Pompey Cut Ticket Prices

Posted on | September 3, 2009 | No Comments

A very brief comment today on Pompey’s decision to cut ticket prices for eight home games this season. An intelligent decision by the club.

The games in question are Wigan, Burnley, Birmingham, Sunderland, Stoke, Hull, Blackburn and Wolves. Adult tickets have been cut to £20 in the Milton End, and £30 in the wings of the upper North Stand.

It’s just the kind of gesture the fans need to see at the moment, but more importantly it improves the chances of the ground being full for these important games, as people continue to struggle in the recession. To the season ticket holders who are already complaining, I can only say, STOP BEING SO SHORT SIGHTED! The whole club needs to pull together at the moment and this is a positive step towards that happening. Obviously the biggest step will be a great performance and win against Bolton, but back to the ticket prices. You can’t actually buy a season ticket in the Milton End, and the price you paid guarantees your usual seat. But also remember, when you by something, including a season ticket, there is no guarantee that a better deal won’t come along further down the line. Simple as that. The club should not be criticised for this positive move. Play up Pompey!

Transfer Window Finally Shuts for Portsmouth

Posted on | September 2, 2009 | No Comments

The summer’s finally over (nothing to miss about it, is there?!), and things at Portsmouth are now at least clear (managerial issues aside) until January. It ended up being a frantic transfer window, with all the activity by necessity crammed into the last week. The general consensus is that given events off the pitch, the squad is now as strong as can be expected, and gives us a fighting chance of still being in touch come January. I would go along with that, with one exception which I’ll touch on later.

Tal Ben Haim was the pick of the bunch for me, and represents a good replacement for Sylvain Distin. I must admit to not knowing a lot about Kevin Prince Boateng, but I’ve always liked O’Hara, and (I say this through gritted teeth) Michael Brown made a good debut aginst Man City at the weekend. In terms of outgoings, I honestly can’t argue with any of them. If players do not want to be at the club, there is no point in keeping them. The way Kranjcar has played recently, he won’t be missed anyway. I also happen to think he is over-rated in any case. Distin has no international career to pursue, but I suppose at his age, you have to take any attractive opportunitie that come your way. The bottom line is, with what has been happening at the club recently, no player could be blamed for wanting to pursue a career elsewhere.

The exception to all this, of course, is David James. No doubt he would also have gone if a bid had come in, but he is the one player who could probably recover form that. He is also the one we most needed to stay. His presence will be essential if we are to be competitive from now on. He will need to get his head back together, but he will have no choice. His World Cup place depends on it, but a goalkeeper can maintain his form in a struggling side in a way an outfield player can’t.

It’s up front where I am most worried. I feel rather than spending £2m on a Championship central defender, Paul Hart should have been busting a gut to acquire another striker instead. We have Hreidarsson and Wilson who can play at the back as well as Kaboul and Ban Haim. Up front we have Piquionne, Smith, and Dindane. I’m not convinced by Smith but am much happier to have him than the incompetent Nugent, who signed off with another howler aginst City. We have obviously not seen Dindane yet, but I just have a horrible feeling he is going to be injury prone. This is not based on fact of any sort, and I hope I am wrong. Just a hunch. We also have the indefatigable Kanu, who has just signed a new one year deal. We may just be needing him more than last season, although he looked good against City. But he must be in his forties now! I just have this nagging feeling that it is scoring goals which is going to be our achilles heel, even after the transfer window. Didn’t we try and get Benjani?

Anyway, at least the Pompey faithful are now hopeful that we can now get our season off the ground against Bolton in ten days’ time. That’s more than we could imagine a week ago, but it’s still going to be an uphill battle. If we can make a decent fist of it, though, it should be a more emjoyable season than the last one!

Jamie O’Hara, Kevin Prince Boateng, and…Aruna Dindane

Posted on | August 28, 2009 | No Comments

Just thought I’d contrast those three names with yesterday’s trio! I’m not saying they are world beaters or even top half Premier League regulars, but I’d say they give us a fighting chance, and that’s all Portsmouth fans have wanted for the past few weeks. Michael Brown and Tommy Smith now look better signings than they did yesterday, and I think it’s fair to say that today marks a turning point in the short term outlook of the fans.

Now, I’m an optimist by nature but I’m sure those who have read this blog over the past few days had noticed that like most other Pompey fans, I had become demoralised. Even with the Al Fahim takeover still clearly not complete and its potency unknown, things now look brighter. I couldn’t bring myself to mention Dindane yesterday, fearing that despite ‘the photo’, the deal had fallen through due to the failure of Peter Storrie’s takeover bid. In fact, it looks like the sale of Sylvain Distin has allowed it to finally happen. If that is the case, the right decision has been made, especially when you consider the player wasn’t happy. Somehow I think the success of Storrie’s consortium would have seen him stay.

There are still issues to contend with, not least the Distin-shaped hole in the middle of defence. The jury also remains out on Hart in my opinion, but with a couple more signings, this doubt must now soon be resolved. He should soon have enough at his disposal to play the way he wants. Not enough to stay clear of the relegation battle, but enough to show his true colours, if he hasn’t already. I truly hope he hasn’t already. If not, he must have an extremely low opinion  his current attacking options.

So, all this optimism is likely to disappear on Sunday when we play Manchester City! But I say that tongue in cheek, because in reality it won’t. Even a heavy defeat will probably be the result of  a few new signings failing to gel, or simply a huge gulf in class. I believe we may see a spirited performance. My only footballing worry is that Paul Hart will be shown to lack the motivational and tactical skills needed for Premier League management, but yesterday I would have been delighted had that been my major concern. The Al Fahim issue clearly isn’t over yet, but today no Portsmouth fan has the energy to care about that. We should congratulate Peter Storrie for his hard work and commitment in the face of adversity recently, and then ask him to consider lowering the prices in order to try and create the atmosphere we will need at Fratton Park this season. A Chief Exec’s work is never done, Peter! But he has managed to convince us that we have a fighting chance today, and that is all we ask at the moment! Play Up Pompey!

Tommy Smith, Mike Williamson, and…Michael Brown

Posted on | August 27, 2009 | No Comments

These are the transfer targets Portsmouth fans now seemingly have to endure. I say endure because whilst I obviously have nothing against these players personally (except Michael Brown, but more of this later), they are clearly not Premier League quality players. This is all the more unbelievable given that our long awaited takeover went through just yesterday. I haven’t heard of many Premier League takeovers that immediately target 29 year old Championship strikers on four year deals.

Leaving doubts about the nature of the takeover aside just for one moment (if that is possible!), Tommy Smith has reportedly cost £1.8m. If there is £1.8m available to spend on a striker, I truly believe that there are better ways to spend it. It is this that worries me even more than the level of immediate financial backing available. There must be strikers available on loan with more quality, who would be available for even less. Can’t think of one off the top of my head (distracted by listening to The Quay’s football hour), but I’ll let you know if one comes to mind. The point is, Tommy Smith doesn’t convince me.

He starts to convince me even less when you look at the manager’s other targets. Mike Williamson from Watford. I’ve never heard of him. MICHAEL BROWN! His past history aside (his last stint at Portsmouth, and trying to break Sean Davis’ leg at Fulham), this is another defensive midfielder! Paul, I don’t care how little money you have, can’t you hear us all saying we don’t need another one?  

It looks like we are about to receive up to £6m for Sylvain Distin. With the finances available as a result of the takeover looking limited to say the least, this money will become vital in the next few days. The trouble is, I don’t trust the manager to use it wisely. Three negative statements in three sentences. Very easy to do at the moment.

Al Fahim Finally Becomes New Owner of Portsmouth

Posted on | August 26, 2009 | No Comments

Well, you couldn’t make it up! Just as it seemed that Peter Storrie was about to blindside Portsmouth Football Club’s erstwhile prospective owner, Sulaiman Al Fahim, the tables were turned at the last minute! Typical of the club itself and indeed the events of this summer. The worry is that it appears the way the deal was finally done was very quickly, out of desperation, and for reasons other than the best long term interests of the club. Let’s hope that this turns out to be either wrong or irrelevant, and the future is along the lines promised by Al Fahim earlier in the summer. Let’s hope, I said.

There is nothing else we can do, I’m afraid. Typically, we still don’t know what the future is supposed to hold and the completion of the takeover just leaves more questions and a sense of frustration instead of the relief we have all longed for. I am just confused, frustrated and, most depressingly of all, sceptical about the deal and the future. The drawn out summer, and the nature of the eventual deal have given us Pompey fans no reason to be anything else. I think we have all just had enough and, sadly, Al Fahim starts his reign with an uphill battle on his his hands to even convince the fans of his best intentions. Money aside, we can’t even rely on continuity in the boardroom to see us through this difficult time. I would love to believe that all concerned can now pull together for the good of Portsmouth Football Club, but I just don’t think life works that way!

Al Fahim now has just days to make an impact, or the morale-sapping effect of further inactivity will mean the January transfer window may be useless to us. The positive and immediate impact required seems improbable for a man who appears to have been forced into a deal, any deal, to save face. I hope I am wrong, but I am so very tired of it all.

Aruna Dindane Signs for Portsmouth

Posted on | August 25, 2009 | No Comments

And we are 3-0 up against Hereford United at half time! But with things the way they are at the moment, ANYTHING positive is worth clinging on to. At least it shows that Pompey have gone about their job tonight the way they should. However, it is the teeniest tiniest positive. We are playing Hereford United. It’s not the professionalism of the players that’s the problem. It’s the quality.

That brings me on to the issue of player transfers. There is a picture circulating on the internet tonight showing Aruna Dindane signing his Portsmouth contract. Now unless it’s an elaborate hoax (there are Portsmouth club badges displayed on the wall behind him and the man next to him is definitely the club secretary, Paul Weld!), that should also mean that at least some kind of takeover is due to be announced imminently (you can make your own mind up about the picture here!). The guy is rumoured to be costing around £4m. If that is true, there is no other explanation for Pompey’s ability to sign him up. The question is, what kind of takeover is this going to be?

There must surely now be an announcement tomorrow regarding this, and I think everybody will now be amazed if it is Al Fahim that turns up in front of the cameras rather than Peter Storrie. But the danger is that it will be too little too late and there is at least one player at the club who obviously believes this. Sylvain Distin is not in the squad tonight and it appears that he now wants out of Portsmouth. To be honest, I really can’t blame him after the summer the club has had, but at the same time it seems slightly odd with Pompey apparently finally on the brink of a way forward.

Perhaps he knows nothing about it? Perhaps the picture is a hoax? Perhaps it has all been a dream. Nothing would surprise me with Portsmouth at the moment. Watch this space……if you can take any more…….

Pompey’s Time is Running Out

Posted on | August 24, 2009 | No Comments

It’s now Monday night and this summer’s second proposed takeover of Portsmouth Football Club still hasn’t been announced. The way things have gone so far this year, the collapse of Peter Storrie’s rescue plan is perhaps inevitable, but there won’t be time for a third. This is it. Last chance saloon.

Since I last wrote, there have been two more matches, both of which confirmed our worst suspicions. Namely that this team is going down. It still has a few good players, but not enough. Piquionne looks decent, but is being asked to make everything happen up front on his own, with no help from midfield. Our central midfield is just not good enough. Our most creative player looks like he would rather be somewhere else and is only effective in a good team. But most of all, the morale of the whole club is at rock bottom as a result of Sulaiman Al Fahim’s botched takeover.

We looked reasonably solid at the back against Birmingham, but of course the inevitable happened at the death, as it always does when your team carries no real goal threat. Against Arsenal, the team put out was bizarrely the most attacking we have seen all season and looked as much. But at the back we were woeful at times, notwithstanding the primary problem of the non-existent closing down in midfield. If the rescue plan doesn’t roll into action very, very soon, this can only end one way. We wait…

McCann and Shittu for Portsmouth?

Posted on | August 18, 2009 | No Comments

I’m sorry, I don’t care if this has been used a million times before, but the name just about sums it up doesn’t it? Portsmouth’s latest targets are uninspiring to say the least. Ironically, Shittu is the one that makes more sense to me, but that doesn’t mean I rate him at all!

OK, so we have no money, the club is in turmoil, and to the Alan Hansens of this world we might as well be a piece of Shittu (sorry, I did it again!) on his shoe. But seriously, GAVIN McCANN AND DANNY SHITTU?!! What does that even potentially add to the team? Make no mistake, it’s the team that needs strengthening now, not the squad. The squad is something you add to when you’re reasonably happy with the team. 

Martin Cranie has recently departed, so that leaves Kaboul and Distin as the central defensive partnership, with Hreidarsson as cover. If we’re going to sign Danny Shittu in those circumstances, what’s wrong with Linvoy Primus? As for McCann, words fail me. Diop was in an FA Cup winning team, Hart himself signed Mokoena. Last Saturday, the midfield trio was completed by Hayden Mullins. Why do we need Gavin McCann as well? Can someone please explain that to me?

In our situation, the priority should be players who at least have the potential to alter what we already have, which blatantly didn’t work against Fulham. Dietmar Hamman is available. He can pass a ball to players on his own team and has played at the top level and won the Champions’ League. There must be many more that are available cheaply and offer something different to what we already have. There don’t seem to be any positive signs at the moment. The club is directionless off the pitch and I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that this situation is mirrored on it. I’m afraid I predict another demoralising defeat at Birmingham tomorrow night.

Portsmouth 0 Fulham 1

Posted on | August 17, 2009 | No Comments

The goal pretty much said it all at the moment. Portsmouth were toothless up front and rarely looked threatening and central midfield was packed with destroyers with all the creativity of training cones (albeit with inadequate support from the more skilful wide players), but the defence actually looked solid. A 0-0 draw would have been a decent result under the present circumstances. Granted, Fulham had other chances but they seemed to be mainly the result of midfield giving the ball away. Piquionne worked hard and looked like he could be effective given support but you can’t win games in the Premier League with such little real attacking threat. However solid in defence, a ball is always going to spin into the net off someone’s back. Well against us it is anyway.

Now personally, I thought Paul Hart should have reverted back to the tactic that worked so well against Sunderland at the back end of last season. Namely, play 4-4-2 and give Utaka one last chance to save his Pompey career up front where he looked like a class act (and interested!) in that Sunderland match. But I wasn’t surpised he opted for 4-5-1, with Utaka in his usual ineffectual wide right role. Again there was no place for Basinas despite the fact we desperately needed someone who could pass the ball in the middle. Mullins played well but does not possess the killer ball (or any forward pass).

Enough about tactics. What was clear from Saturday was that they are irrelevant until we buy some more players, better players. OK we had the farce of Vanden Borre and the Italian Football Association, and Finnan is injured but those two aren’t going to save us. We need a quality striker (or two), and someone who can pass the ball in the middle of midfield. It doesn’t appear that Basinas will ever get the chance to do that. And after that we probably need another three or four players capable of pushng for first team places. This team just isn’t good enough. Although David Nugent hasn’t had the chance to prove himself that Utaka has, the evidence is clear. He isn’t good enough, even for a struggling Premiership side. Also, I hate to say it because I admire the way he has stepped in to the breach, but I am not convinced about Paul Hart’s managerial ability either. Last season was one thing, but to my mind, you try to beat Fulham at home in the first game of the season with what you’ve got. He didn’t do that.

All in all, things are much bleaker now than they were before the game, especially as we are now into Groundhog Day number 827. I can’t bring myself to say any more. It’s been a HELL of a summer…

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-08-16

Posted on | August 16, 2009 | No Comments

• Statement on Portsmouth official site saying takeover still on track has been pulled. Let's hope it's darkest before dawn. #

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• Pompey Cut Ticket Prices
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