Portsmouth News 24/7Writer: pompeyrug 
Date:Wednesday September 19 2007
Time: 4:40PM
UK time is: 18:08:55
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Mendes still Redknapp's man?
For most - myself included - Pedro Mendes would be one of the first names on the team sheet each week, but this has not been he case so far this season.
He has been left out of the most recent starting line ups, the squad for the Liverpool match completely, but telling the Daily Express Harry Redknapp has assured him of his future: 'There's absolutely no problem with Pedro. He will get back into the side.
'He wasn't in the 16 against Liverpool because I had to balance up the bench go give me defensive and attacking options'.
To be honest, perhaps I am biased because I think he is such a classy player, I cannot see how Mendes cant not play, but with Sulley Muntari a virtual certainty - with him almost wasted on the left, so it will be in the middle - and Sean Davis very much in favour, with Papa Bouba Diop very much one of Redknapp's 'boys', with him praising him to the maximum since his arrival, not to mention the fact that he keeps stressing how important 'a powerful midfield' is to him I am starting to worry, but then again I have worries over other people too!
In all honesty Mendes has not been the same since his double attack from Ben Thatcher and then Joey Barton, which is understandable, so maybe psychologically he could still be suffering from this?
The strength of the midfield gives Redknapp options but Mendes has to be one of the names in there, but then again so does Niko Kranjcar, Sulley Muntari, John Utaka and Matty Taylor so one or more will be unhappy unless Redknapp plays five in midfield, which he could with the five, but then he has to go for the 3-5-2, which he does not favour, nor do the players, or the dreaded 4-5-1.
It is a tough job for Redknapp but with respect to the fella, who was fantastic on Saturday, Bouba Diop is not - in my thinking - the type of player to help move us forward, Mendes is, so I hope he is not forgotten - which if Redknapp is telling it as it is, he will not.
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Your Comments
I think that is a very well put article and I agree with you strongly that there needs to be a place for not 100% Mendes but a more creative player who has accurate passing ability.
My one biggest moan about our team this season is the constant ability of giving the ball away in midfield. Muntari seems to be the main culprit for this and I would love to see his completed pass ratio at the moment. It must be lower than 15%, and Davis is not much better. We are not going to be able to create chances and counter attck if we can't get the ball past the halfway line without giving it away. Mendes is good on the ball and can pick out a good pass the majority of the time. I just hope we can retain the ball a bit more against Blackburn.
sneakay
Once again, great article rug. Mendes is definately an established player but Redknapp should choose his players in accordance of his preffered playing style against certain teams, Mendes is a very good defensive midfielder and is due two score another couple of crackers this season. :D
Lysimachus
tbh if we cannot retain the ball well against blackburn we will lose again as they are a very good side who will turn over much better teams than us at ewood park - or at least stop them winning... it will be interesting to see what 'arry goes for but i hope there is a creative influence in the midfield, which you could argue muntari is but in all honesty i have not seen much of this from him since his defence splitting pass for o'neil when we played liveprool in asia...
pompeyrug
why i thank you both fellas - much appreciated :)
pompeyrug
Rug, we could debate the midfield for ever, but personally i would always find a place for Pedro, definetely at the expense of Sean Davis.
He must play when he is fit, please dont upset him Harry so that we lose another good midfield player.
Owenspompey
mendes would be the biggest miss of the lot if he went, completely agree mate we cannot afford to upset him, if we do we are screwed as players of his quality - that would come here - are few and fair between...
pompeyrug
as the number one manager on the south coast ;-) (vital south couast minileague...i just had to slip that one in...), i feel that if i were manager, i would have utaka, kranjcar/mendes/muntari (2) in the middle, and taylor out wide.Muntari and kranjcar - and for that matter utaka too - are all wasted on the left, so play matty there!!! Huhes, Diop, and Davis can all be brought in for tough away games, when we want to be a little more defensive, but still play an attacking formation - but thats it. They should not be playing at fratton!!!
pompeycarpet
I like that idea Carpet. The thing is, unless Harry manages to get some of these guys like Krancjar and Mendes regularly in to games, it surely won't be long before they start whining to be elsewhere. The idea should be to bang in a couple of goals early on, then bring on a guy like Diop, and even perhaps have Muntari off the bench, at least until he gets acclimatized to the EPL. Nothing against S. Davis, but surely we've moved on from him being an essential midfield ingredient ?
Toronto4Pompey
Rug from our chats you know i think mendes is class and i will say now he is head and shoulders above davis, now you rememeber i went into anti davis rant... well im gonna do it again.... i think Davis is a highly motivated headless chicken, its another one of those players harry loves to see running around winning nothing but disciplinary points, at least Muntari shows something of class. HR has no chioice but to play Davisd cos his other "fiesty midfileder plays for Boro" and as such Nope davis is a headless chicken and as such he should be playing for Bernard Mathews, now that would be bootifull.
russellm
agreed entirely pompeycarpet, davis is simply not good enough and if he is agitating for a move then let him go, sanchez wants him so lets rrip them off like they did with us over papabd
russellm
yep i do russ, i have also said to people - yourself included at yeovil i think - that i have often said that he was 'too good' to play for pompey! but that view was mainly aired when we 'werent that good'... he is a great player who would start every match for me.
pompeyrug
Boot polish is what he needs. Minstrelesque. Then he'll play.
storagematt
:) at first it took me a few seconds to work out what you meant - its early still - but when i did it made me laugh out loud!
pompeyrug
Harry, Harry. The sunshines...
storagematt
Pedro must play, get him back in the team Harry, Davis is not the answer.
Owenspompey
Think Pedro needs to hit a bit of form before he walks back into my team... but walk in he would, ahead of Davies & Papa
Chix
I would love to see Russlm's Bernard Matthews XI - Now there's a thread ....
Chix
........ and as for Storagematts Minstals ... I can just imagine Pedro down on one keee, hands apart, singing... ''Naw Roooom for yooou in da teeam.. Papa Bouba Dooby Do, Shoo Whap Whap Whap''
Chix
great stuff Chix :)
pompeyrug
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