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!
Tags: Aruna Dindane > Fratton Park > Jamie O'Hara > Kevin Prince Boateng > Manchester City > Michael Brown > Paul Hart > Peter Storrie > Pompey > Portsmouth > Portsmouth Football Club > Premier League > Sulaiman Al Fahim > Sylvain Distin > Tommy Smith
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