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Writer: pompeyrug 
Date:Monday May 12 2008
Time: 2:24PM
UK time is: 10:12:12
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Sacha targets the champions league
So much for my 'aim high but do not expect too much theories of late'... Sacha Gaydamak is targeting champions league football with Pompey!
In order to get close to this it will take quite a substantial investment this summer and Gaydamak seems prepared to do this, as making the uefa cup alone will require a larger squad than we currently have, he told The News: 'next year the pressure will rise - we'll have to work on player recruitment, the infrastructure.
'If we qualify for Europe, the manager will naturally need a bigger squad and it's my job to make funds available to him.
'When I joined, we first got out of relegation.
'So now it seems realistic to enter the top four. To do so requires a certain structure, a mindset.
'And of course the rewards will help us to be a regular in the top four, not the top six.'
Champions league football with Pompey, unrealistic many would say, but then again this is what most people thought about top flight football not so long again, then the chance of being in the top 10 regularly even more recently... never say never with Pompey, we must have learned this by now...
It has been a fantastic season, and although we do have to be pleased with what we have achieved it is not a wild accusation to make that we 'could' have got that champions league place this season, but for some below par performances of late and some points dropped that should not have been - but lets take a step at a time, but so long as the investment is right why can this not be achievable at some point? I said as much last week - that it is not as unattainable as we might be told.
It will not just be about spending money on buying big name players though, we will also have to bring through our own and our youth set-up is starting to look very tasty and we have added another star to the ranks recently with the arrival of England under-16 international James Hurst from West Brom for £250,000 - a deal which could rise to £1m.
Hurst was 16 in January and is being talked about as 'one of the hottest talents about'.
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Your Comments
Well at least he's realistic, that's handy in a chairman. *If* we are ever going to break into the Champions League, we are going to need investment in players, investment in the youth side of things, and we're definitely going to need major investment in infrastructure. In the long term, the club needs to make more money, and that means a bigger ground with considerably more facilities, of the type which Milan was proposing while he was still the boss. We can't keep relying on handouts from the chairman, we need to become self-sufficient or else we're in danger of a Leeds Utd style implosion.
With all the speculation about Sacha in recent months, I think it's great to see him come out with some really positive talk about taking the club forward. Now let's hope we see the action to match the words.
PhilTaglia
Agreed, great comments to come out with matched with a great buy of a very talented young defender. I think it may take some years to break into the top 4 but hopefully with all the right moves being made it wont just be a dream.
sneakay
Great comments from Sasha and show the right commitment. Surely though we need a stadium before we hit top four? Heard about this young Hurst from WBA and it is definitely a move in the right direction to get the best young kids around and get Paul Hart to make Premiership players of them.
eastneydave
paul hart seems to be a magnet for the young and talented! sascha has been perfect for us, and shows exactly the right attitude! bring on the top 4 (even if it is in 10 years...)
pompeycarpet
Future looks bright, better wear shades. Personally I love the atmosphere at Fratton but do agree the stadium needs to be sorted as soon as possible.
pompeyyong
Fantastic comments from Sascha - he needs to have a chat with Harry....
Gandor
Full speed ahead. The future is blue. Win the FA cup first, have the summer of our lives celebrating the achivement. Build for next season. Get the bleedin' statium sorted & go for the dream.
storagematt
Nice one Sach .. I'll drink to a top four finish ... well.. I'd drink to anything really but great words and from what you've done before we've no reason to doubt you.. Kid from WBA looks a good prospect too..
Chix
Whilst I welcome the remarks from Sasha, there were 2 sentences I wondered about. Firstly that whilst he didn't buy Portsmouth to make money but he also didn't buy the club to lose money. I don't think he would have made money from the club yet and would also certainly have lost a few million and, in the short term, his stated ambition for the club would definately lose him a lot of money and he still has a stadium to build. How long will he be prepared or be able to sustain that sort of outlay before he needs a profitable season.
The other thing that concerned me was that after recent denials of any knowledge of anyone interested in purchasing the club, he now admits that there had been an interested party enquiring about the club.
Maybe I am being picky or maybe it was mis reporting but it is noticable that nowhere in the interview report did he say "Harry will need money" or even mention Harry's name. It was always "the manager".
It just seems a "too nice statement" and I get suspicious when people make these type of statements. They are usually either up to something or are politicians.
frattonaussie
When think what Man City & Liverpool are putting up with we should grateful for Sasha.
storagematt
I read somewhere today (Daily Mail) that Pompey have lost 24 million pounds this season.
Gandor
Yeah good on you Sasha. aim high and give Harry the funds to get the players in who can take us to the next level, I reckon Crouch, Mensah or Luiseo would be a good start, but as mentioned it would be great to see more news about whats going on about the new ground. Yes we have lost 24m this year but the they are just about to get about anothet 40m back from Sky for the TV rights, so its noty all as bad as it seems.
blarmy
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