Going Down Fighting

Last updated : 11 August 2009 By Jim Bonner

Neville Dalton is a journalist and a Portsmouth fan of over 40 years.

If any good can come out of Pompey's plight - and that's a tricky one - it must be that for the first time in more than six months, the pressure is off Paul Hart.

I confess to being one of his fiercest critics - of his performance, outlook and tactics during Pompey's ultimately successful fight to avoid relegation last season.

But his reputation in youth football and academies suggests he is highly respected by some in the game.

And the public loyalty shown by many of Pompey's first-team squad after his promotion - so evidently missing when Tony Adams was in charge - is an indication that it's not just young bucks who appreciate him.

So what better chance to enhance that reputation - and win over some of the many thousand fans whom he so enraged and frustrated last season - than by producing an exciting young football team to say farewell to the Premier League (assuming we last that long!)?

No-one in their right mind expects Pompey to stay up now - even if a new owner does materialise.

The damage has been done: nearly all the stars have gone - and with them the continuity that can help a struggling team through bad times.

A team so palpably struggling to hold its own last term has now been further denuded, with the in-tray short on both quality and quantity.

The club is in chaos - its stars as unsure of the future as the rest of us - and they've even turned to fighting each other.

So what does Mr Hart have to lose?

Throw in some youngsters (well, he's hardly got much choice there) and those who still believe they have something to prove; instil them with confidence; wind them up and send them out in positive mind, ready to go down with a bang.

More than anything, this is a chance for Hart to show that his ultra-cautious tactics of last season were an aberration, brought about by his determination not to lose.

By all accounts there were some encouraging signs of positivity in the pre-season friendly against Rangers, although I'll reserve judgment until we're pitched into a no-holds-barred Premier League match where people's livelihoods are at stake.

Here is the chance to start afresh. We kick off on the opening day level with everybody.

We'll no doubt end it a few points off the pace - a story likely to be repeated until next May. But if we're going down, let's go down in style.

Everyone knows the financial constraints under which Hart is working, and he should escape the flak that normally comes with bad results - as long as he is doing his bit to send Pompey forwards with purpose and flair.

Abandon the caution; set the team up to attack. Bring verve, pace, application and commitment to the game and let's entertain those long-suffering fans on our way down to the Championship.

Who knows? By actually looking to score goals, we might even surprise a few on the way.

Pompey fans have an aversion for mediocrity. When we're doing well, yes, the place may be packed to the rafters.

Once we're established, some seem quietly to slip away.

But it's only when we're struggling that the place really rocks and the players get a glimpse of just how crucial our support is.

In some ways I had been dreading the coming season, but now we all have a better idea of how bad our plight is, and levels of expectation have plunged to realistic levels, I imagine many - like me - can't wait to get behind the team and cheer them on in adversity.

With all the signs pointing to maybe the toughest season of our lives, what better opportunity to lure the crowds - and keep them loyal as we prepare for the next generation of Portsmouth Football Club?