Positive news needed - and fast

So far this summer it's taken a lot to arouse this blog from its off-season slumber.

But the current furore over the Pompey takeover is too big an issue to ignore.

Glen Johnson's departure was in many ways inevitable and the majority of Pompey fans wished him well as he made his way to Merseyside.

The feeling was the Blues would soon be in new wealthy hands and the club would be putting into place their vision for the future.

July 24 is now the magical day when Sulaiman Al Fahim will apparently assume control.

He must be warned, though, the wait is crippling the club.

The lack of information over the finite financial aspects of the deal is perhaps understandable - until you get to the sale of the club's best players.

The exit of Glen Johnson, Peter Crouch, Sol Campbell and Sylvain Distin would seriously wound any club.

So where's the money going? How will this affect the sale price? Do Pompey have enough time to get in adequate replacements? Is Al Fahim going to release enough funds to get in decent replacements?

All unanswered questions which have frustrated Pompey fans to the point of anger.

Add to this the fact Paul Hart looks increasingly likely to be handed the manager's job full time and you wonder how ambitious the club really are.

Hart's honest and respected but what sort of players can he attract to the club? Aaron Mokoena anyone? Not exactly box office.

The dreams of having some money in the kitty to attract top players and a big-name manager look in jeopardy.

Fans, and especially those with season tickets already paid for need some reassurance.

At the moment, the arrival of Aaron Mokoena to compliment a second-string outfit does not fill anyone with confidence and is certainly not value for money.

You have to move fast in the Premier League just to stand still and at the moment Pompey are moving backwards.

To this point it's been a troubling summer.

Someone from the club's hierarchy, new or old, needs to reassure the fans they are ready to step on the gas, bring in some quality footballers and cement their place in the top flight.

Maybe it's too early to mention the c word, but this kind of instability and inertia generally only means one thing - the Championship.

A make-or-break summer for Pompey

Pompey wrapped up their home season with an overdue flourish on Monday night.

With the pressure off and fans calling for Paul Hart to ditch his 4-5-1 defensive stance, the Blues delivered by way of a 3-1 win.

The season is being dissected by everyone - not least the sports desk at The News.

And thoughts are inevitable turning to next season.

This is the most crucial summer in Pompey's recent history.

They limped to safety and, from the minute AC Milan's Filippo Inzaghi broke Fratton Park hearts with that last-minute equaliser, the season's been a major disappointment.

The club's financial situation is worrying and there are a number of players soon to be out of contract.

Big decisions must be made.

Of course, the biggest is at the very top. Will Sacha Gaydamak be able to rid himself of the club without losing too much money.

New owners will mean a new direction, a new approach. Executive chairman Peter Storrie says a deal will be in place by early July. Fine, but decisive leadership is required in the meantime.

Who, for example, will be manager. Paul Hart is favourite and, despite having to persuade wife Vicky before accepting any offer, one suspects the prospect of a proper crack at the Premier League would be too hard to resist.

Up until the Sunderland win, his methods had been a means to an end, but now the Blues are safe he deserves congratulations.

He will know next season more is required. Fans will expect a regular diet of more attacking, expansive football.

Hart is a decent fooball man who has the respect of the players, an authoritarian with a sharp eye for talent.

And he will represent the cheap option.

But if the club can't afford proven top-flight managerial stock like, say, Alan Curbishley or attract the best of the next generation like, say, Swansea's Roberto Martinez, then he will be the go-to man.

But that then prompts the question - which players will he be able to attract to the club?

Sol Campbell, Sean Davis, Armand Traore, Jermaine Pennant, Kanu could all have left the club. Glen Johnson and Sylvain Distin may have been sold.
He'll need to rebuild on meagre resources.

Is he the right man to do that?
One thing's sure: it would be a gamble - and not a very popular one.

Hart would have to win over disgruntled supporters.
After digging Pompey out of a hole, he may feel he's earned the chance.

Johnson deal a coup for Pompey

At last, some news to lift the gloom that has engulfed Pompey in recent weeks.

England full-back Glen Johnson has signed a new four-and-a-half year deal to stay at Fratton Park.

Cynics will (with some justification) argue contracts mean little in modern-day football.

But by my reckoning, Johnson's deal is a real coup for Tony Adams.

Even at this early stage in the month, I would suggest it's the best bit of business he's likely to do in the transfer window.

Pompey fans have seen Johnson mature and develop into a true international-class full-back. The errors that littered his Chelsea days have gradually been ironed out at Fratton Park.

If he keeps up his progress, the England right-back spot is his for the taking.

To be honest, I thought his head would be turned by the transfer vultures.

When reports of him being sighted at Liverpool's training ground surfaced it seemed sadly believable.

However, those stories were whole-heartedly rubbished and, perhaps aware of the difficulties he encountered the last time he joined a top-four club, he's decided to stay put.

He knows he'll be a fixture in the team and he knows the spotlight will not be so intense, allowing him to continue his impressive development. He is just 24 after all.

While Jermain Defoe chased the cash, Johnson's decision should be celebrated.

Fans constantly demand loyalty and commitment.

This time, for a change, they've got it.

Time to bring O'Neil home

It's a bold - and reassuring - statement.

Pompey executive chairman Peter Storrie has told The News Jermain Defoe will be the last big-name Pompey player to leave in the January transfer window.

Glen Johnson, Peter Crouch, Sylvain Distin, David James - going nowhere.

Raising the spirits of wounded Pompey fans, he also said new signings are on their way, two by the end of the next week.

It's nailed on that one of those will be Gary O'Neil, and it's a prospect that has split opinion.

On one hand, supporters believe it's a backward step. The other side reckon a dedicated, hard-working player like O'Neil is worth 10 Defoes.

Let's be frank. O'Neil's not in the same class as Lassana Diarra or Sulley Muntari.

But he would improve the current midfield, adding a touch of creativity to the industry and muscle of Papa Bouba Diop, Sean Davis and Richard Hughes.

The biggest thing you'd get with O'Neil, though, is heart at a time when Pompey risk having it ripped out.

Having come through the ranks he cares for the club, wants to return and wouldn't spend his spare time on the phone to his agent.

O'Neil's as genuine as they come and Pompey runs through his veins.

At a time of unsettling overhaul and a manager finding his way at the top level, the return of O'Neil is a no-brainer.

It's a no-lose situation - and Fratton Park would welcome him back with open arms.

Utaka on the brink of failure

So England saw off Belarus and (whisper it) are finally looking the business.

David James produced an assured display in Minsk, which was good to see after some shaky moments so far this season.

Other than that Pompey players were largely bypassed for the game - Jermain Defoe and Glen Johnson didn't get a look in, while Peter Crouch came off the bench for a brief cameo.

International week now over, it's time to look forward to Aston Villa - and the eternal enigma that is John Utaka.

According to the winger, he's ready to step up to the plate in what will be a true test at Villa Park (see back page of The News)

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but when has the Nigerian ever stepped up to the plate for Pompey.

Apart from his blistering start to last season, the winger's faded badly.

It's clear to most Pompey fans - and to Harry Redknapp as well, I'm sure - that Utaka lacks the mental toughness to succeed in the relentness, high-profile Premier League.

His days at Fratton Park appear numbered.

Villa are a team on the rise and in Ashley Young they have a potent winger.
Will Utaka be trusted to cover Glen Johnson down the right? I doubt it.

Glen Little should get the nod for his industry and endeavour.

No offence to Little, but that says it all about Utaka's future.

The £7m man is second choice to an injury-prone journeyman (albeit a decent one).

Even Harry Redknapp, a master in the transfer market, can't get them all right. That's the nature of the business.

Just like the hapless David Nugent, Utaka is close to being a certified flop.

Johnson inspires Pompey Euro glory

Pompey were never going to do it the easy way.

Just ask any Blues fan that.

But after a torrid first half against Vitoria Guimaraes, Harry Redknapp’s side proved too strong for their Portuguese opponents in the UEFA Cup first round.

Vitoria seized the initiative early doors, knowing they had to overturn a two-goal deficit from the first leg.

They pressed Pompey high up the field, pushing the Blues back. It was an impressive signal of intent.

It rattled Pompey who, for their part, didn’t pass the ball well and didn’t get the ball to their wing-backs.

Second half and everything changed. The inspiration: Glen Johnson.

He was exceptional. Sensing he had the beating of the Vitoria left-back, Johnson had a field day.

He was incisive and dynamic and Pompey took the lead from his attacking intent.

The blistering Armand Traore did the same down the left, but Johnson’s better final ball marked him out.

Yes, Peter Crouch got the goals. But for me, Johnson ensured Pompey progressed to the group stages.

In addition, his interview post-match in today’s (Friday) News finally revealed his desire for achieving success at Pompey.

It clearly meant something. The more he opens up like this, the less people will remember him for nicking a toilet seat from B&Q!

He is a classy player and in Portugal he took it upon himself to provide the impetus for Pompey’s recovery.

A sign he is maturing as a player and a bloke.

In the stands, what looked like being a night to forget slowly transformed into a night to remember for the 3,000 travelling fans.

It was worth the wait.

The UEFA Cup group stages and potential ties with AC Milan, PSG and Ajax await.

For proud Pompey fans, and in particular those in the Afonso Henriques Stadium on Thursday night, these are wonderful times.

Sol refuses to rise to Spurs abuse

Sol Campbell is one of football’s genuinely interesting people.

He’s interesting because, to many, he’s a mystery.

An imposing, physical presence at centre-back, he is also more sensitive and thoughtful than the average footballer.

The youngest of 12 children, Campbell is an introvert - some have preferred self-absorbed - who has received bad press for his unwillingness to enjoy the celebrity culture.

His half-time walk-out at Arsenal pointed to inner demons or at the very least a crisis of confidence.

He doesn’t fit the stereotype. He doesn’t go out on the town with the latest Big Brother reject and he loves fashion (he helped design Pompey’s FA Cup suit).

That makes him an easy target - especially for Spurs, the club he turned his back on to join their biggest rivals Arsenal in 2001.

It was an incredible Bosman move which saw him become a figure of hate.

He could not have expected anything less, although it was a move he, in principle, had a right to make.

He was, and is, an ambitious individual. Look at the interviews he gave when Pompey were building the current side and he was crystal clear the club’s ambition had to match his own.

Emerging from Fratton Park after the Spurs victory on Sunday he refused to talk to our writers.
Unlike a lot of modern players, in Campbell’s case this was pretty unusual.

He is intensely private, but he’s also a considerate and thoughtful interviewee.

On the pre-FA Cup final press-day frenzy, he was the model pro.

Along with David James, he made his way down the queue of TV, radio and newspaper hacks with a smile, making sure everyone had what they needed ahead of the big match.

Glen Johnson and Sulley Muntari refused everybody. They could learn a lot from the Pompey skipper.

Being the character he is, Spurs’ racist and homophobic taunts will not have simply been shrugged off by Campbell.

Its ferocity will have reminded him of the abuse he got when he left White Hart Lane all those years ago.

The irony is, those dishing out this personal attack support a club with strong Jewish links, the most discriminated of all minorities. Go figure.

But Campbell stood tall amid the filthy verbals and led Pompey to a comfortable victory. He willl have relished that.

I suspect, though, the abuse does not simply bounce off Campbell. He will have thought about it deeply.

It’s not the first time he’s heard it, of course, but it will have hurt. He had made his point in the best way - on the field.

With the win secure, having to talk about why the opposition fans chanted he had HIV probably did not appeal.

I think he can be forgiven for that.