Football season 2013-2014

Hello kevin

When Spurs get rid of a player he is usually near or past his sell by OR knowing Spurs overpriced OR both.

As for Bent you have to ask yourself why are they offloading a player that cost £24 million 2 years ago for very little money. Sets the alarm bells ringing to me. On the plus side on our Website a few days back they did an interview with him,and have to say he came across as a person with a few brain cells unlike some players i wont mention.

Mista h

Hello MDS

If my poor memory serves me correctly Mendes used  to play for Spurs some years back. Yes a good player and like our new chairman needs a good haircut.

Mista H

Yes, Mista H, your memory serves you well on both counts. We got a job-lot from Spurs in the January transfer window when 'Arry had returned from the scummers to replace a hapless Frenchman. The other two were a midfielder Sean Davies and Pamarot, a brute of a full back with thigh like tree trunks.  Those two did pretty well but Mendes was the star. Two last minute long-range strikes against Man City at Fratton Park to turn defeat into victory and he was a PFC hero for life. Ah, happy days!         

Sean Davis........remember him first playing for us as a young lad,then doing the rounds at several clubs. Not 100% certain but i think he is back with us now Booted n Suited working in one of our Corporate lounges on matchdays.

Mista h

MDS

If you read this post in time you may wish to go and buy a copy of todays Sun newspaper.

It makes for bad reading for Portsmouth fans. Almost a full page article on how much the new owners of the club MUST pay to ex players. Tal Ben Haim alone is owed £1.6 million. Even our old player Steve Finnan who left years ago is owed almost £100,000. These sums are huge amounts for a league 2 club to find,you have a mountain to climb.

Mista h

Hi Mista H.

Yes, I saw this sorry and depressing story in the Portsmouth Evening News last week.  Two main contributors I think. First the incompetence of the management we've had at the club for many years who seemed to have even worse financial management skills than bankers like Fred the Shred (which is going some).  Second, football's creditor rule which means that debts to football clubs and footballers have to be met in full and take primacy over all other creditors including charities and the government.  How on earth this rule can be justified and has survived legal challenge is beyond me.

As to your good point about the future for PFC which has to honour these inherited and bloated debts, there's a couple of rays of sunshine.  The club is still getting good home crowds, way above league one and two averages, and has sold over 10k season tickets this season. So there's a steady income stream. And the other is that we've still got the final instalments of the parachute payments from our time in the Premier league, and will benefit from a significant increase in that parachute payment because of the recently re-negotiated TV deals.  Article from the local paper attached.

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/opinion/how-parachute-payments-can-halt-pompey-s-plummet-1-5467474 

All that said this legacy still jars,  particularly when thinking about what some of these players contributed when they were on Pompey's books.  Some were good club men who always gave 100% like Norris and Hughes, but others such as the guy you mention gave nothing. 

The new owners, all fans, are determined to to set a new direction for the club and part of that is re-building the clubs reputation for integrity with local businesses and charities so have pledged to repay all debts below £2500 to small businesses and charities, even though there is no legal obligation to do so.   

Oh well. I suppose one has to look forward and not ruminate on the sins of the past. 

MDS

At noon today several hundred people will all be joining hands and jumping off Tower Bridge,their called Manchester United supporters. TBH after Saturdays game at Chelsea I may well join them.

Mista H

I hope Chris Dolan isn't one of them Mista H. He was at the match and can't be feeling too good given the humiliating football masterclass they were given by City. Last year they were an average side with a fearsome manager. This year they are an average side with an average manager. New signing Fellaini played like he was worth 28p not £28 million. Great buy Moyes.   I don't think either of them will last the end of the year if something doesn't improve. United have only scored one open field goal in the Premiership this year and only gained one point from matches against three of their main rivals. 

Man United RIP 

Well done at Liverpool Dave. You've got to have a laugh. Believe me Chris 'doles' it out more than anyone. If I can suggest a playlist for MU supporters it would have to include 'Glory Days' by Bruce Springsteen and maybe 'Living In The Past' by Jethro Tull. I can't see United doing much in the foreseeable future with the squad they have and Moyes as manager. He's definitely no Fergie.

Went to the first ever game at the new Allianz-Riviera stadium in Nice yesterday. Quite an event. It was full (just about - empty seats, but no tickets left, Corporate I guess).

God, French football can be dull. It was the least inspiring 4:0 victory imaginable, although the 3G reception worked (unlike the old Stade de Ray), so we were able to follow events in Manchester.

The first goal was scored by Darío Cvitanich. It was a penalty, but a deserved one - I'm sure he would have scored when the handball caused the penalty to be awarded.

Valenciennes are so hopeless, we began to wonder whether this fixture had been chosen as the first simply in order to ensure a Niçois victory.

I slightly worry that Nice's regular attendance (about 9000) is going to be dwarfed by this impressive 36000 seater stadium, and the transport/parking situation is hopeless in a very French way (UEFA accepted France's bid for Euro 2016 in part on the basis that this stadium will have a dedicated tram line, and it was built with an according lack of parking. 2016 may be 32 months away, but no sign of the tram yet - unless Ikea want to pay for it (apparently). I'm sure France will take their reprimand with characteristic Gallic grace (shrug and a Galloise)). The game was followed by a short concert by Patrick Bruel - quite a name in French music of the 80s/90s. He was completely, rudely, and mildly amusingly drowned out by boos. Bruel is a noted PSG fan. What were they thinking?

And then some fireworks. It was still broad daylight. What a hoot! Great atmosphere though.

If Nice were mildly interesting (instead of Le Millwall), or French football exciting, I'd go regularly - it certainly beats Monaco's soulless Stade Louis II, with its running track and architectural charm-black-hole. But it's certainly cheap to watch here (€10), and the on/off street parking in the surrounding streets was a treat to behold.

"New signing Fellaini..."

Agreed. I'm far from a Man U fan but he was just plain embarrassing.

Reminded me of that guy that Souness signed at Southampton, having been convinced by 'George Weah' that he was his cousin and a great player. The guy just wandered around in the general direction of the ball. Sometimes. Bit like Souness' signing...

Ali Dia.

Chris

Never  Fellaini is Belgium's best player as is going to be a megastar. 

We we might have been shit yesterday - but we're still the Champions - and I have a good feeling that we will win it again 

Chris wednesday night should be interesting with the return of Suarez.With both teams having shocking defeats at the weekend. 

Moyes' set up was wrong, also change was too late and just Cleverley. Being static and lack of players in the opposition's box can be worked on; if Moyes is happy with it, sack him now. The squad is good enough - at least until January. This season has seen the death of Arsenal, then Manchester City, followed by Chelsea, and now Manchester United.

Cheers,

OW

Fellaini Belgium's best player?  He wasn't even the best Belgian player on the pitch yesterday. What about Vincent Kompany? Fellini was left for dead by Aguero. 

Rooney made it too easy for Kompany - given he knew the Belgian was being allowed to go through him - did he ever drag him to Nastasic?

^^^ ????

Give Kompany something to think about; are you going to follow me to Nastasic or are you going to leave me with him? If follow, more space for other Manchester United players. If leave, Rooney is on Nastasic - one of their weak points, Kolarov and corners being others.

Fellaini's an excellent player, perhaps unique, you won't see a bloke as big and powerful with so much skill. His main game is playing 15 yard passes, he'd have slotted into Arsenals team without a problem.

United will struggle to finish in the top 4 unless they spend big at Christmas, the quality in their squad just isn't there.

In fact Moyes must realise by now, apart from Van Persie, Rooney and maybe Cleverly, none of the United squad are actually good enough to get in the Everton team.

Although they do have the funds to rectify this.

David de Gea, Rafael, Patrice Evra, Jonny Evans, Cleverley, and Nemanja Vidic are at least as good as the players available to Everton - Michael Carrick, Nani, Shinji Kagawa, Fellaini, Rooney, Van Persie, and Januzaj are all beter, as is Hernandez - excluding loan players.

I've been a Man Utd supporter since I was 8 yrs old. Never seen such a woeful display as that against City on Sunday. They just didn't turn up.

If they finish in the top four this season I will be surprised, but delighted.

Tim

Timbo,

Are you too young for Manchester City 5 - Manchester United 1 in 1989? Only need to worry if Moyes hasn't learnt he can't play a two - Carrick and Cleverley, or Carrick and Fellaini - against strong midfields. Let those relishing Manchester United's downfall have their moment, it may be the only light in their lives.

Cheers,

OW