I APPROVED of Richie Barker’s appointment when it was made, and tried to be supportive of him for as long as I could.
I didn’t mind the dour performances in weeks where they were accompanied by 1-0 wins, for I’m a results man more than a performances man.
But when the occasional 1-0 wins turned into too many 0-0 draws and worse, my support for him waned.
And like most people, I’m a lot happier with the feel around Fratton now.
Back in November, I wasn’t a supporter of the decision to get rid of Guy Whittingham. I felt he deserved two or three more months to prove he could turn things around. But now, I have to admit I believe Pompey have made a sound choice in inviting Andy Awford into the hotseat.
Much has been said about the need to have a manager who ‘gets’ Pompey and while that can never be the top line on the ‘what we’re looking for’ spec put out by the board, it does seem to mean more at this club than at many others.
But what you also need in a manager is a strong character who can nurture young talent and inspire those around him. Time will tell, but I’m confident Awford meets all those criteria.
I was there the day he made his Pompey debut at Palace a quarter of a century ago this month, and I reckon I probably saw more than 300 of his 371 Pompey appearances (and all (3 of) his goals). As he’s said himself, he has coached under some very experienced managers at Pompey and feels he has served his apprenticeship.
He’s probably served it a few times over, in fact.
None of the above factors guarantee success, of course, but it’s great that he’s got his chance. We all want him to succeed – and that, in itself, will help.
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