Firstly, I'd like to apologise for not updating the site recently. Unfortunately I had a family bereavement on Monday and it was also my 21st birthday yesterday also. So this weekend has been anything but normal...
Sticking of the subject of abnormality, how boring is it to be a Pompey fan right now? We haven't played a game for eleven days and there hasn't been any sort of gripping headlines this week either. As Pompey supporters we wouldn't be suprised to see such headlines this week as "Harry in shock return to Saints" or "Mandaric: I hate Sacha" but no, shockingly we've read about "Pompey Defender in shock return" and "Harry: I'm a transformed man". The former headline refering to Dejan whose return was about as shocking as Reading's promotion on Saturday and the latter has to be the most laughable headline since his return.
I do feel for the local journo here, for them the saying is "No news is bad news" instead of the more common version so any scrape of a comment or even the most insignificant piece of news could make the back pages. The thing is we're just not used to peace and quiet down here! It's all become a bit boring... but look on the bright side, at least we're not being looked at as a laughing stock by outsiders for once. We'll leave that to Birmimgham City!
There hasn't even been a game to discuss this week, not of our own anyway. I hear pundits say how the postponement is going to hinder us and help Arsenal. But every Pompey fan knows we were going to lose on Saturday. Why? Because Arsenal are better than us? No. Because we had a few doubts for the game? No. The correct answer is...
..It was raining.
Let me take you back two seasons ago; Leicester City at home, the pitch is almost flooded (it looked much worse then than what it did on Saturday.) We lose 2-0. OK that might have just happened because they are our bogey team but fast forward a season and we're playing Norwich City once again at home who happen to be at the bottom of the table whilst we're sitting pretty in mid-table. Whatsmore, Norwich are down to ten men in the first ten minutes. Final score? 1-1.
Still need convincing? Then let's go to the opening day of this season. Before the game the weather was nice and dry and it stayed that way during the first half an hour of the game as we looked comfortable. Until it started raining. Cue Andy Griffin to put the ball in his own net, the rain getting worse and worse, Spurs eventually walking away with all three points and Jim walking back home getting completely soaked. I can't remember the last time we won a game when it was pissing it down, so the last we would have wanted was the game to go ahead on Saturday. Guaranteed loss I assure you!
For the record, the re-arranged game now has two possible dates to be played. The most likely date is going to be Wednesday 12th April which fits nicely in between home games against Blackburn and Middlesbrough. If Arsenal should capitulate at the Stade Delle Alpi next week and lose their tie against Juventus (they're currently 2-0 up) then the game will be played Tuesday 25th April after our home game with Sunderland. Either way the game will still be on TV with a kick off time of 8pm.
Until then, we'll have to prepare for our trip to Fulham with the team hopefully nice and fresh. Who knows? We might have something of note to talk about before then..
Sticking of the subject of abnormality, how boring is it to be a Pompey fan right now? We haven't played a game for eleven days and there hasn't been any sort of gripping headlines this week either. As Pompey supporters we wouldn't be suprised to see such headlines this week as "Harry in shock return to Saints" or "Mandaric: I hate Sacha" but no, shockingly we've read about "Pompey Defender in shock return" and "Harry: I'm a transformed man". The former headline refering to Dejan whose return was about as shocking as Reading's promotion on Saturday and the latter has to be the most laughable headline since his return.
I do feel for the local journo here, for them the saying is "No news is bad news" instead of the more common version so any scrape of a comment or even the most insignificant piece of news could make the back pages. The thing is we're just not used to peace and quiet down here! It's all become a bit boring... but look on the bright side, at least we're not being looked at as a laughing stock by outsiders for once. We'll leave that to Birmimgham City!
There hasn't even been a game to discuss this week, not of our own anyway. I hear pundits say how the postponement is going to hinder us and help Arsenal. But every Pompey fan knows we were going to lose on Saturday. Why? Because Arsenal are better than us? No. Because we had a few doubts for the game? No. The correct answer is...
..It was raining.
Let me take you back two seasons ago; Leicester City at home, the pitch is almost flooded (it looked much worse then than what it did on Saturday.) We lose 2-0. OK that might have just happened because they are our bogey team but fast forward a season and we're playing Norwich City once again at home who happen to be at the bottom of the table whilst we're sitting pretty in mid-table. Whatsmore, Norwich are down to ten men in the first ten minutes. Final score? 1-1.
Still need convincing? Then let's go to the opening day of this season. Before the game the weather was nice and dry and it stayed that way during the first half an hour of the game as we looked comfortable. Until it started raining. Cue Andy Griffin to put the ball in his own net, the rain getting worse and worse, Spurs eventually walking away with all three points and Jim walking back home getting completely soaked. I can't remember the last time we won a game when it was pissing it down, so the last we would have wanted was the game to go ahead on Saturday. Guaranteed loss I assure you!
For the record, the re-arranged game now has two possible dates to be played. The most likely date is going to be Wednesday 12th April which fits nicely in between home games against Blackburn and Middlesbrough. If Arsenal should capitulate at the Stade Delle Alpi next week and lose their tie against Juventus (they're currently 2-0 up) then the game will be played Tuesday 25th April after our home game with Sunderland. Either way the game will still be on TV with a kick off time of 8pm.
Until then, we'll have to prepare for our trip to Fulham with the team hopefully nice and fresh. Who knows? We might have something of note to talk about before then..