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Writer: pompeyrug 
Date:Wednesday February 27 2008
Time: 11:13AM
UK time is: 18:28:45
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Redknapp talking positive again
If Harry Redknapp is talking up our chances of doing something then you know that he really does feel we can do whatever it is, as he often plays down our chances doesn't he.
He has told The News that he thinks we are more than capable of bettering the 56pts that Bolton got last season, which got them into the final uefa cup spot and could be enough - although I think it will take more - to do it again this season: 'we've got enough points to keep us in the division. Now we want enough points to get us into Europe.
'We have seven home games and if we can get on a run who knows where it could take us?
'We have to start thinking positive now and start thinking about trying to get into Europe.
'It's going to be very close but we have decent games.
'If 56 did it last season we'd need 12 points. You'd hope we would get more than 12 points over the remainder of the season.
'I'd like to think we were able to do that.
There are many possible avenues into Europe next season, but the easiest way we can guarantee this is to either finish 4th or 5th or win the FA cup - if we meet any of these targets then we will be there for sure.
Many argue that European football is not something that is desperately needed next season, this is true it is not essential but it will sure as hell go along way to helping us keep our best players, as well as helping to attract even better ones - including more talented youth players that could come through in the years to come...
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Your Comments
I agree, I think we do need to get into Europe next season, as I feel for sure we would lose at least 3 of our automatic starters each week. Of course we also need the Portsmouth and Fareham Councils to play their part now and give us the permission to build both the ground and training facilities to back up what is happening on the pitch.
blarmy
If we can get 4 points from villa and everton then game on. They both have hard run ins so if we play well we can look at 5th. We need big games though from all our players.
imazav
guys, check out the crystal balls post in the Portsmouth forum
ChrisW
Of course we can do it, and we should believe we can. Its great to hear Arry talking positive. Sunday's game is crucial - a 6-pointer!
tracyc
If you don't go all the way to the FA Cup final worst case you could hope for a Chelsea Man U final, so long as they both remain in a Champions League spot my understanding is the Uefa Cup spot would go to the team finishing 7th. Best of luck.
sw6cfc
i think we have the uefa cup spot, but for us to keep our best players we need champions league
we have the quality, whose 2 say we cant do it
NK19
if we 'need' champions league football to keep our better players NK19 then i think we will be losing some this summer then... whilst i seriously do think this could still be possible - even more so 'if' we can beat everton - if the players are 'expecting this' or they will leave then they are at the wrong club at this point in time, as we are not 'expected' to be a champions league club, in time maybe, but not for a while in all honesty...
pompeyrug
click here to see ChrisW's thread in the forum...
pompeyrug
Using CW crystal balls, I think somewhere we'll get around 66-69 pts which may get us 6th or 7th similar to Aston Villa. We'll finish behind the scousers who will fight out 4th & 5th.
storagematt
liverpool will be close to everton - but i reckon they will possibly win the CL... as for us, i would be pleased with 6th, and looking at it now, slightly disopointed with 8th - after the money we spent, and the players we brought in, 7th should be absolute minimum...i think...but the important thing, is to pick up points on every ocasion
pompeycarpet
56 points, in all honesty would be a disappointment at this stage - four more wins out off 11 games is not good enough - we need to be thinking in the terms of 63 points (i.e all our home games at least) if we are to habour any realistic chance of a UEFA cup spot. All games are going be tough but if we can win at home and pick up the odd points away then no matter what the others do that will be enough... In some respects it is in ours hands .. we need to start playing better and stop just scrapping through, as although that's good enough sometimes it's no way to mount a serious European challenge... Come on Pompey 6th minimum.. as Storage says behind the scousers ...
Chix
Talking positive is good, but playing positive is better. Harry spent the summer transforming us from a side which was solid defensively with one or two offensive talents to a side which was ( in theory at least ) brimming with attacking potential. With Defoe and Diarra added to the squad during the winter, who would argue with that? But we're still playing like a solid defensive side who might catch the odd goal on the break. A lot of people have suggested ( rather sarcastically, in some cases ) that Harry has been trying to turn Pompey into a poor man's Arsenal, but it takes more than players, the formations and intentions have to be agressive too.
If we really want to get into the UEFA cup this time ( and I accept the notion that this would be a double-edged sword at best ) then we have to start playing like an aggressive team who are trying to score goals, and stop relying on the safest pair of hands in the country to keep us in games.
PhilTaglia
Phil Agree there we must play like a team that wants it!! Where did HR get seven homes games from? Only six left and only Villa and Blackburn in top half.
eastneydave
With 11 games to go & we won 7, drew 2 and lost 2, which would take some doing, we would have another 23 pts, more than half the points we have already. Total 67 pts.
Win 5, drew 3 and lose 3, 18 pts = 62.
Last season both gave you a uefa spot. It might not this.
storagematt
poormans arsenal? scrap that, we're a poor mans (or rather boys - whilst abramovic isnt old, saschas still a fair bit younger) chelsea. sure, at the start of the season, our style was more like arsenal, but we have been playing the same formation as chelsea, we signed the same style of signings, and we are now playing like them... oh, and 56 points wont get us into the uefa cup, so we will need more than that!
pompeycarpet
having said that, i am pretty sure everton and liverpool will finish above us, so we are really relying on a kind fa cup draw if we want to get in!!!
pompeycarpet
based on my "crystal balls" predictions it looks like we will finish 7th. I may be wrong but I think that means we will miss out on Europe. Based on my record on past predictions it should mean we will get the Champions league spot. CW agrees with some of my predictions and vice versa so we could be relegated.....lol. It will be very tight and a few good games or bad games by any team could see a rapid change in positions. Man U will be top and we will win the cup. Well I dream. If Man U win the league and cup I think 7th would get us into Europe so ther's always a brighter side.
frattonaussie
Re needing a champions league spot to keep our players. I don't agree. If we get to Europe they will be happy. I don't think any of the players really expected Champions League this year. If we lose players it won't be because of not getting to the Champions League.
frattonaussie
I think we'll see a couple of twist before the end of the season, Spurs might push hard, so too Hammers - and for sure one or more of the current 'contenders' will lose form. I can't see Liverpool continuing their poor form either.
ChrisW
sometimes i think that someone kidnapps 'arry, as he was only the other day saying the above, but now he is 'talking down' our european chances, using the old 'we were at grimsby 6 years ago line so lets not expect too much'...
pompeyrug
that's funny 'Rug
ChrisW
There are 2 Harry's.If you look at all the press release photos over the last month there is one with an old wrinkled look and one that smiles and looks 20 years younger and doesn't look as though he's about to have a heart attack. Biggest problem is they don't talk to each other and have a habit of making contadictory statements.
frattonaussie
Two Harry's, why did I not think of that frattonaussie,it answers everything, I could like one and not the other. A Jekyll and Hyde, a good and bad. Contradictory statements, players bought and sold without reason, of course it all makes sense. It all depends on which one is in charge at the time.
I must admit frattonaussie, I have seen some pictures of "HR" recently which the hair dye and tracksuit cannot disguise.
"HR" cut down on the red wine and pasta evenings with the "Mrs".
007
I was thinking more like 65 pts, but hey, what do I know. It is europe or bust for a lot of the lads though, so Everton away is a sort of Waterloo.
Toronto4Pompey
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