Barclays Premier League - Countdown: Portsmouth

Eurosport - Sat, 01 Aug 19:03:00 2009

Eurosport.yahoo.com continues its countdown to the Premiership season with a look at Pompey.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 Barclays Premier League Paul Hart - 0

Manager: Paul Hart

Last 10 Seasons

(1999/2000 to 2008/2009): -/-/-/-/13/16/17/9/8/14

POSSIBLE STARTING XI:

David James

Herman Hreidarsson Younes Kaboul Sylvain Distin Nadir Belhadj

Niko Kranjcar Papa Bouba Diop Aaron Mokoena Richard Hughes

John Utaka David Nugent

BACK-UPS FROM: Asmir Begovic - Angelos Basinas - Linvoy Primus - Martin Cranie - Marc Wilson - Hayden Mullins

TRANSFERS:

In Aaron Mokoena (free), Steve Finnan (free)

Out Peter Crouch (Tottenham, undisclosed) - Glen Johnson (Liverpool, undisclosed) - Sol Campbell (end of contract) - Arnold Mvuemba (Lorient, loan) - Sean Davis (Bolton, free) - Andrea Mbuvi-Mutombo (Standard Liege, free) - Andre Blackman (Bristol City, free) - Noe Pamarot, Jerome Thomas, Lauren, Djimi Traore, Glen Little (all released)

POSITIVES: The club have finally reached some form of stability after Paul Hart was appointed as permanent manager whilst Sulaiman AL-Fahim finally completed his takeover of the club.

NEGATIVES: The squad is lacking in depth with so many departures due to the club's poor financial condition. Peter Crouch, Glen Johnson, Sol Campbell and others are no longer there and it is not only a question of depth but quality as well.

VERDICT: Unless Paul Hart can bring in some quality players they will struggle this season. It is a season of transition for Pompey but if they can maintain a good position by January when Al-Fahim's investment can have a real influence they should be comfortable. 10th.

Eurosport

Comment 5 - 24 of 24

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  1. At the timo Al Fahim said that he was going to buy the­ club, he also said that he wanted to listen to what the­ fans really wanted. Well I think that with the season­ only a couple of weeks away, he has got to come up with­ everything the fan's are saying STOP SELLING AND­ BUY SOME GOOD QUALITY PLAYERS before it is to late­ !.And can we really trust in the thing's Peter­ Storrie has to say ?.

    From Stephen, on Tue 4 Aug 8:22PM
  2. pompey for relegation

    From matt.morrison65, on Tue 4 Aug 12:49PM
  3. Relegation

    From wevegotelnino, on Tue 4 Aug 10:04AM
  4. Am I the only Pompey fan who is being realistic here?­ We are in dire trouble with a threadbare squad of­ mostly Championship quality players. We have gone from­ Diarra to Mullins in midfield. Kanu should never have­ been given another year. Hughes is a donkey. Nugent is­ average. Thank god we've still got James, Distin­ and Kranjcar.

    From Adam, on Mon 3 Aug 4:57PM
  5. is he staying or going?

    From WILL M, on Sun 2 Aug 10:19PM
  6. To WILL M . I expect Sol Campbell is counting his­ money. A full time job, no doubt.

    From Gerry, on Sat 1 Aug 4:40PM
  7. can anyone tell me what campbell is doing?

    From WILL M, on Sat 1 Aug 3:24PM
  8. what is the plan for our club/ what is the intention of­ this arab and his millions, what has he said to PH, we­ need to know. simple. @#$% im going to ask fred­ dineage.

    From WILL M, on Sat 1 Aug 3:14PM
  9. but something of quality, no oldies, no nippers what we­ need is expereinced blokes who can play at this level.­ what on earth is the plan? i just cannot work it out?­ im really fxxki8 p1553d orf

    From WILL M, on Sat 1 Aug 3:13PM
  10. Braveheart is just another sad, jealous fan of poor old­ sad Saints.

    From Martin, on Sat 1 Aug 3:02PM
  11. Well Braveheart no7 your an aussie p**fter in a kilt­ like Mel Gibson - how real is that. Obviously a scummer­ hope you enjoy life at the bottom of the sea sorry­ that's next season when your relegated again. never­ mind there's always Eastleigh

    From drosesmith, on Sat 1 Aug 2:21PM
  12. Well Braveheart no7 your an aussie p**fter in a kilt­ like Mel Gibson - how real is that. Obviously a scummer­ hope you enjoy life at the bottom of the sea sorry­ that's next season when your relegated again. never­ mind there's always Eastleigh

    From drosesmith, on Sat 1 Aug 2:19PM
  13. eurosports knows as much about tfootball as the average­ united fan, nothing

    From dianesellars, on Sat 1 Aug 1:44PM
  14. //////LOOOSERS//////

    /////PORTSMOUTH 1 ARSENAL­ 5/////

    /////GO GUNNERS/////

    From Sultan X, on Sat 1 Aug 1:33PM
  15. they will come beween 15th to 18th

    From Adam, on Sat 1 Aug 1:17PM
  16. At last a sensible assessment of Pompey's chances­ this season as opposed to Jim­ White's
    claptrap.

    Now that Al-Fab-Fahim is safe,­ there's no question there will be some big signings­ in the pipeline - it's just a question of­ when.

    What we need more than anything is target men -­ with Defoe and Crouch gone back to the dark world of­ dirty Harry - its time to get some fresh new talent.­

    If the rumours are true that Maradonna has­ connections with Al-Fahim, then it's more than­ possible we can get some young South American talent to­ Fratton Park.

    Let's get the red hot pace which we­ need to beat those Premier League defenders.

    Without­ an army of new goalscorers to pick from, it will be a­ tortuous season like the last one.

    Buy goalscorers now­ - McCormack, Kalinic, Henry - you're all welcome!!!

    From PP, on Sat 1 Aug 12:18PM
  17. Hi this is your one and only Thailand supporter Barry­ Parkinson speaking.

    It's simple guys, if we­ struggle with Crouch, Johnson, Defoe, Davis, Sol and­ others, whats it going to be like this year without­ replacements.

    The new Chairman should buy for cash­ Nikola Kalinic and stop @#$% footing around like the­ past 2 Chairman, we have had 7 years of HIGH BLOOD­ PRESSURE since joining the Prem, so lets stop wishing,­ lets start preying the Boss puts his hand in his big­ deep pockets and stops the wishing & hoping we are­ all doing.

    Get real, the new Chairman has got to fund­ a new Ground as well as a new team, if he is not up for­ that, why bother buying the club. We don't need­ more promises, we need investment.

    Two free player in,­ Viduka is free as well, where is the investment in­ players. Here we go again, this time next year, no new­ ground, 5 players leave, no cash and back where we­ have been for 7 years, going nowhere.

    Never mind, I­ will still watch on Thai telly, drinking my Tiger beer­ & hoping like all other supporters we stay up.

    It­ would have been good to BUY QUALITY PLAYERS who play­ for POMPEY, instead we can watch other teams kill us­ off each week.

    Play up Pompey from Thailand

    From bazcatana, on Sat 1 Aug 11:51AM
  18. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    If there is any justice in this world then the skates­ will go down and stay down

    From Braveheart, on Sat 1 Aug 11:41AM
  19. Hi this is your one and only Thailand supporter Barry­ Parkinson speaking.

    It's simple guys, if we­ struggle with Crouch, Johnson, Defoe, Davis, Sol and­ others, whats it going to be like this year without­ replacements.

    The new Chairman should buy for cash­ Nikola Kalinic and stop @#$% footing around like the­ past 2 Chairman, we have had 7 years of HIGH BLOOD­ PRESSURE since joining the Prem, so lets stop wishing,­ lets start preying the Boss puts his hand in his big­ deep pockets and stops the wishing & hoping we are­ all doing.

    Get real, the new Chairman has got to fund­ a new Ground as well as a new team, if he is not up for­ that, why bother buying the club. We don't need­ more promises, we need investment.

    Two free player in,­ Viduka is free as well, where is the investment in­ players. Here we go again, this time next year, no new­ ground, 5 players leave, no cash and back where we­ have been for 7 years, going nowhere.

    Never mind, I­ will still watch on Thai telly, drinking my Tiger beer­ & hoping like all other supporters we stay up.

    It­ would have been good to BUY QUALITY PLAYERS who play­ for POMPEY, instead we can watch other teams kill us­ off each week.

    Play up Pompey from Thailand

    From bazcatana, on Sat 1 Aug 11:40AM
  20. Pompey will struggle no doubt about it, but im sure­ there will be 3 weaker teams and we wont go down, 4th­ from bottom will do,,,the fans get behind the team when­ we are struggling, always at our best when our backs­ are against the wall,like we have been for most of the­ last 30 years or so...so many rumours flying around­ about admisitration and who owns the club still , peter­ storrie does need to realese a statement about the true­ facts of what is happening , but whatever happens the­ true fans will still be there as always ....pompey­ forever­ """""""""&­ quot;"""""""

    From Brian, on Sat 1 Aug 11:17AM
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