Sell Out (Old News)

Below is old news that I wrote while the system was down. Tevez ended up injured and Mascherano was on the bench.

It has taken much too long but Portsmouth v West Ham is a sell out! Portsmouth will be at full capacity for what is set to be a crunch match, against an out of form West Ham.

Sacha (Pompey`s chairmen) is looking at moving Portsmouth to a reported 36,000 seater stadium. Despite this Fratton Park has been unable to sell out once this season.

Redknapp fears a backlash from West Ham on Saturday, with the Londoners on a bad run of form;

'Tevez and Mascherano are two world-class players, there's no doubt about that. It takes time to settle in and when they do they'll be great players in England, I'm sure. West Ham have also got a good manager. Sometimes it just doesn't go for you but they've got too much quality not to put a run together. They'll come good.

'Two of the games they lost were UEFA Cup games against Palermo, who are a very good team sitting second in Serie A. And West Ham battered Reading the other week and attacked for 80-odd minutes after conceding a first-minute goal. People are saying that since the Argentinians have come the results have been no good, as though it's their fault. It's not their fault.

'Apart from top clubs, we all go through runs like that during the season. We all have spells where you go on a run of wins and then can go on a run of not winning - that's the way it is. It's that type of division for the rest of us. Let's not kid ourselves, they are world-class players, the pair of them. It's unfair to blame them.

'D'Alessandro came and did a great job for us. He adjusted quickly but these boys will come good. Tevez has had only four league games, Mascherano two.

'It takes time, they've got to settle into a new area and don't know the language, it's so difficult. We expect them to walk in and suddenly set the place alight - it doesn't work that way unless you're lucky. Thierry Henry took months to get going at Arsenal, Dennis Bergkamp was the same and they've been two of the greatest players in our game. Just wait and see.'

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