Oversight

Blow me down! All that thinking and planning and note taking and drafting and I still managed to miss Younes Kaboul out of my Pompey defence wish list. I would certainly want to retain him and Sylvain Distin as my two main centre halves. All the other suggestions would be reinforcements for these two.

I am not sure how it works but the reserve team would be all the players in the squad who are not actually in the first team. They might be on the substitute bench for the first team but someone else is pencilled in for their position. By playing exactly the same system and style in the reserves as in the first team (a style of play consist throughout the club, including the Academy), the reserve matches would allow the reserve team players to maintain their match sharpness. They would then be able to substitute or replace easily when called upon to so do.

If my dream of a Croatian and an Argentine midfield trio happened, imagine the impact on the reserve team! Although I suppose there might be star feelings and egos to massage or to consider.