Chatting With The Enemy: Pompey Fans

Our dedicated Staff Member, WattaGoalByRiise, has asked a host of Pompey fans some intriguing questions ahead of our home clash tomorrow afternoon (Yes, we’re playing at 3pm shocker!) which many a Kopite is considering to be a ‘must-win’ fixture after the disappointment of our recent defeats.

1. How would you evaluate your season so far?
(exLeighParker) - Brilliant, better than we could have hoped for. Need to keep our feet on the ground though!

(Pompey4CL) - A couple of years ahead of schedule as far as I can tell. Thought we might need a bit more ooomph to maintain this kind of position for so long.

(Fratton8) - Terrific although home form seems to have deserted us now we’ve found a winning away formula.

(ComeOnDavid) - Fantastic season so far, great start, it didnt look like we would start aswell as we have in seasons previous with the games we started with, when you start well you have the momentum and hopefully we can make europe.

(LewyPompey) - Brilliant. . . . We Could Never Have Expected To Be Doing This Well. . . Hopefully It Will Continue.

2. Would you be happy to see Sulley Ali-Muntari go to Liverpool?
(exLeighParker) - Definatly not.

(Pompey4CL) - I’ve grown fond of him in a short space of time. I’d like to see him play for us for a bit longer first and I think we can lose the rep as a selling club now.

(Fratton8) - No, but I don’t think he will move before the summer in any case.

(ComeOnDavid) - I would especially if it is for £10m or more, for me Muntari hasnt had a good home game.

(LewyPompey) - He Is A really Good Player, Hes Strong & Very Powerful Would Ruin Are Set-up.

3. Now that Pompey are flying high, do you see a Champions League spot as a realistic ambition, as opposed to a UEFA Cup place?

(ExLeighParker) - Not really. Could be achieved but the chances are slim. Never say never though!

(Fratton8) - No - UEFA will be tough although our flying start can see us get there.

(ComeOnDavid) - I do think we can challenge for 4th this season, although seeing as we have never qualified for europe before I wont be dissapointed if we ‘only’ make the UEFA Cup.

(LewyPompey) - Nah Not really Bit To Out Of Our Reach At The Moment, But Hopefully We Can Be Around Them At The End Of The Season.

4. Do you ever get bored of the ‘Play up Pompey,’ chant?

(ExLeighParker) - Nope, do you get bored of Liverpool…Liverpool…..Liverpool… and so on!

(Pompey4CL) - Do you ever get bored of You’l never walk alone’?…

(Fratton8) - No - we need to sing it more and sustain it for longer as it used to be. It is supposedly the oldest known football related chant. The Westminster Chimes tune are played by the Guildhall clock a few miles away - originally only a few houses stood between it and FP and it was audible when chiming the hour signalling the start of a 3 o’clock match.

(ComeOnDavid) - No infact I would like to hear more Play Up Pompey!

(LewyPompey) - Its A Famous Chant Known All The Around The Country.

5. What has Harry Redknapp done to Niko Krancjar to make him so effective this season?
(ExLeighParker) - More minutes on the pitch. The ability was always there, just neede the minutes to build confidence.

(Fratton8) - He missed pre- season last year and looked off the pace and frightened to tackle, still can’t tackle but at least he has a go now.

(LewyPompey) - Given Him the Freedom To Express Himself, When Given A Free Role He Comes Good.

6. Be honest, how many of you wanted to see the back of Benjani during his early time at Portsmouth?
(ExLeighParker) - No way. You could never fault him on his work rate. Always knew goals would come but never expected him to be prolific.

(Fratton8) - I did - some of his shooting was, and still can be, woeful.

(ComeOnDavid) - First season when Benji was our highest transfer fee and he wasnt scoring, if im honest I would have prefered Toddy and LuaLua to start instead of Benji and LuaLua but now Benji is one of my favourites and probably is one of the few players we as fans can relate to right now.

5. In terms of hardest grounds for opposition players, where does Fratton Park rank?

(ExLeighParker) - Very Top. Small pitch, grotty away changing rooms and a hostile crowd!

(Fratton8) - Not as high as it used to apparently but last week was our first home defeat since early March.

(ComeOnDavid) - Very hard to win at Fratton, before Saturday’s loss we were 9 months unbeaten at home.

(LewyPompey) - Top 4 Defo, Not Many Teams Come To Fratton Park & Destroy Pompey, If We Lose Its Usually A Very Close Game.

6. Liverpool have a decent home record defensively in general. Do you think Portsmouth can score at Anfield?

(Pompey4CL) - I think if you underesitimate our scoring potential you will lose badly.

(Fratton8) - I think we can but I don’t see us getting more than one.

(LewyPompey) - I Do, I Generally Think Pompey Are Far More Quicker & Powerful Than The Pool, I Think We Will Be Able To Over Run Their Back 4.

7. Fernando Torres is likely to start. Do you think Sol Campbell is good enough to keep him quiet?

(ExLeighParker) - No. He will have to work his socks off to nutralise that threat.

(BlueMeadowLark) - Between Cambell and Distin then yes we can keep Torres quiet and don’t forget James in goal.

(LewyPompey) - Erm Pace Wise No. . . But Give The Ball To Torres’ Feet Campbell Will Have Him IN His Back Pocket. (Editor: Thanks for the tip!)

(Pompey4CL) - Torres is without a doubt the classiest striker in the prem at the mo. In my dreamteam and can score past anyone. Hopefully he’l have mare though…

8. The African Cup of Nations is coming up. Do you have the strength in depth to cope without Muntari, Kanu (if he is going), Benjani, and Lauren etc?

(ExLeighParker) - Maybe. Not entirely confident, sometimes though, its exactly this kind of situation that allows fringe players to come on and shine.

(Pompey4CL) - We didn’t have most of em last year and were ok. We’ve got cover enough and I think the possibilty of losing ground rapidly has been grossly exagerated.

(Fratton8) - Benjani’s not going, Lauren is injured and I don’t think he’s started this season but we will lose some quality players - hopefully our squad, with an addition or two, will cope.

(BlueMeadowLark) - Yes, we still have the same players as last year apart from Oneil, plus some new additions that are not African and not first team regulars, Nugent as one example.

9. Would a quota on foreign players be detrimental to Portsmouth?

(ExLeighParker) - Yes. I think it would be for most Premiership teams though, Liverpool included.

(BlueMeadowLark) - No,it would affect Arsenal the most!

(ComeOnDavid) - It would effect a lot of teams, our team is built on pace and strength and our foreign players have those strengths so yes it would damage our team probably a bit more than others.

(Fratton8) - Possibly but we are not the worst in the league table of imports, if all clubs had the same restriction, with time to phase it in then our management team have the nous to survive it.

10. And finally, care to make a prediction for the match?

(ExLeighParker) - 1-1.

(Pompey4CL) - Heart says 2-1 pompey, head says vice versa.

(Fratton8) - 0-0 or 1-0 - I can’t decide who to though!

(ComeOnDavid) - 0-0 Good result for us.

(LewyPompey) - Ill Sit On The Fence & Go For 1-1, Gerrard For The Pool & Kranjcar For Pompey.

(BlueMeadowLark) - On current form, then we usually win by at least 2 clear goals away from home against Premiership opposition so I’m going for 3-2 to us.

Many thanks to the Pompey fans who went to the trouble of responding to the questions we posed, good luck for Saturday - may the best team on the day win!