UK time is: 18:10:41

Portsmouth News 24/7

Choose your club

Other Sites

Network Navigation

Vital Partners

Safe Standing!

'If It's Football, It's Vital'

Check out the forum! There are 6 members viewing right now. Click here to join in!

Why not enter the inter two bob cup?

Ok, maybe I am alone on this issue but would it not make sense for us to 'at least' put our name forward for the inter two bob cup this time - proper name intertoto cup...

As we refused to do so last season - along with Reading, which opened the door for Blackburn - this meant that we missed out on a chance of playing in the uefa cup this season. Although to be honest I would have liked us to have entered it ultimately I think the right decision was made.

However I feel that by 'at least not putting our name forward', as a back up plan if nothing else we are missing a trick?

I do feel that we are good enough to maybe finish in the top 4, not that I am of course expecting this... Finishing in the top 5 would definitely be good enough, the top 6 will most probably be good enough and I feel very confident that we could do this, even a top 7 place - which I would almost be amazed if we did not get - might be enough, but what harm would it do to use this as a backup plan? Lets be honest Europe is the aim this season and should we not get this players will no two ways about it leave - or at least want to!

Blackburn have again applied, as have Man City, even Spurs have applied and despite originally saying that they would not Villa have now decided to do so 'as a backup plan' - so if it is good enough for all of these why are we still refusing to do so?

Harry Redknapp entered this with West Ham, and if memory serves me they were one of the winners - along with Juventus - I think in the late 90s? So why is he so reluctant to do so now? I know for a fact that Paul Merson loved playing in this, and saw this as an ideal pre season, which despite being slightly longer than usual I believe it would.

The argument is that with players reporting back for training 'earlier than usual' they run the risk of picking up an injury, but with all due respect to teams that enter it is not 'always' the hardest of tournaments to negotiate and if we have a big enough squad - which we should - this should not 'in theory' impact on us that much? As for picking up injuries, well this could happen in a 'meaningless pre season friendly' so what would be the difference...

As said I think we are more than capable of qualifying for Europe without needing to take the inter two bob cup route, but what is the harm in putting our name forward as a backup plan?

PLAY UP POMPEY!

Seconds Out! Vital Boxing is here!

Vital F1 Prediction League - Join now for Monaco

Writer: pompeyrug

Date:Friday February 15 2008

Time: 1:56PM

Your Comments

HR said in the press earlier this week that when West Ham played in it they didn't have long enough off in the summer due to the matches being played so early - consequently the players were tired for the start of the season....

ChrisW

I thought that last season too, and don't enjoy seeing Blackburn playing in the UEFA cup when they finished below us - but I understand that last year we were already signed up to play in the Asia trophy, and I think they have similar plans last year. I have also heard that Arry hates the intertoto, as well as the games being too early in the pre-season and therefore likely to cause hamstring pulls and other problems. Not sure how much of this is excuse, or real, but I think its not going to happen. Still we're going to win the FA cup so it won't matter!

tracyc

Tracy if we win the FA Cup, I am hereby announcing that Rug will buy you dinner!

ChrisW

last year we already had our fa asia trophy thing booked in, so couldnt really find time for it anyway (we'd have had to cancel our date). luckily blackburn went out to larissa this year (cypriot side?), so we aren't too jealous of them, and whats wrong with more practice? we needed more practice this year, as we handed derby one of only 7 points first game this season!

jbaker

i dont see it being a problem, however on the other hand we will have some players at euro 2008 wont we - so they will get little or no break, altho at the same time we have a squad that i feel is capable of being rotated enough and to still have enough quality to see us through the intertoto cup... i accepted last season's 'rejection' as we were already signed up for a 'lucrative' asian trip, i will not be so forgiving if we 'rejected' it again this year for a money spinning exercise, as this will not keep players here - european football will... im hoping we wouldnt need it, but i wish we put put our name forward just in case - i really do think that me must gain euopean entry to keep some of our best players...

pompeyrug

thanks for putting me forward for this ChrisW... i do really think we can go on and win the cup so its just aswell im putting money aside as i'll need to now buy tracyc dinner - you'll be happy with a takeaway right :-)

pompeyrug

I'm surprised we didn't put ourselves forward. But is it not late to for to put our name forward? It could have been a good taster, use the squad a bit. Beats playing Torquay in a friendly.

storagematt

Why not double the size of the squad, and play 12 months a year. Follow cricket with continuos test matches, tours and tournaments and then watch the sport get watered down into insignificance.

007

i think the daedlline was end of jan to put name foward but i can see pompey finishing in the top 6 and getting to the cup final which is usually good enough if you are playing the big 4

knocker

ChrisW - Rug - thanks guys, thats a great offer but I'm not sure the boyfriend will be too pleased!

tracyc

I'm not a big fan of it. Most entrants tend to go out early and it affects the players season.

stillthewhizz

Tracy don't worry we would all be there to chaperon!!

eastneydave

Chaperon & record it. Imagine the dvd sales?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

storagematt

: )

ChrisW

do it - makes sense to me. Nugent not playing Sunday!!!!!! Hoorah

WalshWasGod

I think you will find we are already pencilled in to defend the Asia Cup and possibly also do a short tour. As Pompey are trying to broaden their Asian support base they may see this as more advantageous than being in the intertoto cup.

frattonaussie

would you be a fan of it stillthewhizz tho if it meant getting into europe, therefore probably keeping players that might otherwise leave? i would be...

pompeyrug

you cant play in the asia cup two years in a row can you? no one else has ever done this... its only a local lancashire rag saying that nuge is out WalshWasGod so dont get too carried away that this will definately be the case...

pompeyrug

Rug if the money comes in for Diarra, Muntari and Kranjcar they're going to leave regardless of what competition we're in. We're not going to suddenly become a big club overnight.

I back Harry's decision. He wants the maximum hunger and desire to succeed and not a back door entry into a very poor competition.

We're all in love with this great theory of playing football at a high level abroad but in reality the UEFA Cup is pretty *****. Still, I can see what it does for the club to be in it.

stillthewhizz

You can play if your are defending the trophy. I think last year was Liverpools 2nd year. Also I am wrong in saying the Asia Cup; it is the Asia Trophy. There is a big difference. Re Nugent; HR indicated in an interview that Nugent might be on the bench but wouldn't be starting as he wanted to give him another week to recover. In typical Harry fashion it wasn't said in one paragraph but scattered so you had to build the jigsaw.

frattonaussie

i hope you lads dont sign up for the cup lol. With competition so close this year, we ( rovers) might need the back door entry. Im sure both our clubs will be challenging for automatic qualification. Best of luck lads

sasman

I'm a bit old-fashioned on Europe, I believe it has lost its value mainly because of the amount of teams in it. The Uefa cup is like a milk cup for Europe now, the fact you can get knocked out the Champions league and then fall into it, just demeans it as a little cup. The Champions league is not a cup for Champions, you can come fourth in the Premiership and still be crowned Champions of Europe, another money spinning cop out. The old format of 1 champion from each league gave more credibility, same as the Uefa would have more bones to it if you qualified by high league placing alone, and not having it as a back up cup for the big boys. The Intertoto is known as a twobob cup because that is what it is, another chance for clubs to qualify not by merit, by means of a lottery.

paultsmouth

I think an entry form wouldn't have hurt would it... If for only back-up purposes.. if we want european football at Pompey we should explore all means of achieveing that ..back door or not .... after all what good did winning the Asia Trophy do us ?

Chix

the uefa cup might not be 'that special' but it will still generate money stillthewhizz, and would probably still be of interest to the players - and of enough interest to make most want to stay... they keep saying this is what they want... it might 'appear' that we are a selling club - which to an extent we are, but i dont believe that we would be forced into selling the biggest and best players unless it is a massive offer and is just too good to refuse...

pompeyrug

sorry frattonaussie im sill going to disagree on the asia cup, asia trophy, call it what you will but i think it was the 3rd year when we won it, chelsea and bolton have won it in the past and have not defended the trophy, every year so far it has been 4 completely different teams each time...

pompeyrug

I still think this is Harry's way of doing it properly and getting the best out of his players until the end of the season. If we don't make it, we don't deserve to be in it and should keep developing until we're strong enough. I trust Harry, after all he's been there before.

stillthewhizz

Again we disagree rug, the trophy winner is invited back but is under no obligation to accept. The Asian Cup is run on the lines of the African Cup and is between nations in the Asian/ Australasian area as defined by FIFA. The Asia Trophy is an invitation event between a handful of invited clubs not nations.

frattonaussie

i think to enter you need a large squad to prevent early season burn out - is your squad large enough you need to ask yourselves!

merlin

Have Your Say

Recent Articles

David Connolly joins the crusade (Thursday May 23 2013)

Not short of an option or two! (Thursday May 23 2013)

On this day in history...23rd May (Thursday May 23 2013)

On this day in history...22nd May (Wednesday May 22 2013)

Reaping the benefits of 1st team football (Tuesday May 21 2013)

On this day in history...21st May (Tuesday May 21 2013)

Scunny winger becomes latest Pompey signing (Monday May 20 2013)

Winger signing imminent? (Monday May 20 2013)

On this day in history...20th May (Monday May 20 2013)

On this day in history...19th May (Sunday May 19 2013)

Archived Articles

Vital Pompey Articles from 2005
Vital Pompey Articles from 2006
Vital Pompey Articles from 2007
Vital Pompey Articles from 2008
Vital Pompey Articles from 2009
Vital Pompey Articles from 2010
Vital Pompey Articles from 2011
Vital Pompey Articles from 2012
Vital Pompey Articles from 2013

Vital Members League (view all)

1.	pompeyrug	71
2.	eastneydave	48
3.	storagematt	37
4.	mslorna48	27
5.	Jimsmithswig	25
6.	blueballoo2000	17
7.	nagoyablue	15
8.	Pompeytim	14
9.	PompeyJake	13
10.	PFCblue	10

League Results (view all)

Latest Results
Shrewsbury	3	-	2	Portsmouth
Portsmouth	3	-	0	Sheff Utd
Brentford	3	-	2	Portsmouth
Portsmouth	0	-	0	Stevenage
Portsmouth	1	-	0	Tranmere
Preston	1	-	1	Portsmouth

League Table (view table)

Team	P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
18. Stevenage	46	15	9	22	-17	54
19. Oldham	46	14	9	23	-13	51
20. Colchester	46	14	9	23	-21	51
21. Scunthorpe	46	13	9	24	-24	48
22. Bury	46	9	14	23	-28	41
23. Hartlepool	46	9	14	23	-28	41
24. Portsmouth	46	10	12	24	-18	32

Breaking League News

Pato Top Target For Huddersfield

» Walsall : 23/05/2013 17:47:00

David Connolly joins the crusade

» Portsmouth : 23/05/2013 16:52:00

Cherries linked with Brentford striker

» Bournemouth : 23/05/2013 16:25:00

Win a kit for a local youth football team

» Bournemouth : 23/05/2013 16:16:00

Introducing the 'All Departments' podcast

» Bournemouth : 23/05/2013 16:14:00

DRFC Draw date for League Cup First Round revealed

» Doncaster : 23/05/2013 15:54:00

DRFC Dickov ready to raid former club?

» Doncaster : 23/05/2013 15:25:00

Current Site Poll (view all polls)

Cookie Policy
At Vital Football, we along with most other modern websites use small files called 'cookies' to create the most secure, effective and functional website possible for our users. Without these files our business model, based on advertising, breaks down and we would be unable to continue to provide the services that you are here to utilise. By continuing to use this website after seeing this message, you consent to our use of cookies on this device unless you have disabled them. For full details please read our Cookie Policy which can be found here. However, if you would like to disable cookies on this device, please view our Cookie Policy which contains an opt-out tool for disabling advertising cookies. Please also visit our information pages on 'How to manage cookies' if you would also like to block all other types of cookies. Please be aware that parts of this site will not function correctly if you disable cookies.