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Pompey talk with Chix

Vital Pompey has previously brought you the 'knowing me knowing you series' - which is still running, so others will be added and if you want to do one just email - and we had the 'talking Pompey with' series last summer, this now returns under a new name and some fresh questions as 'Pompey talk with'...

Chix was asked 6 questions about the 2008/09 season and what the hopes are for the 2009/10, one and indeed our future, is.

This is what they said...

So, sum up the 2008/09 season in 3 words?
Three words!? I've never written as few as that … Ever!
But I guess I'd have to go for … Redknapp, Adams and Hart. That says it all really!

Suddenly things seem 'a lot brighter' for Pompey with Dr SAF taking over - what are your hopes/aspirations under the new ownership? Assuming everything goes through!
I guess I want to see us continue to build on the work Milan and Sasha have done and live within our means to secure the future of PFC first and foremost. My priorities would be Premiership safety, redevelopment of Fratton Park, development of the training ground then maybe a few 'biggish' signings in a year or so.

Which players - that we could realistically sign - would you like to see arrive this summer?
I'm not really that sure what realistic means anymore! I'd love us to sign another couple of cast-offs and watch them develop similar to what we've seen with Diarra and Johnson but as long as everybody who pulls on the blue shirt gives everything for the cause I'll be happy. In all honesty, I think our most important signing we will make this summer will be a new manager - who will hopefully have a long term plan to take the club forward.

If you had to select 1 player to 'sell' or 'release' this summer who would it be and why?
Most of who I would get rid off will go anyway but other than those who have contracts due to expire I would have to (controversially) say Niko Kranjcar. (For me) he shows flashes of brilliance but is not consistent enough throughout a season. The real reason I'd sell him however, is that I'd hate for us not to take £7-10m now and then watch him have a great World Cup and then lose him on a 'free' because he is out of contract at the end of next season.

What are you hoping for from Pompey in the 2009/10 season?
Work to start on the training ground and the development of Fratton Park.

A return to our traditional kit - I don't like that all blue one and don't see the relevance of it.

From a league perspective, a top ten twelve finish without getting drawn into a relegation scrap would be great, but I'd settle for 38 points right now, (I always say that).

How many Pompey games do you expect to make during that season?
Fratton End season ticket holder so all home games obviously. I don't go away much these days as I have a young family and need to balance my time (and the pennies!), but I always try to attend all games in both cup competitions (irrespective of opposition). I'll also take in a few reserve games and the odd academy fixture if time permits.

Thanks to Chix for answering these.

PLAY UP POMPEY!

==========

If anyone else wants to answer the questions simply drop me an email as a request, or send your answers to be direct at portsmouth@vitalfootball.co.uk and I will make it happen.

Here are the others so far:
pompeyrug ... sneakay ... Pete Alexander/pedalo ... Owenspompey ... PFCGino ... Gandor1 ... tracyc ... southportpompey ... pompeycook ... paultsmouth ... pompeycarpet ... PFCMatt ... Pompeyscum ... powered_by_pies ... hammersmithblue

Writer: pompeyrug

Date:Monday June 29 2009

Time: 1:40PM

Your Comments

sorry chix, I'm not following here. We have two good players in our team, who can actually unlock a defence and get the goals we will need to stay in the premiership. One of them is Utaka, so the chances are, he will only chip in twice a season. and you want to get rid of the other?! explain!!!

pompeycarpet

Chixy - Kranjcar must stay! Not only for Pompey's sake, but to get Bilic to come here too! Seriously, what is £7m - £10m when we're owned by a mega-rich oil baron Billionaire?! I'm willing to risk losing him for free if it means he helps us next season.

PFCGino

pompeycarpet

no idea how I posted that twice... and even less idea how gino got in between?!

pompeycarpet

Pure Genius Carpet! Depends who comes in for our midfield this transfer window, but taking the money now makes more sense than waiting until next year and getting nothing. We may well alost be the plaything of a rich billionnaire, but I don't think he wants to chuck his money around willie nillie.

Gandor1

Agree with going back to our traditional kit, new manager, and top 12 finish Chix but.....getting shot of Kranjcar? Like carpet, I think he's too creative to lose, now anyway. Ok, it makes good business sense but so does creating and scoring goals. Guess we may be getting a bit panicky because we don't know whose coming in. if anybody.... I am anyway, that's why I want him to stay.

cornypomp

Is that it? Can't believe Chix has been so brief. As usual outspoken and provactive as can be see from the comments already. Me, I respect Chix's views and it is not all about agreement after all.

But I would keep Niko!!

eastneydave

come on chixy, explain :-)

pompeyrug

Vow Chix you really hate Kranjcar :-)

Kranjcar19

at least he's been consistent in that hasn't he kranjcar19...

pompeycarpet

Good article but what is Peter ******** Crouch for if not to score you goals, surely he will do that more than Ukata and the Kranjc.

KatieDawson

Niko was pretty inconsistent but when you look at the squad on paper, he is the only player likely to create goals. Definatley glad about the return to traditional kit though..

nodster

Katie - he will be there to nod in the cross, or get on to the through ball. But he's never going to pick the ball up in midfield, skip past two tackles, sprint into the box, cut inside another player, before sliding it under the keeper. And of the games not going your way, and you arn't finding ways to get the ball into crouch (as we did for the last part of last season, when crouchs goals dried up), who's going to be there to rescue us?

pompeycarpet

*sorry. Just remembered. That would be mullins, as chix just sold Kranjcar.

pompeycarpet

Kranjcar is the most talented member of our team by miles - we cannot afford to lose him - a team without Kranjcar has no hope of winning any games! Tbh I'd sell Crouchie - he's not impressed me at all!!

PFCGino

take off the kranjcar specs Gino (says the man with crouchy specs on lol!) and think of it this way - who is more likely to stay with pompey in the long-term?
kranjcar or crouch...
i would be very surprised to see kranjcar commit to pompey any longer than this season, assuming we do not 'cash in' on crouchy i could see him staying for the duration of his contract, at least...
i maintain my thoughts that crouchy has offered far more than people have credited him, but he is having to work twice as hard as a lone striker, and that has often backfired...
problem is we cannot accomodate both - if we go with the lone striker that rules out crouchy, but rule in kranjcar in a free role, if we go 4-4-2 we cannot use kranjcar effectively, we just 'accommodate him' at our costs...
unless we decide to go with an attacking 3-5-2 there isnt a way of using both players, so one does have to go - both have qualities that we would miss but if i had to pick one then it would be kranjcar, like chixy i would rather we cashed in than lost him on a free plus, for me, crouchy puts in a much better shift than kranjcar does. in an ideal world we would keep both, and chances are we will i guess, but using both is going to be the problem...

pompeyrug

I don't have Kranjcar specs (although I do have a Kranjcar T-Shirt I bought in Zagreb for £7, with his face splashed all over the front with the words 'Proud to be a Croat'), and I would rather get rid of Crouch. In my opinion Kranjcar's work-rate, skill and ability to change a game far outweighs the positives we can get from Crouch. If Dr SAF is coming in and pumps oil into FP then I don't see how he money is an issue - if we lose him on a free next season so be it! I think that what he puts in on the pitch is worth far more than £7m if it costs us games, and Crouch hasn't justified his £11m price tag just yet. Most of his goals are the result of other's hard work - usually Kranjcar!!

PFCGino

I reckon the three words Chix chose to sum up the season was vert apt. Couldn't have done it better myself. Dunno what to make to the Kranky thing tbh...was disagreeing with it when I first read it but Chix does make a good point about getting the 7-10 mill for him. Mind you, that's (hopefully) just pocket money compared to what Dr Saf is planning on investing.

Squee

Ah ha - It seems I've got the debate that I wanted raging ;)... At work now but will log-on later tonight to have my two penneth ...

Chix

Great read Chix, sadly I agree with a lot you say. I must be going soft!!! Niko is a luxury player that works well in a very good team. not ideal in a struggling side. He could do well & hide at the same time in an Arsenal set up!

storagematt

Back home now.. Well thanks for your comments guys and gals - I knew the Niko thing would set the cat amongst the pidgeons but that isn't while I did it. Most of you know that I think he is overrated inconsisent and under committed.. flashes of brilliance he does show but nt often enough and I can count the games he has contributed for 90 minutes on one hand.. I just think he is gonna go anyway so why not cash him in.. he's hardly a mainstay .. does anybody know his record of 'consequective' appearances for Pompey ??.... It aint impressive.. and also 1 goal in 8 as an average is pretty poor for a player that is 'rated' (by some)

Chix

oh .. not sure what happened there.. it cut me off mid sentence ! ah well as I was saying..

Chix

I agree with a few of the points you've made there Chix and also Matt's "luxury player" comment. The trouble is, at this moment in time the side needs and is screaming out for some creativity, some intelligent football that was so lacking last season. So many times in 2008/9 we just ran out of ideas in the final third. Unless we bring in some quality that can think and open up defense's we are going to be struggling for goals in 2009/10. That's why I'm in the Niko camp at the moment, because he seems to be the only one who can offer something resembling forward thinking.

cornypomp

But look at what you say... "the side needs and is screaming out for some creativity, some intelligent football that was so lacking last season".... So did Kranjcar not play at all last season then ?? ... admittedly he was injured on and off but I seem to remember when we had Defoe and Crouch up front and Belhadj and Armand on the left people were quesioining if Krancjcar would actually get back in the side... >br>

"the only one who can offer something resembling forward thinking" .... I might go as far as to agree with that one but I reckon that was more to do with Paul Harts formations rather than the quality or potential of the rest of the squad... Still think we should sell him ..

Chix

Hmmm - not sure you have a point on the 1 goal in 8 - if he was a striker then yeah, I could see your point but he's a creative midfielder. The creative part gives it a way in 'creating chances' - no way does that imply 'taking chances'. Diarra only scored 1 goal in 24 league games (thanks PompeyRama) and he's a much better player!! Also cashing in on him will do no good, because I believe he has the potential to turn draws into wins, and defeats into draws, and Premiership relegation is going to cost a lot more than the £7 - £10m that we will get in from his transfer. Without him, our squad is, save for some obvious exceptions, a distinctly below-average squad for the Premier league - and unless Dr SAF pumps his millions in and we get a manager who buys decent players, I think we're screwed next season.

PFCGino

Oh and just for completeness: Niko Kranjcar has provided 3 assists this last season, and Diarra provided none in his entire Pompey career! (Sorry Chix, I just love Niko!!!)

PFCGino

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