Gorgiesaint

Its a problem with the January transfer window, you get a much better choice of players available in the summer window. Now we could just go out and waive enough cash to change people's minds but that doesn't appear to be the way the club is run - and I'm glad thats the case. I don't want us to be the Man City of L1. Signing a Premiership quality player would just upset the balance in the dressing room and break up the team spirit that has been built up since Pardew took charge. Imagine what the other players would feel if someone walks in who's on 2 or 3 times the wages that they're on. Patience is the key - Pardew needs to keep the dressing room together and the squad tightly knit. That will be the key tolong term success.

Bring it on!!!!!! At least we're at home, good chance to beat them. Imagine if that was their last ever game!!!!

Interesting that the debts to Portpin (Kushnir & Chainrai) are now £23m - obviously where the money to pay the wages for the last few months has been coming from. And if they are now threatening legal action against the PL, it would appear that Portsmouth are behind in payments there as well. So just where are the funds to pay the January payroll going to come from?

Almost but I think it might actually be... Bought for £3m - not played a single game & transfer fee paid from their Sky money Sold for £1m (yes net loss of £2m, thats how much per game errr... ) Then work out that as he hasn't asked for a transfer, he's due his loyalty bonus of £1.2m (or possibly the £1.2m is the remainder of his transfer fee) But as you say... Priceless

Brilliant - its all the Premier League's fault!!! Think the last poster was almost right but I think he meant how detached from reality are Pompey fans!!

I'm not legally trained but question to anyone out there who is - would the future payments not be covered under the undertakings?

Just where are they getting the money to pay their solicitors from? At the moment, they are fighting the revenue & the Prem League - have they gone to one of these no win, no fee places? There was a point made by someone earlier that Pompey's appeal against the Inland Revenue was not showing anywhere on the court listings - the other question is why was no mention made in the media of what is going on this case as this has potential massive implications for football (either a PL team being wound up or the VAT implications if Pompey win).

My understanding is it will be paid to the clubs (have heard various reports as to whether the foreign clubs will be paid), agents will not be covered. Mickey Quinn on Talksport has just said that they have missed the deadline.

No one is doubting that Markus has the money, but TDD has raised an interesting point. One of the weaknesses of being owned by a single person is that we won't necessarily get to view the accounts (unless ML or NC decide to release them). So we won't necessarily know if ML is funding these transfers out of his own pocket, it is being funded by the club as a going concern or we are funding this through debt. Now I'm sure things will be okay given ML's previous record of developing his businesses without using debt but I think it is right to raise a little concern given where we have come from. It might also stop some people posting in the manner that they have on Doncasters 606 forum on the BBC - have they forgotten where we were less than 12 months ago?

Sorry Kpt, hadn't meant to get your hopes up that much - just thought he fitted with the description of a player struggling at his club.

Its on the BBC site that he's being allowed to leave Birmingham, didn't realise he was only 27, thought he'd been around longer than that but would be able to play wide right & up front.

Just came across this on the BBC site, didn't realise McSheffrey was only 27... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/8451004.stm Edit: Doesn't link him with Saints but would be worth an enquiry IMO

I would say that the Exeter game on boxing day is not a good game to use in discussions about potential attendances. Boxing Day is traditionally a day which gets additional walk up support - I had not been to SMS this season until I was back in the area for Christmas so went to the Exeter game. I, like many fans, just can't get back on a regular basis (after all I now live in Edinburgh and work on a Saturday), not sure what Nick I would make of that?!

No jokes about making it a sticky please.....

Couple of articles from the papers this morning: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/150833/Portsmouth-Crunch-time-for-cash-strapped-team Interesting commment that Al-Faraj made his money from Saudi military deals - I thought he was a property developer - poor journalism or interesting link to Arkadi Gaydemak? Hmm, does also state that he's still trying to sell the club which contradicts Mark Jacobs this morning (see prev post). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1242012/Portsmouth-waiting-owner-Ali-Al-Faraj-face.html So Daniel Azougy was in and around the directors box before Al-Fahim took over, interesting....

Just switched on 5Live this morning and caught the last 30 seconds of them interviewing Mark Jacobs. To summarise what I heard of it and what they summarised at the end: He has never met Ali Al Faraj He has given no guarantees that wages will be paid on time (came out of the summary) He confirmed that Ali Al Faraj was here for the long term to develop the club. I include the last bit as I recall the infamous interview that he gave (which Pompei denied happened, threatened to sue everyone in sight & then had to apologise) which he said that he only wanted to be there short term to make some money. He also apparantly said that Avram Grant was looking to trim the fat from the squad - their summary afterwards was there was no fat, its a an animal down to its bones!! Did anyone catch the full interview?

How desparate are they now getting - even trying to get the Premier League to guarantee a loan.... http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/115874/Portsmouth-squad-up-for-sale/

Talking about low away attendances - when i was Uni between 88 & 91, my best mate was from Hartlepool. Having seen them lose 5-2 in an FA cup reply at Bournemouth, I went to watch them at Hereford on a Tuesday night. With my mate & another mate who had come down from Hartlepool, I was their third 'best' supporter of the night having seen them once before!! The other 10 people in the away end were locals who just paid on any gate to get in. The total of 18 people in the away end that night was completed by 5 policemen who decided we weren't going to be to much trouble & disappeared to the burger van for the entire match!! Hartlepool, being them, lost 3-0 on the night and we managed to get the wrong train on teh way home so nearly ended up in Liverpool rather than Coventry!!

Well Simon Cox is playing for WBA tonight in the starting 11 - so don't think that will be happening!!

Lol - I had to check that it wasn't 1st April No one has said that Pardew hasn't done a great job with Connolly. But Ashton? He's been told by the best doctors in their field that he won't play again and that he has to give up the game - the guy is struggling to walk ffs. Thats not defeatism, thats the reality of situation. Of course if Dalek had got his way and a certain former manager was back here then who knows what would be possible in terms of spiritual healing....

I know from someone who was at the Leeds v Charlton game earlier in the season that Leeds can be pushed back and their attacking insticts curbed when they are up against a better team, that match was particularly dull by all accounts. That said, they do have plenty of attacking options and whilst harding should take care of Gradel, I would prefer to see Thomas at RB to take care of Snodgrass as he is a little lightweight - time for us to kick someone out of the game. Also agree that Trotman should be at CB with Jaidi just to add some pace (rather than Perry). Other than that, lets see what Leeds can do to stop us scoring!!

Haha remember watching that on MOTD!! The last game called off at SMS (and the only game I can remember) was a reserves fixture againrt West Ham which was scheduled for a Tuesday night. I remember I managed to skive out of work early for once, drove up from Bournemouth to find out it had been called off just before kick-off as the pitch was waterlogged. Shame because that was about the time we getting circa 10k at SMS for the ressie fixtures.

I agree that kids at football is not everyone's cup of tea but then most of us were kids when we started going!! and besides which, they are the next generation of season ticket holders. If I were Cortese, I'd be giving out free tickets to schools and encouraging parents along at reduced rates as well, certainly whilst were in the low 20 thousand's coming through the turnstiles.

Just got my tickets & was advised that there are a couple of hundred of tickets left & they're going quickly today.

Whoever's bit of the ground is closed will have a moan - see previous threads about Northam, Itchen corners and so on. I know its frustrating but lets have some common sense - at least we now have some common sense in the boardroom at last.