Portsmouth: The Jermain Defoe Saga

Being home for the holidays invariably brings about one of my very favorite activities.

Aside from seeing family and partaking in the delicious treats that come along with holiday festivity, I get to spend time with a good friend, Steve Hooper. A man who gave far more to me than any other man could ever give.

The man who took me to Portsmouth, and along with it, to my first Pompey game, and made me a die-hard Blues supporter.

Steve is like a vast majority of Portsmouth supporters: born and bred in the city, and who bleed blue, white, and gold. He's been with Pompey far longer than I have, and has a different perspective (an important one) than most young supporters of the Premier League have today.

And it was while discussing Pompey's season, the upcoming transfer window, and in watching the Arsenal game with him that he brought up something particularly important.

Jermain Defoe has been crap this month.

"Look at his body language as he takes that penalty kick against West Ham," Steve said to me.

"That is one of the worst penalties I have seen taken in some time. And when a striker like Defoe steps up to take one, you shouldn't worry that he is going to miss it."

I know the game of football very, very well. I know Portsmouth Football Club even better. But I have been a Defoe fan long before he was even at our club, hoping that Redknapp was going to bring him in during the summer 2007 transfer window.

Steve, however, demonstrated to me just how blinded I was by my support for Defoe and my hope that he wouldn't leave the club.

He was been terrible for us for more than a month, and while I am still disappointed that Defoe has today stated his intent to leave the club, I'm not angry.

Truth be told, he's a quality, quality player. But as the old adage says: "The rats are first to leave a sinking ship." If Defoe isn't willing to battle for Portsmouth Football Club, better we make as much money from him as possible and find someone who is.

Defoe isn't irreplaceable, and Crouch is proving that he is the better goalscorer of the two, carrying on scoring well after Defoe has had his dip in form.

Portsmouth's Peter Storrie has already declared that Defoe won't be going anywhere unless a substantial offer comes in, and I'm sure that someone is going to put in a good offer for Defoe.

It's what we do with that money—and specifically who we spend it on—that will matter most.

I am still confused, however, with how Tottenham and Harry Redknapp continue to be linked with Defoe. While they seem to be a side that not only has an interest in the player, where the player would undoubtedly like to go, and have significant need for another striker, any transfer should be in violation of Premier League rule L19.

If Defoe were to stay, however, and return to the form that has made him beloved by the Pompey faithful, I won't have any problem with him.

But with each passing day and today's admission that he wants to leave, it seems more and more likely that he doesn't have much time left with us.

In addition, Tony Adams stated months ago that he doesn't want any player in his side that doesn't want to play for Portsmouth. While I have been critical of Adams, those words certainly ring true.

I've also stated in the past that whether we were able to tie up a deal for on-loan left winger Nadir Belhadj would be an indicator of how serious we were going to approach the transfer window.

Yesterday's news that Belhadj has signed on a four-and-a-half year deal will have brought smiles to many Pompey supporters' faces.

More importantly, it was one of the first signs for me that things in the transfer window might just go alright for us.

Sylvain Distin's admission that he also wants to remain at the club (although we seem to hear different stories every day), and the rumor that Glen Johnson is seeking legal advice against the media outlets that claim he is moving away is also good news.

So in closing, while this transfer window is going to easily be the most important one in Portsmouth's recent history, the fear of Defoe leaving has quickly subsided for me.

While I feel he should have a great sense of duty to the club and supporters that truly helped to save his career, I'm perfectly alright with him going somewhere else and seeing further bench time...if the money is good.