TOM YOUNG: Pompey Barking up the right tree?
Monday, 9th Dec 2013 07:19 by Tom Young

Pompey look set to appoint Richie Barker on Monday.

After recently being sacked by Crawley, the man who was appointed manager at Bury by Mark Catlin quickly became one of the front runners for the Pompey hot seat.

Running alongside Chris Wilder, Paul Tisdale and Steve Claridge, many Pompey fans were both torn between choices and leaning towards individual candidates, although many weren’t actually individual.

Some came with impressive coaching staff, such as that Steve Claridge would bring, and not one but two Pompey legends with big reputations on the south coast in the shape of David James and Hermann Hreidarsson also applied.

Seemingly favourite for the post Richie Barker would seem set to bring Steve Coppell with him as a bonus prize.

That bonus prize has apparently swayed the Pompey board and Barker and Catlin look set to be reunited. Richie Barkers’ time at Bury was a successful one. Initially being appointed at Bury as caretaker manager he spurred them onto League Two promotion with six consecutive wins.

With a small budget in League One, he established Bury in mid-table.

In the summer of 2012, Crawley Town hired Barker to replace Steve Evans. In Barkers’ first season in charge, he led them to a respectable mid table finish but his following season was less than convincing as Crawley were drawn closer to the relegation zone rather than the desired promotion places. He was sacked on November 27 2013.

Almost immediately after, links between his sacking the vacant Pompey job were made and just over a week later, he has seemingly got the job, and maybe the biggest of his career yet.

The fans will give him time to settle but he must make his mark and quick. A few more defeats will leave Pompey dangerously close to the Football League trap door and will inevitably put the pressure on.

Many fans called for an experienced head to come in so another so called “rookie” may not be what some fans were hoping for — although the Coppell effect helps - but Mark Catlin’s willingness to work with Barker for a second time reflects well on the reported soon to be manager.