rallyboy

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.

the Prem won't have forwarded money without strings attached, and surely at a reduced rate. Some dim few seem to think that the change of company leaves all the debt behind - the cva remains attached to pfc, and the old company is worryingly open to investigation. As far as paying advanced cash back, they could be facing a return to the Prem with their first seasons money already spent - and the knock-on of increased amounts due to creditors. It will take several years to stabilise the finances even with Prem income, they could become the mother of all yo-yo clubs, it will then depend on whether the owner wants to reinvest in infrastructure....or trouser the cash. Out of all the madness it's amazing that so many 'top' businessmen have failed to do correct due diligence on their accounts - they are now looking for a new owner who doesn't notice that the main future revenue is trickling away and that the overheads are way over the top of sustainable. I think they're in for quite a ride this season, come May it could boil down to a play off against very tough opponents to decide whether the club continues to exist. I wouldn't fancy that, then again I wouldn't gamble the lot like they keep doing. It isn't a matter of them stabilising and surviving this season, with the wages they have taken on they have no choice - they must go up.

hopefully the taxpayer sponsorship deal has now finished and this promotion push is being sponsored by the Prem league - when do they get their name on the shirts? Wasn't the original deal muted as an advance and reduction in overall parachute payments? - instead of £16M next year, maybe £12M now, type of arrangement? If that is the case they are in massive trouble, why else would the league give up cash before they need to? Sounds like the bloke who drove the Hull City bus over the cliff is now chasing off any other buyers by releasing these details, or justifying why the club is worth nowhere near what Chanrai will ask. Everytime you think Chanrai is set to get some profit the money seems to be needed elsewhere - he was promised January money, had to hijack some transfer cash instead, must have fancied the next parachute, that's promised to football creditors and the future revenues are being eaten up just to pay the HUGE wagebill. How long before Chanrai jacks it all in as a bad idea? A year ago the only thing they had to attract a buyer was the ability to generate Prem money Six months ago the only asset in the business was future parachute money. Every time they take an advance they are reducing the value of the business and the realistic chance of future investment. I hope Lawrence and Kitson are good because the simple choice is invest in big wages, or vital ground redevelopment. Instead of a 30,000 seater stadium they are buying a ginger bloke a new Ferrari - and the worst thing is as he drives off up the M275 taking more cash out of the city, the car's going to clash horribly with his hair.

Avram Grant's settled in nicely, then again he should be comfortable as he's just coming up to the milestone of a whole year in the relegation zone. They might sack him or he'll get them relegated, but they won't be able to take his spirit. It still makes me chuckle that while the taxman was at the door they still paid for a car and driver to carry him between industrial estates where his club tracksuit would end up around his ankles while little Avram went to work. Odd but hilarious events from the last year, no.294.

Middlesbrough Freefall. Portsmouth Insolvencia. I struggled to find Garforth Town on that list, I recall that they were going to be supplying half the Brazilian international team and knocking on the door of the championship by now under the mad primary school teacher - I guess that's been put aside to get Scotland into the top six in Fifa rankings.

even though Wigan's Premiership support is quite feeble I think that table may be a bit harsh by placing them behind Yeovil. Flawed data. And a debate with no answer, which it only takes place because of the media cartoon image of poor plucky pompey with fans who never abandoned them in their darkest hours - even though they clearly did - and that's why it amuses us, at the club that's so well-known that the tabloids just referred to us as The South Coast Club - like there's only one. Big crowd yesterday, and some of them paid.