James makes record appearance and slags off Adams

Portsmouth goalkeeper David James was quick to look ahead to playing more games as he celebrated breaking the record for Premier League appearances.

The 38-year-old James made his 536th Premier League appearance in Pompey's 2-0 win against Manchester City to surpass the record set by Gary Speed.

"I'd like to extend the record," said James. "It's about playing in the best league in the world and enjoying it."

"To have a longevity record in the best league in the world is a big plus."


James was equally o quick to urge his team-mates to keep their feet on the ground after Portsmouth recorded their first league win since November under caretaker boss Paul following the sacking of Tony Adams last week.

"We cannot get carried away, we have not done anything today that has surpassed anything we have done in the past," said the Portsmouth keeper.

"We have just got back to being a boring 2-0 winning side and we are happy with that."

James believes Portsmouth lost their way during Tony Adams's reign, which lasted just 16 games.

"We seemed to lack a lot of the basic stuff," said James.


It is not for me to to choose who the manager is but I have a hell of a lot of respect for Kiddo

James on Brian Kidd

"We were a side last season that did not expect to score a lot of goals so we knew we had to keep clean sheets - and when we did score we knew we had to hold on to it. But we lost that earlier in the season and it is difficult to get back into things."

James also praised the work of Hart's assistant Brian Kidd.

"Kidd just constantly talks about football, about how to improve," said James.

"He was talking about striker Andy Cole this morning and how he improved at Manchester United and you just think 'this guy loves it'. When someone is like that they can only help other people.
It was important we had that because the belief had gone somewhere down the line.

"It is not for me to to choose who the manager is but I have a hell of a lot of respect for Kiddo from the time I worked with him at England and I've known Harty through the Portsmouth Academy.

"If it takes a little time to appoint a decent manager, I think the club are in decent hands in the meantime."

But James reiterated his desire to see former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson take over at Fratton Park.

"I have a lot of respect for Sven. As good as Sven is he knows his limitations and that why he appoints people to help him out who have the qualities that are needed."

Pompey 2-0 Man City

Well the sacking of Adams has given us 3 points at last, I was sad to see Adams lose his job but so far it looks like a good move for Pompey. I have not seen so much movement in the dug out at Fratton Park for a long time, every time something needed to be said to the players it was done, unlike Adams who was the compete opposite.

This was our second trip to this pub (only a few years ago I think). It is a good pub full of Pompey before the game, but the music was a bit loud I may sound a bit old but I do like a pre match chat before the game.

At the match I noticed that the place had a bit of a nervous atmosphere, if we were to lose this one we would be in the shit for sure. But from the start I noticed the team seemed more like the Pompey of old we deafened all over the pitch and we started doing the simple things again. Our defence was back to it's best again.
Many pundits said Man City were rubbish! but I would say that we made them seem rubbish.

Glen Johnson opened the scoring in the second half, drilling the ball into the top corner after Shay Given had parried his first effort.

Hermann Hreidarsson doubled their advantage with a brilliant header.

David James amazingly denied Ched Evans as he made a record-breaking 536th Premier League appearance.
City only showed occasional glimpses of the type of football they can produce and manager Mark Hughes cut a frustrated figure as he watched from the touchline.

Portsmouth caretaker boss Paul Hart:
"At the moment clean sheets are the order of the day.

"I am really pleased for the club and the players, who worked their socks off and kept to the game plan. They were very disciplined.

"There are good players here and on the back of results confidence grows and you see a lot more from the team."

Man City manager Mark Hughes:
"It is a missed opportunity. We were looking to get positive points, ideally three.

"But you cannot win if you do not have the majority of your team playing well.

"We did not really deserve anything from the match. We did not have a determination and a willingness to chase lost causes."

---

Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Pennant (Belhadj 86), Basinas (Mullins 67), Davis, Kranjcar, Crouch, Nugent. Subs Not Used: Begovic, Pamarot, Utaka, Kanu, Gekas.

Booked: Hreidarsson.

Goals: Johnson 70, Hreidarsson 75.

Man City: Given, Logan, Kompany, Onuoha, Bridge, Zabaleta (Evans 78), De Jong, Ireland, Elano, Bellamy, Robinho (Caicedo 66). Subs Not Used: Hart, Garrido, Fernandes, Berti, Weiss.

Booked: De Jong, Ireland, Bellamy.

Att: 20,018

Ref: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).

The White House

This prominent Victorian tavern sited at a busy road junction has retained its name for around 150 years. The pub once stood on the abandoned Portsmouth and Arundel Canal. This two bar pub is frequented mostly by locals, though its car park ensures that it also takes advantage of passing trade.
Maybe we will see Barack Obama and George Bush at the bar before the game!

Kidd ing

Portsmouth have appointed former Manchester United assistant Brian Kidd to assist caretaker manager Paul Hart.

The 59-year-old will work alongside Hart while Pompey continue their search for a new manager after Tony Adams was sacked on Monday.

"Brian is a fantastic coach with a great track record," Hart told the club's website.

"We have known each other for an awfully long time and I'm delighted he's coming here to assist me."

Adams was dismissed along with first-team coach John Metgod after winning just two of 16 Premier League games since taking over on 28 October.


606: DEBATE
He worked with Sven for over a year so perhaps this is the first step

Pompeyskipper
Dutchman Metgod has accused the club of not giving the coaching staff a chance to show what they are capable of at Fratton Park and believes they weren't helped by the departures of key players in January.

"For three months I worked well at Portsmouth," he said. "We often put on good performances

"The personal situation of club owner Alexandre Gaydamak played an important role. The financial crisis meant he was having problems and therefore sold players for millions.

"In the Premier League no other club has given up as much quality as Portsmouth. We were a ticking time bomb."

He added: "Adams is an excellent coach, I got on really well with him and as a craftsman I have him high in my mind.

"If there is a chance, I want to work with him again - in England or Holland."

Kidd started his managerial career at Preston before moving to United as youth team coach under Sir Alex Ferguson.

In 1991 he became Ferguson's assistant at Old Trafford, helping the club win four Premier League titles and two FA Cup's, before a brief spell in charge of Blackburn Rovers.

He later spent over a year as Sven-Goran Eriksson's assistant with England and also worked under Neil Warnock and Bryan Robson at Sheffield United.

Any reunion with Eriksson, however, is unlikely after the Swede played down reports linking him with the vacant position, insisting he is happy with his role in charge of the Mexican national team.

Portsmouth have said that Kidd's position will be reviewed when a new manager is appointed.

Pompey begin new manager search

Portsmouth have begun the search for a new manager following the sacking of Tony Adams - but an appointment is unlikely to be made before Saturday.

Several names are thought to be in the running, including Sven Goran Eriksson, Avram Grant and Alan Curbishley.

Other people in the frame include Terry Venables, Slaven Bilic, Roy Keane, Glenn Hoddle and Graeme Souness.

Paul Hart has been placed in charge of first-team affairs at Pompey, who host Manchester City on Saturday.

Adams, 42, left the club after winning just two of 16 Premier League games since taking over on 28 October.

The club are only one point above the relegation zone and were dumped out of the FA Cup last month, losing to Championship side Swansea City.

With the club facing an uncertain future on and off the pitch, securing a new manager may be harder than Portsmouth think.


ODDS FOR NEXT POMPEY MANAGER
Avram Grant
Avram Grant - 6/4
Sven Goran Eriksson - 9/4
Alan Curbishley - 11/4
Slaven Bilic - 5/1
Terry Venables - 16/1
Odds supplied by William Hill and correct on 10 February
The south-coast club is currently up for sale, which means plans for a new stadium and training complex have been put on hold.

They were also forced to sell key players in January, losing striker Jermain Defoe and midfielder Lassana Diarra.

Of the leading candidates for the post, Grant has close links with owner Alexandre Gaydamak, having previously served at the club as a director of football.

He is currently out of job after leaving Chelsea at the end of last season following the defeat to Manchester United in the final of the Champions League.

Eriksson, the former England coach, is currently coach of Mexico's national team but is facing an uncertain future if they fail to beat USA in a vital World Cup qualifier on Wednesday.

Pompey 2-3 Liverpool

I write this almost a week after the game so much on you know! As I woke in the morning I had that feeling that you get when you know your team are going to win. But it was not to be we were beaten at the end again, we just can not hold on, we had been in front twice, but I will have to say we played better than we have for a long time, but looking back now I just get the feeling that some of the player did not want to play for Tony. That is a shame as to me that means they are not playing for me or the rest of the fans, but Tony will have to take his blame for the defeat as well , his tactics were naive and to go 2-1 up and lose 3-2 is not good enough. I know it was Liverpool but we have beaten them before. As it would have it Adams was sacked on Sunday night, I had hoped that Adams would get much more time. but as we must survive he had to go.

It has to be said that the strangest thing to happened on the way to the ground after the pub was this weird couple that came up to Mum and me and said " I hope Pompey do it tonight! I said "I hope so to" as I looked at him he was wearing a Pompey hat and a Southampton away shirt strange but there you go.

The pub in Guild Hall Walk was shut or closed down I think, so we ended up at a student bar and watched some Rugby on the box with some cheap beer lovely.

So with the match against Manchester City at home coming up with Paul Hart in temp charge with Brian Kidd we I hope we will get something from this game, we need it.

Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Basinas, Davis, Mullins (Kranjcar 46), Belhadj, Crouch, Nugent.
Subs Not Used: Begovic, Lauren, Mvuemba, Pamarot, Kanu, Gekas.

Booked: Hreidarsson.

Goals: Nugent 62, Hreidarsson 78.

Liverpool: Reina, Carragher, Skrtel, Agger, Dossena (Alonso 67), Arbeloa, Mascherano, Aurelio, Babel (Torres 76), Ngog (Kuyt 56), Benayoun.
Subs Not Used: Cavalieri, Hyypia, Riera, El Zhar.

Goals: Aurelio 69, Kuyt 85, Torres 90.

Att: 20,524

Ref: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire).

Boozer

26 Guildhall Walk
So it's time for another drink before the match and I have chosen The White Swan.This ornate Edwardian pub, designed by A H Bone in 1906, includes six ornately carved caryatids flanking the entrance doors and is of similar design to the former Air Balloon at Mile End. Being located on Guildhall Walk, the pub caters for clubbers most nights, with high volume music being the general rule.


After a short spell as a pseudo-American-style sports bar called Pitchers around the late 1990s it has since thankfully regained its old identity. As of January 2009 the pub is presently closed - however, the lease has recently been taken over by J D Wetherspoon, which should result in a significant improvement to the premises once refurbished and reopened.

So we get another two in

Portsmouth have signed Bayer Leverkusen striker Theofanis Gekas on loan until the end of the season.

The loan deal includes an option for Portsmouth to sign the 28-year-old Greek international permanently.

Portsmouth have also signed Greece's Euro 2004-winning midfielder Angelos Basinas from AEK Athens on an 18-month deal.

The 33-year-old, who has made 97 appearances for his country, joins the club for an undisclosed fee.

Portsmouth executive chairman Peter Storrie told the club's website: "He's exactly what we need in the situation that we're in.

Fulham 3-1 Pompey

Well this has to be the last big defeat for Pompey, not that it will be our last . But we must start scoring goals it's ok playing well and having lots of possession, but our defence and strike force are letting us down. This loss was not expected a point for me was on the cards, this is not good enough. So I hope with the new recruits on board we can just get out of this mess. I hope for a bwtter result against Liverpool.

Portsmouth manager Tony Adams:
"I do my job to the best of my ability. It has been a tough period. The last two months have been difficult both on and off the pitch.

"I'll be delighted when the transfer window closes. Heads have been turned up and down the country. Once it is closed we can get on with business.

"We made mistakes. We gambled on offsides. It is disappointing because we worked hard in training on that."

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson:
"They are a good team and playing quite well. I am sure if they continue to do that they won't be losing every match 3-1.

"There is no magic wand in this game. It is work in the end which brings its rewards and, of course, the quality of the players you have at your disposal.

"I was pleased by the solidity of our performance and delighted by the runs of our front players to get in behind their defenders."

Fulham: Schwarzer, Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky, Dempsey (Gera 90), Etuhu, Murphy, Davies, Zamora (Nevland 63), Johnson.
Subs Not Used: Zuberbuhler, Teymourian, Gray, Stoor, Kallio.

Goals: Johnson 14, Nevland 71, 80.

Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Kaboul (Pamarot 76), Distin, Hreidarsson, Pennant, Davis, Mullins, Armand Traore (Utaka 63), Kanu (Nugent 46), Crouch.
Subs Not Used: Begovic, Lauren, Mvuemba, Little.

Booked: Mullins.

Goals: Nugent 84.

Att: 23,722

Ref: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).