Shearer prefers Zidane

‘Zidane is the definitely the best player Ive ever played against’ Alan Shearer admitted during last nights World Cup match between France and Portugal. Whilst Id agree that Zidanes talent is colossal, I think Shearer is in danger of putting someones nose out a bit, unless he has forgotten the occasion only a year ago, 19th of March 2005, Newcastle v Pompey, when Shearer was fortunate enough to share the pitch with the awesome talent of Giannis Skopelitis. Show some respect.
In other news it appears that the original handwritten resignation speech by David Beckham has been unearthed (see photo). Certainly looks authentic.

The England manager job: Marry in haste, repent at leisure

Now Phil Scolari has indicated that he would be prepared to listen to future offers from the English FA, it raises the question of just why did the FA rush the decision to appoint nobodys favourite, Steve McClaren, as the next England manager?
Scolari was the FA’s number one choice, a man in a different league in terms of class, experience and success than McClaren. He is also evidently a man of integrity, refusing to promise himself to England before the World Cup as it could have (and would have) undermined the fortunes of his current employer, Portugal.The English FA don’t seem to have understood his integrity. Maybe it is an alien concept to them, maybe they have become too used to dealing with people without any integrity, maybe it is something they themselves lack. With an indecent haste in April they instead appointed Steve McClaren, a man who we could have judged much more thoroughly after this World Cup. As it is now, we can see he has been a fundamental part of an England management regime that has repeatedly failed to record any level of success with arguably the most talented group of English footballers in a couple of generations. England are ready for a fresh direction, a new beginning. Instead we are left with the legacy of an inexplicably rushed decision by the FA to award a multi-million pound contract to a man who promises to do little more than deliver more of the same.

Movement at Fratton at last

Some comings and goings at Fratton Park at last to report on. If the rumours are anything to go by there will be another 1001 signings before the start of the season, but we all know it for what it is - gossip - so Ill leave all that for interfering old women.
And so, Pompey sign Glen Johnson and show Brian Priske the door; effectively a straight swap, though I dare say that Johnson is the better player. Onto the coaching team comes Tony Adams - hmmm, never really been a fan of his - he's come across in the past as a bit distractable and, errr... fick. Prove me wrong Tony.
In case anyone missed it last week D'Allessandro has surprisingly managed to secure an even fatter salary elsewhere - and to anyone who think that shows a lack of ambition by Pompey GET OVER IT - though he's a great player there's plenty more talented, more committed right wingers at that money than D'Allessandro - Id rather have a Steve Stone in that position any day.
And in other news - the playuppompey fan forum has a new temp home; http://s7.invisionfree.com/Play_Up_Pompey/index.php.

What's happened to playuppompey.org.uk?

If you havent used the forum playuppompey.org/forum , Id like to recommend it. At least I would if the site existed anymore, but it seems to have suddenly sunk without a trace, here one day gone the next. Hopefully it will return soon - can anyone shed any light on its whereabouts??????

Did Pompeys season leave us in good shape for 2006/2007?

Continued from Tuesdays - 'Was it a good or bad year for Pompey?'
Part 3; Did Pompeys season leave us in good shape for 2006/2007(or are we on a downward spiral?)

In February it looked as if everything would come crashing down on Pompey. We had abandoned our long-term vision for the short-term goal of Premiership survival, but this too seemed to be failing. We had gambled £10 million on new players, none of which had hit the ground running, and few of which would want to be around for the seemingly inevitable Championship football. We were facing needing a new manager and a major rebuild of the side for the third time in a year, and we all knew that this further instability would cause serious longterm damage to Portsmouth Football Club.
Happily from the depths of despair, the seeds that were sown in the January transfer window suddenly took root. Not only did they enable us to achieve Premiership survival, but they have given the club a strong base on which to build. Redknapps January spending not only achieved the short-term survival goal, but contributed towards longer-term aims aswell, for which the club must get credit. It would have been easy to buy a team of expendable relegation battlers, but instead Pompey took the risk of rebuilding the side with players that could achieve survival and also provide the quality to take us to the next level. A very canny gamble indeed. The consistency of good football in Pompeys last 10 games gives great promise for the 2006/2007 season. We have the nucleus of a very good side, one that will benefit from their familiarity with eachother and the absence of a need for major changes to the team personnel this preseason.
So despite this turbulent season and against all the odds, assuming there will be a few key additions to the squad, I feel that we will enter next season in better shape than any of our previous 3 seasons in the Premiership.

Did Pompey achieve their pre-season aims?

Continued from yesterdays - 'Was it a good or bad year for Pompey?'
Part 2; Did Pompey achieve their pre-season aims? In a word, no. At the onset Pompey seemed to be aiming to introduce a fresh forward-looking way of running the club, and to consolidate our place in the Premiership. A new structure at the club gave manager Alain Perrin greater responsibility for coaching and picking the side, and less influence on the recruitment of new players. The success of this 'vision' depended on our young foreign manager establishing an adaptable, more tactically advanced team capable of producing stable results, and his introduction of a European-style ‘modern’ approach to personal discipline, training, diet, conduct etc. The plan failed miserably – maybe Alain Perrin couldn't produce results quickly enough, maybe the club didn’t back him as well as it could. The players rebelled, as did an increasing section of the fan-base who had paid a lot of money for their season tickets only to endure half a season of very dire, sterile football, a lack of ambition and a general lack of results or even goals, to provide any optimism at all.
Harry was bought in to do a short-term rescue job by any means necessary, without regard to the Perrin-era long-term vision, and he achieved this fantastically.
But the bottom line is that this season, despite Harrys wonderful achievement of ensuring Premiership survival, Pompey did not achieve the pre-season aims. Infact the pre-season 'vision' now seems to have been discarded and no longer seen as the best way to progress Portsmouth Football Club.
Tomorrow; Did Pompeys season leave us in good shape for 2006/2007?

2005/2006 – A good or bad season for Pompey?

As another Premiership season ends its time to reflect on whether it was a good or bad year for Pompey. It’s a difficult question to answer, as it was a season of 2 extremes. So in the next few days I will be trying to find the answer by looking into the following questions;

Was it enjoyable?
Did Pompey achieve their pre-season aims??
Did Pompeys season leave us in good shape for 2006/2007?

So, was it enjoyable?
Though we all like a degree of success a true fan will support his/her team whatever the results. All us fans really ask for is entertainment and value for money – without those, well, there are other ways to spend a Saturday afternoon (so Im told).
The first half of the season was the least entertaining (and the least value for money) football I have seen at Fratton Park for a long long time, maybe since the John Gregory days. Not only was it boring, not only were the new players and manager lacking in charisma, not only did the results and lack of goals compound the air of depression, but the media and fans of other clubs had turned on us, and we had little respect from anyone. The daring gamble of reappointing Harry Redknapp was greeted with distain and general disgust and seen as laughably desperate by people outside of Portsmouth. Was I starting to regret buying a season ticket? Not 'arf.

The second half of the season was fantastic – Roy of the Rovers stuff – with moments that will live in the memory long after more steady seasons have been forgotten. Infact I cant remember a time when there was such a cluster of unforgettable matches. Toddys first massively important goal - special after all his injury problems, Mendes’s crucial last minute strike, the great goal gluts at West Ham and Fulham, the last 2 amazing matches where we came from behind both times. Infact the whole season was like coming from behind to score the winner in the last moment and everyone involved came out with maximum credit; not only the players but Harry for masterminding this fantastic achievement, Milan for bravely making the necessary gamble, Sacha for backing us with the cash, and the fantastic way the most passionate fans in the country got behind Pompey. Did I enjoy that? Not 'arf.

Tomorrow; Did Pompey achieve their pre-season aims?