'll play for the shirt and not a wage.

Everything is money driven yes, but Jesus get a reality check, we're not as big we assume we are, but we're not small either.

Chris Wallis: Money isn't everything. What matters is getting a squad that will fight for every ball every point.

Shaun Essery: Just love all these positive vibes coming from our club lately.

Chris Budden: If we come out and tell the world we have a good sized or large budget, I can guarantee all the clubs of players we want (including the players themselves) will want top dollar.

I’m not sure I trust the Eisners’ ambitions, however this could well be very shrewd financial management.

It’s what I’d do to drive costs of inflated transfer fees and wages down!!

Bryan Garrity: It is what it is. Let’s hope Pompey can get some players with passion, drive and most of all who want to play every week to win their game.

Greg Adam: Looking forward to another mid-table finish next year then! So much for having rich owners.

Ollie Joell: I thought they were backing Cowley financially… complete joke.

They’re just using as a money making scheme. We’re not going up, be finishing 10th at best.

Steve Alexander: Does not sound promising does it. Depends who he brings in.

It could be a bluff though as advertising that you have a large budget makes other clubs put their prices up.