Business As Usual

Better the devil you know. Lots of Pools fans seem upset that the  takeover by a consortium of anonymous people  - people who seemed to think the name "The Monkey Hangers 2014" was appropriate for a  serious business  - has been ended. There are others breathing a sigh of relief.

IOR were the ones to pull the plug on the deal and not the Football League. Ken Hodcroft and co. have always proved astute and professional business leaders and, while we will never be party to the ins and outs,  we have to respect their judgement.

After all it is IOR who are having  to keep the club running while, no doubt, working hard on their day job's running companies in the increasingly challenged oil sector.

The owners are now looking for  new investment and it is in everybody's interest that their frootball asset remains in the football league.

Hopefully, Hodcroft and chief exec Russ Green will continue to work with manager Ronnier Moore to build on his excellent start at the Vic. He goes intop the game unburdened having failed to be chosen as the Manager of the Month.

His team has an outside chance of escaping the big drop, and a few away wins will go a long way towards getting up the head of steam needed if we are to succeed.

Pompey away isn't easy, but a big crowd and the togetherness, which can  sometimes be engendered by a long away trip, may actually help Pools' cause.

It will certainly help new signing Marvin Morgan get to know his new teammates and he's likely to start the game.

Pompey will start Fulham loanee Josh Passley. However, striker Paul McCallum starts a seven week ban after taking further issue with the ref who'd red carded him.