December 2008 - myPompey News

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  • Pocket Rocket Signs

    News has been released from Portsmouth FC that Nadir Belhadj has signed a four and a half year deal with the club.  Pompey have paid 4.5 million euros (£4.4m) for the defender who has delighted fans with his energy and pace.

    Belhadj, who came on loan from French club Lens in the summer, plays at left back but can also play left midfield.   Following impressive displays since his arrival in the Premier League, (he has scored twice in 23 appearances for the Blues), a number of other European clubs had expressed interest in him, including Barcelona.

    Manager Tony Adams said: "I'm delighted to have secured Nadir as a permanent signing - he is an excellent acquisition for the club". 

    Belhadj has become a firm favourite at Fratton Park and this signing is sure to be welcomed enthusiastically by the fans.

    Beldadj Profile

     

  • More Claims Than An Insurance Broker

    Sean Davis has been busy telling team mates to ignore the January transfer window rumours and concentrate on playing their hearts out for Portsmouth...

    Meanwhile, Chief Exec. Peter Storrie has admitted that he had a tentative enquiry about Defoe, but told the club concerned he was not for sale unless there was a very big offer. This ties in nicely with the Independent's claim that one club had tabled a £23m bid, although whether this was based on the same la la that Redknapp circulated, is anyone's guess.

    Still on the subject of it's been a quiet week so let's make something up, Johnson has ‘kopped’ following claims that he was being shown around the Reds training facilities last week. Quelling rumours that Nugent was earning a few extra bob in lieu of match fees, by teaching him Scouse.

    At least one thing has come out of the Anfield nonsense. Johnson's agent has been told to earn his cash and demand an apology from the newspaper that printed the article. The newspaper concerned will no doubt claim it was publishing the story in good faith, after being tipped off from what sounded like a car phone on the M3.

     

     

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  • Arsenal Preview

    There will be little room for sentiment when Tony Adams clashes with old boss Arsene Wenger at the Emirates Stadium.

    Wenger believes that Adams has the qualities to become a great manager despite Pompey’s poor performances of late but he has just one aim today and “that is to beat Portsmouth at home”.

    Pompey have taken just one point from their last four games and Adams will be hoping to restore their pride and start turning things around only 48 hours after their  4-1 trouncing by West Ham. 
     
    The Gunners have been suffering from comparatively patchy form this season which has seen them draw in their last three matches, resulting in them slipping into fifth place in the League.

    But with the return of striker Emmanuel Adebayor following suspension to play alongside Robin van Persie, Pompey will have their work cut out for the full ninety minutes and will be fortunate to come away with a point. Only a return to the form that humbled AC Milan and a reversal of recent work-shy attitudes, will see us come away with more.

    Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas will also be out, long-term, having suffered a knee injury and Alex Song, Johan Djourou and Gael Clichy are all doubtful.

    Portsmouth defender Glen Johnson misses out again with a knee problem as do John Utaka and Younes Kaboul, who are still struggling with injury.  Marc Wilson may keep his place in the side.

    It remains to be seen whether Adams will play Diop or whether he will stick with the same side he sent out on Boxing Day. 

    In the corresponding fixture last season, Arsenal beat Pompey 3-1.   James conceded a penalty for upending van Persie, Swiss defender Senderos was sent off early in the second half and Kanu, another former Gunner, finally got one in the net for the Blues in the sixty second minute.

    Let’s hope the standing ovation Adams will undoubtedly receive from 60,000 Gunners fans on his return to Arsenal will be echoed by Pompey plaudits following the kick off.

    Arsenal (from): Almunia, Fabianski, Sagna, Nasri, Gallas, Djourou, Clichy, Denilson, Song, Diaby, Wilshere, Eboue, Vela, Ramsey, Van Persie, Bendtner, Adebayor, Toure, Silvestre.

    Portsmouth (from): James, Lauren, Hreidarsson, Distin, Campbell, Belhadj, Pamarot, Diop, Crouch, Nugent, Thomas, Defoe, Mvuemba, Hughes, Ashdown, Kranjcar, Cranie, Duffy, Little, Kanu, Davis, Traore, Wilson.

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  • Christmas Opening Hours

    Dear All

    myPompey will be disabling member login from 11am Christmas Eve until 10.00am Boxing Day morning. All times GMT.

    You are still free to browse articles and forum posts but you won't be able to login until Boxing Day morning.

    Many  thanks

    Chris

    myPompey

     

  • Johnson & Diarra Latest

    Tony Adams has revealed that Glen Johnson has not recovered from injury and will be out for the rest of year. This is a major setback for Pompey who rely heavily on both wingbacks supporting Crouch and Defoe.

    News also from Diarra following his move to Real Madrid. It wasn't about money Diarra said, mentioning that Man City offered him more money but that the lure of Real Madrid was too big to turn down.

    That's not quite the story coming out of Eastlands with Mark Hughes saying that they refused to meet outrageous financial demands from Diarra's intermediaries and consequently withdrew from the deal.

    It does make you question the underlying motivation behind Diarra's transfers considering that the 'sweetners' involved are so large that one of the richest clubs in the world pulled out.

     

     

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  • Pompey Through to 4th Round

    Pompey's pride was restored when Lisa Langrish bagged a hat trick as Pompey Ladies triumphed 4 nil at Truro. A win that saw them safely through to the 4th round of the FA Ladies Cup.

    In a fixture dogged by poor weather, Pompey started out tentatively with the Cornish side looking the stronger. Pompey soon got into their stride and by half time, Langrish, who must have thought Christmas had come early, had grabbed a hat trick.

    Langrish got her first after 20 minutes, despite the Truro keeper getting a hand to it. The second as she rose to head an in-swinging, left-footed corner from Cassie Thorp. Langrish added her third just before half time.

    Pompey thought they had killed off the game by the break but, no doubt gee'd up by the half time talk, Truro came out fighting and took the game to Pompey with plenty of possession.

    Pompey defended well, weathering the onslaught for 15-20 minutes and making several clearances.  Truro's only serious chance was dealt with effectively by Pompey keeper Sally-Ann Thompson. 

    The game was put beyond reach when Kristy McGee scored from 20 yards out having converted a cross from Becky Miles.

    Pompey will now travel to Barnet for their fourth round tie, which will be played on Sunday, January 4.

    Manager Vanessa Raynbird said: "We're looking forward to the next match. We always have good games against Barnet. "They're always close affairs, and usually go right to the wire. "They're a very good side, but we're capable of beating them."  

    Pompey Ladies: Thompson, Hier, Murphy, Crewe, Kirby, Miles, McGee (c), Rutherford, Thorp, Swallow, Langrish

    Subs: Murray, Fisher

    PS. Note to all you guys out there. Female football is the fastest growing sport on the planet and we will soon be nodding the goals in at the far post at Fratton Park!!

     

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  • Adams' Fat Wallet

    Confusion abounds as to how much, if anything, Adams has to spend come January.

    Some weeks back Sacha Gaydamak was reported to have told Adams that he had money to spend in the 'Window'. This was prior to Real Madrid's approach for Diarra.

    And following the sale of Diarra, Adams was quoted as saying the proceeds from the sale, rumored to be in the region of £18,000,000 would be his to reinvest in players.

    You could be forgiven for making the assumption that the Adams now has the best part of £25,000,000 to spend on new talent. That's without any other cash that might come in for one or more of our sulky self appointed superstars.

    But as ever it's not that simple. The media are claiming that Arsenal is due a share of the Diarra sale and that a large chunk is also earmarked to pay installments due on the Crouch and Defoe transfers.

    As to which of these versions is correct, time will tell.

    In the meantime, spare a thought for Adams as he enters his first Premiership transfer window. Despite a group of players that should be top 5, Pompey is currently playing like a team that's already relegated. How Adams conducts himself and the team in January, whether the squad changes or not, will be the factor that decides his future as a Premier League Manager.

     

     

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  • Diarra Passes Medical

    Real Madrid have announced that an exceptionally fit Lassana Diarra has passed his medical and will be ready to start 'work' on the first of January. They also made a point of saying he would have started earlier had it not been for the Christmas break.

    In light of this myPompey would like to raise the following questions.

    1. Real Madrid's statement suggests that Diarra is now a Madrid player or at least under their control. How does that work? Presumably we are still paying his wages? Or does this mean players can sign for a new club at any time, but they just can't play until the next window opens?
    2. Why don't more Pompey transfers happen this way? Is this just a result of Real Madrid's pro-activity, Pompey's need to raise cash or Adams thinking ahead?

    In any case, this all seems to have gone smoothly and congratulations to the club for handling a difficult situation with dignity and efficiency.

     

  • Diarra Deal Done, Subject to Medical

    Pompey have just announced that the Diarra move to Real Madrid will be complete tomorrow subect to medical.

    From the PFC website:

    Lassana Diarra has agreed to join Real Madrid in January.

    Pompey agreed a deal with the Spanish champions for the 23-year-old France international last Wednesday.

    The deal is subject to Diarra completing a medical and signing a contract, both of which are due to take place tomorrow (Monday).

    Diarra, who has played for Le Havre, Chelsea and Arsenal, has scored three goals in 31 games for Pompey.

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  • More Cards than Goals

    Defoe is picking up yellow cards quicker than he can score goals. His recent performances verging on petulant. Last week he was booked for kicking the ball away because Newcastle wouldn't let him score. This week he lunged at a Bolton player and picked up yellow when arguably red was more appropriate.

    If any player represents the current lack of effort and heightened ego prevalent in the Pompey team, then it is surely Defoe.

    Be brave Tony Adams. Make an example of Defoe. Put him on the bench and if he leaves in January so be it. Crouch has goals in him and so has Kanu. Nugent too will score given time.

    Pompey needs players proud to pull on the blue of Pompey. Defoe may be one of the best strikers in the league but that counts for nothing if your attitude sucks and it rubs off on the rest of the team.

     

     

     

     

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  • Diarra Destination Uncertain

    We don't like publishing rumour and gossip on myPompey but 'news' that Diarra's move to Real Madrid is far from settled appears to have some credibility.

    Diarra has apparently told the Spanish press that nothing is yet finalised, leading the media to speculate that Hughes might yet get a chance to take Diarra to the worse performing 'rich' club in the Premiership.

    Let's hope Madrid finalise the transfer soon else we will be playing against Diarra in the second half of the season and we could do without that.

     

  • Trouble Spending his Inheritance

    Tony Adams has stated that Pompey needs to go back to basics in order to bag some points and address our awful goal difference.  But where does he start?

    Conceding pots of goals isn’t something Adams introduced to the team. The performance against Newcastle was dire, but nothing compared to the HR managed 6-0 thrashing at Eastlands. Or the spanking at Chelsea on the first day of the season.

    Those with good memories will recall Redknapp admitting he’d made a mistake by playing 4-4-2 against Chelsea and in the next breath saying he’d stick with it.

    Of course he’d stick with it. He had no choice. New best friend Defoe was on a promise to play and Crouch was our latest addition. It would be a brave man to assign either to bench in the opening matches of the season.

    So the pair played up front even though midfield was ill equipped to support them. Giving Redknapp his due, it would appear that the core of his team was sold from beneath his feet in the summer. First Muntari to Inter and then Mendes to Rangers. With neither being replaced the team that started the season was neither a repeat of the successful 4-5-1 or capable of defending when deployed as 4-4-2.

    It’s understandable then that Adams is trying new formations. With Kaboul available the most natural has to be 3-5-2, with Defoe and Crouch supported by a pair of wing backs. That leaves the centre of midfield to be held by a team of three. In the past that would mean Diarra in the middle, Diop on his right and Davis or Hughes on his left. But with Kranjcar and Traore on the bench that’s hardly a solution that makes best use of available talent.

    And herein lies the fundamental problem. The promised summer spending spree that never was, plus in particular, Muntari leaving, has left the team looking unbalanced. Awesome when on the attack but plain terrible when asked to defend, even against teams that two years ago barely managed a goal against us home or away.

    Given he’s at least 2 players short of a balanced squad and the transfer window is just round the corner, it’s difficult to envy Adams. So spare a thought for him as he tries his best to help his players, heading and kicking every ball from the confinement of the dug-out.

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  • More Than a Little Mental

    We thought regular readers would like to read a very cool email we received today from Flipkid.

     

    Thanks for the welcome, Chris.

    I'm a life-long fan of English football, but never really followed one particular team. I recently switched to digital cable TV which brought with it the Fox Soccer Channel, who show TONS of Premiership games (among other international matches).

    I figured I needed a rooting interest, and after reading the book "Bloody Confused" by Chuck Culpepper--about an American ex-pat who moved to England and "adopted" Portsmouth as his home side--it seems that you Pompey supporters are a right bunch of chaps who are more than a little mental for your boys!

    I have now started to follow Pompey via the internet and hope to learn a lot from reading the Portsmouth News online, the PFC website, and (especially) the myPompey forums.

    Play up Pompey!!

     

    Please do take the time to say hello to Flipkid in the forums or leave a message on his wall here.

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  • Want to Know Why Iceland Went Bust?

    Presumably because their business people can't count:

    From the BBC:

    Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson has moved a step closer to selling West Ham after receiving several provisional offers.

    The owner has signed non-disclosure agreements with "five to 10 parties".

    You would have thought  that something of such importance might merit a little more mental consideration.

    This might also explain also why Hammers signed Lundberg and then promptly paid him off to the tune of several million.

    Gudmundsson values West Ham at £250m. Although his chances of getting it or not must surely depend on whether you believe in Santa.

    Immaterial of the final amount, what's the betting proceeds from the Hammers sale don't get paid into a UK regulated bank account?

     

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  • Pompey Accept Diarra Bid from Real Madrid

    PFC have released the following statement:

    Portsmouth Football Club can confirm they have accepted a substantial bid from Real Madrid for France international midfielder Lassana Diarra. Diarra, 23, who joined Pompey from Arsenal in January 2008, has been given permission to speak to the Spanish giants.

    A Pompey spokesman said:

    "We have always said that we would only allow our players to leave if we received an exceptional bid.

    "We could not stand in the way of a move such as this for Lassana.

    “It shows how far the club has come under the ownership of Alexandre Gaydamak when Real Madrid come in for one of our players.

    "Should the deal be completed, the club has already identified possible replacements.”

    Diarra, who played for Le Havre and Chelsea before joining Arsenal, has scored three goals in 30 games for Pompey.

     

    Read the myPompey comment.

     

     

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