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Writer: pompeyrug 
Date:Thursday August 21 2008
Time: 12:16PM
UK time is: 08:28:04
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Pompey eye another Traore/4 ruled out/HR on Utaka
Harry Redknapp has made it clear that he wants to bring in a new left back to add cover/competition to Hermann Hreidarsson. This has seen us 'linked' to Nicky Shorey - but he went to Villa, Wayne Bridge - but he wants to sit on the bench at Chelski and Nadir Belhadj - so far nothing is happening here, until now?
With us turning the loan of Jerome Thomas into a permanent deal we have now made a loan slot available - I am not sure if it is 2 loans, as Pompey say or 4 as others say that are the maximum you can have? - and the suggestion is we could fill this with the loan signing of Arsenal youngster Armand Traore...
Do not be fooled by the name guys, from what I have seen of this Traore he is a fantastic talent, very much in the Ashley Cole and Gael Clichy mould of left backs if you ask me - and only the immense ability of Clichy keeps him from getting more of a look-in at Arsenal in my thinking.
To be honest I was not so sure that we needed to get in a left back, and I know it is only 1 game - and a game against a Chelski side that were fantastic, as poor as we were - but Hreidarsson for the first time in a long time looked out of place and looked all of his 34 years... So if we could bring this kid in on loan then it would not be a bad thing at all, but lets see what happens eh, lots of rumours do the rounds all the time!
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Redknapp however has moved to dismiss speculation 'linking' Pompey with 4 free agents, telling The News: 'Juan Pablo Sorin arriving is absolute rubbish. I don't even know where he is.
'I'm not interested in Thomas Gravesen. As for Stephen Appiah, he's injured at the moment, that's why he's left Fenerbahce.
'We won't be signing Jordi Lopez, either. He's gone after his trial. We didn't want to keep him.'
Just as he says this it does not mean none will happen, but again we'll see. I have seen that Lopez is on trial with Blackburn now though!
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And finally, with the speculation growing and growing that John Utaka could return to France, with reports in France saying that he is closing in on a move to Lille - I think it is Lille? - Harry Redknapp has backed him. Saying he is still very much in his thoughts but he has to realise that in a 4-4-2 he needs to pull his weight...
I am not convinced that we will ever see him be the player that we want and I am not sure he will be willing to put in a shift as the English game is different to what he is used to, but I am happy for us to give him one final chance up until Christmas - if he fails it will be almost certainly time to say goodbye...
That said if a decent offer does come in then I would suspect he will leave, my only concern is that we possibly would not be given this money to reinvest despite 'links' to the likes of Sydney Govou - I am undecided on this fella, Jermaine Pennant - not for me and Shaun Wright-Phillips - yes please, but highly doubtful.
All in all I feel we would have seen a new signing arrive - other than today's - by the time we face Manyoo on Monday, with an announcement made on Friday looming Perhaps?
Thoughts on all the above as ever please guys...
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Your Comments
Maybe we could borrow Arsenal Traore & swap him for the muppet Traore we got from Liverpool. They may not notice??? LOL.
storagematt
Govou scored again for France last night, he would do for me any day of the week!
southportpompey
Think Pompey should have signed Govou not crouch in the first palce -would have suited 4-5-1 playing on the right & been about 4 million cheaper
yellowcheesemonkey
And Pennant would do for me, one of the best crossers of the ball in the premier league, we could probably get him on the cheap. His attitude is the problem but i'm sure Harry would whip him into shape.
stooH
Crouch = waste of maoney and wages
pompeysno.9
Good day to you all! 1st post on this site so here goes. It seems to me that we have a problem fitting players into our now chosen formation of 4-4-2. Last season on the whole, the 4-5-1 was pretty successful although I do think that a number of the opposition did figure us out in our usual xmas/january slump (plus the Africa Cup didn`t help). Now HR has come out and stated that we need wide players, both in midfield and defense and that that he`s got a problem with now "having" to play both strikers now we have bought them. Central players we have plenty of so I`m going to suggest a 3-5-2 (or a 3-1-4-2 / 3-5-1-1 or any variation of the 3-5-2!) (Lert to Right) Def: HH SD + 1 from SC, LP or NP (use any of these last 3 as sub/injury cover) Mid: NK (would like to see in the middle behind the front 2 at some point please so then could use JT instead) , LD , PBD, SD, GJ / GL (sub?) For: 2mPeter & JD (obviously!) I believe this will allow flexibility either going forward or back with 1 or 2 players covering either way depending on the situation, it keeps the 5 man midfield and 2 up front without adopting the geordie style of we don`t need a defense coz we can score than you! Also, if someone goes awol, then the cover is there. Sorry if I`m going over old ground and for the excessive use of brackets! Your thoughts please.
Pompeyrk77
Welcome PompeyRK; you can see a lot more of similar thinking on many of the forums in VP. Go on, dip your toe in, you know you want to.
UKTony
I wouldn't mind having Pennant - pace and ability to cross the ball would serve us well. Did we not decide that we can't have SWP (whether we want him or not) as we already have Sahar?
UKTony
I think Traore would be a great loan, although i can't see Wenger letting him go permantly, although didn't they just sign Silvestre?? Maybe i don't know what I am talking about. lol
sneakay
Great signing traore if it goes through then we get him on permant like sahar !! hope harry accepts a utaka bid then that money can go on pennant or sidney govou 2 good players there both have speed , skill and can certainly cross a ball so com on arry get 2 of them in traore an govou / pennant then appiah and that would be good buisness
stfc ballboy
Yes, welcome Pompeyrk77; be warned, you'll get no work done, Vital Pompey is addictive. Tony & stooH, agreed - I've been banging on for months that Pennant would be a cracking signing....don't think Rug agrees but, hey guys, we're allowed to agree to disagree, eh, Rug? Number9; you may be right but what's done is done - just like we shouldn't have let Benji go.
NinjaTim
Guys, any truth that we're in for Nathan Dyer from "next door"? I heard he'd only just signed a three year contract.
NinjaTim
The thing is with pennant is that he has played with crouch so we might as well 'finish the job' by signing him. Having crouch with no one to get crosses in is like having a car without fuel.
pompeysno.9
Traore confirmed then, great signing in my opinion, as for knocking Crouch, bit premature don't you think?
paultsmouth
Yeah it is a little but some people aren't fans of Crouch or his style of play. Myself for one.
stillthewhizz
Nice to know in not the only one who thinks crouch has a lot to prove.
pompeysno.9
Like most people with seats in rows 1 - 10 at the Bridge on Sunday, we got precious little view of the game because of a charmless Sky cameraman right in front of us but the one this that I DID see a lot of in the second half was a good view of Crouchy and, frankly, his physique defies gravity and physics - she really shouldn't be able to stand upright without his legs snapping. I felt he wasn't doing anything off the ball and would take ages to recover from being dispossessed (or not even getting possession in the first place) and was dorissing about ineffectually for too much of the game. But that's a judgement based on limited sightlines! Will be able to judge more from Manyoo game
hammersmithblue
sorry, didn't mean to call Crouchy "she" - am not THAT critical
hammersmithblue
It doesn't help when your other striker is similar in not doing an awful lot when he doesn't have the ball. I do not wish to go back on this situation again but we should have found a replacement for Benjani, not a glamour signing of Crouch. Regardless, I shall get behind Harry's choice, the team and Crouch.
stillthewhizz
storagematt, now ur thinking boy! thats gold ;)
I dont really want to sell Utaka as i dont think we will get to spend the money on another player.
Utaka is better than nothink
nodster
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