What now?

Last updated : 01 May 2005 By Keith Allman

Let's face it, the season is over. Two more games to go and in all likelihood we'll lose them both as we're up against teams with something to play for whilst we, as The Times so very well phrased it, have already "mentally packed buckets and spades". Such is life, we're safe.

But it's at times like this that we can start to think ahead into the dim and distant future of, er, next season. So far life in the Premiership has been a strange experience for Portsmouth FC as both seasons have featured immense struggle for one reason and another but, in the end, we've been safe with games to spare. So overall you'd have to say that it's been mission accomplished because we're still here, but everyone can reel off a list of at least five games where we should've done better and as we all know in this league, three points can make the difference between a fair few places. Anyone can beat anyone else on their day.

So what about next year?

1) I think we'd all like to see is the beginning of the new stadium. There's been a lot of talk and a lot of delays but if we can finally have a picture of Milan standing over the construction site, spade in one hand and brick in the other, we'll all be much more content with the way things are going.
2) A bit of stability wouldn't go amiss. Last season we had loads of players coming in and out all the time, whilst this year we had three managers. A settled and solid squad of players led by Perrin for the entire season would certainly be nice.
3) Consistent performances. Obviously we're going to win some, lose some and draw some, but both this year and last we suffered in the winter. Horrendous results, the inability to keep clean sheets and points leaked left, right and indeed centre. I'm not saying I expect us to do well all the time - this is the toughest league in the world after all - but putting up a bit more of a fight and a bit more determination after the clocks go back would be nice. Ooh, I don't ask for much do I.
4) A bit of support from the national media rather than constantly scathing articles (I can dream)
5) Alexi Smertin

Hopefully the players have learnt a lot of lessons over the last two years, and hopefully they feel the strange twinge of disappointment we all do that despite staying up perhaps with a bit more consistency, more clinical finishing and - crucially - a bit of luck, we could have been comfortably mid-table and maybe even on the heels of the UEFA Cup spots this season. After all, on Boxing Day we beat Palace to go ninth and had 26 points. It's now over four months later and we've managed twelve points in the seventeen league games since then - oh, what might have been!

Onwards and upwards I suppose.