Reduced transfer profit to make settlement

Pompey are rumored to reduce the amount Manchester City have to pay for Benjani, so that the club's current debt can be paid during the summer.

The Blues were paid an initial £4m up front for the Zimbabwean striker, with the rest due when Benj makes a certain amount of appearances. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, we're trying to get the money up front from City, and therefore are asking for a lesser amount.

It is also rumored that a similar deal is being done with Lassana Diarra's move to Real Madrid - worth £19m, and Jermain Defoe's move to Spuds.

I for one would like to see Benjani back at Pompey, and maybe canceling out this debt could see him returning?

Not attacking enough? Pompey 2 West Brom 2

Although a point isn't all that bad with four points between us and the relegation zone - providing Stoke beat Newcastle this afternoon.

With 10-15 minutes to go we were trying so hard to score and get that all crucial winner which may have seen us not be so nervous in the last remaining fixtures, but Hart refused to stick on that much needed second striker on until injury time.

I think Hart and Kidd have done a tremendous job, and especially with tightening up our defence, but we needed that goal so much, and with Kanu, Utaka and Gekas all on the bench, why did Hart wait until the last two minutes of injury time to stick him on?

I think Theofanis Gekas could have sneaked that crucial goal, with the Macheda affect from United's win against Villa and Sunderland! He had a good bit of support after he came on, and would definitely be buzzing after making a first but small appearance in the Premier League.

What is the point in getting the guy on loan until the end of the season and not play him. Yes admittedly it was Tony Adams who brought him in, but he's there to be used.

Let's just focus on Bolton next week, another home game which we should win, even though they just put Chelsea to a very close 4-3 drilling after being 4-0 down.

Taylor and O'Brien returning to Fratton Park, will surely have a big influence, although you have to feel they are out of the relegation running, so may not be going all out, with Pompey welcoming the returns of Glen Johnson and Super Sean Davis!

Well at least we're not four points off safety in the Championship with administration worries and a board that can't stop chickening out of the problems!

I for one, am looking forward to seeing these 'goal of the season' style goals on Match Of the Day tonight, seen as I couldn't make it down to Fortress Fratton this weekend.

No appeal for two yellow card - Glen Johnson - West Brom - Injuries

I think it is ridiculous the fact that after Glen Johnson's two yellow cards against Hull last weekend, we cannot appeal against him being banned for the home game against West Brom at the weekend!

Johnson didn't deserve one let alone two yellow cards last weekend. The second yellow, Johno tried to pull out and had no intent to hurt the player at all!

A FIFA representative has even come out this week saying that it is a stupid rule and needs to be looked at.

Missing Glen against West Brom could be crucial to the result - although I'm guessing we're all thinking we should be able to bury the Baggies easy enough when we're at home!

Sean Davis is also missing the game due to his injury, but we're hoping he'll be back by next week's game against Bolton - seeing the return of the all mighty Matt Taylor.

Peter Crouch has also dropped out of the top 5 Premier League goalscorers this week, so hopefully a couple from the big man will see him get back up there where he belongs - above Defoe!

We played well against West Brom when we played them away, but we'd just returned from Wolfsburg. The atmosphere was poor from both sides, and the side were obviously gutted about the events of what happened in Germany, so putting that aside lets give West Brom a hammering when they visit Fortress Fratton on Saturday.

In terms of the following fixtures, we have a good run-in, and should be looking good for staying up. Providing we beat West Brom today, they're done and dusted. Middlesborough are going to really struggle to get back out of the relegation zone, and then I reckon it will be a massive toss up between Sunderland, Hull, Newcastle, Blackburn and maybe us.

Offer this man a new contract....

He has been my Man of the Match on more than one occasion this season and for me has been by far Pompey's player of the season. Yet he has still not signed a new contract.

Sean Davis' contract runs out in the summer, and the board have been negotiating with Sean for the last 15 months to keep him at Fratton Park, but it seems impossible to tie up a deal between the two.

Sean has been quoted this week as saying that he came here and stayed here because of Jamie's Dad, although I thought we worked best under the short period with Tony Adams. Neither are now at the club, and he is still playing brilliantly.

I hope that he does sign a new deal, and I believe he may want to stay at Pompey as he turned down a move from Bolton in the January transfer window - even though we didn't want him to leave.

Even if he is thinking about moving on, his dedication and hard work for Pompey has been outstanding and I guarantee it that he will carry this on until the end of the season, whether he signs a new deal or not.

But I urge Paul Hart, Peter Storrie, or whoever comes in as the new manager so sign this fella up, keep him at Fratton Park, because despite the millions we have spent on Crouch, Defoe, Nugent, Utaka, he is by far the best.

Pompey v Stoke preview

Pompey travel up to Stoke on Saturday to face the Midlands side who only having been promoted this season, are looking likely to go back down to the Championship.

Pompey and Stoke have little history - mostly to do with Stoke's old firm the "Norty Forty" being established at a meeting between the two teams at Fratton Park, but the point that we must notice about Stoke is this connections with the good and bad sides of the South coast.

Tony Pulis - ex-Pompey manager
Andy Griffin - ex-Pompey player
Amdy Faye - ex-Pompey player
Salif Diao - ex-Pompey player
Vincent Pericard - ex-Pompey player
Ricardo Fuller - ex-Pompey and Scummer player
Danny Higginbotham - Scummer
Rory Delap - Scummer
Henri Camara - Scummer
James Beattie - Scummer

9 ex-South coast players and a former manager is quite a lot, and I thought we had a few Liverpool ones!

Pompey fans are looking for a second win on the trot under caretaker manager Paul Hart with his new found partnership alongside Brian Kidd. The two were praised by the fans at Fratton Park last Saturday after a 2-0 win against Manchester City, and another win would surely see Hart/Kidd become a full-time partnership until the end of the season.

Stoke have not made it easy for travellers to Britannia Stadium, having gotten points out of Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City, Spuds, Villa, Hull, West Brom and Sunderland. Leading to many Stoke fans claiming the Brit to be 'a fortress' something which we all know about from Fortress Fratton, that has been stormed way too many times this season.

Tony Pulis will not make it easy for the Blues, but being described as a 'six-pointer' on Saturday will surely make it a tough game for both sides.

Stoke have seen their trademark throws by Delap result in goals many a time this season, although the height and quality in the Pompey defence are likely to be on top of things to make sure Pompey keep another clean sheet. With Delap and Fuller out, the throws may not be a problem for the Blues.

Pompey beat Stoke 2-1 earlier on in the season during the fixture at Fratton Park, with Crouch getting that memorable bicycle kick goal.

Pompey Pages Prediction: Another 2-1 to Pompey, although Stoke are strong at home, I believe we have enough quality, determination and strength to overcome the Potters and head back with all three points.

Player to watch: James Beattie - we all despise the player for his past and Scummer connections, but it can't be ignored of his quality and goalscoring ability, and because of the stick he is likely to get on Saturday, I can sadly see him netting for Stoke - it's fate.

Key Pompey player: Jermaine Pennant - Pennant has got the pace and flair to attack the Stoke defence from the wing and give some good delivery in to Crouch and Nugent, and I think his abilities will make a big difference against Stoke.

Likely Portsmouth XI: James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Pennant, Davis, Basinas, Kranjcar, Nugent, Crouch

Hart to stay at Fratton Park

There are a lot of rumours flying around at the moment claiming new managers and owners linked with Pompey, but are we overlooking a hard-working duo already at the reigns at Fratton Park?

Paul Hart and Brian Kidd, although only tested once (against Man City), have shown a lot of quality with a turn around of the team in the 2-0 win on Saturday.

Yes, I guess they have only been in for one game, but look how much that game has boosted the confidence of the players, fans and everyone else at the club.

I have even heard of people talking about expecting a 10th place finish. This is crazy, seen as only weeks ago a lot of people had already written us off for going down.

Maybe Hart and Kidd could be very successful for Pompey, but we'll only see with time, and even though it is a similar risk we took with Tony Adams, they have a lot more experience than TA.

I believe that if we go to Stoke on Saturday and pick up a win, then most people will look to keep Hart until at least the end of the season, similar to the Chelsea-Hiddink deal, and then look on in the summer with a new owner and manager to improving things in the 09/10 season.

Hart/Kidd have my full support and I hope they carry on racking up the points for us, because as we all know, we definitely have the best squad by far, of all the relegation battlers.