Four Pompey players make England squad

Picture: Realmadrid.pl

Fabio Capello has included four Pompey players in his squad for England's mid-week encounter with Germany.

David James, Glen Johnson, Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch have all been named in the 23-man squad, more than Man Utd, Liverpool, and Arsenal put together.

Whether all four will start is down to Capello, but the little n large partnership has done well recently, and David James and Glen Johnson's clean sheet today will do the duo justice.

There were a few shocks in Capello's squad, with David Beckham and Michael Owen excluded, Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney were withdrawn by Sir Alex Ferguson.

On-loan Wolves defender Michael Mancienne, Spurs striker Darren Bent, and Villa players Gabriel Agbonlahor, and Ashley Young were all included in the squad.

England take on Germany away on Wednesday night, and we'll all be hoping we can get one over the Germans before travels to Wolfsburg during the start of December

Goalkeepers: Carson, Hart, James.

Defenders: Bridge, Johnson, Davies, Lescott, Terry, Mancienne, Upson, Richards.

Midfielders: Lampard, Gerrard, Wright-Phillips, A Young, Downing, Barry, Carrick.

Strikers: Agbonlahor, Bent, Defoe, Crouch, Walcott.

Ben Sahar and family not happy with Pompey

On-loan striker Ben Sahar has stated his unhappiness about not being played in the first team so far this season.

The Israeli has yet to feature for Pompey this season despite looking very handy in pre-season, and although Sahar is only on a 6-month loan from Chelsea, it doesn't look like he's going to be getting a game soon.

Sahar said: "I'm fit and I feel ready to play. It's difficult because of Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch. They are great players. I'm training well, but it's not all about training.

"I can't say I regret going to Portsmouth. I wouldn't have preferred to stay at Chelsea."

As well as Sahar expressing his annoyance at a lack of first team football, his mother has been quoted in the Jewish Telegraph over-reacting about the situation.

"It's nothing to do with fitness," Batia told Sportsword. " It's because his name isn't da Santos and he's not from France or Italy or Spain.

"For Ben, football is everything I cannot look at him every day so disappointed. If he was happy we wouldn't need to live with him.

"If he was Ben Sahar da Santos it would be different matter. If he was from any other country he would be playing. It's unfair not to give him a chance.

"He's living in Portsmouth and has no friends there," said Batia. "They are all in London. The only thing he's thinking about is football. It it was me I would go home, but he's strong. It doesn't break him."

I think this is absolutely ridiculous, if Sahar and his family are that unhappy then jog on back to Chelsea where you will never get a chance. As for life in Pompey, I am sure the players have been kind to him and made him feel at home, and there will be plenty of places where you can get kosher food (another thing that Mrs Sahar has been moaning about) in Pompey, you just haven't looked.

Also we have no Spanish or Italian players at Pompey, and I would like to point out to the dippy Batia Sahar that in my eyes, our current star player is Nadir Belhadj, and he's Algerian.

Despite this, I would like to see Ben Sahar feature for Pompey, maybe in the early rounds of the FA cup or late on during a Premier League match would be a good time to give him a try, but don't expect to jump ahead of Crouch or Defoe da Santos quite yet!

West Ham v Pompey preview

Pompey head up to London to face West Ham this weekend, with the Blues looking to continue their unbeaten Upton Park run in the Premier League.

Pompey's main injury concern is Sol Campbell, who hasn't trained this week after picking up a toe injury.

Younes Kaboul looks to be the one to step in for Campbell in defence to hold a solid back four, although Tony could once again revert to a 3-5-2 system using Glen Johnson and Nadir Belhadj as wing-backs.

Midfielder John Utaka is also a major doubt, after the Nigerian was told to stay away from Pompey's training ground to recover from a virus.

Fringe striker David Nugent played a full game against Liverpool reserves at the weekend and so may feature on the bench for Pompey as Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe look set to front the Blues in attack.

Niko Kranjcar is now fully fit, with an assist and a goal in his last two returning matches, we will hopefully see Niko back in flying colours against the Hammers.

West Ham will have Valon Behrami, Carlton Cole and James Tomkins back fit. The Hammers will be without Kieran Dyer and Diego Tristan after picking up mid-week injuries.

Possible starting XIs

West Ham: Green, Behrami, Collins, Upson, Ilunga, Faubert, Parker, Mullins, Bowyer, Bellamy, Cole.

Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Kaboul, Distin, Pamarot, Kranjcar, Davis, Diarra, Belhadj, Defoe, Crouch.

Derek McGovern = Idiot

I haven't used this blog for many rants despite within the Pompey set-up, but today I read a report by the Mirror's betting guru Derek McGovern.

If you read the link below you will understand why I am so grumpy about this report. With Adams' odds of leaving or being sacked being quite low, we kind of expect bad reports and news surrounding Adams' future, but the way in which Mr McGovern claims that a loss tomorrow against West Ham will be a very bad set of results with one win from five games.

Did he not see the unlucky point against Fulham, the four times we hit the bar and three times the ball was cleared off the line against Wigan, and the unlucky penalty that left us hanging our heads at Anfield? If you ask me, we have had a really unlucky set of results, and despite playing our worst in four games against Sunderland, we picked up all three points, but McGovern has decided to claim and suggest that Adams should and will be out of a job if we fail to beat the Hammers.

For this statement I think he is a complete idiot, and needs to get his facts straight when giving his opinion. Four great games against mixed opposition, and we were unlucky with all three results. McGovern if you want an opinion on Pompey and their manager's future then maybe you should watch their games and try being a manager following in the footsteps of the legendary Harry Redknapp.

Manchester City have won just one game in seven, on top of a multi-million pound spending spree in the summer and most likely another one in the january transfer window, Mark Hughes isn't being slated by McGovern is he?

To read the article by McGovern click here

James drives a Robin Reliant to work

Pompey keeper David James was spotted driving to training in a blue Robin Reliant today.

James was voted as the clubs worst trainer, and as a result, the rest of the squad chipped in to buy Jamo this embarrassing car, and even strapped a horn to the roof that makes animal noises when it starts up.

Unlucky Jamo, just don't turn up to matches in it.

Former Feyenoord coach joins Adams at Pompey

Former Feyenoord coach Johnny Metgod has joined Pompey as Tony Adams' assistant manager.

Metgod used to play for Spurs, Real Madrid and Nottingham Forest, before becoming a coach in his home country of Holland.

Metgod said: "Tony called me on Friday morning to ask if I wanted to become first-team coach at Portsmouth.

"The chance to work with him and return to the highest level in England is appealing to me.

"As a player, I had four beautiful years there and I am looking forward to working in full stadiums every week and with the best players."

Pompey Rumours 11/11/08

Johnny Metgod is being linked with a coaching role at Portsmouth.

Pompey boss Tony Adams worked with Metgod when he spent six months as a trainee coach at Feyenoord from July 2005 during his year in Holland.

The former Tottenham midfielder has been working as coach with Feyenoord. - tribalfootball.com

Portsmouth are chasing Hertha Berlin striker Marko Pantelic.

Bild says the 30 year-old Serbia international could move to Pompey in January.

Hertha are ready to sell Pantelic if they fail to agree terms over a new contract before the winter market opens. - tribalfootball.com

Red Bull Salzburg attacker Marc Janko has welcomed interest from Portsmouth.

Janko is keen on a move to England and said: "I definitely want to play in the Premier League. In particular, Tottenham Hotspur are among my favorite clubs." Jog on Harry he's ours. - tribal football.com

Pompey are tracking Real Betis midfielder Mehmet Aurelio.
The Turkey international only moved to the Primera Liga outfit from Fenerbahce over the summer, but is already drawing admiring glances from elsewhere.

The Brazilian-born 30-year-old is reported to be a transfer target for a number of clubs in England, with Blackburn and Portsmouth touted as potential destinations. - skysports.com

Diarra makes top 100

Lassana Diarra has been named in FourFourTwo's top 100 best players in the world at number 96.
Although he has only just made the top 100, I am glad to see it's not just the Pompey fans who recognise his amazing ability and potential.

Outside the top four big teams in England, only Pompey, Spurs and Man City have had one or two players included, and Spurs and City spent the whole of the summer wasting money on big names.

I am suprised maybe that Jermain Defoe or David James are not in there but the list does see Diarra ahead of world renowned players such as Huntelaar and Scweinsteiger.

Lets hope this time next year there may be a couple more Pompey players in the top 100.

Congrats Diarra, you deserve it!

Sunderland v Pompey Highlights

Sunderland v Portsmouth

Pompey close to new £70m takeover

Reports suggest that Pompey are soon to be under new ownership, as a South African mining consortium believe to have struck a deal for us.

Greg James, the chief executive of Central Rand Gold, is the man responsible for a £70 million takeover bid that will cause a bit of friction in the dressing room, as newly appointed manager Tony Adams, may not have a future at Portsmouth.

With a new ownership, would come a new back-room according to today's papers. Avram Grant has been linked with the job, while Rio Ferdinand's 'super-agent' Pini Zahavi is involved in the negotiations, despite early rumours claiming a bid from the Israeli.

The bid includes the supposed debt owed down at Fratton Park, as it is thought to be a figure around £32m, following the over-spending in the summer transfer window, and on player wages.

Adams was due to be announcing his new backroom staff on Tuesday but it may be new owners that are being announced along with their plans and ideas for a different manager and assistant.

I personally would prefer to see Adams stay on top of the takeover bid, we obviously need the money as Sacha seems a bit strapped at the moment, and the players are responding well to Adams so lets just bring in a new owner and leave Tony to deal with the coaches.