rallyboy

Markus wanted us to win but to play the game with style - he would have been horrified at the state of Brighton. Time wasting from the kick off, surrounding the ref over little decisions - they epitomised everything from the dark side of the South American/Italian game from the last thirty years. A nasty side who came for a point. Nice new ground, pity about their tactics - I thought Poyet had done a good job until I witnessed how he's done it. How often do you see a player warned about time wasting as he is subbed yet he continues until he gets booked? And as for the story of two penalties, the linesman gives one and ignores the other. Thankfully like Bournemouth they aren't our local rivals, Bognor must despise them with a vengeance.

Fahim seems to want clarification that his shares are worth the same as shares in Southampton Leisure Holdings? He is dim - or about to pull some significant piece of paper out of his pocket that proves some bizarre cash claim approved by Storrie.... I go for the former.

you can't knock Dyer, he's a legend. Ended the illegal Pompey FA Cup adventure in front of the Fratton End, then told them to be quiet about the fact that he'd stolen from them! All past sins forgiven.

so with the sale of Blackburn the going rate for an average Prem club is now £23M, plus the £20M debt to service. PFC looks VERY expensive once again.

a good point there about the 'unusual activity' going back years, it wasn't a problem when 250,000 of the bestest were out there celebrating... the Prem may have failed to prevent dodgy ownership change but the club was trading insolvently at that point so it saved the club from serious damage. The main problem with the few moaning about the Prem shafting the club was the fact that the authorities were clearly misled in january with false accounts allowing new players in that they couldn't afford, strengthening the team for the cup win at St Marys and the resultant cup run - both of which the few lapped up, pretending even now that it wasn't all illegal. You can't have your 4-1 and moan about the authorities who allowed O'Hara etc etc to sign. Yes the prem failed the club on ownership, but supported it through extreme leniency and advanced monies. And the FA allowed the club to continue in the competition, thus allowing pfc to technically qualify for Europe, a hilarious situation that looks like it will cost £500K of vital income. Without the help of the nasty Prem there would be no pfc now.

Nicola Cortese's pocket guide to man management - or the equally slim volume - Diary of a Season by Alan Pardew?

someone like Phil might be able to assist with his specialist knowledge! - I was talking to a friend who originates from the middle east and he had no idea about football, but he does know about fraud investigation. When I mentioned the name Faraj he said to me that that the word translates as 'solution'. Whether that is in arabic or another dialect I didn't clarify, but does Al Faraj mean 'the solution'? And if so, is it the most subtle con in financial history? Where does the Prem FaPP test dept now stand if it has approved someone through a vigorous examination who presented nothing but a false passport and a photo that no one would verify? Completely incompetent and terminally damaged I would suggest. And where does Mr Chanrai stand if he has been complicit in this deception by financing the con through an imaginary loan, and then the aggressive ownership takeover through the defaulting on the imaginary loan? No money lender does business with someone they can't identify - unless they have assurances that it will be worth their while. If the very existence of Mr Faraj cannot be confirmed then there must be a whole lot of questions for many to answer, and evidence that the football club has been used as a criminal punchbag gathers, meaning we should think soon about whether we should have some sympathy for any of the fans.... No, I reckon not - if they were humble perhaps, but all I hear is gobby denial!

And Chainrai has admitted they will 'consider themselves lucky' if they leave the club without taking a financial hit No sh-t Sherlock! This is the first time he's admitted that a profit from his 'shrewd investment' seems unlikely, is he now looking at accepting the first reasonable offer that limits his losses? That just means making the place look mildly profitable and debt free for a new owner. Oh well, it's good to have a dream.

now he's responsible for the losses Chanrai is sounding like the voice of reason - or is he just sounding like a shrewd money lender? Sounds like he's told Cotterill that he can bring players in, but perhaps he needs to reduce the wagebill first.... Send the ridiculously overpriced loans back, give a couple of the superstars away in January, and use a fraction of their mammoth wages to pay some lesser players that might keep the club in the division, and more importantly, still in existence. Either that or carry on trading the AA Storrie way - put everything on black and cross your extra fingers. Whatever you say about those two they've got nerves of steel - you wouldn't want to play poker against them, they won't quit until they have lost the lot.

be interesting to see how AA's projected income from transfers, attendances and wage reduction is stacking up - I sense a dodgy revised and reduced cva looming as he's miles off target. Then again he'll be concentrating all his efforts on the investigation into the accounts as I'm sure he's desperate to get to the bottom of it - initial results due at the end of the month I think? And those pesky players will want wages again as well.....big wages that the income doesn't cover.

They have been really unlucky - it might have been a red card but why did the ref send 5,000 spectators home as well?? Even when our day doesn't go to plan there's always something to make you smile. Terrible attendance, poor display from the highly paid superstars in blue, more discipline issues, suspension pending, further adrift from the automatic places that a team on that budget has to be in. And that is the only small parallel between our two miserable games today - we too should be up the top with our squad and beating the likes of Carlisle, but if we fail this season, our five year plan takes an annoying dent. If they fail, pfc will be liquidated.

he and Grant must use the same divining twig, the industrial estate visitor found great fans at West Ham too. And Chelsea. I expect they are all knowledgable and have passion, and uniquely, they create an intimidating atmosphere for visiting teams - and any game they play against a team within fifty miles is a derby to compare with Milan or Glasgow. No doubt the players are pulling together, standing up to be counted, not quite getting the rub of the green, trying to find that little bit of quality in the final third, while the fans will be having half-time Bovril, and pies. God bless Nigel Adkins for not spouting cliched drivel - we know we are in trouble when he grabs a microphone and starts ranting about our spirit.

a bit of a blow when the most ruthless of football venture capitalists sees no point in taking on a club within a whisker of a Prem play off place. Then again Manadaric must have seen all the different versions of the accounts and knows a lot more about the real state of the club. Another indication that the business is still in big trouble. Kitson or Lawrence got their new Ferraris yet? It's hilariously mad that they outbid one of the richest clubs in the UK to take on those two - and that Utaka's contract is running down to zero which should turn him into a player that costs them the best part of £20M - approx £3M for each good performance. It makes Ridsdale look unlucky - and the train wreck is still going on.

moo!

some of them are stupid enough to lap it up - just had a text from a bloke asking why Bolton should be allowed to continue with their debt when pompey couldn't. Size and ability to service are two different things thicko, try to keep up! Also just seen the QPR highlights - wasn't sure that either of the three penalties were valid - both managers feel robbed, Warnock even produced evidence, swings and roundabouts, and if you lead with your arms in the area don't be surprised if a ball hits them - so stop whinging you Grant impersonator. Poor crowd - a big game between two of the biggest spending clubs in the division and the visitors bring a huge following. Maybe the few have been duped one time too many and are wising up after all.... There are definitely more laughs in this.

so we learned yesterday that 1. They are definitely overpaying to outbid competitors. 2. Chanrai's great master plan is to look for a new owner. Both of which they have been doing for more than a year. The circus is still in town, it's business as usual.

Chanrai on Solent, it was pretty much - 'the passion of the fans, the players, the management, you have to come to a game here to realise how passionate everyone is - we can get back to the Premier League!!'. 'and by the way, I want out asap.' Also funny to hear their commentary team describe the game tonight as 'the haves' v 'the have nots' - yeah, we now know that Pompey outbid the richest team in the division - while in administration!!! QPR must have been gobsmacked when that happened. Pity about having their talisman sent off and the resultant suspension. And the late equaliser that dropped them seven places. Oh well, only a game.

chatted with a pompey fan at lunch who says everything is okay now they are out of admin, he wouldn't accept that they are paying too much in wages, his defence was that we are paying Lambert a championship wage, they are paying about eight players Prem wages, so both clubs are the same...... What can you do?

don't know of the beast link - I hope not, he has a W******d look to him!! I always assume fans generally have stolen the intro from wherever Fruity stole it originally - good spot though, no one else knows what on earth we're on about! Nor cares - but they'll still be sinking a Carter song at the next home game.

they were mates of the wonderful Carter USM I believe - didn't they do a B side for them?....and pop pickers, which Carter intro do you sing/hear sung every saturday?....

Did you say they were flush?? Has another arab sailed in?

that stadium design doesn't get any less mad with time. Apart from the compulsory purchase of £100M of harbour front property and £30M of naval dockyard, the re-siting of HMS Warrior, the Gosport Ferry pontoon, reclaiming a square mile of the sea, and an upgrade to the rail station and the building of an entirely new road system - the idea was great. Approx total cost - £750M? That's what makes it so funny, other clubs have dreams of a promotion or cup run, but not down the road - it's all Maradona, Eto, arabs with billions, the world cup coming to Portsmouth, the harbourfront superdome and the club being solvent and mid-table by Christmas - it's all pure fantasy.

that stadium design doesn't get any less mad with time. Apart from the compulsory purchase of £100M of harbour front property and £30M of naval dockyard, the re-siting of HMS Warrior, the Gosport Ferry pontoon, reclaiming a square mile of the sea, and an upgrade to the rail station and the building of an entirely new road system - the idea was great. Approx total cost - £750M? That's what makes it so funny, other clubs have dreams of a promotion or cup run, but not down the road - it's all Maradona, Eto, arabs with billions, the world cup coming to Portsmouth, the harbourfront superdome and the club being solvent and mid-table by Christmas - it's all pure fantasy.

interesting summary of what has gone on, and particularly interesting to see that they have established the precise transaction that took £34M of arms money and laundered it through the purchase of a business.... Bristol still gets stick for being built on the slave trade - with this transaction being so recent where does that leave the reputation of pfc? And as for the fit and proper persons test, they had all the evidence they needed - the child maimer even listing the club as his £300M asset - did the alarm bells not ring at the Prem and FA? Fair play to the pompey fans who looks beyond the goals of Kitson and Lawrence and see the huge problems ahead, and the dubious business practices that bought them relative success, and still funds them. Any guesses on AA's initial findings - no cases to answer, lost paperwork, not enough evidence? The dancing puppet ain't going to implicate his master so I see either a savage attack on his business rivals or a complete whitewash approaching. If there is no such attack it will confirm that the arms dealer and Chanrai have been wrapped up in this cosy little property deal from day one.

I was surprised to hear Redknapp this morning banging on about Bale - I thought he was outside Sandbanks nick. As they have already avoided two nailed-on court defeats I don't have high hopes for justice from the tax evasion charges, but it's good to have a dream. Better not mention them to any potential buyers, it might affect the price.