Pompey contracts dilemma

Thursday, 16/12/2010

by S.J. Maskell, Shoot's Portsmouth blogger

How was that!? Pompey go from a first-half pounding by promotion contenders Norwich to a two-goal victory with a show of second-half confidence.

That man Nugent stepped it up again. He made the first for Kitson and won the penalty that sealed it in the dying minutes. Can’t ask for more than that.

There’s no doubt that Cotterill’s tactics won the game. Switching from 4-4-2 to 4-5-1 gave both Nugent and Lawrence room to operate and is exactly where chances came from.

The frustration they caused was evident from the petulant way Barnett received his red card for flooring Nugent in the box.

Frustration must be the name of the game for Cotterill too. In his post match interview he revealed that players Brown and Hughes were both only able to play one more game each before triggering an automatic extension to their contracts.

The extension would keep them on the same Premier League level wages they get now for longer – wages the club can no longer afford.

Negotiations are on-going but Cotterill knows he will have to get creative with his team selections over the Christmas period.

Not only will he be limited by these negotiations, but also he will not have king-pin Lawrence available for the Leeds game on December 28.

This is due to Lawrence’s move to Pompey not being registered in time for the summer deadline. As a loan player, his time is up temporarily before the Leeds game. However, Lawrence confirms he will be ‘100 per cent a Pompey player’ on January 1.

Further frustration comes from midfield option, Halford, being suspended for the next match. Webber and Hreidarsson are still not at full-match fitness.

Danger also lingers until the end of the month with a couple of players being close to suspensions from the totting up process.

Cotterill will have to juggle his players like a magician to solve all those problems.

This hasn’t daunted Steve. He’s set his team a target of 75 points to ensure a play-off place. He says: ‘We need to get on a roll!’ He’s not kidding!

Cotterill is winning people round. Danny Webber describes his positive influence, saying, there’s ‘a better atmosphere than last year and that is down to the gaffer.’

Fans seem to agree. The greatest accolade? Seen on a Pompey messageboard: ‘I loved Avram, but Steve is a far better manager for us now.’

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