A new feature to Fratton Faithful, The Opposition View gives Pompey fans an insight as to how the fans of our upcoming opponents feel about their season and the match.
First in the hotseat is Fulham fan Emre Aktas. Here is the interview in full:
What are your hopes and expectations for the season? Can you improve on your 7th place finish and how well will you do in
I think improving on 7th would be a stretch for us, consolidating a top 10 finish would be a success in my book, but the real expectation has always been a successful run in a cup (lets face it its the only realistic chance of picking up some silverware for a club like Fulham). So with some luck we could do well in
Are you impressed by your summer transfer dealings?
In one word, NO. the younger Riise brother and Stephen Kelly hardly set the pulses racing, plus we were totally ineffective in luring targets like Crouch, Poulsen and Tuncay. Disastrous summer transfer dealings! We were a thin side anyway, and now we've lost more players than we've signed. It's all a bit worrying.
Are you worried that Brede Hangeland might leave? How badly would it affect the team if he did?
Not if he leaves for £20m plus. Toure is valued at about £17m and Brede is better than him, so if Arsenal want him then I think we'd be more than happy to let him go for £20m +. I'm Sure we could bolster up the squad with 2 or 3 decent players for that money or get a decent replacement. One man does not maketh the team.
Do you think that Roy Hodgson doesn't receive enough credit for the job he has done at Fulham so far?
Not at Fulham, but in
What are the strongest areas of your team?
At the moment the Defence is solid and our midfield fluid thanks to the likes of Dempsey & Murphy who has really stepped up to the challenge and produced some really creative play. But our strikeforce is dodgy to say the least.
What are the weakest areas that Pompey may be able to exploit this Saturday?
I think we'll do that for you by not being able to score.
What do you think of Pompey's prospects for the season? Do you think we're nailed on certainties for relegation like everyone else?
Going through three managers, selling off your best players and uncertainty over ownership is not what you want really at the start of a season, so I don't know but
Are you confident that Fulham have overcome their traditional travel sickness and get a result on Saturday?
We will not win an away game until April or May or something stupid like that most likely, then have a string of away wins (happens every year), so you are lucky because you are playing as at the right time for away fixtures, hahaha!
What do you think of
Gritty, Real, and overall good atmosphere, watched us stay up there on the last game of the season in 2007/2008, and had a great time.