Two Great Moments, Forget the Rest: Pompey in 2010

Pompey are now done and dusted for 2010, what has been a topsy-turvy year. These last 12 months have seen the Blues relegated, lose numerous players and come close to administration on a number of occasions, but also seen them get to the FA Cup Final, beating Southampton four-one in the process, and now looking forward again. Here's my short summary of the year:

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2010

Best Moment - Southampton 1 Portsmouth 4

Narrowly ahead of Tottenham 0 Portsmouth 2. This is one of the only two real moments Blues fans have to shout about from 2010, but what a moment. The Saints really thought they could win this one, and some Pompey fans were dreading the FA Cup Fifth Round tie. But Premier League class shone through as goals from Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, Aruna Dindane, Nadir Belhadj and Jamie O'Hara gave the Blues an emphatic victory. It meant bragging rights remained firmly in the blue half of the south coast, and was a truly brilliant day.

Worst Moment - Hours away from Liquidation

There have been many. In a year that has seen the Blues relegated from the Premier League, you would have thought that would have been as bad as it got. But due to spectacularly poor management, Pompey came within hours of going out of business on two occasions under the weight of £180million debts. Fortunately enough, the efforts of the administrators and eventual buyers Balraim Chainrai saved the club, despite the ravenous attempts from the HMRC to ruin this club. But there were genuine moments when it seemed the taxman would win, and this wonderful football club would be no more.

Best Player - Jamie O'Hara/Liam Lawrence

I have decided to give this to two players, as barely anyone has lasted the whole year at Fratton Park. In his year on loan to the Blues, Jamie O'Hara became a real fan's favourite and was easily our best player in the relegation year. He had the passion and drive that every fan loves to see, with the genuine quality that makes him a fantastic prospect for the future. True legend, that no fan will boo if he ever graces the Fratton pitch again. His mantle was taken up by Liam Lawrence in the second half of the year, who since joining from Stoke has lit up the Blues side. A fantastic right foot have quickly made him the new Fratton talisman and has ignited our charge for the play-offs. Key for the season ahead.

Honourable Mention - David James

In an age when most footballers are obsessed with getting every pound that they can, Jamo showed what they should be doing. When a clause in his contract meant another appearance would mean a new contract the Blues couldn't afford, he waived that right to simply play on at the club, earning his place in England's World Cup squad. He may have left in the summer, but he made clear his intentions to leave if the ownership situation didn't sort itself out and it didn't until the season was under way. 134 appearances and countless great moments make Jamo a true Portsmouth legend, his reception when he returned to Fratton Park with Bristol City showed how special he is to Pompey fans. Cheers for four great years, Jamo.

Play Up Pompey

NWR

Coming Up ... Pompey in 2011 - What To Look Forward To

Half-Time: Premier League Reports

Well before we know it, we've hit the half-way point of the season. The festive fixtures have historically set the tone for the rest of the season, with the table-toppers usually finishing somewhere near the summit, and the team in 20th place almost always getting relegated. And with one of the tightest Premier League tables in recent memory, here is how I think it's going to play out:

Title Race: United have the impetus

This blog said earlier this season that Chelsea had the title almost sewn up. This, in my defence, was at the point that Carlo Ancelotti's boys looked almost unbeatable. Scoring goals for fun, 23 in seven games, mean in defence and with their contenders seemingly floundering, the Blues were dead certs to finish top. My, how things have changed. Roman Abramovich has again found a way to disturb a calm, steady side by seeing the departure of assistant manager Ray Wilkins, unsettling the Londoners to the point where they are winless now in six games and seven points off the pace. Drogba, Malouda, Anelka and Co. look like a bunch of strangers with very little playing experience together, and a once formidable backline looks very susceptible. In contrast, their opponents have perked up.

Manchester City will continue to push for the top spot, with their strength in depth meaning they will be there abouts at the end of the season. Their home form may be a worry, but Carlos Tevez remaining at Eastlands (atleast for now) and their strong away run means they have a chance. And with untold riches available for Roberto Mancini, January could be interesting and the likes of Edin Dzeko, David Luiz and Fernando Torres would vastly improve their chances. But I believe they still have too little inexperience to really challenge for the title; they haven't really gelled properly as a team yet, home performances against Birmingham and Bolton proved that, and with divisions still existing within the camp, Mancini may have to settle for fourth place.

It's same old Arsenal as always. They play brilliant football, can carve any team open almost at will and have some real top-class forward-thinking players. But the same questions have arisen over the Gunners this year as each of the last five or so years. Weak in defence, questionnable goalkeepers, an unsurpassable psychological barrier? I'd like to think that this could be Arsene's year. I believe they will lift the Carling Cup; something that would be a big breakthrough for the young side. And if results like the three-one win over Chelsea can be repeated over the rest of the season, they could well be in the race come April.

For me though, it will again be Sir Alex's year. United have trundled along, unspectacularly to say the least, this season, surrendering multiple leads but importantly picking up points and remaining unbeaten until Christmas. Dimitar Berbatov has hit his best form since coming to Old Trafford, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes are reliable as ever when fit and Wayne Rooney will start picking up as the season goes on. It may just be the year that Fergie finally surpasses Liverpool's title haul, gaining the nineteenth title for his beloved United.

MY PREDICTION

1. Manchester United

2. Arsenal

3. Chelsea

4. Manchester City

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5. Tottenham Hotspur

6. Everton

With Tottenham and Everton gaining European spots, I believe Liverpool will topple out of European competition all together. I predict good seasons for Bolton Wanderers and Sunderland, while I also think that all three promoted sides will survive; West Brom will finish highest, Newcastle will hang on despite the best efforts of Mike Ashley and Blackpool deserve to stay up with Ian Holloway winning Manager of the Year. Dull seasons are in store for Aston Villa, Birmingham and Stoke, but those below need to start worrying.

Relegation Battle: Hammers or Cottagers

I think as it stands, and without a massive investment from either in January, both Wolves and Wigan are going to be hard-pushed not to be 20th and 19th in some order. Both are leaking goals for fun, scoring goals is too difficult for either and both look very lightweight when up against quality. The likes of Charles N'Zogbia, Tom Cleverley and Hugo Rodellega mean the Latics have the better chance. Meanwhile, Mick McCarthy's summer signings Stephen Hunt and Steven Fletcher have not had the desired affect; Kevin Doyle will run his heart out for the cause but doesn't get enough goals and there is no true leader in the defence. So who else will join the two W's in going down?

Blackburn are another team doing their best to get into trouble, but they should just be okay. The sacking of Sam Allardyce was a strange one, I don't care if the owners wanted a new direction or a bigger name, Big Sam would have kept Rovers up without a doubt and didn't get enough credit for a remarkable tenth place finish last year. The likes of Morten Gamst Pedersen, David Dunn and Nikola Kalinic mean they have just enough quality to stay in this league. That leaves two teams.

want Avram Grant to succeed at West Ham. He proved his worth to me last season at Pompey, he is a football man and deserves to do well. I just think West Ham don't have a very good team; simple as that. Take out Scott Parker and, on a good day, some of the England boys, and it is a very average team. Carlton Cole, Matt Upson and Rob Green are key players for the Hammer but too often play very poorly. Stick Freddie Piquionne upfront, he'll grab you a few goals, and Victor Obinna looks decent, but they need to put in more performances like they have in the Carling Cup and with that, they do just about have enough to stay up.

Fulham are looking in bad shape at the moment. Boxing Day's home game against the Hammers was a key clash in the relegation battle and the Cottagers were extremely poor. The defence looked ramshackle, no-one in white could hit the target (save a centre-back who hadn't scored since 2004) and Andy Johnson looked completely devoid of confidence. Without Bobby Zamora for six weeks or so yet, they need reinforcement in January and serious firepower if they are to avoid the drop. And I don't see Mark Hughes' men doing it.

MY PREDICTION

15. Newcastle United

16. Blackburn Rovers

17. West Ham United

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18. Fulham

19. Wigan Athletic

20. Wolverhampton Wanderers

Feel free to agree or disagree, leave a comment :)

NWR

Rollercoaster: The Pompey Update

Well, the last time we spoke about Portsmouth FC, the Blues had just won away at Hull City. Fortunately for me, not a lot has happened at Fratton Park since then...

October: Cotterill pushes Blues into play-off picture

Well from that Hull win, it was a great end to October with a two-one win over a youthful Nottingham Forest. Making it seven games unbeaten and four wins on the spin, goals from the improving Ibrahima Sonko and the up-and-coming talisman Liam Lawrence cancelled out a fine header from Paul Anderson to give Cotterill's boys a fine win and an exceptional October. Having started the month languishing in the lower reaches of the Championship, they went into November in tenth place, with the month also seeing Pompey finally taken over by Balraim Chainrai. But what goes up...

November: Reality Check

The following month saw Pompey given a reality check. After a great run, they travelled to Pride Park to face in-form Derby County in a televised clash. But with Pompey also on a great run, it should be a good tussle, yes? No. Pompey faltered under the Sky cameras and fell down two-nil to an enterprising and energetic Rams side, who capitalised on a poor performance from the southerner's defence to push them further down the table into thirteenth. A first defeat in seven hit the Blues, but they had the perfect chance to get back to good form with the visit of league leaders QPR to Fratton Park. The Hoops had been stuttering of late despite remaining unbeaten, and Pompey took a second half lead; Matt Connolly dragging down Dave Kitson in the box, getting sent off and Liam Lawrence scoring a retaken penalty. But Pompey's luck turned when Rangers won a questionnable penalty in the final minutes; Lawrence penalised for a handball and returning Tommy Smith struck to make it one-one at the end.

was to come in the following two games. Doncaster took all three points from Fratton Park but it wasn't half the story; James Hayter and James Coppinger gave Rovers a two-goal lead but second-half strikes from Joel Ward and David Nugent brought the Blues level and in search of an unlikely winner. But David Healy's long-range strike gave the travellers a three-two win on the south coast, then to make it worse, a trip to Barnsley ended fruitless. Adam Hammill's early strike was enough to see a fatigued Pompey side fall to a poor one-nil defeat and fall to sixteenth spot.

Luckily, the month ended on an unexpected high. A trip to promotion chasing Swansea City would have been one of the last chosen fixtures for an out-of-sorts Pompey, but they came away with an incredible victory. James Beattie may have given the Swans a second-minute lead, but goals from David Nugent and Greg Halford gave the Blues a deserved win. A good end to a bad month.

December: It's a Snow Go

victory at the Liberty Stadium should have given Pompey the impetus to push on in the league, but unfortunately Mother Nature literally dumped on that idea. Home games against Burnley and Scunthorpe were both postponed due to the snow, meaning the club has gone a whole month now without a home game. One match did slip through the icy net, an away tie at Norwich, and what a result. A two-nil win at the play-off hopefuls, thanks to a wonderful David Nugent performance and goals from Kitson and Halford, meaning the Blues go into Christmas in fifteenth; just six points off of the play-off spots. Next up, Millwall at home on Boxing Day.

Off-The-Pitch: Same Old, Same Old

While matters have been progressing well on the pitch, it wouldn't be Pompey if we weren't being held back by matters off the pitch. There are still lingering doubts over Chainrai, he has made no secret of the fact he is not a sugar daddy, but investment is surely needed if we are to progress in this league. We are still fighting on legal fronts with Inter Milan and Tottenham over owed moneys from the transfers of Sulley Muntari and Asmir Begovic respectively, with FIFA now being dragged in. Rejuvinated strikers David Nugent and John Utaka are out of contract at the end of the season and for all eyes outside of the club, there is no movement on tying two of our key players.

But the biggest matter is the contract disputes surrounding Richard Hughes and Michael Brown. Both midfielders have clauses in their contracts stating if they play one more game, we are obliged to offer them contracts the club cannot afford, meaning Cotterill cannot play them. Hughesy has become more of a squad player in recent weeks, but Brown has become one of the key members of midfield and has formed a good partnership with Hayden Mullins in there. Simply, we need them freed up otherwise Cotterill will be desperately short of options in the middle, as our threadbare squad is stretched to its limit over this busy period.

What Next for the Blues?

So, what next for Pompey? Who should we be looking for in the January transfer window? Who should we look to keep and look to sell? And how are the Blues going to get on in their festive fixtures?

Well, the answers to these questions are coming up in the approaching week. Up until then, I wanted to give you highlights of Pompey beating Tottenham in the FA Cup Semi-Finals. Failing that, I wanted to show you Barcelona playing total football in beating Real Madrid five-nil with a perfect performance. But, thanks to the deteriorating state of YouTube, here is the highlights from Real Madrid's thumping 8-0 win over Levante, with some foreign commentary :). I promise better in the future.

Play Up Pompey.

NWR.

Guess Who's Back...

Sorry for the lack of activity in the past two months or so guys, University lived up to its promise of taking over my life and I have been preoccupied with multiple essays in the past two or so months. For that I apologise, and although I still have some lingering essays to plow out, I am pleased to announce that I am returning to blog-writing mode. Boom.

Luckily for me, the snow in recent weeks has rathered slowed the sporting calender. Still lots to catch up on though; one of the most open title races in years with all teams involved eager to throw it away, ridiculous sackings at both Blackburn and Newcastle, England back to their old tricks in trying to throw away the Ashes in Oz and Haye retaining his title in one of the most one-sided boxing matches this vastly inexperienced writer has ever seen. And this is without mentioning Portsmouth FC; who once again are making strides on the pitch while being hauled backwards off of it.

Lots to catch up on then. To look forward to in the coming week or so (probably a bit longer knowing me), my views on the year that Pompey have had, as well as my best sporting moments of the past 12 months. Also, my predictions for next year and the occassional first-hand report of a football match (if you're lucky).

Into the New Year, back to the same routine, weekly updates on my opinions surrounding the football world and the limited knowledge I have on surrounding subjects within the sporting world, returning of course to my beloved Portsmouth FC. To tide you over for the moment however, here is probably my highlight of the year and possibly the decade, and I'll leave it to the facts to tell you why. Portsmouth 4 Southampton 1 (the second time, up at theirs, HA).

It's good to be back. Play Up Pompey.

NWR