Every word Portsmouth chairman Michael Eisner said in 12-minute video speech to Fratton faithful

Michael Eisner:

‘So good evening everybody, we have just finished the game, Breck is actually at Portsmouth, he’s at the Park, it’s not a fake picture back there.

Breck Eisner:

‘No green screen! That was a wonderful win, I am told by Andrew (Cullen) that I need to now be here for every single game going forward, which sounds fun to me, but I don’t think my family would be so happy about it.

Michael:

‘How was the rain? Was it good, bad, we seem to do well in the rain.

Breck:

‘I think the lads played well on the wet pitch, I think they used it to their advantage, it was a really strong performance, Swanson, Segecic, Williams’ goals were wonderful, the team played strong together, it was an exciting environment. I am truly happy I was here for this game.

Michael:

‘Well it looked great on Pompey+, I was happy the third goal came, it was a nice change.

‘Let me just start off - you can jump in here as well Breck - we are always asked about our ambition, about Tornante’s ambition, and we’ve had the same ambition since 2017, we want to get into the Premier League.

‘We have patience, we had patience getting from League One to the Championship, we are now in the Championship, and that (the Premier League) is our goal.

‘I will say that through 7-8 years, the fans have been fantastic, the selling out (of Fratton Park) has been great and it is different from most professional teams that I have seen. Did you get the sense there Breck that the fans are really behind the team?

Breck:

‘Oh yes, it was very boisterous, loud, they drowned out the Millwall fans completely, which is always exciting for me.

Michael:

‘Were you nervous after the first half with only one goal?

Breck:

‘I think for the first 5-7 minutes I was concerned, but then Pompey really started to dominate. I wanted to win today (Saturday) because I knew I was recording this and it’s a much higher spirits recording than had we lost.

Michael:

‘The other thing I think I should mention, we have a really good squad, we've had unfortunate injuries, a lot of teams have that, and I know there is a lot of talk about how we don’t have the most expensive squad.

‘Let me say one thing, we owned a baseball team and the first year I had all the pressure from the fans and we brought a $100m first base in, the first pitch of the first game he fell into the dug-out and was out for the season.

‘The second season, he had an accident with the snowball machine and the third season he gained 40lbs. We then decided, do you know what, not for financial reasons, we are going to go to new, young aggressive players and it worked, we won the world series. It worked for us in hockey and it’s going to work for us eventually on the pitch here in Portsmouth. So I am really excited about the way we have done that.

‘I will say that with the January window coming up, Breck has there been a lot of talk as you have walked around with Andrew all through the property? You went everywhere, right?

Breck:

‘I walked everywhere. I just tell everyone I am facilities manager and have nothing to do with the squad to divert those questions!

Michael:

‘There is a lot of pressure on the January window. Was everybody saying “Oh we’ve got to get 25 great players?”.

Breck:

‘I think everyone is looking at the transfer window to enhance the squad, a strong squad that exists already, everyone has got their eyes on what can happen in January and certainly that was a form of conversation as I walked around Fratton.

Michael:

‘We are kind of in the same position as we were last year, we lost to Plymouth before we had this conversation with Eric and me and we are going to keep to the path we are on, we are going to look for young, aggressive players, we are going to use loans where we need them for the second half of the season. Three players are coming back from injuries, now I think we are going to see a change.

‘Our goal, obviously our long-term goal, is we are not going to get relegated, I said last year. By the way, I don’t know if you talked at all about the women’s team, you went to see all the training ground.

Breck:

‘Yes, I visited Jay (Sadler) and Brooke (Chaplen) and saw the facilities there, they moved into the Pompey in the Community space, very exciting stuff.

Michael:

‘By the way, they really came together at the end of last season. Five out of 6 games undefeated, pushed way past relegation, as did the men’s team, so I think we were more than lucky, we pulled ourselves together after slow starts for the men and women, both years. We’ve now won 2 out of 3 women’s games, so we are kind of excited about that.

‘I don’t think we have any more injuries than any other teams, it’s unfortunate that some of our best players were injured, they are now back. It’s great to see three of them were back today (Saturday), so I am excited. We are looking at that really carefully.

‘The question - and I am sure Breck you will have been asked about this question - what does it look like to be in the Championship and how do we deal with that? Have you and Andrew been asked that as you walked around with Steve Cripps on facilities?

‘We have spent a lot of money on facilities, on capital expenditures, and everybody knows that everybody loses money in the Championship. It is really at the moment a very difficult business, the losses are extraordinary, we are going to try to modify that by not spending a lot of money on facilities now because we’ve got the facilities, Fratton Park is really great, we own the training ground, we have now renovated the training ground, the first-team is at the training ground, we now have the academy where the first-team was out back. Have you seen that Breck? How does that look where the new training ground for the Academy is?

Breck:

‘What I’d like to speak about in general is how wonderful all of Fratton Park and the Academy looks and the experience. I took several hours this afternoon (Saturday) with Steve Cripps and Andrew (Cullen) and walked around and saw the entire fan experience. The work they have done and the work that Steve has somehow pulled off is remarkable.

‘Making sure that coming to Fratton Park is a really positive experience for fans in terms of being able to use the bathroom, being able to get food, being able to get in and out. Having a good match-day experience is a big focus of what we have done and seeing all the improvements year on year on year.

‘A similar thing at the training ground, where the first-team have space - and the environment can affect emotion and the performances. It all comes together, the new facilities at the training ground where the first-team is located, the offices and now the Academy having their own space.

‘It's just getting to be a bigger and bigger and more substantial team and we’re also starting to do that with the women. I am proud of the work we have done and continue to do, I am proud of the work that Steve and Andrew have done to really build up this place and build up the Park and the training ground.

Michael:

‘How is Fan Zone and the rain and the dark and all that?

Breck:

‘I mean, there are different people hiding and under cover at times and trying to stay dry. I went over to that big pub across the way next door, which was packed full of people, the Staggeringly Good, it was packed. Some of them might have been over here if it had been a nice, beautiful day, but it seems like the Fan Zone and the refreshed Victory Lounge is wonderful. I didn’t get to see the doors open at the Victory Lounge on a sunny or not rainy day, but I know and I hear that it’s positive.

Michael:

‘I think we have really enhanced it, we have plans for further enhancement around Fratton Park. I was supposed to go to a convention in Orlando to see all sorts of different ideas, I was stuck to the mast going around the Mediterranean so I didn’t go, I didn’t see anything I wanted to buy. We have got to pull back on things that don’t apply to the pitch, to the players, to the coaching staff, to the protection from injuries.

‘So we are going to concentrate obviously on players and the pitch. I will say there is some hope, I am straight with everybody, the pyramid right now financially, particularly in the Championship, is a disaster. All teams are losing money, it's not a little bit of money, it’s a lot of money.

‘Parliament has passed a law, finally there is a group, an administrator, a regulator (Independent Football Regulator), who is going to look at what the EFL gets from its share of the media. Right now we get six per cent, which is trouble. I think within about 18 months the law’s passed, there will be more money for the EFL, we have to make sure it’s spent correctly.

‘But that’s one hope of correcting the financial climate. The other hope is eventually getting to the Premier League - and we can’t spend eight years getting there, that would be catastrophic financially.

‘So I don't want to mislead anybody, the finances are a serious problem, but, let me say this,

I still believe in having young, new players with the strategy of getting good players that can advance your team, but also be saleable, which is a way to make up for the losses which will happen for us.

‘As Eric said last year, we do not want to be a yo-yo team, we do not want to go back down to League One, we want to go up the ladder, we want to be financially intelligent.

‘We know the only things fans are interested in is winning and look at me on the weekend when we don’t win, that’s what I care about. Today (Saturday) I thought, oh my God, it’s 2-0, we are now 2-1, we are one man up and we could lose this. But we didn’t, we did well.

‘So let me just say this, we are as enthusiastic as always, all three of my sons and Jane are enthusiastic, we just have to figure out the finances, we have to get the parliament law completed (Independent Football Regulator) and we have to not be relegated.

‘I am always optimistic. Let me just say for the last time, we are not being relegated - trust me, we are not being relegated. And I do think when you go through who we have on the team, name after name after name, and some of it became apparent today (Saturday).

‘We have a good team, we have an excellent management, obviously I think Andrew is the best CEO, I think we have a great coach, I think we have a great sporting director and we have merchandise which has grown every year, the food is now edible, I think, I am told, with the mushroom and meat pies.

‘Everything is doing well except for the last period of games. Now we are on a new rack, we have won and we’re going to keep on winning. Breck, do you have anything else that you saw there?

Breck:

‘Only that I want to share that I was sitting with the owner of Millwall at the end of the game and he congratulated me and said we looked good. I loved hearing that from another owner.

Michael:

‘They (Millwall) are a good team and they are also a family-owned club and came through financial difficulties. I think you met a really good guy, we want all the teams to be well.

‘Alright that’s our fill-in. Next year we will be further up the table, way further up the table, and I congratulate John Mousinho, Rich Hughes and Andrew. Breck you have to move there now, so that would be good!

‘Thank you everybody, see you soon, so long.’

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