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.

Pompey's relegation scrap: the verdict

Let's not count our chickens, but it appears a no-thrills approach has done the trick at Pompey.

The secret to Paul Hart's success so far at Pompey seems to be that there is no secret.

The re-introduction of basic, no-nonsense defending has laid the platform for Pompey's upturn in form, culminating in the three points at home to Everton.

It's not over by a long shot, of course, and there will a few ups and downs along the way.

But the Blues look like a team up for the challenge of staying in the division and, importantly, believing they have the skill and organisation in place to do so.

Here I look at the bottom nine teams and assess their chances of avoiding the drop.

Bolton
A good run-in against many of the bottom sides coupled with a tough, uncompromising approach should see them survive. In Matt Taylor they have a player - as Pompey fans will know - capable of chipping in with goals. And in Kevin Davies they have a forward who, while not prolific, is well-versed at unsettling Premier League defences.
Verdict: Safe

Hull City
Goals have dried up and the charismatic but crocked Jimmy Bullard could prove to be a huge waste of money. They are finding it tougher the longer the season goes on as the demands of the top flight take its toll. A tricky run-in won't help and I can see panic setting in as they edge nearer the drop zone. Luckily for them, a sensational first half of the season should see them survive.
Verdict: Safe - but only just

Sunderland
Ricky Sbragia's honeymoon period is now over and it's clearly going to be a nerve-shredding finale for them. They are organised and gritty, and their clash against Hull on April 18 could be a defining moment. Kenwyne Jones and Djibril Cisse hold the key. This dynamic, but erratic, duo must chip with a few goals to keep the Championship at bay.
Verdict: Safe

Blackburn
Rovers have a hideous run-in with trips to Anfield, Eastlands and Stamford Bridge lying in wait. However, there are also winnable games in the final furlong for Sam Allardyce's men. Big Sam has already made them a tough unit to play against and with his nous, I can see the Wanderers scrambling enough points together to clamber to safety.
Verdict: Safe

West Brom
Many have admired Tony Mowbray for sticking to his principles, but this inflexibility has cost them. Pretty football aplenty, but the Albion have always lacked real quality in the final third. No goals has meant no wins, and that means one thing - relegation.
Verdict: Down - no question

Stoke City
Home form has been a revelation. Their style is not to everyone's taste - not that the Potters will give two hoots about that. The signing of James Beattie has proved as shrewd as Dave Kitson's was disastrous and the former Saint should rack up enough goals to see Stoke home. Keeping them up will be Tony Pulis' crowning moment as a manager - and that's what I expect to happen.
Verdict: Safe

Middlesbrough
The Premier Leaguye is not a good place to learn how to be a manager. Just ask Tony Adams and Paul Ince. Boro, though, have afforded Gareth Southgate the time he required. The trouble is, it hasn't worked. Big-money striker Afonso Alves has proved a huge flop and the reliance on youth has backfired. Capable of decent approach play but a lack of a goalscorer will mean goodbye to the Premier League.
Verdict: Down

Newcastle
If ever a club deserve to go down, it's the Magpies. Bad buys, bad appointments and general bad decisions mean the club is in disarray. The owner managed to get rid of the one shining light in Kevin Keegan and brought in one who, sadly, is sidelined by a heart op. Caretaker boss Chris Hughton is clearly not up to the task and the defence is leaking goals for fun. Amid all this chaos, knitting together an under-performing team looks a tough ask - especially when they've got Arsenal, Chelsea and Luverpool to come.
Verdict: Down - a 'big' club bites the dust

Pompey
The calibre, motivation and experince of the likes of David James, Sol Campbell and Peter Crouch is beginning to come to the fore. Given a framework by boss Hart, the team have responded well. Next up are Hull and it's vital the form is carried on. The mood is good, which is more than can be said for some of their rivals, and the Blues have the tools at their disaposal to move away from danger.
Verdict: Safe

Make the city proud, Pompey

If there is to be a pinnacle of Pompey's current era, tonight is surely the night.

Don't get me wrong, the trips to Wembley were gloriously spine-tingling.

But earning the right to play AC Milan in a competitive fixture? That's off the scale.

Kaka (one of the best players in the world) will line up at Fratton Park with Ronaldinho (one of the best players in the world) ready to come off the bench.

The Rossoneri are taking this seriously. That's the mark of Pompey's progress in recent years.

These are uncertain times at Pompey following Harry Redknapp's departure but, for all the scale of tonight's occasion, we mustn't cower in the face of the Italians.

Pompey are a quality team in their own right.
The worry is, of course, that the spine of this side is missing.

Jermain Defoe, Lassana Diarra and Sol Campbell are definitely out, seemingly undermining Tony Adams' faith that his charges can still pull off a Uefa Cup shock.

The creative Niko Kranjcar is also missing, although the absence of John Utaka won't break too many Pompey hearts.

Personally, I just hope Pompey do the city proud.

Historic is an overused word, but this really is a game people will remember for generations.

After the struggles of the 90s, to see the boys in blue give it absolutely everything against Milan will be enough for me.

If Adams' team do that they give themselves a chance of getting a result. That's all anyone can ask.

To those people who seized the chance to watch the likes of Seedorf, Kaka, Pato, Shevchenko, Pirlo, Ronaldinho et al train at Fratton Park last night, I applaud you.

This is not something which you can expect to come round that often.

Obviously, the hope is Pompey will build on their recent success and Euro nights like this will be more common in the future.

The reality is this may not happen.

So join me in savouring watching Pompey v AC Milan under the Fratton Park floodlights in a crunch Uefa Cup game.

Play up Pompey.

Deal or no deal

Tony Adams may be enjoying his honeymoon period at the moment - but he has some big decisions around the corner.

As reported in The News, 15 first-teamers' contracts are up at the end of the season.

Among them are Sol Campbell, Sean Davis and Linvoy Primus.

If Adams chooses, he has a great chance to gut the squad and remodel it in his own image.

His success will depend on who he decides to keep and, crucially, who he can get in.

There's also the major issue of Pompey cutting their costs. Adams will no doubt have his hands tied to some degree as the credit crunch continues to bite.

Here's a run-down of the players out of contract - and my take on whether they should stay.

Sol Campbell: Has he got another Premier League season in him? Will he accept being a squad player if Younes Kaboul continues his impressive emergence? His experience is crucial and should be offered a deal to stay for another year.

Sean Davis: Can't do much more to earn a new deal. Harry Redknapp tried to usher him towards the exit door without success (clash of personalities maybe?). Should be offered a new deal based on what he could still offer for the next couple of seasons.

Linvoy Primus: Fans' favourite and all-round top bloke. However, top-flight days are behind him. Should be promised a future role at the club, though.

Jerome Thomas: Has to prove his worth, simple as that. If he can shake off his injuries, then no doubt he has the talent to play in the Premier League. At this point, though - no deal.

Djimi Traore: Not even in the picture. Not even any good. No deal.

Richard Duffy: The elusive defender (trying to get an interview with him is like getting an interview with Fabio Capello) has not done enough. No deal.

Glen Little: Like Thomas, has the game for the Premier League but does he have the body? Too fragile for me - no deal.

Lauren: Knee problems mean he has lost his spark. Spell at Fratton Park has been a major disappointment and he will be happily waved on.

Richard Hughes: Reliable and a good destroyer in the midfield against the big four. Depends whether he wants to be a squad player for the duration of another contract. Should be offered a deal, though.

Hermann Hreidarsson: Effort never in doubt and a solid defender, although will be 35 next summer. Adams seems to prefer Noe Pamarot at the back. Verdict: On his way.

Nadir Belhadj: Made a massive impression with his energy, pace and enthusiasm. Has become a key member of the squad and should be rewarded with a permanent deal which ties him down to the club.

Jean-Francois Christophe: Who? On loan at Southend - and that's about his level. No deal.

Noe Pamarot: The man with the biggest thighs in football. When fit and up-to-speed is an underrated defender. Another contract should be forthcoming.

Kanu: A Pompey hero for his FA Cup goal and still the man with the best first touch at the club. His body is clearly creaking, though, and his impact will only diminish. Gone but never forgotten.

Armand Traore: How Pompey would love to keep him, but Arsene Wenger will surely not let this talented performer go. Expected to get another chance to prove himself at the Emirates. If he fails, Pompey should be ready to rescue him.

Tony Adams will be judged on what he decides will happen to the above players.
Of course, it's him - rather than this pen-wielding journalist - who neck is on the block.
Times are a changing at Pompey.

Adams puts his stamp on Pompey

The Tony Adams era is taking shape - and it's clear he will be doing things his own way.

Whether his way succeeds, of course, only time will tell.

Bringing in Johnny Metgod to be, in effect, his number two is his biggest decision so far.

Metgod is a technically-gifted coach with experience of the English top flight. On the face of it, it looks a decent appointment.

Adams is obviously heavily influenced by his experiences in Holland but he should know - more than most - that the reality of the Premier League requires more than pretty football (unless you're Arsenal).

Nevertheless, prepare for the phrases 'total football and 'Dutch philosophy' to creep their way into Pompey reports from now on.

Be warned, though, that doesn't automatically mean success - there's not a batch of Johan Cruyffs at Fratton Park.

In any case, one look down the road at the struggling Saints' Dutch management team and it's clear that, although the future's orange, it's not bright!

Apart from Adams' coaching appointment, the other thing which has come to the fore is his personality.

I have mentioned before on this blog he is a very different man to the drink-fuelled centre-back who terrified strikers and inspired team-mates.

As we at The News are fast discovering, the new boss is a picture of sobriety and, to be honest, slightly eccentric.

Not sure how Sol Campbell and David James reacted to being called his 'babies'.

And how about this:

'I'm very positive and I'm very happy.
'Today I'm fearless. I'm okay today.
'Yesterday I was a little bit fearful but today I'm okay.'

It's a one-man counselling session on being the new Pompey manager - probably something the likes of Alain Perrin and Graham Rix can empathise with.

For us of the sports desk, it's a taste of things to come.

Let's hope there's still a successful football team involved as well.

Whatever happens, it's going to be a very different world to the one Harry Redknapp inhabited at Fratton Park.

Beck off Milan, Harry's lurking!

Sports desk: 'Was he serious or is Harry having a laugh?'

Reporter in Braga: 'He meant it.

Sports desk: 'Really? It's Beckham we're talking about and he is in talks with Milan.'

Reporter: 'Harry was serious - he really thought about putting in a bid for him.'

(Still unbelieving) Sports desk: 'Okay, I suppose we'll have to play it reasonably straight.'

And so went the conversation for a little while longer until The News sports desk were half-convinced they weren't the victim of an embarrassing wind-up.

The result is our back page today.

The Sun, somewhat understandably, had a little fun with it but they, too, played it reasonably straight.

Harry Redknapp was serious - he thought about bidding for David Beckham.

He hasn't a chance, of course. the world's most recognisable footballer is half-way to the San Siro to play for AC Milan in a loan deal.

It's easy to view the whole thing as another Harry joke. And let's be honest, the tongue must have been firmly in cheek for at least some of the press conference.

A little bit of fantasy, maybe, but then we thought that when Redknapp went after Sol Campbell and look what happened there.

Granted, big Sol cut a troubled figure at the time and didn't have a high-maintenance former Spice Girl on his arm (just imagine Posh Spice walking down Commercial Road!).

Football-wise, though, how Harry - a born self-publicist - would have loved to have talked Beckham into coming to Fratton Park. He'd give it a go, for sure.

He also knows if Campbell was a long shot, getting Becks to even consider coming to Fratton Park is mission impossible.

Redknapp's comments leave him open to ridicule.

But it's a credit to him and the progress Pompey are making that he was only half-joking.

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.

No defence for Pompey slump

Let’s be honest, it wasn’t unexpected.

While the capitulation at Man City was a bolt from the blue, the meek surrender to Chelsea was entirely on the cards.

Pompey’s fringe players were no match for the likes of Lampard and Drogba in a surprisingly star-studded Chelsea team.

The number of goals being shipped is worrying, though.

The base of last season’s success suddenly looks a tad shambolic.

There are reasons - and the impressive Sylvain Distin is not one of them.

The 4-4-2 formation gives the back line far less protection that the 4-5-1 employed last term.

There is less cover down the wings, while the onus is also on the full-backs to get forward this season, leaving more space in behind.

Hermann Hreidarrson doesn’t offer too much going forward but he was a rock at left-back last year.

This year, he’s second choice as the more attack-minded Nadir Belhadj and Armand Traore are preferred.

Crucially, the heart of the defence has looked shaky.
Sol Campbell has been erratic and, quite frankly, at times has looked on his last legs.

He’s creaking, so it is hoped Younes Kaboul’s youthful athleticism will come to the fore.

However, he still looks like he is struggling.

He has potential, but as any Spurs fan will tell you, he struggled to make the step up to the Premier League last year.

Pompey need him to start looking like the £5m player he is supposed to be.

At the moment, the Frenchman is hit and miss. Man City and Chelsea have exposed that as not good enough.

On the plus side, bottom-club Spurs visit Fratton Park on Sunday.

I watched Spurs lose to Aston Villa the other week and they looked awful and low on confidence.

They beat Newcastle but, let’s be honest, my Sunday League team would fancy their chances against the Toon at the moment.

Sunday’s vital. Another defeat and it becomes a habit, a win and the last two games can be put down as a blip.

Let’s ride out the storm.

Bigger fish to fry

Pompey 10-man injury crisis is nice for headlines.

But Harry Redknapp won’t be losing much sleep over it.

Put it this way, there won’t be many 10-men injury lists for a Premier League game or an FA Cup game.

With the UEFA Cup now part of the club’s fixture list, the Carling Cup has slipped further down the pecking order.

You want proof - even David Nugent was lined up to play tonight (Wednesday) before he found his (familiar) way to the treatment table.

Some of these players’ knocks can be translated as rested.

Jermain Defoe will be fine for Sunday, while Lassana Diarra has a knock below the knee, not ligament damage as Harry mischieviously suggested.

These are two examples of Harry ‘rotating’ his sqaud.

The Carling Cup is basically second string versus second string (or youth team if you are Arsenal).

It’s now a chance for recuperating stars or youthful promise.

For many - eg Sol Campbell - it means a rest day.

For Pompey, this should be seen as a sign of our success.

It should be thrilling for fans to realise that, at the present time, we have bigger fish to fry.

Vidic is nails

Depending on who you listen to, Pompey were either hopeless against Manchester United or back on track after the hammering at Stamford Bridge.

The truth is somewhere in between.

Harry Redknapp’s team battled hard during the 1-0 defeat and clearly showed the heart which was so embarrassingly absent at Chelsea.

Kaboul looked better, Campbell less shaky and Thomas a good free signing.

Pompey struggled up front and in midfield, but then it’s no coincidence that was where United excelled.

The usually wonderful Diarra was outshone by Scholes, who oozed class. How England need the ginger one!

Crouch and Defoe made zero impact - but then centre-backs Vidic and Ferdinand looked impregnable.

Rio is a Rolls Royce of a defender and although Vidic will not ‘murder yer’ as the United fans sang with tongue firmly in cheek, the Serbian is a menacing presence.

In layman’s terms - he’s hard as nails.

Note when the United man clashed heads with the hulking figure of big Sol it was Vidic who was up first and sprinting towards the changing rooms to get stitched up to return to the fray.

As he left the field, Campbell was on one knee, rubbing his head!

So Pompey were outclassed against the European champions - there’s no shame in that.

The way United moved and kept the ball was breathtaking.

At least we showed some mettle and that is a step in the right direction as Pompey emerge from the hardest start possible.

The coming games against Everton and Middlesbrough will prove a better yard stick.

Opening-day misery

The opening day of the season is usually a joyous occasion.

The sun shines on pristine, unspoilt grass and your head is filled with optimism for the coming season.

So it was as I headed to the pub to watch Pompey’s trip to Chelsea.

Forty-five minutes later I was heading home, thoroughly dejected.

Not at the defeat I knew was coming - we all half-expected that - but at the manner of it.

Pompey were abject. Granted they were up against a world-class side, but Harry Redknapp’s side never tested them.

The defence, so impressive last season, had no answer to the home team’s movement.

Never mind a yard, Sol Campbell looked liked he’d lost two. This will surely be his last season at Fratton Park.

His long-term replacement Younes Kaboul had a debut to forget.

Thrown into the heart of the battle out of position in the middle of the park, he was willing but out of synch with his new team-mates.

He wasn’t helped by the decision to go with four across the midfield.
Redknapp admitted he made a rod for his own back in that he has to play both Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch up front.

The midfield was overrun, however, and Pompey
needed another body in there to combat Lampard and Deco, who was exceptional.

Finally, the default phrase for Crouch is that he has a ‘good touch for a big man’.

Well, there was no proof of that Sunday - everything was pumped towards his head.
Things may have improved in the second half, although I doubt it.

I was back in my armchair watching the Olympics.
Pompey were way out of the medals on Sunday.
They'll have to step up their game against Man United next Monday.