Supporterintervjuet: Før Rotherham (H)

Tom Saunders tror opprykksjagende Rotherham blir for sterke på Fratton Park i kveld.

SUPPORTERINTERVJUET: Vår medlem nummer 89, Tom Saunders, er engelsk, men har siden 2018 bodd i Stockholm. Her er Tom sine tanker før hjemmekampen mot sterke Rotherham:

It was 8th place last season. What are your thoughts on what Pompey achieved in 2020/21?

– It feels like a wasted season. Jackett should have gone after the Oxford game and another poor play off performance but we carried on with him and the rest is history. Definitely a year where we went backwards in progress and we are now paying the price this season too.

What were your thoughts and expectations for the upcoming season?

– Pompey is probably without opportunities for promotion now, but which teams do you think will be promoted from League One now? I was excited as always and thought we would get into the playoffs, but in hindsight we just do not have a good enough squad. I think we have bought well this year and the Cowleys clearly have a good eye for a player, but having a large % of the budget being used by players who weren’t good enough for half a season (Marquis, Downing, Harrison etc.) was always going to restrict us. I think Rotherham and Wigan will go up automatically (it seems Richardson was the brains behind the Cook operation) and then MK Dons through the playoffs.

What do you think of Pompey’s season 2021/22?

– Definitely a transition year! We’ve had good periods in between but too many bad periods as well and have really struggled against the good sides in the division. It’s been positive to get rid of some players and bring in new ones who are better, but we clearly need to do a lot of squad changing for next season again. I just hope they get the players in early to give us all a bit of hope again.

Do you plan to make a trip over to see Pompey in 2022?

– Yes I am aiming for 3-4 games hopefully as I travel back to the UK every 2-3 months. I went to MK Dons and Cambridge away this season and had planned to do Plymouth too before the Covid cancellation.

How do you stay up to date on Pompey (matches and news)?

– iFollow has been amazing for international fans! Apart from that, I follow different news sites.

Do you have any favorite players in today’s Pompey squad?

– I think Ogilvie was a brilliant signing this summer. Carter and Bazunu have been very good loans. Hopefully we can keep Carter for another season, but Bazunu will definitely be playing at a higher level.

What are your thoughts on the Cowley brothers?

– This is a tough one. They’ve bought some good players and clearly have knowledge/passion for the game, but I’ve been struggling to see what style they want to play throughout the season and the football hasn’t been great to watch. I think they have big potential though so I would give them another season, but I think we will need to see results next year and they need to be backed by the board to achieve this.

Now it is a home game against the top team Rotherham. What are your thoughts on this match, what is your starting eleven and how do you think the match will end?

– Rotherham have everything to play for and we have nothing, so I am predicting a 0-2 loss. Bazunu, Ragget, Carter, Ogilvie, Hume, Romeo, Morrell, Thompson, Jacobs, Hirst and O’Brien to start.

Do you have anything else you want to say to the rest of the Scandinavian Pompey supporters?

– Enjoy the summer and glad påsk!

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