Crouch Set to Leave Portsmouth
Posted on | July 16, 2009 | No Comments
After a few enforced days off, I am back, but what the hell is going on?! Just as the protracted takeover of Portsmouth FC by Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim seems to be nearing completion, many of the players are either clamouring for the exit door or being pushed towards it.
It looks inevitable that Peter Crouch will leave within the next week as Pompey have recently accepted a £12m bid from Sunderland, and Crouch has already been up there to talk to them. There may yet be other interest. So why is this happening? I alluded a few days ago to the fact that the sale of Crouch was a possibility, if a new manager was in place and had indicated, let’s say, that Crouch remaining at the club was not a pre requisite to his taking the job. i.e. the proceeds of the sale could be used to negotiate the price as any new manager would have other specific player targets either lined up, or in mind. This is still possible I suppose, but I must say that since then my view of the takeover has become considerably more pessimistic!
The most worrying thing that I have seen is the apparent statement in Al Fahim’s document outlining his vision for the club that Paul Hart is the preferred choice as manager. If this is true, it shows either that Al Fahim has very limited knowledge, or that he has very limited finances. I have nothing but respect for Paul Hart but we should be showing more ambition than that! Having said that, nothing would please me more than if he were to prove people wrong and progress Portsmouth on the pitch. I don’t necessarily believe that he doesn’t have the capacity to attempt to play entertaining football, but not least of his problems would be attracting the quality of players necessary to do that.
That brings me on to my next HUGE concern. At this rate, we won’t have ENOUGH players to field a team, let alone enough of sufficient quality. Since the end of the season (not counting the dead wood), Sean Davis and Glen Johnson have left, Sol Campbell looks to be on his way out of the club as does Peter Crouch, and now it is reported that Sylvain Distin will be next. I sincerely hope this is because the incoming owner is so prepared that he doesn’t need to worry about this, but if that were the case, surely he wouldn’t need to sell anyone at the moment? The deal could be completed, a new manager appointed, and then the issue of the playing staff addressed.
I have been frustrated over the last few weeks with negative comments and speculation I have seen about the takeover from Portsmouth fans. I felt they were being too negative, but still believe there was not enough information at the time from which to form a sceptical view. Well, I hate to say it, but now I am worried. Something doesn’t seem right, and it’s the seemingly inevitable sale of Crouch that has brought me to that way of thinking for the first time. We obviously don’t know what goes on behind the scenes, but it doesn’t appear that he has been pressing for a move (despite his comments before that England game). More that Portsmouth have merely accepted Sunderland’s £12m offer. At the moment, it seems that can only be because all is not as we have come to expect with this takeover. All will be revealed on or shortly after July 24th. Can’t wait.
Tags: Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim > Glen Johnson > Paul Hart > Peter Crouch > Pompey > Portsmouth > Portsmouth takeover > Sean Davis > Sol Campbell > Sunderland > Sylvain Distin
Comments
Leave a Reply