New Blog Page

I am indebted to my mate, Peter Hall, as usual, for pointing out that the link from my main blog page to here was at fault. I hope I have now rectified that mistake as I have plenty to say about Pompey.

At the moment Dr al-Fahim seems to have completed due diligence although there is no official confirmation. He is now undergoing the new and stringent FA test for a fit and proper person. The test has been upgraded since the disaster at Manchester City and the disgraced ex Thailand Prime Minister in 2008.

There was news that a business agreement was signed in Paris this week but that also hasn't been officially confirmed. SAF (the good doctor's initials used as a familiar nickname or acronym) and Peter Storrie, the chief executive and chairman of Pompey, are reputed to have met with Roberto Mancini in Paris although, guess what, that hasn't been officially confirmed either! He would be a great manager for the new Pompey having won three scuddettos with Inter Milan before being ousted by Mourinho. He has a smidgeon of PL experience with Leicester some time ago. However he is probably holding out for a guaranteed transfer budget - that's what all these managers do!

Crouch is getting restless and probably wants away. There are rumours that SAF wants to reduce the £60 million offered fir Pompey and I am not surprised after Glen Johnson was sold for millions and there is a £14 million bid in air for Crouch. These star players must lower the value of the club to a buyer. Who gets the money from these sales - the club or the current owner?

Anyway if Crouch was tempted to move away for £14 million I would accept the money as It would be a £5 million pound profit on what we paid for him last summer and that was probably paid off when we sold Johnson to Liverpool, Crouch's previous club. Crouch has done an excellent job for Pompey and if he wants away to a Champions' League side then good luck to him. However I think he and Johnson might end up regretting it especially if we do get Mancini and he is allowed to build a squad he wants.

Crouch joined us from Liverpool on double the wages he was getting there so he must be a top earner at the club and in the PL. This is one of the ways the previous manager but two helped get the club into financial difficulties - not by huge transfer fees but by inflated wages. Also the club seemed to have agreed to play Crouch in all games and at all costs. The entire system was geared around Crouch who is admittedly an excellent target man. However the club didn't have the attacking midfield or the wide players to give him the service and support he needed. He did well to score 16 goals and to keep us up last season. However I would like us to see us play better quality football with an attacking trio of pacy talented little midfielders playing with one or two speedy goalscoring strikers, and all four or five can interchange positions and roles. If Crouch can fit into such a set up then we should keep the current England striker but if not let's grab the money and start again.

Someone on Pompey Gossip suggested we could get Elano (Brazilian midfielder), Benjani (striker) and Dunne (defender) from Manchester City in return for that £14 million for Crouch. That seems like a bargain offer to me and would be a good start in reinforcing the present threadbare squad of 15 outfield players (including Crouch) and three goalkeepers.

Some else also suggested Klaus Jan-Huntelaar of Madrid supported by Aruna Dindane as his supporting striker. Huntelaar is 25 and his club have just accepted a £17.2 million offer from Stuttgart. The Dutchman is surplus to requirements at Madrid. This is another player we look like missing, although it is not yet a done deal as other clubs are reported to be interested and we might be one of them. Sky Sports only rate him as 5 or below average and out of touch. Aruna Dindane is 28 and the Ivory Coast team colleague of Didier Drogba. He is older than I would like but plays for Lens and is certainly in form.

Well back to waiting for confirmation that due diligence is completed, that SAF has passed the fit and proper person test, that SAF is now the new owner, that we have a new manager with a transfer budget, that we have new players coming in just in time to complete pre season in time for the new season on August 15th! Phew!