Bleacher Report - Articles by Ryan Lynch

Glen Johnson: The Best Right-Back in England

Ryan Lynch — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:42:26 -0400

As England demolished an Andorra side at Wembley Stadium this evening with great ease, a number of players will be buzzing after putting in impressive performances.

Wayne Rooney will be delighted to have continued his fantastic international form, scoring his ninth and tenth goals in only seven matches.

Jermain Defoe will have been pleased to mark his international return after injury with a brace, despite coming off the bench.

David Beckham again rolled back the years and continued to look bright as he hopes to achieve his fourth call-up to the world’s greatest stage in South Africa next year.

There were many more performances this evening that—despite the “low quality” of the opposition—will lift the hearts of England supporters still hurting from a failure to qualify for last summer’s European Championship.

The performance from Portsmouth right-back Glen Johnson, however, rises above all of these. He has so far been England manager Fabio Capello’s preferred choice to fill the right-side of the defense, and who can blame him?

Johnson came off a mixed performance this weekend in England’s away match against Kazakhstan, but tonight found himself the provider for three of England’s six goals. His crossing was outstanding, and he rightly claimed the official “Man of the Match” award.

His form for his club Portsmouth has been even more impressive. Johnson turned in performances of the highest quality week-in and week-out for the club’s entire Premier League campaign in a Portsmouth side that looked a shadow of the previous season’s side that won the 2008 FA Cup.

Finding themselves in a Premier League relegation battle for much of the season, Johnson served as the rock in Portsmouth’s beleaguered and under-performing defense. In addition, however, he added a fantastic attacking game, chipping in with numerous important goals for the club, including Match of the Day’s November goal of the month against Hull City.

Johnson also went on to win the Portsmouth supporters’ Player of the Season award, the club’s Players’ Player of the Season award, and most importantly, inclusion in the Professional Footballers’ Association Team of the Year.

Not bad for a player who was deemed surplus to requirements at Chelsea three seasons earlier, and who was arrested and fined for shoplifting during his first season at Fratton Park.

In those three seasons, Johnson has matured from a player who reportedly left his passport behind before Chelsea’s crunch Champion’s League match in Barcelona in 2006, to a composed and mature footballer outclassing the world’s elite.

While Andorra may not be found in the upper echelons of the footballing world, anyone who watched Johnson’s performance in the UEFA Cup in December against AC Milan saw a right-back making some of the finest players in the world—including two past FIFA World Players of the Year—look decidedly average.

Now, despite having recently signed a new four and a half year deal with Portsmouth, he has continued to be linked away with moves to Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, and a return to Chelsea.

No one can truly question their interest, either; Johnson is arguably the best right-back in England right now, let alone the best English right-back.

With Portsmouth’s new-found wealth from new owner Sulaiman al-Fahim and having told the press he believes his England selection is down to regular football provided on the South Cast, it’s possible the player may find himself in a Portsmouth shirt for a while longer.

And with Portsmouth preparing to rebuild their squad after their disappointing campaign this season, building around a player of Johnson’s quality may be exactly their intention.

As for England fans, they can expect to see a right-back who is only going to continue to mature and improve his game as England push closer and closer towards the World Cup in South Africa.

Peter Crouch Proves Point in England Win

Ryan Lynch — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:36:27 -0400

"Crouch is the best player I can put on there," is all England boss Fabio Capello had to say when questioned by the media regarding Peter Crouch's involvement prior to the match against the Ukraine tonight.

Certainly not a ringing endorsement by any means for the lanky 6'7" striker, was it?

Crouch—yet to start a match since Capello came in as head of the England squad—received the nod to start in tonight's match against the Ukraine at Wembley following injuries to fellow frontmen Emile Heskey and Carlton Cole.

And when Heskey and Cole were forced off in the match against Slovakia at the weekend, it's possible Capello still didn't have the faith in Crouch to start the match, drafting in Tottenham Hotspur's Darren Bent.

Bent, too, fell to injury. It seemed fate was forcing Don Fabio's hand to start the lanky Portsmouth striker.

But why was it such a struggle?

I think that Crouch has received a completely unfair amount of criticism over the past few weeks considering how excellent his goalscoring record has been.

Whether it was in his spells at Liverpool, Southampton, Portsmouth (both of them), or with the national side, Crouch has consistently found the back of the net when called upon.

Crouch has now found the back of the net on fifteen occasions for the England side in only 33 appearances, a record that few in the squad could claim to even come close to.

When addressing the issue of a call-up for Newcastle striker Michael Owen, however, Capello made his point clear:

"I have to choose the players to play against Ukraine, not against history," Capello said.

Well, Crouch is back on form and certainly didn't deserve much of the criticism he received in the build-up to today's match.

Although having gone on a lengthy dry spell for his club Portsmouth, Crouch has now found the back of the net three times in the last two matches for the Premier League strugglers.

Then, there were those in the media getting on the forward's back as well, with Guardian columnist Kevin McCarra questioning Crouch's ability to play as a target-man alongside an in-form Wayne Rooney?

Absolute rubbish. I truly don't know how much more the big man has to do before he can silence the boo boys. What I do know, however, is that in a team with the quality that England have, a striker with the ability of Crouch can thrive—if given the opportunity.

And contrary to Mr. McCarra's opinion, I believe Crouch can very easily play partner to an in-form Wayne Rooney. More importantly, however, is my belief that Crouch can fill the role better than Emile Heskey when Rooney's isn't in-form.

As if it were scripted tonight, it was Peter Crouch who popped up in the 29th minute to open the scoring in the match. Crouch—again quieting the naysayers who question is agility and dexterity—excellently manipulated his lanky body to fire in England's first goal.

It would have only been better had he gotten the winner.

Even though I know Crouch's performance tonight won't have silenced all of his critics (who will undoubtedly be out again once he is overlooked again in the future), Crouch continues to prove that he is a world-class forward.

Hopefully, it won't take injuries to another 17 strikers ahead of him in the international pecking order for everyone to realize that.

Portsmouth: The Case of Theofanis Gekas

Ryan Lynch — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:51:58 -0400

A few weeks back, Portsmouth's The News ran an interview with Greek striker Theofanis Gekas, who is on loan to Portsmouth from German side Bayern Leverkusen.

The interview with Gekas was largely negative, with the Greek forward claiming he doesn't deserve the treatment he has received from his club.

"I didn't walk away from Leverkusen—a club going for the German Championship—in order to come over here, at a club fighting for survival only, and being seated in the stands," Gekas told The News.

Gekas was one of five signings brought in by former manager Tony Adams during the January transfer window, along with midfielders Jermaine Pennant, Hayden Mullins, Angelos Basinas, and Pele.

But Adams was only given one match in charge after signing Gekas, who failed to appear, but was on the bench in Portsmouth's ill-fated loss to Liverpool.

Since Hart took over the job—first as caretaker, and now as interim boss—Gekas has failed to even make the bench.

"He [manager Paul Hart] should give me a chance first and then, if I fail, he can judge me," Gekas said.

It is definitely a difficult position to be in. With the club in the position it has been in for the past several months, to throw a player into the team, having never played a match in the English league before, could prove a terrible decision.

This could be especially harmful with points as valuable as they are in the relegation battle.

At the same time, however, up until Peter Crouch's recent goal-scoring exploits, Portsmouth has been desperate for goals. We won't be able to cope with another dry spell if the tall forward loses that deadly touch again.

And in a match against a side like Stoke, where we suddenly found ourselves a goal down and in need of some attacking options, why couldn't we look to Gekas as an option?

Or against Middlesbrough, as we needed some forward threat to push back Boro's pressure?

Hart and the club have said that the reason Gekas has failed to appear for the side has been partly due to his refusal to appear for the reserves.

But if you were a proven goal-scorer, both at the club and international level, would you really want to run out with the kids and the old men, when you were brought in to play in the first team?

In addition to all of this, Gekas went out this weekend and let his football do the talking. Against Israel, Gekas opened the scoring despite his "lack of fitness," and has now scored in his last three run-outs for his national side.

While the situation regarding Gekas is certainly muddled, one can't help but wonder why Portsmouth and Paul Hart won't give themselves more options.

Having finished as the top scorer in the Bundesliga in 2006-2007, and as Leverkusen's top scorer the following season, Gekas certainly has a lot offer the South Coast side.

While Hart is understandably worried about going with a lineup that has too much of an attacking presence and David Nugent has been playing well, but shaking things up could bode well for the side. Giving Gekas some time to prove himself could prove a stroke of genius.

And it could prove to be exactly what Portsmouth needs to put relegation fears behind them.

English Premier League Title Race: For Once, It's Actually Interesting!

Ryan Lynch — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:22:09 -0400

For all of the years that I have been following the English Premier League, the race for the league title has been utterly boring. It has lacked much of the drama and excitement that you get when supporting one of the "less fashionable" clubs in the league.

As a supporter of one of those "less fashionable" clubs in Portsmouth, I can tell you that I'm rarely interested in what is happening in the battle for domestic glory.

The reason for that, of course, is that for the past number of years, the excitement and real competition at the top has been lacking, save for an outside challenge of another club working to sneak its way into the last Champions League place.

What is exciting about hearing Sir Alex Ferguson whinge that he hasn't won enough trophies in his career? Who listens when Liverpool supporters proclaim that "this year will be their year," only for them to be out of the title race by January?

It just isn't exciting. It's far more exciting to be another club in the league that manages to beat one of these "title contenders," and send their supporters and media pundits into a frenzy.

This year, however, it has been entirely different. As has been discussed far more than is necessary, the league is as close as it has ever been at the bottom, with practically any team in the bottom half of the table still trying to stay away from that third relegation spot. (I say third, because Middlesbrough and West Brom are dead and buried, end of discussion.)

At the top of the table, however, the excitement hasn't been over the UEFA Cup spots as it usually is. Rather, that discussion has been largely left by the wayside for a title competition that has actually demonstrated the grit and determination I expect from the rest of the league.

Now, I'll admit that I was part of the crowd who believed that Manchester United had all but wrapped up this year's EPL title at the beginning of February, with Liverpool's "sustained" challenge all but over.

United's recent 4-1 loss to Liverpool, however, certainly changed things, but it was their huge stumble against Fulham that has really livened things up, with Rafa Benitez (finally) not blowing his opportunity to close the gap at the top.

Unbelievably, it's almost April, and the title race is close. United certainly still hold the upper hand, but, for once, things are interesting.

I, for one, believe that it's a nice change.

All of this is thanks to how tight the Premier League has been this year, which is a benefit (and a concern) for all clubs involved.

No longer are sides pushing for the UEFA Cup comfortably safe from the relegation trap door. No longer are the promoted sides the clear favorites to find themselves back in The Championship.

While I still think it's better to be a Fulham supporter, as they provide a huge roadblock to United's domestic ambitions, you can't help but be interested in what the outcome will be at the top of the table this season.

Will United recover and retain their title?

Will Rafa Benitez finally be able to deliver what Liverpool supporters have been craving for almost 20 years?

Will Chelsea continue their renaissance under Guus Hiddink and pip the other two?

For once, these are questions I actually care about. It's a nice change.

Portsmouth: Returning to Predictions

Ryan Lynch — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:27:43 -0400

After a significant hiatus from writing, I thought it a fitting time to return to write about Portsmouth's current situation.

It is especially apt when one considers that since the media and the club finally decided to hit the "panic button" over their involvement in the relegation battle, I have been largely quiet.

Prior to Pompey's dealings in the January transfer window, and loss after loss under Tony Adams during that month, I had been rather vocal about my opinions and my fears.

And now, although it disappoints me to find the club that I love in such a perilous position, I will take some time to gloat.

Go ahead. Have a read. I'll wait.

When I originally wrote that article, people were only just beginning to become disenchanted by the reign of Tony Adams, but few were calling for his head. When I wrote that article, we were still in the top half of the table.

The negative comments I received for writing it and similar prophetic articles were numerous; many of them including obscenities (leading to their removal) and declaring that I knew "absolutely nothing about football."

Other, more friendly comments simply stated that there were teams that were going to struggle a lot more than Portsmouth, and that there was no way we were going to fall as Southampton had.

More than two months on and I'm sitting in my usual seat at Fratton Park before the Everton match, discussing Pompey's precarious position. The season ticket holders that sit around me—who have all been following Pompey since the 60's and 70's—fear for the club, too.

One of them reasons: "If Southampton went down with that brand new stadium, good training facilities, and a great youth system...what chance do we have if we go down?"

Those were exactly my concerns at the beginning of December, when I wrote that article, with the whirlwind of speculation surrounding the club's worrying financial situation. Southampton were relegated after 27 years in the top flight of English football, and for the past two season, have struggled to even stay in the Championship.

With all of that said, however, I have never believed Portsmouth will go down this season.

While it's been a fear of mine, I have constantly held the belief that we will pull things off and manage to stay up. Saturday's solid win over Everton has gone a long way to helping the club on its bid for survival.

Still, I can't help but return to my previous predictions, and admit that I believe the club did everything necessary to ensure the club don't go down this year.

We brought in some solid players—specifically Pennant and Basinas—and we only lost Jermain Defoe (who obviously wanted to go) and Lassana Diarra (who we always knew was going to go).

Had we lost even one of Crouch, Johnson, or Distin, things could have been very different.

In regards to the holiday fixtures themselves, the poor results that we got—specifically the West Ham and Bolton games—are a large part of the reason that we are in our current position

While Portsmouth aren't yet guaranteed another season of Premier League football, things are looking a lot brighter. The last relegation spot is still well-and-truly up for grabs, but Portsmouth look much more prepared for a battle these past few weeks than they did in Adams tenure.

Each fixture needs to be taken as it comes, but hope is firmly taking root on the South Coast and the team will look to build on the win against Everton.

Portsmouth Axe Tony Adams: What Now?

Ryan Lynch — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:14:41 -0500

Late last night, Sky Sports announced that they had reports that Portsmouth manager Tony Adams was to be fired by the club, and that announcement was confirmed this morning.

Adams becomes the seventh Premier League manager to depart this season after taking charge from Harry Redknapp at the end of October.

Portsmouth's slide down the Premier League table correlated with his appointment, and he also overseeing the club's embarrassing capitulation to Swansea in the FA Cup.

Adams leaves the club having won just two league matches (against Sunderland and Blackburn) out of the sixteen he oversaw, a dismal record that saw Pompey drop crucial points against teams the likes of Fulham, Wigan, Hull, West Brom, and now Liverpool due to late goals in the last ten minutes of matches.

It was these late goals and poor results that lead to a disenchantment of a portion of Pompey supporters with Adams, as Pompey supporters have become split over what to think about Adams.

On one hand, Adams had been an excellent assistant manager and has a proven record of not only being a fantastic center back during his playing days, but also an outstanding Captain on the pitch—a fact that any Arsenal fan will firmly support.

But as a manager, Adams seemed to be completely out of depth in the Premier League.

Finding Portsmouth in the lead in a number of games during his tenure, Adams would watch his side unravel and succumb to late goals without any apparent idea on how to prevent it from happening.

So, was the sacking of Adams the correct decision by the Portsmouth board? Yes, I believe so.

But the problem is, this was the correct decision to make after we were demolished by West Ham back in December.

Now, the Pompey board's decision to dispatch with Adams just seems confusing and smacks of a club confused on how to right the ship before it sinks.

Why give Adams the entire transfer window to bring in his own players, only to axe him one game after the window closes?

Why have Executive Chairman Peter Storrie go public with the club's un-erring backing for Adams—calling for patience and support from the fans—only to sack him days later?

Why remove Adams now, after playing a team we were expected to lose to, and where individual mistakes from Crouch and Distin proved to be our undoing?

And finally, where do Portsmouth Football Club go from here?

Speculation is rife linking both former Pompey Director of Football and Chelsea manager Avram Grant with the position, as well as long-time former Charlton Athletic manager Alan Curbishly.

With Portsmouth well and truly in the relegation dogfight and with the club no doubt removing Adams because they saw it as the best (or easiest?) way to change the club's declining fortunes, a manager who can make an instant impact is needed.

While it is likely that Grant is going to be Adam's replacement due to his links to the club, Curbishly has a proven record of leading teams in the relegation battle and has the experience necessary to help the club.

Regardless, Portsmouth will need to appoint a new manager as soon as possible if they hope to arrest their concerning form and save their Premier League status.

I wrote an article following our defeat against West Ham in December questioning Adams' managerial ability, and that article can be found here.

Tottenham-Portsmouth: Nugent's First Goal Proves Point for Pompey

Ryan Lynch — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:43:01 -0500

It was certainly a long time coming, but David Nugent's first goal in the Premier League came at a particularly fitting time for Portsmouth.

In a highly-charged game from well before kick-off, Portsmouth traveled to White Hart Lane to face a Tottenham Hotspur side who were, at the time, bottom of the table.

It was, for certain, a match where pride was an important issue.

For the first time, Arsenal legend Tony Adams would be leading out a team as a manager at the home of the fiercest rivals from his playing career.

On the other side, former Pompey manager Harry Redknappy would face up against his old club for the first time since leaving his second stint at Portsmouth.

With the arrest and charges of several Spurs fans for chanting abuse at former player and Pompey captain Sol Campbell, Spurs fans were ready to bite back.

With the acrimonious departure from Portsmouth of star striker Jermain Defoe to rejoin his former manager at Spurs, as well as his statements that he never wanted to leave Tottenham to begin with, Pompey supporters were angry.

It was a game with everyone there having a point to prove. The teams wanted to show they were better than their league position dictated. Managers wanted to show that, too.

And players wanted to show what they were made of.

And while it was Jermain Defoe who nabbed all of the headlines today for scoring against his former employers less than two weeks after leaving Fratton Park, an important character was being left in the shadow of the small England striker.

Another oft-forgotten Portsmouth striker, David Nugent.

Nugent was coming up against the former manager who had signed him for the first time since his departure, and he had, perhaps, more of a point to prove that anyone else.

Signed from Preston North End by Harry Redknapp in the summer of 2006 for a reported £6 million, hopes for Nugent were very high. But almost immediately after the preseason matches ended, so did the young English striker's playing time.

Reports began surfacing before the end of the transfer window that Redknapp was already looking to sell the striker, so unimpressed with him was he.

It didn't make much sense, in truth. While Nugent was completely untested in the Premier League at that time, he had been in particularly good form for Preston before hand, and had earned his first full-England cap. He celebrated his England debut with a very easy goal as well.

But as any Portsmouth supporter will tell you, Harry Redknapp's mood with players was always changing, and he was notorious for bringing in players that he would never give a chance to.

And it seemed Nugent would be one of them.

In his entire first season at Portsmouth, Harry Redknapp would only find it fitting to give his £6 million striker three Premier League starts. He made several other appearances during the season, but they were almost always bit-part cameos in the last minutes of matches.

Struggling with injury and frustrated with Redknapp, it was difficult to see into Nugent's future.

With Redknapp having left and Tony Adams now in charge, he would earn his opportunity in an odd way. Portsmouth's midfield has been weakened thanks to injuries, the selling of a key player in Lassana Diarra, and the failure of winger John Utaka to shine.

In a rather odd move, Tony Adams has asked David Nugent to play on the right wing. And believe it or not, he's not looked bad in the few games he has had in that position.

Undoubtedly pleased to have earned a start against Redknapp's Tottenham and anxious to prove a point to the manager who nearly killed his career, Nugent was lively throughout the match.

In the first half, however, he was given a glorious chance to put Portsmouth ahead, and all of the supporters in the stand were stunned when he fired directly at Tottenham 'keeper Gomes from practically three yards out.

Though we all sighed with frustration, we continued to sing his name anyway.

And after half-time, when Nugent finally found the back of the net in the Premier League for the first time, Portsmouth fans were jubilant.

But not more so than David Nugent.

As he ran over to our supporters in the corner of the stand, the excitement and joy at his accomplishment was incredibly clear on his face. It was so clear how much it meant to him.

Despite only earning a draw in the end and with Jermain Defoe certainly stealing all of the headlines, it was David Nugent's day.

Despite his big-money price tag and his England ambitions, Defoe was largely kept overshadowed by the converted right-winger.

With his point proven and having tasted his first Premier League goal, it will be up to Nugent to take full advantage of his future opportunities at Portsmouth.

And although none of us may have expect it, perhaps David Nugent is up to the task of pushing the club forward.

Portsmouth Target Robert Earnshaw? Really?

Ryan Lynch — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 04:45:53 -0500

No, this isn't a humor article, as much as I would like to admit that it was.

Sport.co.uk reported yesterday that Robert Earnshaw, striker for Championship side Nottingham Forest, is a target for Premier League side Portsmouth.

Er, excuse me?

I hadn't commented on this speculation earlier on, as I wrote it off as simply gutter-rag speculation, but I've started to see more and more discussion on this issue on the internet.

And it really worries me.

I remember seeing Earnshaw play for West Brom back in the 2004/2005 Premiership season, and I thought he was a sub-standard striker who had been fortunate to hit a bit of form that year.

Earnshaw scored a number of important goals in the second half of that season to help West Brom complete their escape from relegation on the last day of the season, despite being bottom of the league at Christmas.

The website claims that Portsmouth boss Tony Adams wants to bring in Earnshaw as a direct replacement for Jermain Defoe.

Yes, you read that right. According to them, Adams believes Earnshaw is a replacement for Defoe.

I couldn't make this up if I tried.

Needless to say, the fact that this rumor is picking up steam is really worrying me.

While Earnshaw had his strong end to the season that year with West Brom, he has since failed to prove himself in the Premier League again, managing to find the back of the net only once during Derby County's ill-fated campaign last year.

In my mind, Earnshaw is a good Championship striker, but he is absolutely not what Portsmouth need for the rest of the season, and the £3 million price tag being touted is absolutely laughable.

It would be absolutely criminal if we signed a poor striker for the same amount of money we got for the magnificent Pedro Mendes at the start of the season.

Many of the signings we have been linked with this window have been positive, but if this is true, I worry for the direction of our club over the next few months. Hopefully this ends up being no more than simple speculation, as Earnshaw just doesn't have what it takes.

Lassana Diarra Backs Portsmouth for Survival

Ryan Lynch — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:50:21 -0500

New Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra has backed his former employers and "friends" to push up the English Premier League table in the coming months.

In a report published in The Portsmouth News, Diarra himself came out in support of Pompey and rubbishing the media reports that Portsmouth "needed" to sell him.

"I didn't leave Portsmouth for the money—both the manager and the fans know that...the opportunity of joining Real Madrid appears once in your life, and you have to take it," Diarra said.

Seeing Diarra come forward to say what Portsmouth supporters have all known already is excellent, and hopefully will demonstrate to supporters of other clubs that the media have been acting unfairly in regards to our club's situation.

But Diarra didn't just stop there; he also elaborated on the feelings and respect that he has for Portsmouth and our supporters.

"I still have many friends at Portsmouth and they will remain my second team," Diarra said. "I'm going to watch them on TV whenever I can."

I was slightly disappointed when Diarra first moved to Madrid as he really didn't take the time to thank the club which had helped revive his slightly faltering career. These statements from Diarra, however, will please all Portsmouth supporters.

I wrote an article when it was first announced that was agreed between Madrid and Pompey about the positives to come from this deal, and it is exactly these kind of statements and feelings from Diarra

In addition to all of this, Diarra is confident that Pompey will turn around their poor fortunes in the league to climb the table.

"I'm sure that Portsmouth won't have any problems in staying up...it will be difficult to repeat last season's campaign, but it's certainly possible for them to end up in the top half of the table," said Diarra.

Portsmouth currently find themselves in 14th place in the English Premier League.

Diarra made his first appearance in a Real Madrid shirt, along with fellow new-signing Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, in Real's 1-0 win against Villareal on 4 January.

A Call For Benjani: Bring Him Back to Fratton Park!

Ryan Lynch — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:25:04 -0500

January 2008: Speculation was rife that then Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp was seriously interested in purchasing Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe.

It was a rumor that had done the rounds for quite some time. Harry had worked with Defoe during his time at West Ham, and Jermain was ready to leave to seek first-team football.

But we had heard it before.

On deadline day, however, it seemed like everything was to go forward. There was great excitement at Portsmouth at the prospect of bringing in such an excellent striker to pair with the on-fire Zimbabwean Benjani Mwaruwari.

And then, it was learned, that in order to raise some of the funds for Defoe's arrival, Benjani was being sold to Manchester City.

I, for one, was crushed. Benjani had a mixed beginning to his time at Fratton Park, but he had established himself as a firm favorite with Portsmouth supporters. His work-rate was always second-to-none, and even though he had struggled to score goals for much of his time with us, we were patient with him.

We knew how much work he put in for the team, and how many chances he was providing for others.

And our patience was very much paying off. Going into that January transfer window, Benjani was in the form of his career, having already scored a marvelous hat-trick in Pompey's 7-4 thrashing of Reading.

He would add another hat trick later in the month of January in a come-from-behind win against Derby County. With twelve goals to his name and with the season just half-way over, Benjani was brilliant.

Deadline day was a confusing affair for Portsmouth supporters, with no one knowing if we would manage to wrap-up the Defoe deal before the midnight limit. All the while, it was announced that Benjani—on his way to a medical in Manchester—missed his flight, and his deal might not go through either.

Finally, it was confirmed that Defoe had signed for Pompey as we waited for news on whether we were going to be able to keep our Zimbabwean hitman. Sky Sports even reported that the Defoe deal was done, but the Benjani deal had fallen through.

I was hopeful.

In the end, however, it was announced that Benjani had indeed signed for City in a deal worth about £3.5 million plus clauses, which only appalled Portsmouth supporters further.

Not only had we lost a player beloved by the fans, but we got crap for him, too.

Since leaving, Benjani has enjoyed a mixed time at the City of Manchester Stadium, scoring a few goals but having been laid-low by injury for some of his year there.

Benjani also scored against Portsmouth in his only match so far against the club. He promised before the game that if he managed to get on the score sheet, that he would refuse to celebrate in front of the supporters he has such great respect for.

And when he scored, he kept his word.

And now, having made only ten appearances for the club this season and under stiff competition from fellow strikers Robinho, Jo, and Darius Vassell, speculation linking Benjani with a return is picking up.

With other strikers at the club currently young and improving or injured, and with manager Mark Hughes certain to bring in striking additions this transfer window, Benjani's departure is a realistic possibility.

Today, The Sun has again reported that Portsmouth's Tony Adams is interested in bringing him back to the club to fill the void left by Defoe.

In my opinion, there are few smarter transfers for Pompey.

With Manchester City's deal for Craig Bellamy apparently getting closer and closer, the Citizens will probably be pleased to recoup some money as they look to strengthen the squad.

And Benjani's passion for Portsmouth Football Club and our supporters make him the perfect re-acquisition.

Even more so, because Benjani has proven in our relegation struggles seasons ago that he has the grit and determination to battle for our club.

Something it certainly seemed Jermain Defoe wasn't interested in.

And it is through the example and quality of players like Benjani that will allow Portsmouth to get the results that are necessary.

And a partnership between Benjani and Crouch could be a wonderful pairing for the club.

Tony Adams and the Portsmouth board: do what many Portsmouth supporters are already calling for, and bring Benjani back to Fratton Park!

Harry Redknapp the Media Darling and Portsmouth Transfer Countertalk

Ryan Lynch — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:39:19 -0500

"Who, Me!? Never!" Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp says in the above photograph.

In the media today, the "wonderful" Harry Redknapp told the Sunday Telegraph that he won't be raiding Portsmouth for any more former players, as he doesn't want to be "disrespectful."

He didn't mind, however, mentioning that he could have brought Glen Johnson to Tottenham if he wanted. But no. He wouldn't do that. He's a class-act and would never hurt a club he holds so "dear."

"I would have gone back and taken Glen Johnson but I didn't want to get involved and cause problems," Redknapp said.

I can't even stop the eyes rolling into the back of my head right now.

Are you serious, Mr. Redknapp? Do you really expect that the media and everyone who reads these reports thinks that you aren't buying more of our players simply because you don't want to cause trouble for Portsmouth?

No, Mr. Redknapp. The fact of the matter is that Portsmouth Football Club are not in the dire condition that you and the media often like to report, but rather, simply had no interest in letting a quality player like Johnson leave when he didn't have any interest in joining your lot.

And it was the same for the reports with Liverpool's supposed £9 million move for Johnson.

Plenty of the papers simply decided to disregard the statements that Portsmouth themselves made, clearly stating that talks were in an advanced stage for Johnson signing a new deal with the club.

And then Redknapp goes on to say that the reason he bought striker Jermain Defoe was because "[Portsmouth] wanted to sell Defoe."

Contrary, of course, to this, this, this, and plenty of other statements the club and manager Tony Adams made over the course of the past several months.

In truth, Redknapp's conduct throughout the Defoe transfer saga was absolutely appalling. He spent more than a month doing nothing but talking about how he was interested in Defoe, he won't pay too much, etc., and the media love him for it.

Meanwhile, all because Tony Adams is unwilling to talk about who he is interested in and that the club are up for sale, there is constant speculation that Portsmouth have no money to spend and won't bring in anyone. And of course, everyone else is going to leave.

Next, they'll be speculating that Kev the Kitman is going to be replacing Defoe as Crouch's striking partner and that we've had to sell the roof we added over the Milton End to pay him.

Even goalkeeper David James has expressed his bemusement at how the media are constantly speculating that everyone is leaving and that no one is coming in, but the media use his comments out of context.

"In recent times we've gone from relegation dodgers to FA Cup winners playing in Europe—that's the kind of ambitious club most people want to join, not leave...but anyone reading the headlines would be led into thinking otherwise," James wrote in his column in The Observer.

And with the way some in the media portray the club, you would think that the speculation linking Scott Brown, Edu, Joey Barton, Aruna Dindane, Gary O'Neil, Christian Odobo, Benjani, and others with moves to Fratton Park was non-existent.

This may be startling to some, but Tony Adams is primarily interested in strengthening the midfield and finding a replacement for Defoe.

We don't need to be signing an entirely new squad.

Just because he isn't following Redknapp in signing every player under the sun doesn't mean that Pompey aren't going to make moves in the window.

All of this, of course, comes from Harry Redknapp's status as one of the media's favorite managers. Ol' Harry loves his time with the media, and is only happy to indulge them with constant rumors and speculation.

And the media, of course, repay his willingness to talk by portraying him as the savior of football...and in particular, Portsmouth Football Club.

Practically some of the only negative things that have ever happened to him in the media were his recent "arrest incidents" in the football bungs scandal.

But those were quickly swept under the rug.

So, in closing, it isn't all doom-and-gloom in Portsmouth at all. While we're struggling a bit in the league, there are plenty of clubs in far worse situations than our own.

Harry Redknapp did a great deal for our club in the past by keeping us up in our "great escape" season two years back and certainly in winning the FA Cup, but he did no more than owner Sacha Gaydamak has done for the club.

Jermain Defoe: One Portsmouth Supporter's Opinion

Ryan Lynch — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 10:01:46 -0500

I’ve remained relatively quiet on Jermain Defoe’s official return to Tottenham over the past few days, mostly as my anger at the entire situation and Defoe’s own actions have left me very disappointed.

I wrote an article several days ago about the situation with Defoe, but his actions in the press and his reaction to reuniting with Redknapp at Tottenham are simply insulting to Portsmouth supporters everywhere.

"I've enjoyed my time immensely here [at Portsmouth], but I can't deny that Harry Redknapp's departure as manager hit me hard particularly because he was the reason why I joined Portsmouth in the first place," Defoe told the Sunday Mirror .

Really, Jermain? I could have thought it was “to play football…to get as many goals as possible, and most importantly get three points and just do well for Portsmouth.” (Source )

"I could have gone to other clubs when I left Tottenham, but I wanted to work with Harry."

And that is, inherently, much of the problem with modern football today. Mercenary players like Jermain Defoe who have lost their commitment and passion for a club in exchange for the desire to work for a single man.

Or for the allure of money and power.

I am certain that Tottenham supporters who read this will be growing increasingly more angry, stating that "Jermain Defoe didn't want to leave our club to begin with! He was forced to!"

And Defoe himself argues my statement today, hitting out at Portsmouth supporters for labeling him as a mercenary.

"That's not true because when I was here last time not once did I moan or even knock on the manager's door…I just went training as normal like the rest of the lads,” Defoe told Sky Sports.

Defoe then had the audacity to go on and say that Tony Adams could have tried harder to keep him, saying “Maybe I thought he would try harder to keep me but he knows what he wants to do.”

Defoe, you must be having a laugh.

Adams repeatedly stated in the media over the past several months how highly he rated Defoe and that he was going to do all he could to keep the player at Fratton Park.

But he also said that he wouldn’t have players sit on their wages at the club if they didn’t want to play for the badge.

That isn’t what Portsmouth Football Club wants.

The truth is that Jermain Defoe wanted to go for himself, rather than any than any other reason.

Did he need to leave to save his career?

No.

Did he need to leave to improve his England chances?

No.

Those reasons, may I remind you, were the exact reasons he left Spurs to begin with.

The reason Jermain Defoe left is, quite simply, because he has no loyalty whatsoever. He never received anything from Spurs: although he was treated well by the Spurs supporters, short of his first season at the club, chances were always few-and-far-between and only grew worse as time went on.

All he had to show from his spell there was his Player of the Year award from the club during his impressive first season. He was loved by Spurs supporters, but do you really think that was anymore than Pompey supporters came to love him?

Manager after manager at Tottenham, however, seemed to believe that Defoe just wasn’t as good as other options.

Not as good as Robbie Keane. Not as good as Mido. Not as good as Berbatov. Not as good as Bent.

And what loyalty did the Spurs supporters, in truth, have to Defoe? Were they truly aghast at Defoe’s constant omission and bit-part roles in the team under both Martin Jol and Juande Ramos? Didn’t they, too, view both Keane and Berbatov as better players, deserving of their constant starting berths?

At Portsmouth, though, Defoe had everything that a player could want, but it still wasn’t good enough. Defoe was one of Portsmouth’s true “stars,” beloved by the supporters and always playing games. And it was thanks to Portsmouth’s faith in him that he earned his place back in the England line-up.

And who is to say if Redknapp saves Spurs from the battle they are currently in (which I definitely believe he will), and the club look to push onward and bring in even better players (which they surely will), that Defoe won’t be pushed to the back as the “new” Keane and Berbatov are picked up?

And does Defoe really expect us to believe this drivel that he was shocked and angry that he was dropped for two games against “big four” sides because of a tactical change ?

Boo-hoo, Defoe. You act like many sides don’t take more defensive approaches away from home against the best sides in Europe.

Don’t get me wrong, though: I am absolutely appalled at the apparent threats that some Portsmouth “supporters” made on our former player through mobile. There is absolutely no excuse for such actions, and those “fans” give a terrible reputation to the our club and all those who care for Portsmouth Football Club.

I do, however, hope he cracks under the great bit of stick he is going to get at White Hart Lane on the 18th. And while Spurs fans are a great group of supporters, I truly hope that Defoe loses his form and misfires for them despite his significant talent.

Or even better, that he helps them stay up, only to be forgotten as other (read: better) players are brought in.

The grass isn’t always greener, Jermain, and the rats are certainly always the first ones to leave the ship. No one man is bigger than the club and hopefully, one day you’ll learn that.

Under Pressure: Portsmouth-Manchester City Preview

Ryan Lynch — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:51:17 -0500

Manchester City head south to Fratton Park to take on Portsmouth tomorrow with much on the line for both teams and their managers.

While Portsmouth Executive Chairman Peter Storrie has repeatedly called for patience from the Portsmouth faithful regarding the club's situation and manager Tony Adams, the side need to starting winning matches before they become further mired in a relegation dogfight.

For City, Mark Hughes has failed to impress the majority of city supporters as the club have continued to under-perform since the takeover by the Abu Dhabi United group.

Particularly after their embarrassing FA Cup loss at the first hurdle against Nottingham Forest, the axe would appear to be getting closer and closer to falling for the former Blackburn Rovers chief.

Former striker Jermain Defoe has completed his return move to Tottenham Hotspur, and with no time for a replacement to yet be brought in, Kanu or David Nugent will likely be given a start in Defoe’s place.

Nugent has been seeing more playing time at Portsmouth than ever before as he continues to search for his elusive first Premier League goal, and is more likely to be utilized in a right-wing role again with injuries damaging Pompey’s midfield.

Pompey are yet to bring in a replacement for departed Lassana Diarra and failed in their first attempt to bring back Gary O’Neil. Both Richard Hughes and Papa Bouba Diop are unavailable due to injury, meaning it will definitely be Portsmouth's weak point in the game..

In addition, right wing-back Glen Johnson is in line to return to the starting lineup after injury, and Armand Traore will likely start on the left side of midfield after being unable to play against parent club Arsenal.

For Manchester City, they will likely be without star striker Robinho, whose form has been incredibly important for their side so far this season.

In addition, Shaun Wright-Phillips is still out with injury and Stephen Ireland is banned, both of whom scored against Pompey in their 6-0 win several months ago.

Positively, new-signing Wayne Bridge is set to make his first appearance for City following his recent big-money move.

At Fratton Park itself, the cold weather that the UK has been experiencing has left questions over if the game will be played or not. With the pitch frozen today, the Portsmouth groundsmen have been hard at work using blowers in an attempt to make the pitch playable for tomorrow’s game.

This will be an important game for both clubs, but I see Portsmouth getting a long overdue win in this one. Robinho’s absence will be a bit of good fortune for Tony Adams, and if City do fail to win, I think it may be the last game Mark Hughes will have managed for Manchester City.

Middlesbrough's Gary O'Neil to Return to Portsmouth?

Ryan Lynch — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 03:39:15 -0500

SkySports are today reporting that current Middlesbrough midfielder Gary O'Neil is preparing to submit a transfer request to his side.

The speculation is—as it has been for several weeks—that Portsmouth are keen on bringing back their former midfielder, and that O'Neil wants to return.

The former Portsmouth player began his career on the south coast as a trainee and spent more than six seasons with the club before being allowed to leave by former manager Harry Redknapp in summer of 2007.

It was a move I never understood: it seemed that, at the time, we sold Gary O'Neil to fund a permanent move for Glen Johnson, who had a poor end of the season for Pompey the year previously.

Obviously, Glen Johnson proved to be a shrewd move by Redknapp, but allowing O'Neil to leave was something that didn't make a whole lot of sense.

Even during Redknapp's first spell with Portsmouth, he never seemed to rate O'Neil. O'Neil had established himself in the side under former boss Graham Rix and seemed to have an incredibly bright future.

Redknapp, however, refused to bring him into the squad for anything more than bit-parts, as he loaned the player to Walsall and later Cardiff City.

And as Redknapp left the club and Velimir Zajec and, later, Alain Perrin came into the frame in an attempt to stave off relegation for another year, Gary O'Neil was brought back into the crucial role that he deserved.

Safety was earned and the new season began under Perrin with O'Neil firmly established as a first-team player again. A dismal start to the season, however, would lead to Perrin being dismissed and a return for Harry Redknapp.

This time, however, it seemed things would be different for the midfielder.

Portsmouth were firmly rooted in the bottom three when Redknapp returned, but it would be Gary O'Neil—serving as Dejan Stefanovic's vice-captain—who would lead by example, scoring some of the most crucial goals in Pompey's great escape and often captaining the side.

Gary O'Neill had a stunning season that year, and was absolutely beloved by Pompey supporters. But the following 2006/2007 season wouldn't be as productive for him, despite the best season the club had since the 1950's.

While remaining solid, O'Neil couldn't meet his goalscoring exploits of the past season.

And yet again, Harry Redknapp decided to dispatch of his services.

In the north-east, Gary O'Neil hasn't scored a lot of goals, but has played quite well in Gareth Southgate's midfield and has endeared himself to Boro fans in the two seasons he has spent there.

With Pompey's midfield spread thin, the passion and drive that O'Neil showed for the club in the past is exactly what we need back.

While Southgate has said that he doesn't intend to let players leave the club this month, a bid of slightly more than we received for O'Neil two seasons ago will almost certainly convince Boro to let O'Neil return.

As a Portsmouth supporter, I would be chuffed to see Gary O'Neil return, and fully believe that he can return to the form of his impressive 2005/2006 season.

Most importantly, however, is that Gary O'Neil has an important trait you don't often find.

It is in the "big games"—games that truly matter, games that are must-win, and against big sides—that Gary O'Neil has always had his finest hours.

He is a leader on the pitch, and will be welcomed back by Portsmouth supporters if the club can agree a deal with Boro.

Portsmouth: The Jermain Defoe Saga

Ryan Lynch — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 11:01:42 -0500

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.

English Premier League: December Winners and Losers

Ryan Lynch — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 04:32:46 -0500

In a new series, Ryan Lynch provides a recap on the fixtures and occurances of the past month in the English Premier League which With 2008 coming to a close and the season halfway completed, December was a particularly important month for teams at both ends of the table. Who, however, proved to be the month's biggest winners and losers?

Begin Slideshow

Portsmouth: More Concerns For Tony Adams as Injuries Hit Midfield

Ryan Lynch — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 07:27:19 -0500

Portsmouth boss Tony Adams has been dealt even more bad news following his team's defeat to Arsenal yesterday. Midfielders Richard Hughes and Papa Bouba Diop are set for what may be lengthy spells on the sidelines.

Both players had a decent game against Arsenal, with Papa Bouba Diop playing particularly well against the Gunners. It was a tackle late in the match from Denilson that ended with the Senegalese midfielder being stretchered off.

Fellow midfielder Hughes had to be substituted earlier in the second half for what first appeared to be a hamstring concern. In an interview with the Portsmouth News, however, Adams confirmed that it was a groin problem.

Diop's injury, however, may be far worse, with it appearing that the player has damaged his medial ligaments.

Hughes will probably be out for several weeks, while Diop's spell on the sidelines could possibly be for months.

Adams told The News that he'll simply have "to get on with it" when it comes to the injured two, but the injuries will definitely be some cause for concern for Portsmouth supporters and their gaffer.

With Adams already feeling the pressure on his job, this has only made things worse.

Without previously injured and now sold midfielder Lassana Diarra, Pompey's midfield hasn't been particularly strong this year.

Sean Davis, Hughes, and Diop had been vying for turns in the center and right of midfield as long-term injuries to Diarra had prevented him from featuring almost since Harry Redknapp's departure.

Attacking midfielder Niko Kranjcar has also spent most of this season on the sidelines, and John Utaka—also currently injured—has failed to make any impact.

With Hughes and Diop out, it will leave Davis, Kranjcar, Armand Traore, Glen Little, and Arnold Mvuemba as Pompey's only fit first-team midfielders.

The five midfielders are all going to have to step-up if Portsmouth want to keep themselves in mid-table, but it is hoped that Portsmouth will be shopping around for midfielders in the transfer window.

Davis has been putting in some strong performances as of late, but both he and Arnold Mvuemba have only really been squad players in the side.

A replacement for Diarra will certainly be looked for and is absolutely crucial, as Pompey simply don't have a midfielder currently in the squad to fill his role.

The transfer window is going to be crucial for Adams, as he hopes to repair and patch-up what is certainly a make-shift midfield.

Tony Adams: Is He Management Material?

Ryan Lynch — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 03:54:35 -0500

There's an old saying that "those who can't play the game, manage the game," and it begs the opposite question: Can those who can play the game well, actually manage the game well?

Some of the managers that fans of the English Premier League would know who have had mediocre playing careers but have proven successful as managers include former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, Tottenham gaffer Harry Redknapp, and Everton manager David Moyes.

Players with impressive playing careers and proven managerial records, however, have been far more difficult to find, with Manchester City's Mark Hughes and Aston Villa's Martin O'Neill proving to be some of the few exceptions.

Others, such as Roy Keane, Bryan Robson, and Paul Ince, have been given little time or simply haven't proven themselves to be capable managers at the highest level yet.

And now, in a similar situation to where recently-sacked Paul Ince was just a few weeks back, Portsmouth manager Tony Adams is beginning to feel the pressure.

Adams, who served as the Portsmouth Assistant Manager for more than two years under former boss Harry Redknapp, took charge of the club officially during the last week of October. The following is his record while in charge at Portsmouth:

Fulham (As Caretaker Manager): Draw
Liverpool: Loss
Wigan: Loss
Sunderland: Win
West Ham: Draw
Hull City: Draw
AC Milan: Draw
Blackburn Rovers: Win
Wolfsburg: Loss
West Brom: Draw
Newcastle: Loss
Heerenveen: Win
Bolton: Loss
West Ham: Loss

In 14 matches in charge, Adams has only managed three wins for a win percentage of less than 22 percent.

But the most shocking fact isn't explained simply by statistics; it's who these 14 matches in charge were against.

Only one match was against any member of the "big four" clubs, and seven matches against teams that were in the relegation zone or immediately outside at the time—games that a side supposedly "pushing for Europe" would be absolutely expecting to win.

Games a side that was fighting relegation would have absolutely needed to win.

At this time, I'd like to draw your attention to an article I wrote two weeks ago, in which I warned how important the holiday fixtures would be, and I predicted the exact situation that Portsmouth now find themselves in.

The question swirling around Portsmouth Football Club now is regarding Adams. Is Tony Adams cut out to be a Premier League manager right now?

But, more importantly, can Portsmouth afford to wait and find out?

Many criticized the Blackburn Rovers board for dispensing with Ince after such little time in charge, but I was not as critical of their decision as many others. Because the truth is, as great of managers as Ince and Adams might become one day, tens of millions of pounds are on the line, as well as the hopes of supporters.

Most of the time, it seems, it is far easier to dispense with the manager in order to "improve" a team than anything else. Giving a manager extra time to "right a sinking ship" is a risky proposition for all those involved.

If he succeeds, the board and boss can feel rightly pleased about a job well down. If he fails, the board and the club lose everything, and the manager has to live with his only achievement in management being relegating the FA Cup holders.

Returning to Adams' reign as Pompey boss, he has overseen bright spots like in the match against AC Milan.

But when the pressure has truly been on, Adams has failed to perform. When few were expecting us to even draw against Milan, we came close to winning. But we blew it when the pressure of expectation to suddenly win came crashing down upon us.

In quite possibly the only other good game with Adams in charge, we faced a Heerenveen side with absolutely nothing to play for.

And it has been the capitulation against sides like Newcastle, Hull, and now West Ham that are leading more and more to join the "Adams out" column.

It is even more ironic that one quite possibly the finest English defender in recent memory is overseeing a defense that is the very reason we are losing games.

Sunday's game against Arsenal is going to be absolutely crucial for Tony Adams Portsmouth future. Returning to the club where he is considered to be one of the most legendary players in their history, Portsmouth need to put in a good performance.

A win will go a long way to easing the fears of the Portsmouth faithful. A draw and a good performance will probably mean Adams holds on for at least a bit longer. A bad loss to his old side, and it may spell the end of Tony Adams' Portsmouth career.

Portsmouth: 2008 Year in Review

Ryan Lynch — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 09:10:04 -0500

2008 has been an incredible ride for Portsmouth Football Club and its supporters, filled with memorable matches, some of the best players the club has ever had, and some of the most incredible achievements of the past half a century. With the club now completing its 110th year of existance, Portsmouth have proven to not only provide entertainment to their own supporters, but also to other fans of the Premier League. Whether a supporter or not, enjoy some of the images that help tell the story of Pompey's year and the amazing changes the club has undergone since their arrival in the Premier League.

Begin Slideshow

Lassana Diarra to Real Madrid: What It Means For Portsmouth

Ryan Lynch — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 07:55:02 -0500

The news in all of the media outlets today is that Lassana Diarra, one of the finest midfielders to ever wear the blue of Portsmouth, will be leaving the club for Spanish giants Real Madrid at the start of the January transfer window.

Diarra, who had previous stints at both Chelsea and Arsenal, has been an integral part of the Portsmouth squad since joining in January of 2008, and played a crucial role in our FA Cup win last season.

Teamtalk.com is reporting that the fee Real Madrid have agreed upon could be up to £24 million, which will be a great bit of business for a Portsmouth side who paid only £5 million for Diarra's services less than a year ago.

But what does this deal mean for Portsmouth? Although Diarra has been out with injury for a number of weeks, will he be missed?

He most certainly will be. How important his impact on Pompey this season has been slightly difficult to prove statistically, however, as the departure of former manager Harry Redknapp occurred at almost the same time Diarra was sidelined with injury.

Diarra has missed matches against Hull, Blackburn, West Brom, and last week's match against Newcastle.

In those fixtures, we only managed to pick up a total of four points, and had some of our worst performances of the season.

More importantly, however, was Diarra's absences against Braga, AC Milan, and Wolfsburg in the UEFA Cup. Had he been available for those matches, I am confident in saying we would have been able to gain some of the confidence and consistency our team has needed.

Would we have won all of those games? Certainly not. But I believe that we would still have been in for a shout at qualifying out of the group.

In the games he has played in during this season, Diarra has been absolutely exceptional, particularly in the Community Shield game against Manchester United. Even when Redknapp was still around and the team were not performing particularly well, Diarra was always the bright spot in the side.

Still, the departure of Diarra was not entirely unexpected. Almost all Portsmouth supporters knew that we weren't going to be able to hold on to our midfield master for very long, and we have all been fearing his departure during this window.

There are, however, several positives to take from this entire experience.

First, the transfer fee that is being quoted is an absolutely incredible sum, and actually worthy of a player of Diarra's quality. Club owner Sacha Gaydamak and Chief Executive Peter Storrie have made sure that Diarra wasn't allowed to leave for the measly £9 million originally being tossed around.

If Diarra was allowed to leave for that price, we would have known that there were problems with the club. Instead, we are getting a substantial fee with the club claiming that they have "already identified possible replacements".

Second, Portsmouth have now proven that we are capable of signing the highest quality players (playing at their prime, no less!), and that the players plying their trade on the south coast are capable of playing in Europe's most elite clubs.

Within six months, we will have two former players walk into the lineups of two of the best sides in Europe with Diarra's transfer and Sulley Muntari's transfer to Inter Milan.

And with the club not standing in the way of Diarra nor Muntari's move, both players are leaving with not only FA Cup winners medals, but also with incredibly positive experiences.

Hopefully, all of that will be seen by other young players who will look at Portsmouth as not simply a "stepping stone" to greater things, but also has a club that can match talented ambition.

While the deal for Diarra isn't complete quite yet, I am certain that it will be wrapped up within the next two or three days. With Diarra reportedly not at the game against Heerenveen as he is undergoing a medical in Madrid.

I wish you all of the best in the future, Diarra, and take pride in knowing that we had one of the finest young talents in Europe playing on our side.

Pompey's Future: Holiday Fixtures Crucial for Direction of Club

Ryan Lynch — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:00:54 -0500

While the packed holiday fixture list at the end of December and beginning of January is always an important time of the season for every Premier League club, it takes on a new level for Portsmouth Football Club this year.

I think that this season, the very future of Portsmouth will be decided by these fixtures.

With the club now officially "up for sale" by owner Alexandre Gaydamak, the team stumbling in the Premier League and, most importantly, the prospect of a transfer window opening with the vultures circling over-head, concerns have been raised.

Former manager Harry Redknapp has never been one to work long with a squad that he considers to "not be his," and has been linked almost immediately following his arrival at Tottenham with a number of his former charges.

Jermain Defoe, Lassana Diarra, Sylvain Distin, and Glen Johnson tend to be the most common names mentioned.

But it's not just Tottenham in the hunt for these players, with almost all of the above being linked with transfers away to Premier League rivals as well as major continental clubs.

For these reasons more than anything else, it is crucial that manager Tony Adams gets the holiday season right.

It can certainly be said that during Redknapp's time in charge of Pompey, the team became a force to be reckoned with. With Portsmouth playing entertaining football and taking points off the vast majority of sides we were "expected" to beat.

Under Adams, we've now dropped crucial points against Fulham, Wigan, Hull, and West Brom. While I've been holding off on pushing the panic button just yet, I'm starting to believe there is a good chance we aren't going to finish in the top half of the table this season.

Am I complaining? I certainly remember our struggles very clearly, but the very future of Portsmouth is dependent on whether Adams steadies the ship, and if the club holds on to our most important players.

If not, we could very much end up going the way of Charlton Athletic.

Portsmouth's holiday fixtures will follow the "consolation" game against Heerenveen, and include games away to Bolton Wanderers, home to West Ham, away to Arsenal, and the start of our FA Cup defense against Bristol City.

The games against Bolton and West Ham will be absolutely crucial, as will be putting in a confident performance at the Emirates. I will have low expectations from that game other than ensuring that we give a strong and focused performance, demonstrating our intentions.

A strong win against Bristol City will go a long way in ensuring that people don't write us off as simply being "the club that Harry Redknapp built".

With strong performances and points picked up, I am hopeful that we will be able to convince the vast majority of our stars to remain with the club.

One thing I am certain about, however is that his will be the most important holiday season and January transfer window in the club's Premier League history.

Will we remain like Aston Villa and push onward like Manchester City, or will we slip like Charlton, Birmingham, and—dare I say it—Southampton have in the past?

Portsmouth: The Positives and Negatives of Potential New Ownership

Ryan Lynch — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 02:42:15 -0500

A great deal has happened at Portsmouth Football Club over the past month.

An incredible performance and opportunity against AC Milan, faltering performances in the Premier League, tons of goals conceded late, our first UEFA Cup campaign ending in defeat, and now, club owner Alexandre Gaydamak has officially put the club up for sale.

I wrote an article several weeks ago when talk of South African buyers was making its rounds in the media about the possibility of the club being sold and, if so, if it was really the right move.

Now, with confirmation from Gaydamak that the club is "up for sale," I'd like to take a futher look at the potential positives, negatives, and a few concerns that could go either way if the club are sold.

Positive Implications

Money for Transfers: Gaydamak and Chief Executive Peter Storrie have been "crying poor" and blaming the global credit crunch since summer, so with a new owner will hopefully come an influx of cash and new players in January.
New Quality: It was in the January window last year that we brought in two of our finest players, Lassana Diarra and Jermain Defoe. If a new owner is found before the window opens (or shortly thereafter), hopefully we will see some new, exciting faces at Portsmouth.
Players Staying: What I fear more than anything in January is an exodus of some of our finest players. If, however, a new owner comes and spends some money in January, I don't see many of these players leaving. Many of our big names have been urging the club to spend in January, and I believe that if we do, we won't be losing who we want to keep.
The Stadium Plans: I almost hesitate to write this one, as Portsmouth supporters have watched stadium plans be announced with much "pomp and circumstance" for almost a decade, with almost nothing to show for it. Since Milan Mandaric's ownership, we've been promised a new stadium. No one has been able to see it achieved. If Gaydamak ensures that any new potential owner has the cash and the ambition to see it through, than perhaps it could (finally) become reality.

Negative Implications

January Window: With exactly three weeks to the day until the January transfer window opens, how realistic is it that Gaydamak is going to find a "suitable" owner before the window closes? And, more importantly, before our big names get captured? The lack of consistency and security in their own future could lead players to actually leave because of the situation.
Backroom Changes, Boardroom Changes: With new ownership usually comes significant changes to the Boardroom at a football club, as well as to the backroom staff working directly with the players and the academy. It is probable that Peter Storrie will remain at the club, but who else will be forced to leave? Will there be changes to coaches, scouts, etc? More than likely, yes. Will they be positive?
The Grass Isn't Always Greener: Under Gaydamak, we have seen some of the most incredible achievements that Portsmouth has ever seen. Players the quality of Defoe and Diarra have been brought in, European competition had finally been earned, and the club currently hold the FA Cup.

Should we really be whinging that we need a new owner? Although this season is tough, is there really going to be anyone who has the money to spend on a new stadium and new players? Gaydamak is an excellent businessman. Why would we want to risk it?

Big Questions

Tony Adams: With Gaydamak at the club, it is almost certain that Tony Adams will remain Pompey boss for the foreseeable future. With a new owner, however, this could easily change. Is it good to stick with Tony, or is he simply out of his depth in the Premier League right now? This question, certainly, could go either way.

There is already a small (but growing) group of supporters looking at whether Tony should remain manager following the significant amount of dropped points in games we should have won. Only time will tell.
Consistency: It's a huge question regarding football clubs today, especially with clubs that are not in the "European Elite." When Gaydamak bought the club in 2006, we thought we had the owner who would be with us for some time. Young, ambitious, and wealthy, he was both salvation and hope for Portsmouth supporters.

Two seasons on, and it looks certain we are going to say goodbye. How long can we really expect any owner who comes in to stay? Can we expect consistency, or another quick turnover?
Intentions, Intentions? Gaydamak has proven to Portsmouth supporters in his time at the club that not only does he love the club, but that his intentions have been pure. Of course, a businessman like him doesn't get involved in something if there isn't some opportunity involved, but we have never had to fear that decisions would be made against the long-term viability of the club.

With a new owner, this is a question that will definitely need to be asked and answered. Gaydamak has stated that he won't consider an offer from someone who doesn't have good intentions or the cash to see the club reach its potential, and we can only hope this is the case.

Hindsight...| Portsmouth Should Never Have Let Matthew Taylor Leave

Ryan Lynch — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 02:22:06 -0500

In a new series, Ryan Lynch takes a look at decisions made in football that could have been very different. In this first instance of the series, he looks at left winger Matthew Taylor's departure from Portsmouth to rivals Bolton Wanderers.

I should begin this article by writing that Matthew Taylor is one of my favorite players to have ever worn a Portsmouth shirt. Thus, when Harry Redknapp decided to let the capable left-sided player leave in the January 2008 transfer window, I was very disappointed.

Taylor had never really put a foot wrong in his last two seasons with Portsmouth. In the 2005/2006 "Great Escape" season, it was Taylor's cooly-taken penalties against Sunderland and Wigan in the final two games of the season that kept us up.

In the 2006/2007 season, Taylor was absolutely sensational, going on to score several incredible goals in matches against Aston Villa, Everton, Manchester United, and Arsenal.

Taylor was absolutely on fire, and it seemed that every goal he scored was a stunner.

Following the game against Everton, as Taylor scored a 40-yard screamer in mid-air, I remember one commentator stating that "It seems Matthew Taylor is on a personal crusade to score THE goal of the season!"

Simply put, it was wonderful.

The buzz was all about him, too, to earn a call-up to the full England squad, something which I believed was certainly deserved.

While he may not have been able to unseat Stuart Downing and Joe Cole for the left midfield berth, I felt no reason why he couldn't fill in the left-back spot traditionally held by an injured Ashley Cole.

And while the season ended for Portsmouth with disappointment in just missing out on a UEFA Cup spot on the last day of the season, Taylor's only disappointment could have been not earning that call-up.

I could only look forward to what was to come from Matty.

As I had written in the past, however, the form of Portsmouth's attacking midfielder Niko Kranjcar would cause him to be viewed as nearly undroppable. Taylor was left with a spot on the bench, and forced to subside with only cameo appearances until he left in January of that season.

The writing had been on the wall, however. When Pompey stalwart Gary O'Neil was allowed to leave for Middlesbrough on deadline day of the season, I knew that the players I believed would never be sold didn't have such status. No one was safe.

When the season began, Redknapp wasn't playing him, and although Taylor loved Pompey, a player of his quality wasn't going to stay sitting on the bench following the form of his life.

Redknapp, however, didn't seem interested in playing him. Was it purely because of Kranjcar's involvement? It didn't seem that could be the entire story. Redknapp preferred to employ Kranjcar on the left wing, but he has always been a right-footed player.

In addition, Kranjcar has always played his best games for Portsmouth in a center-attacking role.

Needless to say, Taylor left the south-coast side during the January window for Bolton Wanderers, and I hoped that we wouldn't miss him. When we faced up against Bolton that same season, I was expecting Taylor to give us a torrid welcome by scoring.

Instead, he missed several absolutely golden opportunities. "Was Harry right?" I wondered. Or was this simply a one-off?

Taylor, however, has gone on to put in some excellent performances for Wanderers, finding form again and scoring thunderbolt goals for the side. He played an important role in keeping them away from relegation last season, and he is doing well again this season.

Some Portsmouth supporters might read this and ask "Why would we need Taylor again when we've had such a strong left side this season?"

While Armand Traore has been a wonderful player to have in the side, I am not expecting us to be able to seal a deal for the lad at the end of the season.

I could only imagine how wonderful a relationship Nadir Belhadj and Taylor could have formed if he was still at the club today.

With Taylor performing well for Bolton and with Portsmouth lacking significant concentration this season, I believe the influence of Taylor in the side would have done wonders for our form.

While Hindsight is always 20/20, I don't believe Portsmouth should have ever let Taylor leave. Pompey's loss, but certainly Bolton's gain. Expect more great things from him in the future, Wanderers fans.

Wolfsburg-Portsmouth: Calamity From James Ends Pompey Dream

Ryan Lynch — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:02:43 -0500

In a game that saw four goals inside the first 22 minutes of the game, Portsmouth crashed out of their inaugural UEFA Cup campaign at the Volkswagon Arena this evening. In a match that ended 3-2 to the home side, Portsmouth goalkeeper David James made a terrible error which decided the match.

I wrote in another article just two days ago that this game was going to be the decider. Had we drawn or lost we might have—mathematically—still had a shot at advancing had Heerenveen beaten Braga.

But I knew we couldn't rely on that result. It was leaving far too much up to luck. And luck, as of late, is something Portsmouth haven't had much of.

In only the second minute of the match, Bosnian striker Edin Džeko had put the hosts ahead after some poor Pompey defending, and it looked as if it would be very much an uphill battle from then on.

Lone Portsmouth front-man Jermain Defoe, however, brought hope to the hearts of the traveling faithful just eight minutes later.

The traveling fans—surprisingly—had more to celebrate after just three more minutes, as a thunderbolt into the top right corner of the net from shock-starter Arnold Mvuemba gave Portsmouth the comeback they had hoped for.

Christian Gentner would pull another back to send the teams in level at half-time, with Portsmouth's hopes on the line; Heerenveen, who had previously been winning, were still managing a draw against Braga.

Left-back Nadir Belhadj came off at half time after what was his worst performance in a Pompey shirt, and the game was tense for the first twenty minutes following the restart.

But it was goalkeeper James, typically the rock at the back of the Portsmouth defense, who would gift Wolfsburg the winner in the 74th minute. Coming off his line in an attempt to beat another Bosnian striker, Zvjezdan Misimovic, James lost the ball and allowed Misimovic to practically walk the ball into the net, ending Pompey's European ambitions.

Things looked to have gone from bad to worse, as Herenveen fell behind to Braga 2-1, and Portsmouth captain Sol Campbell gave up a penalty.

James, however, was able to shake off his own personal disappointment and save the penalty, but Portsmouth never quite looked like snatching the draw from that point.

And with that, any hope of progression for the English side in the competition was over. Even had Portsmouth drawn, it wouldn't have been enough, as Braga held out for the 2-1 win.

While many will be quick to jump on the back of David James, I've been pleased to see a great number of Portsmouth supporters have lept to our 'keeper's defense.

James has done a great deal for our club over the past three seasons, and it is largely thanks to his sensational form that we even made it to Europe. While no one likes these things to happen, mistakes do occur; you just hope they don't happen in the biggest of games.

Still, in the end, Portsmouth had that brilliant tie against AC Milan to remember fondly, and will helpful back on our first group game against Braga for the blame. In my mind, it was that terrible performance in Portugal that led to the situation Portsmouth found themselves in.

Still, the Premier League needs to be our primary focus now, and the hope of possibly earning another place in Europe this season. In truth, however, I grow more and more fearful of what the rest of the season will hold for Portsmouth...

Nadir Belhadj: Sign Him Up!

Ryan Lynch — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:34:43 -0500

When Portsmouth FC announced that they had signed a little-known left back named Nadir Belhadj on a season-long loan from French side RC Lens, I wasn't expecting much.

We had seen these "deadline day deals" backfire on us plenty of times, with players either not living up to their potential, or never being given the chance. Players like Rudolph Duala, Valery Mezague, and the now-infamous Collins Mbesuma come to mind.

Harry Redknapp had always had a knack for getting the best out of players, but he was also known for picking up quite a few flops in his time (although Mbesuma was certainly the fault of former manager Alain Perrin).

I didn't expect much from Belhadj.

When he came off the bench in our comeback win against Middlesbrough, I was shocked to be seeing him feature so early. When he featured in our win against Guimaraes, I was even more surprised. But what surprised me the most was the quality of the performance.

The lad was good. He was looking very, very good.

And the strong performances just continued. With Niko Kranjcar injured for the time being, fellow loanee Armand Traore moved up to the left wing as Belhadj solidified a starting berth.

Last season's stalwart left-back Hermann Hreidarsson has been pushed to the back of most supporters minds as Belhadj and right-back Glen Johnson have been in stunning form.

As Belhadj earned his first goal for the club with a belter against Sunderland, his game only improved leading to his immense performance against AC Milan, and a repeat performance this weekend at Blackburn.

It now needs to be a priority that the club sign the Algerian as soon as possible.

Both Harry Redknapp, and later Tony Adams, have already spoken of their desire to make Belhadj's move permanent. But with the performances he has been putting in, he is only going to continue driving his market value up.

Hopefully, the club had foreseen the quality Belhadj would bring to our side prior to his signing, and agreed a future fee for the player if he impressed.

Needless to say, it is signing players like Belhadj permanently that will signal Pompey's intent to the rest of the league, and let the players currently in the squad know that there has been no change in ambition.

Portsmouth will continue their drive to push up the table and improve on each past season. And it is that attitude, as well as the great support that Portsmouth fans have been showing Belhadj since his first dedicated performance for the side, that will convince him to stay permanently.

Portsmouth board—Sign him up!

Wolfsburg-Portsmouth: Crunch Time For Pompey

Ryan Lynch — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:05:30 -0500

I'm going to go ahead and say this outright: Thursday's UEFA Cup tie between Wolfsburg and Portsmouth is going to be the deciding match for the English side on whether they'll be joining AC Milan and Wolfsburg in the next round of the competition.

Wolfsburg are going to prove a stern test for Pompey, who come off the back of an overall strong performance against AC Milan, and an absolute whipping by Portugeuse side Braga.

While I had originally expected us to nick a results against Braga, it just wasn't to be, but I was only ever hopeful of earning a draw against Milan. I still expect us to beat Heerenveen in our final group game, but what happens against Wolfsburg will be the decider.

Wolfsburg only need—at most—one point to assure that they will be going through to the next round, and I am hopeful that Portsmouth will be able to use the confidence from the Milan performances and Sunday's performance at Blackburn to lift them at the Volkswagon Arena.

Portsmouth will almost certainly have strikers Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch leading the line against the German side, and both players having scored goals on Sunday will have done well for their confidence pre-match.

In addition, both wing-backs Glen Johnson and Nadir Belhadj have been on top of their game, as their creativity and width will be needed. In the midfield, Niko Kranjcar has declared himself fit to play, and I expect manager Tony Adams to recall the Croat.

But most importantly for the English side will be the overall squad performance, as a lack of concentration for the full ninety minutes has almost been their undoing on multiple occasions.

Fulham, Wigan, Hull, Milan, and Blackburn have all scored late goals with the team drawing the match in all of those games save one. That lack of concentration has cost us valuable points in the league. Hopefully for Thursday, things will be righted.

Wolfsburg will not be an easy task, as their position in the competition already suggests, and with World Cup winning right-back Christian Zaccardo among the players set to line up against Pompey.

Concentration will be key, but I feel that this game is very much "crunch time" for Portsmouth. A win here, and I'll be confident of our progression in the competition. A loss or a draw, and I feel that going any farther will be out of our grasp, barring any sudden run of good luck (which I doubt!).

Anything less than a win, I fear, just won't be good enough.

Rising Stars and Crescents: Middle Eastern Ancestry and English Football

Ryan Lynch — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 09:52:07 -0500

Ever since I first watched Egypt win the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, I wondered how it could have happened. When I watched them repeat the feat this past year in Ghana, my surprise was replaced by great intrigue.

I certainly didn't claim to be an expert on African football, but it wasn't what I expected.

Quality players like Didier Drogba, Stephen Appiah, Samuel Eto'o, Yakubu, and Michael Essien were found amongst the other teams competing. Meanwhile, the only player in the Egyptian squad readily recognizable to fans of the English league would have been Mido.

Mido, however, had been relatively inconsistent at both Tottenham and Middlesbrough during his spells there.

Following the 2006 win, I thought it was possibly a one-off. After their repeat win this year, my doubts about the quality talent that Islamic countries are capable of producing all but went away.

I just wondered why these players hadn't been making their way to England yet. After all, if the Premier League is the so-called "greatest league in the world," how could the best players in north Africa (or the Middle East) not be playing there?

Of the 23 squad members for Egypt in 2006, only two were plying their trade outside of the Middle East. In 2008, the number had only increased to three.

Following Egypt's wins, however, other leagues began to take notice. Despite that many of these players in Middle Eastern countries play in supposedly "weak" or "inferior" leagues, there was legitimate talent being produced in these countries.

Or, if they weren't being trained in Islamic countries, their ancestry was certainly heavily connected to there.

In England, we had already begun to see some of it through Mido and Blackburn's Tugay. But others have slowly begun to appear, including Hossam Ghaly (Tottenham), Mohamed Shawky (Middlesbrough), and Ali Al Habsi (Bolton).

Other players, such as Middlesbrough's Tuncay Sanli, Wigan's Amr Zaki, and Portsmouth's Nadir Belhadj are proving that the pedigree of these players deserves more than bit parts in the Premier League.

Having ancestry in these Islamic countries is developing into more than just riding in on the coat-tails of success from Zinedine Zidane, whose own Algerian ancestry was oft-forgotten.

The success of Amr Zaki in particular has been a great boost to players with ancestry in Islamic countries, as his start to life in the Premier League with Wigan Athletic has been nothing short of sensational. It is not at all surprising that he is already being linked with a move to a "bigger club" in England and elsewhere in the near future.

Once upon a time, sub-Saharan African players plying their trade in England were looked down upon as not being the quality that the league deserved. It has been some time since we've heard these comments.

I had already seen a number of quality African players at Portsmouth, and I knew that their was immense quality coming from the continent. I knew that these players were going to play a huge part in English football in the future.

Enter Drogba, Adebayor, Essien, Sulley Muntari, Soloman Kalou, and many others.

Now, I am confident in saying that in the coming seasons, we will be seeing a prominent contingent of Middle Eastern and North African players crossing the channel.

And I believe that such players arriving in England (rather than in France or in Germany) will only be beneficial for the league as a whole.

I am hopeful that the Premier League will continue to see players the quality of Zaki coming to its shore.

Portsmouth-AC Milan: Heartache and Heartbreak at Fratton Park

Ryan Lynch — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 10:06:45 -0500

It was almost so very different. On a magical November night, Fratton Park was rocking as Portsmouth were 2-0 up against AC Milan, a side that had won the European Championship seven times.

It seemed like it was going to be a game as momentous and as celebrated by Portsmouth supporters as last year's FA Cup Final.

But it wasn't to be.

In the end, it would be a night for former World Player of the Year Ronaldinho and Filippo Inzaghi to claim. Goals from Younes Kaboul and Nwankwo Kanu weren't enough to give Portsmouth a historic victory.

Portsmouth threatened throughout the game, but Inzaghi always looked likely to add his name to the score-sheet. The Italian hit the woodwork no less than three times during the match.

Kaka had moments of brilliance, but was largely subdued by a Portsmouth side that was not at all intimidated by their illustrious competition. Andriy Shevchenko rarely threatened, Alexandre Pato wasn't much of a replacement, and stand-in skipper Gennaro Gattuso was out-muscled.

It truly looked as if it could be Portsmouth's night.

For the hosts, wing-backs Glen Johnson and Nadir Belhadj were in insatiable form. The former looked not at all out of place with his world-class opposition.

During the first half, Peter Crouch looked as lively as he ever has in his second stint in a Pompey shirt, and Sylvain Distin was composed.

Papa Bouba Diop, however, continued right where he left off against Hull last weekend, insisting on shooting every time he was within 25 yards of goal, and always firing wildly over. Manager Tony Adams was clearly in agony over his performance, as Diop looked largely out of depth throughout.

Milan boss Carlos Ancelotti would bring on both Clarence Seedorf and Ronaldinho in the second half following Kanu's goal, and it was their introduction that turned the game on its head.

As soon as Ronaldinho struck in his free-kick in the 84th minute, I was having déjà vu. Tony Adams had managed Portsmouth for seven games now, and we have succumbed to goals within the last 10 minutes in five of those matches.

It is a serious problem, and I'm not at all sure what the solution will be.

The atmosphere in Fratton Park was absolutely electric tonight, but even as excited as I was when we were 2-0 up and chants of "Are you Bournemouth in disguise?" rang out, I was concerned.

I had been excited against Fulham. I had been excited against Hull. And I was deathly concerned that we were going to drop the win again with less than eight minutes remaining.

At the outset of the match, had you told me we were going to take a point off Milan, I would have been delighted. But the manner of our defeat tonight—with victory snatched from right under our noses—was crushing.

Fortunately, the performance tonight was wonderful overall, and will hopefully be a fighting spirit we will carry back into the league.

Another huge concern for the Portsmouth faithful, however, will be striker Kanu's reaction upon being substituted. He clearly felt that if a defensive change needed to be made, that Crouch should have come off.

The anger and frustration were clear on his face and in his body language, pushing through manager Adams to head down the tunnel.

Hopefully for Portsmouth supporters, we won't see the fallout from that substitution in the coming week.

Portsmouth Goodbye to Gaydamak? Pompey Sale Talk Not Necessarily Good Idea

Ryan Lynch — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:30:04 -0500

I still remember the day incredibly well; it was only the second day of the new year in 2006 and I had awoken to listen to Portsmouth play Blackburn on the radio, praying that Harry Redknapp’s return was going to right the mess that Alain Perrin had us in.

I never would have imagined the news that I heard.

Milan Mandaric—then owner of the club—had confirmed that we were in talks with the son of a Russian billionaire, who would become joint owner of the club. Regardless of our 2-1 loss to Rovers that day and the fact that we were still in the relegation zone, Portsmouth was simply buzzing at the possibilities.

By the end of the season—having staved off relegation—Alexandre Gaydamak had agreed a deal with Mandaric to buy out his remaining share of the club. In the meanwhile, Portsmouth prepared for what would be the most impressive campaign the club had experienced in more than 50 years, barely missing out on UEFA Cup football.

Another year later and with more money from Gaydamak, and the club had reached the UEFA Cup but, more importantly, had the FA Cup to add to the long-neglected silverware case. Times at Portsmouth under Gaydamak and Redknapp were the greatest they had been since the 1940’s and early 1950’s.

It was, once again, Portsmouth’s time.

With Gaydamak’s funds, the club has purchased the incredible talents of David James, Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch, Lassana Diarra, Glen Johnson, Sulley Muntari, Pedro Mendes, and many others.

But there is a chance that all is about to change.

The media have been reporting over the past two days that Portsmouth are in advanced-stage discussions with a South African consortium—as well as “super-agent” Pini Zahavi—to buy the club. While reports have been conflicting as to Zahavi’s involvement, as well as to how advanced/successful talks are, something is almost definitely afoot.

The club has failed to make any statement regarding the speculation, and there has long been fear that the international “credit crunch” is the reason that the “Gaydamak well” has run dry. Money was scarce in the summer transfer window, leading Chief Executive Peter Storrie to go back on the club’s word that there would be three big-name signings.

Other sites are reporting that Portsmouth supporters believe Gaydamak has achieved what he can for the club:

”Harry Redknapp's departure to Spurs was seen as bad news for last season's FA Cup winners and many fans would welcome a change of owner.” (teamtalk.com)

Well, I am certainly a supporter who isn’t welcoming Gaydamak's departure. While we have fear about just how much the club would spend under Gaydamak in January, is this supposed consortium really a better option? Are we really going to see the money we need for players and for continued improvement? Does Gaydamak really believe that this new group will push us in the right direction?

Then, there is the concern of management. With Zahavi being linked with this takeover, it is being speculated his fellow Israeli Avram Grant—who had a spell at the club before Chelsea as Director of Football—will be installed as the manager. Zahavi and Grant certainly have a strong relationship, but I truly fear for a side managed by him.

He is an excellent manager whose skill at management and tactics I absolutely do not doubt; he is top-notch. What I doubt is his ability and charisma in luring players to Fratton Park. We’re not Chelsea, and the players we need to progress the club need to be “wined-and-dined” and convinced that Portsmouth is a step in the right direction.The place where their ambition can be met.

Time will tell whether this all ends up happening, or if it ends up being pure speculation. I, however, am definitely concerned. I am really trusting in Gaydamak and Storrie to ensure we aren’t handed over to owners that will lead us in the wrong direction.

The question, however, is whether Gaydamak’s financial situation and available funds to support the club have dwindled so significantly that he won’t be able to provide for the club anymore, and needs to find simply someone who can.

Tony Adams Is Gunner Bring in Reinforcements

Ryan Lynch — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 06:23:16 -0500

New Portsmouth Manager Tony Adams has certainly had a whirlwind week since the departure of former boss Harry Redknapp.

After first announcing that players could go if they want, Adams has also made it clear that he's not going to be getting rid of players in a "fire-sale" come January, nor will he be letting the executives make that decision for him.

But Adams is firing back at the naysayers, with the most recent media reports stating that he is preparing to bring some more former Gunners to Fratton Park in the coming months.

First, it was reported that his former centre-back partner, Martin Keown has been approached by Adams to fill the vacant Assistant Manager position on the south coast. Adams is said to be meeting with Keown today to discuss the possibility of a return to football for the former Gunner.

In another move, speculation has been rife that Adams is also after former Arsenal team-mate and Captain Patrick Vieira, who is currently plying his trade with Serie A giants Inter Milan. Whether Vieira has actually enjoyed his stay with his third club in Italy is another issue entirely however, as his spell with Inter has been blighted by injury.

Whether or not boss Jose Mourinho will let the former Gunner leave the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza is another question. Hopefully the sale of Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Muntari to the Italian side this past summer will go a long way to convincing the Portuguese boss of allowing Vieira to leave.

It's still far too early in the season for any transfer speculation to be considered legitimate. The thought of having Vieira and Diarra in a central midfield partnership, however, will certainly have Pompey supporters excited at the possibilities.

But while transfer talk is early, I am sure that much of this talk is coming in response to the constant media speculation that Redknapp plans to raid his former club for players. Specifically, the most often mentioned players are Jermain Defoe, Lassana Diarra, and Sylvain Distin.

The fires have again been stoked with the supposed report that Redknapp will have first right of refusal on player sales in January, a claim vehemently denied by all involved at Portsmouth.

In my opinion, such talk is absolutely mad. Why would Portsmouth, a club who didn't want to lose Redknapp to begin with, allow their former manager to pick and choose who he wants if someone comes up with an offer? Anyone who believes such an assertion must be having a laugh.

Still, the thought of losing Defoe and Diarra is a realistic one. It's an idea that leaves me concerned that two of the brightest stars at Portsmouth for a very long time may leave. The importance of Diarra to Pompey in particular can not be understated—he has bossed the midfield all season, and is always the most impressive Portsmouth player despite a loss.

As for Defoe, the immediate fear regarding him may be unfounded too. Premier League rules state that a player can not be transferred back to the club which they were bought from within one year of the transfer.

The odd deal that brought Defoe to the club originally was a loan-then-buy deal, and wasn't finalized until February. Hopefully, this rule will prevent Redknapp from poaching him, but these rules have been "bent" before.

Come January, we'll obviously be able to see which of these rumours comes to fruition and which end up as pure speculation. My prediction, however, is that Portsmouth and Tottenham's respective positions in the table come the second week of January are going to have a huge impact on what these players decide.

As a Portsmouth supporter, here's hoping that we pick up our form again soon, and that Tottenham run into a spell of bad luck.

And despite that the comments that our club is the "Arsenal retiring home" over the past year or so, I hope that these Vieira rumours end up having some truth to them.

After all, having players with the credentials and leadership of Arsenal's most successful team in decades isn't that bad, is it? And we certainly seem to be building up enough of a rivalry with Tottenham without them.