Yakubu gave an interview to Sky Sports News today where the reporter continually questioned his future; "do you expect to still be at Portsmouth this time next month", "would you be tempted if a bigger club made an offer", "do you want to play in Europe", "do you know if any clubs are interested in you" - you know the score. We had to put up with it all summer, and not it's just a complete repeat.
Needless to say, Yakubu answered in his typically honest fashion. Yes, of course he'd love to play in European football, with Portsmouth if possible. (For some reason, that last comment was missed off a lot of reports). He said he would expect to be here after the transfer window, although you never know in football. (For some reason, the first comment was missed off in a lot of reports). He said that of course if there was a very big club interested, of course he would be interested in a move. (Self-explanatory, but apparently that's a "come-and-get-me" plea. Yawn).
Etc, etc. Ad nauseum. Jesus, just come up with a new story or at least report it properly; it's amazing the amount of reports that have missed out his quotes about how much he loves the club and the fans and doesn't want to leave, and instead have churned out the same old "YAKUBU TO QUIT PORTSMOUTH" headlines. Of course he wants to play in Europe, of course the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal would be tempting; there's not a footballer in the country who wouldn't say that.
It's much like Niemi down the coast. He gave a half hour interview to a paper where at one point he said that playing for someone like Manchester United would be a dream. Sure enough, the next day the headlines were all about how he wanted to move as soon as possible and that he wanted talks with Manchester United. The other twenty-nine minutes and fifty seconds of the interview disappeared into the ether in the search of a headline.
Yeah alright, so the media look for sensationalism to sell papers and when you're a smaller club with a hot young talent, you have to expect speculation. But at least make it original or interesting, rather than just basing it on leading questions and selectively choosing parts of the interview. I don't doubt he will leave in the summer, but I'm sure he'll let us know properly when he feels it's time to move, not through butchered quotes on the telly.
What odds on Barry Silkman in The Sun tomorrow?