brakefluid
SC-Autobot
- Jul 29, 2005
- 1,256
- 65
Dont know if this has been posted earlier, but on soccernet:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=561749&sec=england&cc=3888
Kaboul deal set to lift Portsmouth spirits
Younes Kaboul has lifted some of the gloom over Portsmouth's penalty shoot-out shambles at Wembley by agreeing a four-year contract to sign from Tottenham Hotspur.
The French centre-back, 22, formerly with Auxerre, was having a medical at Pompey on Monday and is expected to join in time for next Sunday's Premier League opener against Chelsea. Kaboul's arrival will be a morale-booster for Harry Redknapp's FA Cup winners, who on Sunday lost the Community Shield to Manchester United, 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out after a goalless 90 minutes.
Whether he will get into the side straightaway is a matter for conjecture, because central defenders Sylvain Distin and Sol Campbell and ever-dependable goalkeeper David James were by far the best facets of Pompey's pugnacious if punchless performance against champions United.
Lassana Diarra and Glen Johnson both ballooned their spot-kicks over Edwin van der Sar's crossbar - and substitute Arnold Mvuemba's effort struck the legs of the Dutch goalkeeper - leaving Jermain Defoe as the only scorer as Carlos Tevez, Ryan Giggs and Michael Carrick all notched for United. It would be pushing things to say Pompey held their own before that. United - even with nine first-teamers missing, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney - had ample chances and possession to have won handsomely.
But Defoe, whose new partnership with 6ft 7in Peter Crouch suffered a tough baptism, said: 'I thought we were fantastic defensively. 'United are Premier League and European champions, and it is not a bad achievement to keep a clean sheet against them. '(Rio) Ferdinand and (Nemanja) Vidic made it difficult for Crouchie and me. But I think we will all be that much better for the game - and ready to face Chelsea next Sunday.'
Manager Redknapp was apparently left speechless by Pompey's performance. He did not appear for the post-match Wembley media briefing - a repeat of his no-show for the pre-match press call. A Pompey spokesman said: 'He's not feeling very well - seriously.' There is speculation Redknapp has come down with the bug that affected several of his players on tour in Nigeria a couple of weeks ago.
Yet there he was smiling (at times) on the sidelines at Wembley - and surely the news that Pompey owner Sacha Gaydamak has decided after all to come up with the £6million or so it will take to bring Kaboul to Fratton Park will have brightened up the 61-year-old. Coach Joe Jordan said: 'It was a very disappointing way to lose the Community Shield. We hadn't particularly practised penalties, and United were very positive with theirs.
'Some of our players needed the game, especially those (like Diarra and Niko Kranjkar) who have been away on international commitments this summer. 'We need some width to our attack. But we hope that will come and we'll learn to improve the quality of service we give the front two.'
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=561749&sec=england&cc=3888
Kaboul deal set to lift Portsmouth spirits
Younes Kaboul has lifted some of the gloom over Portsmouth's penalty shoot-out shambles at Wembley by agreeing a four-year contract to sign from Tottenham Hotspur.
The French centre-back, 22, formerly with Auxerre, was having a medical at Pompey on Monday and is expected to join in time for next Sunday's Premier League opener against Chelsea. Kaboul's arrival will be a morale-booster for Harry Redknapp's FA Cup winners, who on Sunday lost the Community Shield to Manchester United, 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out after a goalless 90 minutes.
Whether he will get into the side straightaway is a matter for conjecture, because central defenders Sylvain Distin and Sol Campbell and ever-dependable goalkeeper David James were by far the best facets of Pompey's pugnacious if punchless performance against champions United.
Lassana Diarra and Glen Johnson both ballooned their spot-kicks over Edwin van der Sar's crossbar - and substitute Arnold Mvuemba's effort struck the legs of the Dutch goalkeeper - leaving Jermain Defoe as the only scorer as Carlos Tevez, Ryan Giggs and Michael Carrick all notched for United. It would be pushing things to say Pompey held their own before that. United - even with nine first-teamers missing, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney - had ample chances and possession to have won handsomely.
But Defoe, whose new partnership with 6ft 7in Peter Crouch suffered a tough baptism, said: 'I thought we were fantastic defensively. 'United are Premier League and European champions, and it is not a bad achievement to keep a clean sheet against them. '(Rio) Ferdinand and (Nemanja) Vidic made it difficult for Crouchie and me. But I think we will all be that much better for the game - and ready to face Chelsea next Sunday.'
Manager Redknapp was apparently left speechless by Pompey's performance. He did not appear for the post-match Wembley media briefing - a repeat of his no-show for the pre-match press call. A Pompey spokesman said: 'He's not feeling very well - seriously.' There is speculation Redknapp has come down with the bug that affected several of his players on tour in Nigeria a couple of weeks ago.
Yet there he was smiling (at times) on the sidelines at Wembley - and surely the news that Pompey owner Sacha Gaydamak has decided after all to come up with the £6million or so it will take to bring Kaboul to Fratton Park will have brightened up the 61-year-old. Coach Joe Jordan said: 'It was a very disappointing way to lose the Community Shield. We hadn't particularly practised penalties, and United were very positive with theirs.
'Some of our players needed the game, especially those (like Diarra and Niko Kranjkar) who have been away on international commitments this summer. 'We need some width to our attack. But we hope that will come and we'll learn to improve the quality of service we give the front two.'
