2 more signings

Wayne Routledge and Ognijen Koroman sign. Are we looking at another unfit Spurs reject and an obscure Eastern European who will quickly fade from memory OR could these be the missing pieces of the puzzle. Certainly Routledge will provide us with some much needed width (if he's fit).

You silly spanish sausage

Not impressed with Benitezs comments re the penalty. Then he puts a cherry on the top by complaining about the pitch and our 'long ball tactics'. Sorry for trying to win the game Rafa, I always thought thats what it was all about. He's gone way down in my estimation this week with those comments, on top of the signing of fat Scouse businessman Robbie Fowler.

Pompey 1 Liverpool 2

Am I BOVVERED?
Seems like the records stuck a bit; another Pompey defeat. However the way we played gives reason for optimism, particularly as some of the new signings seem to be settling in, as noticed by 4thegame, though I think Mendes needs to start performing if he is to justify his transfer fee. Meanwhile Harry correctly states that the dodgy penalty was the turning point.

Match Preview - Portsmouth V Liverpool

Scouser (skaus-sir) ~n – someone from Liverpool. Typically an untrustworthy low-level criminal with a dodgy barnet and a tache.
Scouse (skaus) ~n – a vaguely intelligible Merseyside dialect, based around the noise you make when you force yourself to cough up phlegm.
Liverpudlian ~n – Someone who is uncapable of concealing where they come from. Often has a clichéd sense of humour but finds all fellow Liverpudlians hilarious. Expects everyone to treat their football team with reverence, and are often surprised and offended to find that the rest of the country think they’re ordinary.

That FA Cup semifinal in ’92 still hurts. Was a long time before I could allow anything Liverpool-influenced anywhere near me – the radio would get switched off the instant ‘You’ll never walk alone’ came on, Brookside was a big No No, and the best jokes from the likes of Stan Boardman, Cilla Black and Jimmy Tarbuck would be met with a stoney silence. No change there on that last one.Things have moved on, and I can honestly say I was pleased for them last year when they lifted the European Champions League Cup. It was real Roy of the Rovers stuff, typified by their inspiration captain, homegrown local lad Steve Gerrard. This season they’ve added ex-Pompey and Scum man Peter Crouch to mixed reviews. Anyone who watched him in his season at Pompey will have known that he would come good in the end. Liverpool haven’t much chance of winning the league this year and are out of the League Cup, so will be very much focussed for this match. And as for Pompey? Who knows what our ambitions are – they seem to change week to week, from the skys the limit to basic survival.

Click for BBC Stats

Kiely signs

Has got to be good news that Dean Kiely joins Pompey, relieving some pressure from the shoulders of Jamie Ashdown. Kiely seems to be pretty dependable, though at 35 will not be a longterm solution. Maybe thats not we were looking for anyway - if Ashdown can continue to improve who knows how good he could become. In a meantime am looking forward the more stable defence that Kiely promises to deliver.

Pompeys goalie dilema

It seems likely that Pompey will sign Charlton reserve goalie Dean Kiely to be our new number 1. We really need to get this right as no-one needs reminding how an unstable goalie situation mucks up the results (think Kawaguchi, Chalkias, Westerveld), whereas a good longterm keeper solution provides great stability to the side.
Although Kiely is not an longterm solution I was prepared to accept that he might be the best for now. That was before the unpleasant surprise of finding that Charlton intend to buy Rob Green, previously our number one goalkeeping transfer target, and a great longterm prospect, using our money from the Kiely transfer to fund this . It doesnt look so clever now in this light.

Brum 5 Pompey 0

Didn’t realise blogging PFC required being masochistic, but that quality would make presenting this weeks match report much easier.
Match report from The Observer. Post match Harry comments from the Official Site. The pressures on a bit, and Fratton Faithful contains a defence of Milan as chairman of Pompey. Talking of Milan, he provides this weeks most humorous comments with his counter-complaint to the Premier League in response to Wuppert the scummer.

Chalkias departures

Pompey have had to fork out to get rid of Chalkias. So untalented was he that he vyes with Kawaguchi for the title of the worst PFC goalie ever. Loved the way he kissed the badge and held it to us in the Fratton End to say that he's one of us, then stabs us in the back by ripping us off rotten despite clearly not being up to the job. Nobber.

Match Preview - Birmingham V Pompey

Each match for Pompey seems more ‘must-win’ than the last as we flail in our attempts to drag ourselves out of the relegation zone. The result at Birmingham on Saturday is pivotal to the fortunes of both clubs. The stakes are high and in this tense atmosphere The Mirror choose to headline ‘Bruce: I fear gay pound’. No Elton John wont be at St Andrews, the article was referring to the effect of our Russian co-chairman, Gaydamak, and his millions. Despite our recent spending blitz, Brum manager Steve Bruce has easily outspent Pompey in assembling his expensive squad of rag-tag rejects, and Birmingham have as much, if not more, to lose as us if relegation were to happen.
Brum site SingingtheBlues has a comprehensive list of players who have played for both sides, and the BBC have all the stats.

Transfer talk latest

Still plenty of transfer rumours, the biggest ones surprisingly in the selling rather than buying department. The good news is that Graeme Souness is apparently looking at misfit Gregory Vignal, whilst the bad news is that Fulham have made a bid for Matthew Taylor. Meanwhile Pompey have supposedly lined up the accident-prone Liverpool keeper Dudek for 2.5 million. I do hope not for that sort of money.
Great to see that new Pompey striker Benjani has delayed his exit to the Cup of African Nations, and is available for Saturdays vital game at Brum.

Yet again its Pompey 0 Everton 1

I prefer not to have to comment on this one. An absolutely shocking performance. I thought we’d hit rock bottom in the defeat to Wigan at home, but this was just as bad. Very disappointing considering in was a massive opportunity to improve our chances of avoiding relegation. PompeyOnline calls it a tactical disaster. The Independent contains some quotes from Redknapp that hint at the Fratton Crowds frustration with LuaLua's performance. The Telegraph go for a very predictable negative line that the revolution has failed to net its reward and Evertons WhenskiesAreGrey feels it can afford to be a bit cocky.

Match Preview Pompey vrs Everton

A big 6 pointer humdinger of a match in prospect this Saturday. The history of the meetings between the 2 sides is well covered on the Official site. And as a double whammy they also have a good indepth look at the current Everton side and their recent fortunes. The Toffeeweb preview from the Everton perspective is strangely optimistic, the poor deluded fools, and as always the BBC provide an excellent preview summary and stats. With a full-blooded passionate atmosphere and everything to play for, this could be a baptism of fire for our new signings. This match promises to be all that is great about the English game. Heres hoping it lives up to expectations.

Mendes and Sean Davis sign

Excellent news as Pompey complete the signings of 2 of the 3 Tottenham transfer targets, as confirmed by the official site. Our chronically weak midfied is transformed in an instant. Spurs will be chuffed to get such big money for their 'dead wood', but make no mistake, Sean Davis and Pedro Mendes are top quality players who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

**Update - The anticipated signing of Noe Pamarot is now confirmed. Click links for profiles of Noe Pamarot, Pedro Mendes and Sean Davis.

More transfer rumours

Plenty of rumours, but no movement this week. The Sun reports Pompey are after Glen Johnson, and a Mandaric quote gives it credibilty. Green or Schwarzer look likely goalkeeping candidates reports The Independent. Spurs web report that we are about to sign a trio of midfield players in time for Saturdays match vrs Everton. Talking of which, Benjani is starting to look doubtful that match as he has permit issues to sort out.

Ipswich 0 Pompey 1

Great result, though the media seem to be less than generous to us. I get a distinct impression of sour grapes from the journo's now Pompey have some money. Fair enough the story of our Russian is a big story, but The Telegraph and The Independent, for example, are more interested in this fact than Pompeys fine away result.
Elsewhere an Ipswich fan was heartened by his teams performance, and The Fratton Faithful gives a brief decent summary.

FA Cup Preview - Ipswich vrs Portsmouth

Ipswich is a great place to go to as an away fan, cracking pubs and decent fans. Their clubs fortunes were dramatically different to Pompeys in the 70’s and 80’s and subsequent meetings have seen Ipswich swaggering like Alan Partridge with a TV contract, whilst success-starved Pompey look upon in envy. Now the tables have turned. Joe Royles young side will look up to our footballing aristocrats from the Premiership and it will be a surprise to all if they beat us. But its not a formality; Ipswich will be motivated by the prospect of claiming a Premiership scalp. Although the magic of the FA Cup is intensified this year with the lure of the Cup Final in the new Wembley stadium, Redknapp will remember how Scum’s victory over Pompey in the FA Cup last year ultimately contributed to their hilarious relegation, and maybe he will feel that this time concentrating on the league takes priority.
BBC Stats

Pompey smash transfer record

After the doubts about the reality of the Russian takover of PFC, we can now start to get excited. After 18 months of bargain basement signings, we really are spending some real money, indicated by the whopping 4.1 million we have splashed out for Benjani and the strong rumours of Lee Hendrie imminent arrival.

First new signing of transfer window

We have been linked with some very exciting names this week, I particularly like the Cudicini and Benni MCarthy rumour, Dean Ashton wouldnt be bad, Benjani sounds excellent, Andy Johnson would be great and Delaney would be solid.
So maybe it is somewhat of an anti climax that our first signing of the new transfer window, Olisadebe, is not a record-shattering redhot prospect. But closer inspection of his stats reveals he's no muppet, and may well prove to be a bargain.

The exodus begins

Our underacheiving players seem to be leaving Pompey quicker than shit off a shovel. Hurrah. Good riddance Laurent Robert you egotistical twat, ta-ta Skop, you were hopelessly out of your league, an heres hoping to see the back of you soon Vukic, you didn’t exactly set the Premiership alight!

Blackburn 2 Pompey 1

Good match and a great performance - we didn’t deserve to lose.
All goals were a bit soft, but there was plenty to feel positive about.The Independent says ‘Milans Men need the money’, a predictable way to tie in the 2 big stories of yesterday. World Soccer News report ‘Rovers rise against gritty Pompey’, and The News of Pompey report ‘New era begins with a defeat’. New era? Give us a chance - the Russian hasn’t even signed on the dotted line yet.

Milan sells 50% PFC stake to Russian billionaire

Russian billionaire Alexandre Gaydamak appears to have agreed to buy a 50% interest in Portsmouth Football Club, the Official site confirms. The Independent looks into the mysterious origin of his money – murky to say the least. The media seem to assume this will lead to a Roman Ambrovich-style spending spree and even Redknapp seems hopeful that big money may soon be made available.

Match Preview - Blackburn Vrs Pompey

Fair, honest and sporting were never words used to describe Mark Hughes during his playing career, and in his managerial career is very much following in the same vain, with his current Blackburn side reflecting the cynical, bullying, rule-bending that epitomised Hughes’ playing style. Blackburn have a history for being ‘dirty bast*rds’ – who can forget Pompeys explosive clashes with the Glen Keeley lead Blackburn side in the mid eighties, when we had probably the hardest side in the football league with wildmen such as Mick Kennedy, Noel Blake, Billy Gilbert and Kevin Dillon. Unfortunately todays Portsmouth is not of the same mettle, and if it’s a physical contest then Blackburn stand every chance of out-muscling us unless we can show a commitment and strength far beyond any of limp-wristed Pompey displays we saw under Alain Perrin.
Further info/stats from the BBC

Christmas and New Year roundup

Due to excessive Christmas drinking commitments was unable to keep up to date with all the Fratton Park news as it happened, but its been a pretty good Christmas for Pompey. A Boxing Day draw with West Ham, a predictable defeat to Arsenal, and a vital win against Fulham leave us in a position where we are able to climb out of the bottom 3.