Tuesday, 6 May 2008
Broadsheet Views: FA Cup Quarter-Final, 8th March 2008, Manchester United Versus Pompey
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/mar/09/match.portsmouth
Harry's plot silences theatre of dreams
FA Cup Quarter-Final Manchester United 0 Portsmouth 1
Muntari (pen) 78
by Paul Wilson at Old Trafford, The Observer, Sunday March 9 2008
Never mind Sir Alex Ferguson staying on for another three or four years. His blood pressure will not stand another three or four months of this, and he might just have seen his best chance of another Treble disappear over the horizon as well.
The United manager was on his feet practically the whole game, turning various shades of purple at perceived refereeing injustices and ultimately at his own team's inability to convert pressure and chances into goals. As Portsmouth barely had a shot until the late penalty that put them into the semi-finals this must rank as one of the greatest of FA Cup shocks. Pompey have not won at Old Trafford in over half a century. You could get 10-1 odds on an away win for Harry Redknapp's team and some of us did. It was never a safe bet though, even with United down to 10 men with Rio Ferdinand in goal.
To say Portsmouth rode their luck would be understating the case by the length of the Manchester Ship Canal. United were denied a clear penalty in the first half, saw two certain goals blocked by astonishing interventions from defenders on the line, not to mention the Patrice Evra shot that David James touched on to a post, and had enough close-range opportunities to win a dozen cup ties. Portsmouth came with a simple plan - not to concede early and to frustrate their opponents for as long as possible - and ended up shattering Ferguson's sunny optimism.
'Of course we rode our luck, we were up against a fantastic side,' Redknapp acknowledged. 'United are different class, we came here six weeks ago and got slaughtered. It was the draw no one wanted and Alex didn't exactly rest anyone either, it was pretty much the full monty we were up against. When I saw the teamsheet I must admit I was stuck for words. I usually tell the lads they are the best in the world, but I'm not sure they believe me. I'm not sure what to believe myself now. Perhaps I've been right all along, or perhaps I'm an idiot. We did have a plan this time, though, and we stuck to it.'
Portmouth had offered to bring tickets for a possible replay up to Manchester, but United said not to bother. That motivated Redknapp's players to an extent though the key to this result was United's 2-0 victory over Portsmouth in the League in January. Both goals were scored inside 13 minutes, and by Redknapp's own admission United might have ended up with 10.
Pompey were helped by some lacklustre United attacking play that must have had Ferguson momentarily reviewing the advantages of retirement. Only joking. Ferguson would be happier if Keith Hackett retired instead. 'He's not doing his job properly,' Ferguson fumed about the referees' supervisor. 'The referee's performance today was unacceptable, but he'll be doing it again next week. Don't even ask me why Ronaldo didn't get a penalty, I cannot explain that decision and I don't think anybody could.'
Ferguson later calmed down to the extent of accepting that United had missed too many chances, and that Portsmouth were entitled to play in the way they had. Though he failed to mention Wayne Rooney's booking for the most dangerous tackle of the afternoon, he did have a point about Martin Atkinson's refereeing, certainly over the penalty controversy in the seventh minute. Four minutes earlier Lassana Diarra had barged Cristiano Ronaldo over the touchline with his shoulder. Ferguson thought that should have produced a booking. Atkinson kept his cards in his pocket but did award a foul. Yet when Sylvain Distin did exactly the same thing to Ronaldo in the area, as the winger drove goalwards after accepting a superb pass from Rooney, no offence was deemed to have been committed. Yet if one was a fair shoulder charge, so was the other. The only possible explanation was that Atkinson did not fancy awarding a penalty so early in the game.
For all Ferguson's fury his side still had over 80 minutes in which to win, yet played into Pompey's hands by growing frustrated. Either Rooney or Carlos Tévez should have scored midway through the first half when they caught Portsmouth on the break, but Tévez delayed his pass too long to put Rooney clear, Rooney rounded James but found Sol Campbell had got back in time to dispossess him, and when the loose ball rolled to Tévez with only Glen Johnson defending the goal he inexplicably opted for a snap shot that the defender was able to head away.
That was by no means the end of the slapstick either. In the space of five minutes Tévez inadvertently cleared a goal-bound Nemanja Vidic header off the Portsmouth line, then fell over when Evra's cut-back presented him with a chance in front of goal. Ferguson hoicked him off shortly afterwards, together with the equally disappointing Owen Hargreaves, only to see substitute Michael Carrick miss what looked an open goal when Distin arrived at the last second with a superb tackle on the line.
There was more, much more, but the only thing that matters is that United were caught cold at a corner 12 minutes from time, when James's smart clearance sent Milan Baros and Nico Kranjcar running at just Anderson and Rooney. It was not much of a contest and when the latter squared to the former, Tomasz Kuszczak, on at half-time for groin-strain victim Edwin van der Sar, was obliged to bring down Baros. There was some debate about whether he should have been sent off, with Rooney standing on the line, but once Sulley Muntari had scored past Ferdinand from the spot there was not much point in complaining. Not until after the game, anyway.
'The referee today was unbelievable,' Ronaldo said. 'There were three bad fouls in the first few minutes, and if the referee doesn't want to give yellow cards or penalties he cannot protect the skilful players. I am becoming scared to go past people. It is difficult to play football in these circumstances. It is just a joke.'
Man of the match: Sylvain Distin
Lassana Diarra was magnificent in midfield, but the game really revolved around three moments, the two blocks on the line and the first-half penalty that wasn't. Distin was involved in two of them, with a superb interception to deny Carrick and a perfectly timed shoulder charge to stop Ronaldo.
THE FANS' PLAYER RATINGS AND VERDICT
Ray Hunt, Observer reader We feel a little hard done by, but you have to credit Pompey for their game plan, albeit a limited one. I haven't seen replays in terms of what contact Kuszczak made, but the sending-off was cruel given he wasn't the last man and Ronaldo was flattened by Distin for a blatant penalty in the first half. But it was a fantastic day for Pompey and their fans and I hope they now win the Cup. We couldn't take our chances and it wasn't to be - the crowd were nervous the way it was going at half time. Scholes was really off his game - Carrick and Anderson should have come on earlier - though Evra going forward and Vidic under the aerial assaults were excellent. The stand-out player, though, was Diarra for Pompey - it's hard to see why Arsenal let him go. Fan's player ratings Van der Sar 7 (Kuszczak 6); Brown 6, Ferdinand 7, Vidic 8, Evra 8; Ronaldo 6, Scholes 5, Hargreaves 6 (Carrick 6), Nani 6; Rooney 7, Tevez 6 (Anderson 6)
Colin Farmery, Pompey-Fans.com Without doubt this was the greatest result I've known in 38 years of supporting Pompey. This was once-in-a-lifetime stuff and Project Wembley is on. There's been this feeling all through the Cup run that this could be our year and even when the draw was made I was only disappointed for an hour that it was United. They put their top boys out and don't forget they never lose when Rooney and Ronaldo start. Well, they did today! Sir Alex Ferguson, your boys took one hell of a beating. All our players were absolutely outstanding, restricting United to a couple of chances. This team are up for the Cup and have the mentality to win the competition. The fans never stopped shouting - I brought my wife and son all the way up here. What a day, what an extraordinary day. Fan's player ratings James 10; Johnson 10, Campbell 10, Distin 10, Hreidarsson 10; Utaka 9 (Lauren 10), Diarra 10, Diop 9, Kranjcar 9 (Hughes 10), Muntari 10, Kanu 9 (Baros 10)
Harry's plot silences theatre of dreams
FA Cup Quarter-Final Manchester United 0 Portsmouth 1
Muntari (pen) 78
by Paul Wilson at Old Trafford, The Observer, Sunday March 9 2008
Never mind Sir Alex Ferguson staying on for another three or four years. His blood pressure will not stand another three or four months of this, and he might just have seen his best chance of another Treble disappear over the horizon as well.
The United manager was on his feet practically the whole game, turning various shades of purple at perceived refereeing injustices and ultimately at his own team's inability to convert pressure and chances into goals. As Portsmouth barely had a shot until the late penalty that put them into the semi-finals this must rank as one of the greatest of FA Cup shocks. Pompey have not won at Old Trafford in over half a century. You could get 10-1 odds on an away win for Harry Redknapp's team and some of us did. It was never a safe bet though, even with United down to 10 men with Rio Ferdinand in goal.
To say Portsmouth rode their luck would be understating the case by the length of the Manchester Ship Canal. United were denied a clear penalty in the first half, saw two certain goals blocked by astonishing interventions from defenders on the line, not to mention the Patrice Evra shot that David James touched on to a post, and had enough close-range opportunities to win a dozen cup ties. Portsmouth came with a simple plan - not to concede early and to frustrate their opponents for as long as possible - and ended up shattering Ferguson's sunny optimism.
'Of course we rode our luck, we were up against a fantastic side,' Redknapp acknowledged. 'United are different class, we came here six weeks ago and got slaughtered. It was the draw no one wanted and Alex didn't exactly rest anyone either, it was pretty much the full monty we were up against. When I saw the teamsheet I must admit I was stuck for words. I usually tell the lads they are the best in the world, but I'm not sure they believe me. I'm not sure what to believe myself now. Perhaps I've been right all along, or perhaps I'm an idiot. We did have a plan this time, though, and we stuck to it.'
Portmouth had offered to bring tickets for a possible replay up to Manchester, but United said not to bother. That motivated Redknapp's players to an extent though the key to this result was United's 2-0 victory over Portsmouth in the League in January. Both goals were scored inside 13 minutes, and by Redknapp's own admission United might have ended up with 10.
Pompey were helped by some lacklustre United attacking play that must have had Ferguson momentarily reviewing the advantages of retirement. Only joking. Ferguson would be happier if Keith Hackett retired instead. 'He's not doing his job properly,' Ferguson fumed about the referees' supervisor. 'The referee's performance today was unacceptable, but he'll be doing it again next week. Don't even ask me why Ronaldo didn't get a penalty, I cannot explain that decision and I don't think anybody could.'
Ferguson later calmed down to the extent of accepting that United had missed too many chances, and that Portsmouth were entitled to play in the way they had. Though he failed to mention Wayne Rooney's booking for the most dangerous tackle of the afternoon, he did have a point about Martin Atkinson's refereeing, certainly over the penalty controversy in the seventh minute. Four minutes earlier Lassana Diarra had barged Cristiano Ronaldo over the touchline with his shoulder. Ferguson thought that should have produced a booking. Atkinson kept his cards in his pocket but did award a foul. Yet when Sylvain Distin did exactly the same thing to Ronaldo in the area, as the winger drove goalwards after accepting a superb pass from Rooney, no offence was deemed to have been committed. Yet if one was a fair shoulder charge, so was the other. The only possible explanation was that Atkinson did not fancy awarding a penalty so early in the game.
For all Ferguson's fury his side still had over 80 minutes in which to win, yet played into Pompey's hands by growing frustrated. Either Rooney or Carlos Tévez should have scored midway through the first half when they caught Portsmouth on the break, but Tévez delayed his pass too long to put Rooney clear, Rooney rounded James but found Sol Campbell had got back in time to dispossess him, and when the loose ball rolled to Tévez with only Glen Johnson defending the goal he inexplicably opted for a snap shot that the defender was able to head away.
That was by no means the end of the slapstick either. In the space of five minutes Tévez inadvertently cleared a goal-bound Nemanja Vidic header off the Portsmouth line, then fell over when Evra's cut-back presented him with a chance in front of goal. Ferguson hoicked him off shortly afterwards, together with the equally disappointing Owen Hargreaves, only to see substitute Michael Carrick miss what looked an open goal when Distin arrived at the last second with a superb tackle on the line.
There was more, much more, but the only thing that matters is that United were caught cold at a corner 12 minutes from time, when James's smart clearance sent Milan Baros and Nico Kranjcar running at just Anderson and Rooney. It was not much of a contest and when the latter squared to the former, Tomasz Kuszczak, on at half-time for groin-strain victim Edwin van der Sar, was obliged to bring down Baros. There was some debate about whether he should have been sent off, with Rooney standing on the line, but once Sulley Muntari had scored past Ferdinand from the spot there was not much point in complaining. Not until after the game, anyway.
'The referee today was unbelievable,' Ronaldo said. 'There were three bad fouls in the first few minutes, and if the referee doesn't want to give yellow cards or penalties he cannot protect the skilful players. I am becoming scared to go past people. It is difficult to play football in these circumstances. It is just a joke.'
Man of the match: Sylvain Distin
Lassana Diarra was magnificent in midfield, but the game really revolved around three moments, the two blocks on the line and the first-half penalty that wasn't. Distin was involved in two of them, with a superb interception to deny Carrick and a perfectly timed shoulder charge to stop Ronaldo.
THE FANS' PLAYER RATINGS AND VERDICT
Ray Hunt, Observer reader We feel a little hard done by, but you have to credit Pompey for their game plan, albeit a limited one. I haven't seen replays in terms of what contact Kuszczak made, but the sending-off was cruel given he wasn't the last man and Ronaldo was flattened by Distin for a blatant penalty in the first half. But it was a fantastic day for Pompey and their fans and I hope they now win the Cup. We couldn't take our chances and it wasn't to be - the crowd were nervous the way it was going at half time. Scholes was really off his game - Carrick and Anderson should have come on earlier - though Evra going forward and Vidic under the aerial assaults were excellent. The stand-out player, though, was Diarra for Pompey - it's hard to see why Arsenal let him go. Fan's player ratings Van der Sar 7 (Kuszczak 6); Brown 6, Ferdinand 7, Vidic 8, Evra 8; Ronaldo 6, Scholes 5, Hargreaves 6 (Carrick 6), Nani 6; Rooney 7, Tevez 6 (Anderson 6)
Colin Farmery, Pompey-Fans.com Without doubt this was the greatest result I've known in 38 years of supporting Pompey. This was once-in-a-lifetime stuff and Project Wembley is on. There's been this feeling all through the Cup run that this could be our year and even when the draw was made I was only disappointed for an hour that it was United. They put their top boys out and don't forget they never lose when Rooney and Ronaldo start. Well, they did today! Sir Alex Ferguson, your boys took one hell of a beating. All our players were absolutely outstanding, restricting United to a couple of chances. This team are up for the Cup and have the mentality to win the competition. The fans never stopped shouting - I brought my wife and son all the way up here. What a day, what an extraordinary day. Fan's player ratings James 10; Johnson 10, Campbell 10, Distin 10, Hreidarsson 10; Utaka 9 (Lauren 10), Diarra 10, Diop 9, Kranjcar 9 (Hughes 10), Muntari 10, Kanu 9 (Baros 10)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/mar/10/match.manchesterunited
Redknapp builds superiority complex as sourness taints United's hard-luck story
Man of the match Lassana Diarra
FA Cup Quarter-Final, Manchester United 0 Portsmouth 1
Muntari (pen) 78
by Daniel Taylor at Old Trafford, The Guardian, Monday March 10 2008
Contrary to popular opinion, Manchester United do know how to lose with dignity. Or at least their fans do. Five years ago, when Ronaldo scored a Champions League hat-trick here for Real Madrid, the Brazilian left the pitch to a standing ovation and on Saturday there was another show of appreciation from the Stretford End as the scrum of back-slapping, high-fiving Portsmouth players made their way to the tunnel.
Sir Alex Ferguson, a man who operates by the philosophy that a good loser is, well, a loser, will be worried that it is becoming something of a habit given that Manchester City's players were afforded the same treatment following their 2-1 victory here last month.
Nonetheless it was a stirring sight and, as David James, Lassana Diarra, Sol Campbell and the rest of Portsmouth's heroes waved back, something else became apparent: none of the players in blue and white was holding a souvenir red shirt. For once nobody had rushed to Cristiano Ronaldo or Wayne Rooney at the final whistle. The best souvenirs from an FA Cup run are medals and Harry Redknapp's players were not at Old Trafford to admire the view, soak in the atmosphere and go through the usual small-club routine of hunting out keepsakes. It was only a small thing but it spoke volumes about this obdurate Portsmouth side.
Redknapp had been playing golf when he found out they had been drawn to play United and his immediate reaction was to fling his eight-iron down the fairway in a fit of pique. In the dressing-room afterwards James asked his team-mates who had been "secretly scared" when the draw was made and, to loud laughter, almost everyone raised an arm.
Yet there was no inferiority complex. Redknapp said: "I told them before the game, 'I keep telling the newspapers how good you are. I keep saying I've got the best goalkeeper [James] in the country, two centre-halves [Campbell and Sylvain Distin] I wouldn't swap for anybody, a right-back [Glen Johnson] who should be playing for England, that there's no better midfield player anywhere than Diarra and that Kanu's a magician. Well, get out there and prove it, will you?'"
It was a call to arms that led to one of the finest results in Portsmouth's modern history. The only shame was that the post-match recriminations - when Ferguson and his assistant, Carlos Queiroz, went too far in their condemnation of the referee, Martin Atkinson - provoked enough headlines to deflect some of the glory from a club that had not won at Old Trafford since 1957.
It was the classic diversion technique, an old trick of the United management. But the stench of controversy does not alter the fact that, for everyone associated with Portsmouth, this was an 'If Carlsberg did football ...' kind of day, one that has established them as the best-placed team to win the Cup, for what would be the first time since 1939, when the Second World War allowed them to keep the trophy for seven uninterrupted years.
Ferguson and Queiroz thought it a travesty, pointing to the critical moment seven minutes into the game when Ronaldo hared away from Hermann Hreidarsson, surged into the penalty area and was body-checked to the ground by Distin. Their complaints had some foundation: had it occurred anywhere else on the pitch a free-kick would almost certainly have been awarded. They were entitled to be angry but their protests turned into a rant that smacked of sourness about losing to a team that created only one chance.
For United, it was a story of scuffed shots, goalmouth scrambles, bad luck and a number of telling moments when it felt as though fate was conspiring against them, such as Distin's goal-line clearance to deny Michael Carrick and James's save to turn Patrice Evra's shot against the post. Then James hoofed a long kick and suddenly United had thrown so many players forward that the entire defence had gone awol. Anderson, a midfielder, and Rooney, a striker, were forced into the role of centre-halves as Nico Kranjcar sent Milan Baros clear on goal. He rounded Tomasz Kuszczak, inviting the challenge that led to the penalty and a red card for the offender.
Kuszczak had replaced the injured Edwin van der Sar at half-time and, with no more goalkeepers, Rooney wanted to pull on the gloves but, to Redknapp's delight, Ferguson nominated Rio Ferdinand to face Sulley Muntari's penalty. "I've seen Rio in goal when he was a kid at West Ham," said Redknapp. "I'll be honest with you, he wasn't very good."
Man of the match Lassana Diarra
His performance was reminiscent of Claude Makelele in his prime - no higher compliment
Best moment Dispossessing Owen Hargreaves with a crunching tackle and skipping past Paul Scholes
Pompey's 51-year wait
How they lined up when Portsmouth last won at Old Trafford
Saturday October 19, 1957
Man United 0 Portsmouth 3
Man Utd Wood; Foulkes, P Jones; Coleman, Blanchflower, McGuinness; Berry, Whelan, Dawson, Viollet, Pegg.
Portsmouth Uprichard; Gunter, Wilson; Albury, Rutter, Dickinson; Harris, Gordon, Dougan, Henderson, Newman.
Attendance 38,253
League positions at the time
Man United 4th (final position 9th)
Portsmouth 17th (final position 20th)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=A1YourView&xml=/sport/2008/03/09/sfgman109.xmlLassana Diarra helps Portsmouth beat United By Patrick Barclay at Old Trafford
Last Updated: 1:51am GMT 09/03/2008
Manchester United (0) 0 Portsmouth (0) 1
Now Harry Redknapp has completed a hat-trick of FA Cup knockouts of Manchester United - with Bournemouth, West Ham and by virtue of this extraordinarily obdurate Portsmouth display - the question must be asked: should he get to keep them? Certainly not. Indeed on this occasion the prize of a place in the semi-finals could almost be described as stolen goods, given that Portsmouth won the match towards its end with their only clear chance, a penalty, after United had been denied one in the opening stages.
Stretching point: Hargreaves and man-of-the-match Diarra challenge for the ball at Old Trafford
Although referee Martin Atkinson appeared seriously to have erred with the first decision, there could be no arguing with the second. Nor with the dismissal of Tomasz Kuszczak, a half-time replacement for Edwin van der Sar in United's goal, one of whose outstretched arms brought down Milan Baros as the Portsmouth substitute tried to run round him.
To give the victors their further due, another referee might have permitted Baros an earlier opening when he won a tussle with Owen Hargreaves and sprinted clear, only to be judged to have fouled the England midfielder. But the truth is that United made more than enough opportunities to have remained in contention for the treble they succeeded in completing in 1999 (even if such talk seemed a shade premature in the light of our not having reached the Ides of March, let alone the buds of May).
Credit for United's frustration was happily shared by Redknapp, whose negative tactics were vindicated, with heroes such as the central defensive pair of Sylvain Distin and Sol Campbell, Glen Johnson at right-back, David James in goal and, above all, Lassana Diarra in the holding midfield role, where the 22-year-old Frenchman performed the considerable feat of making Hargreaves, England's saving grace at the last World Cup, look pedestrian. Diarra, who left Chelsea and then Arsenal because he fancied himself as a key player, was hailed as such by Redknapp afterwards. "He could play anywhere in the world," said the Portsmouth manager, who also repeated his call for Johnson to be tried again by England. By contrast Sir Alex Ferguson was sourness itself; even those of us who detest the permissive nature of the refereeing regime overseen by Keith Hackett and welcome Ferguson's support would be suspicious of the notion that it works against United all the time.
It did this time, though. Against Cristiano Ronaldo, once more; if he is again voted Footballer of the Year, it will constitute quite a triumph over those who constantly endeavour to chop him down and, for that matter, those who inadequately punish it. When Ronaldo, reflecting on the recent terrible injury to Arsenal's Eduardo, says he is "scared sometimes to do skills", surely even the zombies who are supposed to police the game should listen.
Atkinson is far from the worst referee in the business; his issuing of yellow cards to Papa Bouba Diop and Wayne Rooney inside 20 minutes could be cited. Yet, while giving three free-kicks for early fouls on Ronaldo, he chose to ignore an offence as blatant as any. The play it curtailed was simply magnificent: a crossfield ball from Rooney that invited Ronaldo to take it in full stride, then a spurt goalwards. Distin barged Ronaldo over and, although it was Ferguson who most visibly fulminated, no neutral football-lover would have been any less irked.
With Diarra overshadowing a pallid Paul Scholes as well as Hargreaves in central midfield, Portsmouth settled. They survived another scare when Johnson, showing his England credentials on Gary Neville's patch, headed off the goal-line from Carlos Tevez, and emerged for the second half to discover Kuszczak keeping goal; Van der Sar had strained his groin. But it was a while before they threatened the Pole.
Ronaldo shot wide, headed over and dragged off target from a chance beautifully made by Rooney's return backheel. Ronaldo flicked Michael Carrick through and the substitute passed James only to be thrillingly thwarted by Distin, who got one foot to the ball, then the other, inches from an unguarded net.
A flying James made the save of the match from Patrice Evra, touching the adventurous left-back's half-volley against a post. Then Portsmouth broke, were delighted to find Nani and Anderson acting as emergency defenders, easily carved a path through as Niko Kranjcar did the obvious thing well and left Baros and Sulley Muntari to do the rest, the Ghanaian beating Rio Ferdinand from the spot. So ultimately United had only themselves to blame.
"You have to ride your luck," observed Redknapp, "and I'm not going to sit here and pretend I've some secret formula for beating United. In fact I've taken plenty of beltings here! Only a few weeks ago we came, got beaten by two and it could have been 10. So this took character."
Best moment: Any of Wayne Rooney's links with Cristiano Ronaldo. Pure class. Worst moment: The denial of a penalty for Sylvain Distin's foul on Cristiano Ronaldo – anti-football.
Man of the match Sulley Muntari (Portsmouth) 9
• Scored penalty• Completed 88 per cent of passes
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml;jsessionid=TXEOLTPFNORCTQFIQMGCFF4AVCBQUIV0?menuId=1087&menuItemId=6828&view=COLUMNIST&grid=F7&targetRule=10
Comments
It may not have been clear live, at full speed, but on TV replay there was clearly no contact on Baros from Kuszczak's arm. The contact that was made was from Baros' knee into Kuszczak's face, which tripped him. I doubt that this was intentional, unless the Utd keeper is either incredibly courageous or stupid . A clear miscarriage of justice which should see his red card rescinded and an apology to Ferguson!Posted by Timbo on March 9, 2008 1:59
The match report is so far badly written it's the usual anti United bias we expect. Player with skill like Ronaldo, Eduardo, Nani, Torres, Fabregas, van Persie are standing no knowing that referees are not going to afford them protection from referees actually punishing player who go out to injure. Many mock what Wenger and Ferguson say, but what's it going to take another player out for over a year because of a jealous hack'em player ?Posted by Jack on March 9, 2008 1:14 PM
Hargreaves does a good job on his own at looking pedestrian. He's awful, actually worse than Darren FletcherPosted by Someone else on March 9, 2008 12:36 PM
This is good. No Top 4 side in the FAC Final.Posted by rodney on March 9, 2008 11:26 AM
Pompeys Distin gave Ronaldo a fair shoulder charge, not seen much these days but Tom Finney and Stan Matthews will tell you all about them!!! Alex Ferguson has been bullying Refs for years now ,this ref was not intimidated by him and gave correct results, a strong ref. Well done Martin Atkinson. It is over due that Ferguson is told he is not to intimidate match officals in the way he does.Posted by James T Cramp on March 9, 2008 11:05 AM
This article feels like it could have been taken from MUTV rather than a national newspaper. Yes, Manchester United did create the more clear chances and yes, we did play a single striker up front. However, when playing one of the richest teams in the country and without a single eligible fully fit striker, what other system does the writer expect us to play? With regard to the 'treatment' of Ronaldo, I can only recall a handful of challenges on him, and those were shoulder charges (which are legal according to the rules of the game) and body checks rather than anything worse - hardly career-threatening. The only dangerous challenge of the day was Rooney's flying leap at Kranjaer which could and possibly should have resulted in a red card. I understand that Ferguson will try to distract attention from his team's defeat in whatever fashion he can, but I am disappointed that a journalist from a supposed 'quality' newspaper is happy to blindly follow the same line.Posted by Jon Buckle on March 9, 2008 10:32 AM
I normally enjoy reading Patrick Barclay's comments and invariably agree with his opinions. On this occasion though he has got it totally wrong. Yes - Portsmouth enjoyed a share of luck and referee's decisions (rare indeed for any away team at Old Trafford). However, except for a couple of robust shoulder to shoulder charges on Ronaldo, Portsmouth played the game fairly. There was only one dangerous challenge in the whole match - from Rooney - in which he was lucky not to see a red card. If Sir Alex Ferguson wants to cut out wreckless tackles from the game, he needs to start at home.Posted by Phil in Somerset on March 9, 2008 10:06 AM
In an otherwise good report, I was surprised that there was no mention of Rooney's studs up "jumping in" tackle that should have got him a red card - it deserved some mention as it was the only dangerous tackle of the game. The Mancs did not lose because of a refereeing display (and, Lord knows, they have won enough because of referees playing the favouritism card Ferguson has suddenly decided to despise) but because, over 90 minutes, there players were unable to score against our players who acted far better as a team.Posted by Chris Millar on March 9, 2008 9:09 AM
I live in Europe. I am big fan of EPL and watch 4 or 5 matches every week-end. I am only bemused, sometimes disgusted with comments and reactions of English media (public?) to games like ManUtd-Portsmouth where physical strength, aggression and negativity beat imagination and skill. 'Determined, committed defensive display' etc. ?? Well I guess Jack the Ripper was determined and committed to what he did as well. Tells you something about reasons behind England's failure to win major international trophies. For us from this side of the Channel it looks worse and much more disgraceful than so called diving. Because young kids are watching that as well. Pompey were entitled to their negative approach - I only think it should not be praised as heroic.Posted by Marcel on March 9, 2008 8:27 AM
Shoulder to shoulder contact is still allowed in the Laws of Football. Was Ronaldo in possession of the ball i.e: was it within one circumference ofteh ball (26in) or had Ronaldo just played it? Yes! The charge was therefore legitimate unless considered dangerous play. Ronaldo was unharmed except for his dignity!Posted by Peter Braybrook on March 9, 2008 8:27 AM
With reference to the penalty which Ronaldo did not get in the opening minutes of the Portsmouth match: Perhaps someone should explain to Sir Alex, and to you, that a shoulder- to-shoulder barge on a player in possession of the ball is permitted. There is no requirement that the player doing the barging "play the ball" or even attempt to play the ball. Given that that is the only form of physical contact permitted by the rules, I don't think the ref. ought to be excoriated for playing by those rules.Posted by Tony Waters on March 9, 2008 6:13 AM
I disagree that the offence against Ronaldo was as blatant as Mr Barclay is stating - I saw shoulder to shoulder which I thought was within the rules of the game - clearly the referee saw the same. Gifted though he is, to paint Ronaldo as a footballing pearl among swine is to overlook his predilection to fall over way too easily, which upsets neutral football lovers much more than debatable refereeing decisions. Also sorry the article did not include any of SAF's post match thoughts. Trust he was as upset as he generally is about unjusitfiably long added time at the end of the game - the 4 minutes that were awarded and the 5 that were played.Posted by Jonathan Atherton on March 9, 2008 5:40 AM
Not a lover of football, but what does Feguson expect? Other teams to roll over and die because they're palying Man Utd? Arrogant fool. More power to Pompey, Hary Redknapp and any other team that can stand up Ferguson's insolent attitude. He does his game no favours by his bluster.Posted by Andy Millar on March 9, 2008 1:40 AM
if you took the time to view the incident for the penalty you will find that the keepers arm did NOT make contact with baros,but it was baros infact that left his leg in to contact the face of the keeper.no other part of the keeper touched him!. but that what player are like these days,in all clubs. Posted by lou on March 9, 2008 1:33 AM
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Carlos Queiroz's United blame game hits low
By Alan Smith
Last Updated: 1:12pm GMT 10/03/2008
Ok, let's take a step back. This is getting out of hand. The growing debate about dangerous tackles, about protecting skilful players and the referee's role in all of this has just reached its nadir (hopefully anyway) with the ridiculous comments emanating from Old Trafford on Saturday following Portsmouth's dramatic FA Cup win over Manchester United.
Tackling issues: Carlos Queiroz was outspoken after United's defeat. Sir Alex Ferguson blames Keith Hackett, the refereeing chief, for what he describes as an unacceptable performance by Martin Atkinson. Meanwhile, Ferguson's assistant, Carlos Quieroz, took it further still, arguing that referees should be given red cards if they don't come up to scratch, replaced by someone else during a match. And if that sounded absurd, the Portuguese coach let himself down badly by bringing Birmingham's Martin Taylor into the argument about the supposed lack of protection for Cristiano Ronaldo.
"This is why the Taylors of the game are allowed to survive and the best players are out of the game." It was a disgraceful remark, dredging up Taylor's leg-breaking but malice-free challenge on Arsenal's Eduardo, as if the defender makes a habit of cynically 'topping' opponents, as if his type should be expelled from the game without further ado.
Arsene Wenger had the good sense to retract his own unsavoury comments on Taylor, albeit grudgingly. Let's hope Quieroz does the same in the interests of good taste.
Look, nobody expects United to be happy about losing. Nor should they have been impressed by Atkinson's display. The official, in truth, made several mistakes on the day, most notably his baffling failure to award a penalty when Sylvain Distin charged across to take out Ronaldo.
But please let's not pretend this happens all the time, that brilliant ball jugglers like Ronaldo are being constantly denied. I mean, United's wondrous winger wouldn't have racked up an amazing 30 goals this season without being granted a stage on which to perform. Silly of him, therefore, to start moaning afterwards, threatening to change his game in order to survive. "I think about the Arsenal player [Eduardo]", he said, "and I'm scared sometimes to do skills because some players do unbelievable fouls and the ref protects the defender, not the skilled player!" Such opinions, alas, lend credence to the deluded belief that today's game has suddenly turned into a brutal free-for-all, as if career-threatening tackles are on the increase. They aren't. I'd put money on that. It's just that the game, thanks to advances in sports science, has become so quick and powerful now that the slightest misjudgment in timing can look very bad.
The number of downright vindictive challenges, however, must be lower than ever. For confirmation, just take a look at some of the grim stuff that went on in the 70s. X-rated, it was, though largely unnoticed by the wider audience at a time when television cameras didn't fill every ground.
Now that they do, every single challenge gets closely scrutinised. If someone gets injured, we want to know why. More worrying still for a contact sport, certain sections of our flock look for ways to eradicate injury altogether. It seems that our heath and safety culture is spreading its wings. Apparently, nobody is allowed to get hurt nowadays. And if they do, there's got to be a reason. Someone must be blamed. It's pathetic. It really is. In a sport where the feet do most of the work, contesting a ball bobbling about at ground level, injuries will happen. They're an inevitable consequence. Time to stop all the talk, then, that Eduardo's unfortunate injury began. Time to stop all the conspiracy theories about players going out to crudely nullify the top dangermen. This isn't a dirty game. In fact, it's cleaner than ever. Easy to forget that when tempers run high. www.telegraph.co.uk/smith
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Giant-killers give FA Cup magic back to fans By Henry Winter
Last Updated: 2:59am GMT 10/03/2008
From Old Trafford to Oakwell this weekend, the FA Cup stirred the emotions of the great, the good and the grumpy. Anger at defeat coloured every toxic comment spilling from the mouth of Sir Alex Ferguson. Across the Pennines, pride in victory fuelled a "thank you" speech from Dickie Bird so lengthy it could have graced the Oscars, Barnsley's No 1 fan showering gratitude on everyone connected with the club including "the tea ladies and ladies who wash the kit". Nothing showed the Cup's power to seize the imagination like United's leaving of it, or Barnsley's staying in it. Ferguson's players fought like tigers to overturn Portsmouth's 1-0 lead only to be thwarted by the defensive brilliance of Glen Johnson, Sol Campbell, David James and a spiky midfield sentry named Lassana Diarra.
Magic of the Cup: the FA Cup quarter-finals provided some colourful scenes at Oakwell and the Riverside as Barnsley and Cardiff City of the Championship disposed of holders Chelsea and Middlesbrough respectively. As the clock ticked down, Wayne Rooney gave Nani the mother, sister and distant cousin of all rollockings for showing mercy to a stricken Portsmouth player and putting the ball out. Up in the gods, Pompey's jubilant fans twirled their shirts in the air, chanted "let's all have a disco" and danced their way to the semis. At the final whistle, Ferguson looked more ready to start a war than a waltz. A distinguished manager and remarkable man, United's driving force embarrassed himself with that vitriolic attack on the refereeing community. When the Football Association disciplinary beaks meet to punish Ferguson for claiming that Martin Atkinson was "on the side" of Portsmouth, they should point out certain unanswerable realities.
Atkinson, one of the game's better referees, undoubtedly erred badly in failing to award Cristiano Ronaldo a blatant penalty when bowled over by Sylvain Distin but it was an honest mistake. Atkinson was hardly culpable for Ferguson's substitute, Michael Carrick, missing the target from a yard. Ferguson also chose the wrong day to lambaste the elite referees' chief, Keith Hackett. He appoints officials in the league, not the Cup. If Ferguson still falters on the road to contrition, the FA should remind him that if he had glanced to his left on Saturday, he would have spotted a certain Pedro Mendes, a midfielder outrageously once denied a goal at Old Trafford that clearly crossed the line. Lady Luck winks at everyone in time.
When Ferguson then disappears in a cloud of self-righteous smoke, the FA can shout after him that he is quite right, elegant crowd-pleasers like Ronaldo do deserve protecting, just as Pompey's Niko Kranjcar did when Rooney dangerously left the ground and launched his muscular frame at the Croatian.
Ferguson is a wonderful manager but his judgement is skewed at times. The vaunted Scot was not alone amongst the troubled aristocrats. On the weekend that downstairs stormed upstairs, similar defiance to Portsmouth's against Ferguson's United could be discovered at Oakwell.
A side assembled for £1 million took the lead against a visiting Chelsea XI costing £100 million, and they then protected that lead with their lives as all around shouted "Yorkshire, Yorkshire". As the late siege of Luke Steele's goalmouth deepened, a Barnsley child in the stands clutched his Thomas the Tank Engine bag tightly for reassurance, occasionally using it as a shield to obscure the sight of Chelsea's scary attacks. When the day was won, the bag flew to the heavens. That was the moment a Yorkshire lad fell in love with football for life. The Cup has that effect.
Barnsley's impressive young manager, Simon Davey, spoke for all outside the roped-off area of the glitterati when he enthused about the lower orders' fervour for the Cup.
"We hope we have put the Cup back up there on its pedestal," said Davey, as the Thomas the Tank Engine bag was reunited with its owner and police and stewards ushered jubilant Barnsley fans off the pitch.
"It has always been a top Premier League team side, a United, Liverpool, Arsenal or Chelsea who have won the Cup. We put Liverpool out and now Chelsea. We are making dreams come true. We are putting the magic back in the Cup."
The numbers give substance to Davey's words, to the whiff of revolution in the air. Of the 248 semi-finalists since the War, 72 have worn the colours from United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea, with 29 of the 62 trophies falling to that leading quartet. Not since 1987 have one of the Big Four failed to feature in the semis. Throw in Tottenham and Everton and the last time the elite were not represented in the final four was 1975.
The Cup runneth over with joy everywhere. In the BBC bus parked in the Oakwell car-park, familiar faces who know their way to Wembley, illustrious former professionals like Gary Lineker, Alan Hansen, Alan Shearer and Mark Lawrenson, nibbled on crisps and feasted on the extraordinary event they had just covered. A Barnsley fan walked past with a banner celebrating the Beeb's presence. "Bring Back Lawro's Tash" it read.
The Cup is certainly back in fashion. "Look at the stadium," Davey told his players before kick-off as Oakwell shook with passion. "Look at the supporters. Look at the players you are playing against - and don't miss today. Be focused. These occasions don't come along often. Make sure when you read the papers in the morning, they are talking about you not them."
The more lionised the elite are, the more money the Anelkas and Ballacks earn, and the more vain and histrionic some become, the more teams like Barnsley crave this chance to prove their own worth. "We went out there knowing all our families and friends were watching," reflected Barnsley's outstanding full-back, Rob Kozluk. "They're the people you don't want to let down, not just yourself."
Kozluk kept throwing his body in the way of Chelsea shots. Some of his colleagues even spilled blood for the cause. In chasing down one ball, Martin Devaney collided with Michael Essien, a fate akin to encountering a Baobab tree at speed. "He's still got part of my nose on his forehead now!" smiled Devaney, whose magnificent cross set up Kayode Odejayi's winner. Carlo Cudicini was badly at fault and the keeper may join Florent Malouda and Juliano Belletti hurtling out of the Bridge this summer. Cup humiliations are remembered long, hard and bitterly because of their sudden, high-profile nature. Speculation inevitably intensifies now that the Cup may eventually cost Avram Grant his job.
Chelsea's powerbrokers were hugely disappointed. Neither Roman Abramovich, Eugene Tenenbaum (director) or Peter Kenyon (chief executive) were at Oakwell but the chairman, Bruce Buck, was present, his lawyer's frame perched on a wooden seat, watching the unfolding horror. To his credit Buck had the class to applaud Barnsley off.
Stamford Bridge sources stress that Grant will be their manager next season, but caveats surely abound. Having frittered away the inheritance bequeathed by Jose Mourinho, notably the two Cups, Grant must impress in either the Premier League or Champions League. Chelsea's hierarchy noted that Mourinho's name was chanted briefly by the visiting fans.
"I didn't hear anything," shrugged Grant before admitting blame for the mess. "I am responsible for everything. There will be many negative things said about it [the Cup loss] and I will accept it." Grant patently lacks the authority and nous to lead Chelsea but he did possess the good grace to congratulate Davey and company. His captain followed suit.
"Well done, you deserved it," John Terry told Davey. "Now go and win the Cup."
Some people are on the pitch: Barnsley supporters congratulate Denis Souza after Oakwell victory. Terry then handed his shirt to Odejayi, while Cudicini gave Steele his keeper's top. Barnsley players were unable to repay the compliment. Most had their shirts ripped from their backs by overjoyed fans. Some reached the dressing-room in only their jock-straps.
As regards the pitch invasion, the FA will take into account whether there was negligence by Barnsley on the security front (which there was none) and any violence by their supporters (again, no). Some of the greatest moments in English football have climaxed with people on the pitch.
FA Cup semi-finalists
Barnsley (last won 1912)
Cardiff City (last won 1927)
Portsmouth (last won 1939)
West Bromwich Albion (last won 1968)
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Harry Redknapp happy he's at Portsmouth By Mark Odgen
Last Updated: 2:34am GMT 10/03/2008
Manchester United (0) 0 Portsmouth (0) 1
Harry Redknapp is no Tiger Woods on the golf course, but he might just play the round of his life this afternoon if he maintains his tradition of avoiding the nervous tension of the FA Cup draw by challenging son Jamie to 18 holes. For the first time in living memory, Redknapp's Portsmouth will enter today's draw for the semi-finals as cup favourites having eliminated Manchester United at Old Trafford in a game that underlined the growing perception that Pompey's name is already on this season's FA Cup.
Portsmouth rode their luck all right. United had two efforts cleared off the line, hit the woodwork and were victims of one of the most bewildering non-penalties of the season, about which Sir Alex Ferguson complained bitterly, but Portsmouth took their chance and booked their first semi-final since 1992 when Sulley Muntari's late penalty settled the tie.
So having dispensed of the most successful club in FA Cup history, Redknapp is unlikely to have his mood soured by the outcome of the draw for the last four. "I remember when the draw was made for the quarter-finals," admitted Redknapp. "I was on the golf course with Jamie and I got a phone call from Peter Storrie, our chief executive, who told me we had drawn Manchester United away. I had an eight-iron in my hand and I think it went further than the ball when I heard that!
"The last thing we wanted was United away but after beating them, nothing we'll get in the semi-final draw will be as tough as going to Old Trafford."
With the semi-finals at Wembley, Redknapp will lead a team out at the stadium for the first time in his managerial career.
Already this season he has been overlooked for the England manager's job, before, wisely it seems, rejecting the opportunity to leave Portsmouth for Newcastle. Redknapp said: "It was a difficult decision not to go to Newcastle, but I was thinking about the players who I had encouraged to come here, who I had told what we could achieve and I thought to myself, 'I can't have done that and then just walk away myself'. "Newcastle is a fantastic club but I made the decision and I am happy with it. If I was 40, I might have gone, but I didn't want to be away from my wife and grandchildren. I also have a great team here. "I'm delighted to be in the semi-final and that it's at Wembley. If I'd been knocked out I would probably be sat there saying it's wrong to have the games there, but not now!"
United, unfortunate to lose, hardly covered themselves in glory off the pitch. Both Ferguson and his assistant, Carlos Queiroz, muttered dark accusations about referee Martin Atkinson, who aside from wrongly dismissing appeals for a penalty when Cristiano Ronaldo had been bundled over by Sylvain Distin, called virtually everything else correctly, including the decision to award Portsmouth a late penalty and send off United goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak for felling Milan Baros.
Distin, the Portsmouth defender, claimed Atkinson was right to ignore Ronaldo's claims, however. He said: "If every time you touch a player a penalty is awarded then how do you defend? Football is also about contact. He just touched the ball and I turned, I followed the ball, and it was shoulder against shoulder."
Portsmouth, whose solitary FA Cup success came in 1939, possess the individuals to end the long wait and, in Redknapp, a manager whose longevity is deserving of a day in the spotlight. Now all they have to do is win it. Distin said: "If we don't win it now, we will have done all this hard work for nothing. We expect to win it now. It's only two games but it is still a long way and, just because you beat United it doesn't mean you are guaranteed to beat anyone else." your view
Penalty or not?
Man of the matchSulley Ali Muntari (Portsmouth) 9
• Scored the winning goal• Completed 88 per cent of his passes• Set up a goalscoring chance
Everton (1) 3 Portsmouth (1) 1 interactive match report
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/fa-league-cups/manchester-united-0-portsmouth-1-red-mist-may-cost-ferguson-as-dearly-as-reds-misses-793645.htmlManchester United 0 Portsmouth 1: Red mist may cost Ferguson as dearly as Reds' misses By Jon Culley Monday, 10 March 2008
Some would argue that today should be an occasion to toast Harry Redknapp, for whom the FA Cup has created an opportunity, after the most dramatic of weekends, to strike a blow for a seemingly dying breed as well as to win the first significant honour of a colourful career.
Should Portsmouth win at Wembley in May – and the demise of Chelsea leaves them as strong favourites – Redknapp would be the first English manager to lift one of the two major trophies since Joe Royle won the FA Cup with Everton in 1995.
Yet the fallout from Sir Alex Ferguson's intemperate blast at the referee Martin Atkinson and his superior, Keith Hackett, will dominate today's headlines. The Manchester United manager, who was banned earlier this season for his behaviour towards another official, believes Atkinson should be penalised for an "unacceptable" performance and accused Hackett, who is in charge of the English game's match officials, of appointing referees on the basis of favouritism.
The Football Association said yesterday that it would investigate Ferguson's remarks, made in interviews on Sky television and on United's own channel. They will be obliged also to study comments made by his assistant, Carlos Queiroz, who could find himself in even hotter water.
Speaking to the BBC, Queiroz channelled his anger into a wide-ranging and sometimes bizarre rant in which he described Atkinson as "a robber", who saw the match "from one side" and applied rules in his treatment of United players that he did not apply to Portsmouth.
He drew parallels between Lassana Diarra's treatment of Cristiano Ronaldo and the recent challenge by Birmingham's Martin Taylor that left Arsenal's Eduardo da Silva with a broken leg. He also called for referees to be subject to a red card in the same way as players – and replaced even while a match was in progress.
If the decision by Atkinson not to award a penalty against Sylvain Distin for barging Ronaldo in the seventh minute was the focal point of United's rage, Queiroz insisted that there was more to it than that, naming Diarra, rather than Distin, as the player he believed was the biggest offender.
He accused Diarra of elbowing Ronaldo inside the first minute and Atkinson of allowing the France international to continue employing rough-house tactics effectively without restraint, although Diarra did eventually receive a caution.
"It was a clear penalty [against Distin] but before that there were two attacking fouls on Ronaldo," Queiroz said. "What does Diarra expect when he elbows a player and puts him over the touchline: that he becomes a saint?
"That's why the Taylors of this game can survive and some of the best players are out of the game. It cannot happen any more. The referees were a disgrace – they did not do their job. When referees come here and support players that in the first 15 minutes do nothing but foul, stopping attacking movements, it needs attention bringing to it.
"It is a pity but the game has moved to a situation where the referees also deserve red cards. This referee today, he deserved that somebody come inside the pitch after five minutes, give him a red card and put him out of the game. That is my opinion about these robbers today."
Queiroz said United had no complaint over the penalty awarded to Portsmouth, when the substitute goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak brought down the Pompey substitute Milan Baros and Sulley Muntari scored the winning goal from the spot. Nor did he feel that the red card for Kuszczak was unjust – but, he said, he believed Atkinson had applied one rule for United and another for Portsmouth.
"We accept the penalty against us, but it is exactly what should have happened when Cristiano was alone and he was stopped from scoring a goal – foul, red card, OK.
"We accept the red card against us but what we cannot accept is the referees who are only able to watch one side. That cannot happen, it is not acceptable in the game. There are no different rules for Manchester United."
Ferguson had said that Atkinson's performance "should not be accepted" and called for Hackett's performance to be assessed as closely as the officials he oversees. "I'm assessed as a manager, players are assessed – and that performance should not be accepted," he said. "Keith Hackett has a lot to answer for; he is not doing his job properly. He has to be assessed. His favourites always get the games and that's disappointing. That guy [Atkinson] will referee next week, no problem."
Ferguson was banned from the touchline for two matches and fined £5,000 after he admitted using "abusive and/or insulting words" towards the referee Mark Clattenburg during a match at Bolton last November, when he similarly felt his players were not protected from physical tactics. Amid all this, a splendid defensive performance by Portsmouth, as United spurned chance after chance to render the penalty controversy irrelevant, risks passing without proper recognition, as does the lone voice of Distin, who spoke on behalf of defenders in this debate.
"He [Ronaldo] just touched the ball and I followed the ball; it was shoulder against shoulder," he said. "I am not going to move out of the way and say, 'Go on and pass me', so I try and defend and do my job. Football is also about contact. If every time you touch a player a penalty is awarded, then how do you defend?"
He did defend, heroically, as also did Glen Johnson, supporting Redknapp's claim that he should be in the England squad. Both Distin and Johnson made goal-preventing stops and their goalkeeper, David James, pushed a Patrice Evra shot on to a post.
It was Redknapp's third noteworthy FA Cup win against United, having pulled it off with Bournemouth in 1984 and West Ham in 2001. This time it might preface his winning the trophy.
"I'm excited," he said. "I've never been to Wembley as a player or a manager – the semis is the furthest I've been. After the strides we have made with this club, to win it would be fantastic."
Goal: Muntari pen (78) 0-1.
Manchester United (4-4-2): Van der Sar (Kuszczak, h-t); Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Scholes, Hargreaves (Carrick, 68), Nani; Rooney, Tevez (Anderson 68). Substitutes not used: O'Shea, Park.
Portsmouth (4-1-4-1): James; Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson; Diarra; Utaka (Lauren, 74), Bouba Diop, Muntari, Kranjcar (Hughes, 81); Kanu (Baros, 54). Substitutes not used: Ashdown (gk), Mvuemba.
Referee: M Atkinson (West Yorkshire)
Booked: Manchester United Rooney; Portsmouth Bouba Diop, Diarra.
Sent off: Kuszczak (76).
Man of the match: Johnson.
Attendance: 75,463.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/fa-league-cups/manchester-utd-0-portsmouth-1-ferguson-fury-after-muntari-sends-united-crashing-out-793424.html
Manchester Utd 0 Portsmouth 1: Ferguson fury after Muntari sends United crashing out
Scot furious at referee and Ronaldo demands protection By Nick Townsend at Old TraffordSunday, 9 March 2008
In the week that Sir Alex Ferguson had refuted claims after an interview for French radio that he plans to quit in three years, he stressed that his retirement date depended on the success of his team – and his health. His players will recover from this, but yesterday there was some doubt whether the old ticker would last the match, let alone years.
Seasoned Fergie-watchers have rarely seen the Manchester United manager so animated as he witnessed his team capitulate 12 minutes from time to a Sulley Muntari penalty and Pompey recorded their first victory here for 51 years. They did so on a day of two penalty claims: the one rightly awarded, followed by the dismissal of substitute goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak; and the one denied United early on, wrongly. Ferguson's ire over that incident was surely exacerbated by the fact that, in between, his men should have confirmed their attendance at Wembley.
Ferguson's hackles were raised as early as the sixth minute. A beautiful ball inside Hermann Hreidarsson by Wayne Rooney invited Cristiano Ronaldo to drift inside the Icelander but he was then charged off the ball by Sylvain Distin. It looked like a penalty but referee Martin Atkinson was unmoved.
It provoked a major strop, with an enraged manager berating the referee, assistant and fourth official. Afterwards there was no evidence that Ferguson was in a more reflective mood as he said of Atkinson's failure to act: "It's absolutely ridiculous. I cannot explain it. Managers get sacked because of things like that and he's going to referee a game next week. They had great confidence to hang on knowing the referee was on their side." He also attacked the referees' chief Keith Hackett. "He's not doing his job properly. He needs to be assessed. I'm assessed as a manager, players are assessed, referees should be assessed properly by the right people."
And Ronaldo raised the temperature further by declaring: "They say sometimes that this is the best League in the world, but sometimes they don't protect the skilled players. It's a joke. I may have to change my game. After what happened to that Arsenal player [Eduardo] I'm scared to use my skills." That appeared something of an overreaction. Arguably the most dangerous challenge in the game was a jump tackle by Rooney that was punished by a caution.
But in the furore that followed, it was easy to forget this was Portsmouth's day. It was far from Harry Redknapp's first FA Cup triumph over United; his Bourne-mouth side beat them in 1984, and the West Ham team he then managed did it in 2001. "We came here four weeks ago and got beat 2-0," he admitted. "They could have had 10. Today we had a gameplan and stuck with it, and we grafted. But you always have to ride your luck here."
Beforehand, Ferguson spoke of his concern about the physical stature of the opposition. But though Pompey did seemingly emerge from the land of the giants, there is much quality too. When he warned that Pompey are having their best season in 50 years it proved prescient.
Though Niko Kranjcar produced their only first-half chance, they looked comfortable in that period, other than when Carlos Tevez and Rooney found themselves two against one on the break and really should have scored. Somehow Sol Campbell and David James foiled Rooney and with the keeper out of his goal, Glen Johnson headed off the line from the Argentinian.
After the interval, United looked certain to score. Ronaldo's aim was awry twice and United might have thought this would not be their day when substitute Michael Carrick rounded James but was thwarted by Distin, virtually on the line. Patrice Evra then saw his ferocious effort tipped on to a post by James.
There was a cruel inevitability about what happened next. Kranjcar and substitute Milan Baros broke; the latter was felled by Kuszczak, who came on at half-time after Van der Sar sustained a groin injury. Rio Ferdinand took over in goal but could not deny Muntari from the spot.
So Pompey go to Wembley for the first time since 1939. That choice of venue for a semi-final was another thing that irked Ferguson this week. At least he will not have to concern himself with that now.
Pictures From Pompey Chicken's Visit To Deepdale
Pompey Chicken took his trusty digital box camera to Deepdale to record his experiences. Here is a selection of pictures for you to enjoy.
(1) This is the fabulous statue of Sir Tom Finney outside of the ground. It had been a really cold night as you can see from the icicles hanging off his shorts!
(1) This is the fabulous statue of Sir Tom Finney outside of the ground. It had been a really cold night as you can see from the icicles hanging off his shorts!
(2) Deepdale is the home of the National Football Museum which is fantastic! Pompey Chicken was in his element! The Museum is packed with football memorabilia from the past to the present day. This is an earlier version of the FA Cup! 
(3) And this is the shirt of Sir Stanley Matthews from the famous 1953 "Matthews" FA Cup Final (or should it have been the "Mortensen" Final?):
(4) Arty picture number one of one of the floodlights at Deepdale:
(5) Gleaming in the evening sunhine - the FA Cup can just be made out in the Sky Box!
(6) "And now you're gonna believe us! We're gonna win the Cup!" Pompey fans celebrating after the game and a last minute winner!
(7) Arty picture number 2, police horses outside of Deepdale after the game:
Monday, 5 May 2008
Broadsheet Views: FA Cup Fifth Round: 17th February 2008, Preston North End Versus Pompey
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/feb/18/match.portsmouthPreston suffer cruel hand of fate as James saves Pompey blushes
FA Cup Fifth Round Preston North End 0 Portsmouth 1
Carter (og) 90
by Ian Winrow at Deepdale, The Guardian, Monday February 18 2008
The underdogs' good fortune disappeared in dramatic fashion here yesterday, after a Saturday of surprises, as Preston North End suffered the most painful of exits at the hands of a Portsmouth side that had David James to thank for their interest in today's sixth-round draw.
Alan Irvine's struggling Championship side already had reason to feel sorry for themselves, having seen James produce an outstanding series of saves including a full-length dive to deny Simon Whaley's 58th-minute penalty, when, with the game already deep into added time, a Portsmouth corner was diverted goalwards by the visiting left-back Hermann Hreidarsson's hand and then smashed into the roof of the net by the Preston midfielder Darren Carter's desperate attempt to clear. The Championship side's misery was complete.
The outcome was cruel in the extreme with Preston fully deserving the opportunity of a replay after taking the game to their Premier League opponents in a manner that belied their perilous position in the lower reaches of the second tier. But few teams advance to the later stages of the competition without a slice of luck and, if Harry Redknapp is to come close to becoming the first English manager to lift the trophy since Joe Royle triumphed with Everton in 1995 - and Liverpool's defeat by Barnsley this weekend will only enhance that possibility - he will consider this victory as a pivotal slice.
At 37 James' continuing excellence has been one of the underlying reasons behind Portsmouth's progress in both league and Cup. Once again the keeper looked anything but a veteran, particularly when he clawed away Neil Mellor's powerful 30-yard drive.
With James' spirits apparently lifted following his inclusion in Fabio Capello's first England line-up this month, Redknapp is convinced his player can continue at the highest level for years to come. "He's different class and the last couple of weeks he has been in great form," Redknapp said. "When the lad stepped up to take the penalty he must have looked and seen David who is so imposing. And he will think he has to strike a really good penalty to beat him because, if anyone can make a save, it is him because he is that good.
"There's no reason why he can't make the World Cup in 2010 because he will play on for a long time yet. He is such a perfectionist and a great trainer. He works non-stop on the training ground, he watches videos of his performances in the afternoon. He is absolutely dedicated and he is in such great condition. I've seen him being linked with a move away but he is going nowhere. I only gave him a new contract last year and he will be with us for a long time yet."
Redknapp was correct in his assessment that, having eagerly seized the ball after Sylvain Distin had tripped Billy Jones in the 58th minute, Whaley appeared daunted by James' frame and succeeded only in firing his shot too close to the keeper. "I know what Harry means about David James because he looked massive to me when Simon walked up to take the penalty and I was on the touchline," said Irvine. "Simon grabbed the ball and wanted to take the penalty. But there will be no finger pointing. We have 14 games left and we don't want anyone feeling any worse than they already do."
Preston might have folded following that disappointment but instead they rallied commendably with Chris Sedgwick and Mellor both creating good opportunities. At that point Portsmouth would justifiably have felt relieved at simply holding on for a replay, their lacklustre showing having created little apart from a couple of Sulley Muntari free-kicks and a long-range effort from Glen Johnson.
Then, in the third minute of added time, Paul McKenna failed to clear Niko Kranjcar's left-wing corner and the ball fell to Carter via Hreidarsson and the midfielder sliced the ball into his own net. "It was very cruel and we certainly didn't deserve to lose that game," Irvine added. "It was definitely an own-goal but I believe it was handball immediately beforehand. But we played well and, if we play like that in our remaining games, we will be safe."
Man of the match David James
Faced with a barrage of Preston attacks in the second half as his defence disappeared, James stood firm, relishing the challenge and producing a string of impressive saves
Best moment Had Preston gone ahead when they were awarded a 58th-minute penalty, the outcome might have been different but James's presence intimidated Simon Whaley and the keeper dived to keep his side in the tie
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article3386773.eceFebruary 18, 2008
David James stands tall and saves the day for Redknapp’s men
Preston North End 0 Portsmouth 1 by James Ducker at Deepdale
Harry Redknapp awoke yesterday morning to reports linking David James with a move to Tottenham Hotspur, but after watching his goalkeeper provide the platform for this most fortuitous of FA Cup victories against Preston North End, it is not hard to understand why the Portsmouth manager is so fiercely opposed to such a prospect.
Preston should have been out of sight by the time Portsmouth claimed an undeserved winning goal, when Darren Carter turned the ball into his own net with virtually the last kick of the game. But in James they came up against a brick wall. No wonder Fabio Capello restored the man to the England team for his first match in charge earlier this month.
Simon Whaley may have most reason to curse James, who saved the Preston midfield player’s 60th-minute penalty, but the home team had plenty of other chances to take the lead.
During the 14 minutes that followed Whaley’s penalty miss, James appeared to be on a personal crusade to keep the scores level as Preston regularly exposed Portsmouth’s ramshackle midfield and defence. The longer such heroics went on, the longer it looked like not being Preston’s day and, when Portsmouth won a corner in the third and final minute of stoppage time, the locals could have been forgiven for fearing the worst.
The goal that followed should not have stood as the ball appeared to hit the arm of Hermann Hreidarsson, the Portsmouth defender, before eventually finding its way into the net. However, it was symptomatic of Preston’s misfortune that Mike Dean, the referee, failed to spot the infringement.
Niko Kranjcar’s corner should have been cleared by Paul McKenna, but the Preston midfield player misjudged a header, and after the ball rebounded off Hreidarsson, Carter seemed bamboozled by the melée around him and thrashed the ball into his own goal.
“It was cruel, we didn’t deserve to lose that game and it was a handball [by Hreidarsson],” Alan Irvine, the Preston manager, said. “I was really pleased we created some very good chances, but we faced a top-class goalkeeper on top form.”
Even accounting for the state of the pitch, Portsmouth had no excuses for being so poor. Other than the absent Jermain Defoe, who was cup-tied, Redknapp fielded his strongest team available, but for all their possession for long periods of the game, Portsmouth were one-dimensional.
Pass after pass went astray and shots were miscued. It was a wonder that Portsmouth are challenging for a European place. Kranjcar should have done better with a free header and Sulley Muntari had a 25-yard free kick tipped over, but Portsmouth created precious little else. Kanu was given little support by a lifeless midfield who in turn offered their defence no protection as Preston roamed forward at will. Sylvain Distin and Sol Campbell were given a torrid time. Distin was suffering from flu, although after this runaround, his defensive partner must have been feeling nauseous, too.
Whaley’s penalty miss, after Distin had tripped Billy Jones, was not the half of it. Chris Brown had a swerving drive superbly snuffed out by James two minutes later before Carter was the next to be denied after wriggling past two markers and shooting low. James’s best save of the game came in the 74th minute when he tipped aside a stinging shot from Neil Mellor.
Portsmouth, though, were to have the last laugh. With luck like this, their name may well be on the trophy this season.
How they rated
Preston North End
4-4-2
A Lonergan 7
B Jones 6 Y Mawene 7
L Chilvers 7
C Davidson 6
C Sedgwick 6
P McKenna 6
D Carter 7
S Whaley 7
C Brown 7
K Hawley 6
Substitutes: N Mellor (for Hawley, 71min), R Chaplow (for Sedgwick, 87). Not used: G Szamotulski, B Ormerod, M Hill. Next: Watford (a).
Portsmouth
4-1-4-1
D James 8
G Johnson 6
S Campbell 5
S Distin 5
H Hreidarsson 6
P Bouba Diop 5
J Utaka 6
L Diarra 5
S Muntari 6
N Kranjcar 6
Kanu 5
Substitutes: M Baros (for Muntari, 76). Not used: J Ashdown, L Aubey, Lauren, R Hughes. Next: Sunderland (h).
Goalscorer: Portsmouth: Carter 90 (og)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=A1YourView&xml=/sport/2008/02/18/ufnjames118.xmlHarry Redknapp hails 'imposing' David James
By Richard Morgan
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp says that goalkeeper David James is fit enough to still be playing for England in the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa. The England international turned in a man-of-the-match performance as the South Coast club won 1-0 at Preston North End in yesterday's FA Cup fifth-round tie, including a brilliant second-half penalty save to deny Simon Whaley when the scoreline was still goalless. And his manager has nothing but praise for the veteran shot-stopper, 37, who he signed from Manchester City two years ago. "He's different class and the last couple of weeks he has been in great form," Redknapp said. "But he has been on another level ever since he walked into Portsmouth. "When the lad stepped up to take the penalty he must have looked and seen David, who is so imposing. "And he'll think he has to strike a really good penalty to beat him because if anyone can make a save it's him. He's that good."
Redknapp is also convinced that James, who started between the posts for his country against Switzerland at Wembley earlier this month in what was new manager Fabio Capello's first match in charge, can still be England's No1 come the next World Cup when he will be 39 years old.
"There's no reason why he can't make the World Cup in 2010 because he will play on for a long time yet. He is such a perfectionist and is a great trainer.
"He works non-stop on the training ground, he watches videos of his performances in the afternoon. He is absolutely dedicated and he is in such great condition."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=A1YourView&xml=/sport/2008/02/18/sfgpre118.xml
David James spot on as Portsmouth ride luck By Mark Ogden
Preston North End (0) 0 Portsmouth (0) 1
Do not mention FA Cup heartbreak to David James. Having been on the losing side in two finals, the Portsmouth goalkeeper could write a book about the ability of the competition to inflict agony in equal measure to ecstasy. But after producing a memorable penalty save from Simon Whaley to deny Preston early in the second half, James had the pleasure of having the boot on the other foot. Portsmouth booked their place in the quarter-finals with an injury-time own goal by Darren Carter which was created by Hermann Hreidarsson's right arm nudging Niko Kranjcar's corner towards goal.
If somebody's name is on the cup this season, then it certainly is not that of Preston North End.
Harry Redknapp, the Portsmouth manager, said: "Preston really didn't deserve to lose that game. I was asking how much time was left and saying, 'Let's get them back to Fratton Park', but you need a bit of luck."
Considering the number of Premier League clubs already out of this season's competition, and the absence of two of the 'Big Four' from today's quarter-final draw, Redknapp would have realised going into this tie that Portsmouth could be pushing at an open door to Wembley.
But their anaemic first-half performance suggested that their primary concern was to avoid the embarrassment suffered by the likes of Liverpool, Fulham and Birmingham City by exiting at the hands of lower-division opponents rather than to grasp the opportunity of taking a purposeful stride towards their first FA Cup final for 69 years.
Despite currently being embroiled in a fight to avoid relegation from the Championship, Preston found themselves largely in control of the first half thanks to the tenacity of Carter and composure of Paul McKenna at the heart of midfield.
It was Carter's vicious in-swinging corners that offered Preston their likeliest route to goal in the first half. James fluffed the first Carter delivery on 14 minutes, but the England goalkeeper did not make the mistake a second time, despite the physical presence of Chris Brown.
Goal-scoring opportunities were thin on the ground, however, and it was not until Kranjcar sprung the offside trap to head Sulley Muntari's cross into Andy Lonergan's hands on 28 minutes that a goal seemed remotely likely. Nine minutes later, Muntari forced Lonergan into a fine save with a dipping 30-yard free-kick that the Preston goalkeeper did well to tip over the crossbar.
The sparring of the first half gave way to the full-blooded cup tie after the break that many had anticipated, though, and Portsmouth were forced to withstand prolonged Preston pressure as the home side attempted to secure the club's first quarter-final appearance since 1966.
It was the penalty incident that transformed the game. Sylvain Distin's clumsy tackle on Billy Jones was correctly judged by referee Mike Dean to have warranted a penalty, but as soon as Whaley placed the ball, he appeared to shrink at the sight of James looming in front of him.
The Preston youngster went for the corner with his spot-kick, but James read it perfectly and he pushed the penalty away to deny Alan Irvine's team a deserved lead.
Preston used the miss as motivation, however, and surged forward as they chased the opening goal. James saved well to deny Brown, and Carter also brought the best from the goalkeeper with a long-range strike.
By the time substitute Neil Mellor forced another save from James in the 73rd minute, Portsmouth had been pressed back in their own half for the best part of 15 minutes. But Irvine's players found James in unbeatable form and Portsmouth appeared content to allow their goalkeeper to earn them a replay with his heroics.
It was the hand of Hreidarsson, rather than James, that provided the crucial intervention that secured Portsmouth's victory, though. Kranjcar's corner, three minutes into stoppage time, evaded the Preston defenders and bounced off the defender's right arm in the six-yard box.
As it bounced towards goal, Carter attempted to clear the ball, but his touch guided the ball into the roof of the net and, in the most heart-breaking of circumstances, Preston were out.
Irvine said: "It was a very cruel way to lose and we certainly didn't deserve to lose that game. We are not pointing the finger at Simon Whaley. We are not going to make him feel any worse than he does at the moment."
Man of the matchDavid James (Portsmouth) 9
• Kept clean sheet• Saved second-half penalty• Great one-handed save from Mellor
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/fa-league-cups/its-love-not-money-for-the-honourable-finney-783332.htmlIt's love not money for the honourable Finney: Preston's finest hopes romance of Cup can beat big bucks by Steve Tongue, Football CorrespondentSunday, 17 February 2008
You turn off Sir Tom Finney Way, past the Tom Finney Stand and the National Football Museum with its Finney Statue outside. And here in the main office is the great man himself, 85 years young and remarkably sprightly with it. He turns up at the club every Wednesday to deal with his post, his charity work for research into Alzheimer's and all the invitations that still flood in, prompting him to say with apparent surprise: "It's very nice that I'm still remembered."
How could they forget a true local hero, described by the late sportswriter Ian Wooldridge as "the most honourable man who has ever played sport for England"? That sense of honour means that controversial opinions are not easily prised from him, though he berates the Football Association in their recent choice of two foreign managers to lead the national team – for which he played 76 times, scoring 30 goals from the wing.
"I think it's awful to see a foreign manager," he says. "It's disappointing to see what's happened to England since 1966 and it has not improved the situation to see so many foreign players." He makes an exception for Cristiano Ronaldo. "I see a lot of Manchester United and I like to watch him because he takes the full-back on and beats people. You don't see a lot of that wing-play like there was in our day."
Bill Shankly is no longer around to assess Ronaldo, but he played against Stanley Matthews, frequently had George Best in opposition to his Liverpool team, and still rated Finney, a Preston team-mate for two seasons after the war, as better than both. "He never lost possession. Grizzly strong. I'd have played him in an overcoat. He was the greatest player I've ever seen."
All the sadder then, that the FA Cup, which puts Preston in the national spotlight again this afternoon with a televised fifth-round tie at home to Portsmouth, was responsible for one of the very lowest moments of an otherwise exalted career.
The 1953 FA Cup competition famously provided Matthews with his winner's medal at last for Blackpool, and the following season's final, although it was against the League runners-up West Bromwich Albion, seemed all set up for Finney, Preston's captain, to emulate his old rival. Alas, in his own words, "I had a stinker".
It should be pointed out that a stinker for Finney still involved setting up one of Preston's goals, for a 2-1 lead, but Albion equalised with a disputed penalty and won in the last minute thanks to a goalkeeping error.
Self-critical as ever, he questioned whether he had prepared properly for the game, having spent hours sorting out ticket requests, giving interviews, vainly trying to persuade club directors to increase his team-mates' £25 victory bonus and, the night before the final, collecting the first of his two Footballer of the Year awards.
Fifty-four years, however, offer abundant opportunity for a sense of perspective and now he says: "It was a big disappointment to get there and lose, but somebody's got to win and somebody's got to lose. They were a good side were West Brom, and it was a very even game."
Just conceivably, he might by that time have been playing in Italy, where bonuses ran rather higher than £25. The precise offer from Palermo's president included three times Preston's wages and a £10,000 signing-on fee. But the response from the Preston chairman was blunt: "If tha' doesn't play for Preston, tha' doesn't play for anybody." Finney may even have been relieved not to be led into temptation. "I was never really interested," he says. "I just wanted to play for my home town, where I was born and bred and still live."
So he stayed until retirement in 1960, a loyal one-club man to the end, like his fellow England internationals Jimmy Armfield at Blackpool, Bryan Douglas and Ronnie Clayton at Blackburn, Nat Lofthouse at Bolton and Brian Miller at Burnley.
Throughout the Fifties, all those local clubs had been a power in the land along with Preston, until the final demise of the Lancashire cotton industry, the abolition of the maximum wage and the increased mobility of supporters on the new motorways began to favour Manchester, Merseyside, Leeds and London.
Finney's beloved North End dropped out of the top division in 1961, the season after he had retired to the family plumbing business, and by 1986 they were 91st in the Football League. "It's all about the clubs with money today, isn't it?" he says. "They can afford to spend millions on players, and there's no hope of North End doing that."
Twice in recent seasons, however, they have been one game away from the Premier League, losing play-off finals to Bolton and West Ham under David Moyes and then Billy Davies. Exactly a year ago, Manchester City were pushed hard in the fifth round of the FA Cup, and today the perils of a relegation struggle can briefly be forgotten. Deepdale will be up for the Cup once more and Sir Tom will be in his usual seat, having seen it all before but still a mighty proud president of proud Preston.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/fa-league-cups/preston-north-end-0-portsmouth-1-carters-gaffe-lets-pompey-off-hook-783598.html
Preston North End 0 Portsmouth 1: Carter's gaffe lets Pompey off hook
By Jon Culley Monday, 18 February 2008
If Portsmouth are the team to break the big four monopoly of the FA Cup's recent history then they may well look back on yesterday's scrambled win at Deepdale as the moment fate seemed to be on their side, when a stoppage-time own goal provided their passport to the last eight after David James had saved a penalty.
Harry Redknapp's team, as strong a side as he could put out as he senses the opportunity to finally mark his career with a major trophy, could not break down a resilient and determined Preston, who rose above their status just above the bottom three in the Championship in a rousing effort to claim another Premier League scalp after knocking out Derby.
Ultimately they were ready to thank James for winning them a replay yet at the last gasp, with Preston ready to accept the applause of the Deepdale crowd, a scramble in the goalmouth as goalkeeper Andy Lonergan tried to deal with a corner ended with Darren Carter, pressed by Hermann Hreidarsson on the line, volleying an attempted clearance into the roof of his own net.
In the absence of the Cup-tied Jermain Defoe and with David Nugent denied the chance to face his former club because of a hernia problem, Redknapp had chosen to go with only one striker, preferring Kanu over Milan Baros. But with a strong hand of attacking midfielders to provide support, the Portsmouth manager's attitude was anything but cautious.
The pairing of Sulley Muntari with Lassana Diarra in the centre of midfield for the first time had offered a mouthwatering prospect but Alan Irvine, the Preston manager, had clearly stressed the need for his players to deny their opponents space ahead of a scrappy opening half.
The pace of Niko Kranjcar on the left side provided another potentially productive line of attack for the Premier League team, although it was a half virtually devoid of chances. Kranjcar probably had the best, heading straight at Andy Lonergan after Muntari's cross. The closest to a goal, however, was a free-kick struck by Muntari from 25 yards, which was dipping under the bar when Lonergan stretched to push it over.
Yet there was plenty for Preston to feel satisfied with as they relished an opportunity to set aside their relegation worries. Their captain, Paul McKenna, led by industrious example in marshalling his midfield and team-mates Carter and Simon Whaley never flagged in their efforts to keep the centre of the field busily congested.
Whaley had their best chance of the opening half, when a little composure could have made all the difference as a block by Glen Johnson ran kindly for him. A snatched shot sent the ball high and wide. There were few opportunities, meanwhile, for strikers Chris Brown and Karl Hawley against Sol Campbell and Sylvain Distin.
Yet Redknapp's team were lucky to escape when referee Mike Dean awarded Preston their penalty chance after an hour, although James might not see it that way. Distin brought down full-back Billy Jones as he ran on to Whaley's ball inside but the latter's attempt to score from the spot was superbly beaten away by the England goalkeeper.
Preston would rue the miss but at least it gave the contest a proper Cup-tie tempo. Pompey had started the second half with renewed conviction but as the home side began to believe more in themselves the Premier League side endured some rocky moments and James was again required to show his worth.
A well-struck drive from Brown brought another excellent, diving save and then Carter, on the end of a penetrating run, found the veteran goalkeeper too good. Neil Mellor, who had been frustrated to find himself on the bench at the start, was sent on with 20 minutes left but James denied him too.
Portsmouth replaced an understandably tiring Muntari with Baros with 15 minutes left and it was the Czech's pace in a different game plan that put Preston on the back foot. Yet they were desperately unlucky to go out as they did, the winning goal volleyed into his own net by Carter with Hreidarsson claiming the credit after Lonergan had been unable to deal with a Kranjcar corner. It came with a replay at Fratton Park only seconds away.
Goal: Carter og (90) 0-1.
Preston North End (4-4-2): Lonergan; Jones, Mawene, Chilvers, Davidson; Sedgwick (Chaplow, 87), McKenna, Carter, Whaley; Brown, Hawley (Mellor, 70). Substitutes not used: Ormerod, Hill, Szamotulski (gk).
Portsmouth (4-5-1): James; Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson; Utaka, Diarra, Diop, Muntari (Baros, 76), Kranjcar; Kanu. Substitutes not used: Ashdown (gk), Lauren, Hughes, Aubey.
Referee: M Dean (Wirral).
Man of the match: McKenna.
Attendance: 22,210.
Sunday, 4 May 2008
Broadsheet Views: FA Cup Fourth Round, 26th January 2008, Pompey versus Plymouth Argyle
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jan/27/match.portsmouth
Kranjcar pounces to save Pompey blushes
FA Cup Fourth Round Portsmouth 2 (Diarra 35, Kranjcar 45) Plymouth Argyle 1 (Clark 5)
by Stuart Barnes at Fratton Park The Observer, Sunday January 27 2008
Portsmouth prevailed but Plymouth played a huge part in a rattling good tie and can count themselves unlucky। It was a measure of their performance that against a less secure goalkeeper than David James, the Championship side would have been looking forward to at least a second chance. What made their contribution even more impressive was the manner in which it was conceived. There was no question of trying to frustrate with massed defence and sneak success on the break. They took the initiative from the start, could have established a clear lead in the first 20 minutes and responded to what could have been a killer goal conceded on the stroke of half time with more fluent, attacking play which merited something tangible.
Kranjcar pounces to save Pompey blushes
FA Cup Fourth Round Portsmouth 2 (Diarra 35, Kranjcar 45) Plymouth Argyle 1 (Clark 5)
by Stuart Barnes at Fratton Park The Observer, Sunday January 27 2008
Portsmouth prevailed but Plymouth played a huge part in a rattling good tie and can count themselves unlucky। It was a measure of their performance that against a less secure goalkeeper than David James, the Championship side would have been looking forward to at least a second chance. What made their contribution even more impressive was the manner in which it was conceived. There was no question of trying to frustrate with massed defence and sneak success on the break. They took the initiative from the start, could have established a clear lead in the first 20 minutes and responded to what could have been a killer goal conceded on the stroke of half time with more fluent, attacking play which merited something tangible.
Certainly Portsmouth were never able to establish any genuine grip on the game। They were handicapped by a groin injury that ruled out David Nugent for the second half, but Harry Redknapp recognised fully how far they had been stretched.
'It was every bit as tough as we expected,' said Redknapp। 'If David James had not been in such fine form, we could have been in real trouble. Losing Nugent meant we were short of forward running in midfield and that invited pressure. We were hanging on a bit.'
'It's not often you get a standing ovation after losing, or when the Premier League team's goalkeeper has to make so many fine saves,' said Plymouth manager Paul Sturrock। 'He won the day for them. We were solid at the back, kept our shape and it was a couple of zany moments that cost us. The team could have caved in after the second goal. Heads were down at half time and we had to convince them they were still in the game.
'They showed great mettle and did all the things asked of them। If we continue to play like this we can cause a lot of mayhem in the League. It's disappointing, but there are plenty of positives to take away with us.'
Portsmouth quickly knew the size of the task facing them। Sylvain Distin and David Norris contested possession just outside the penalty area and, when the ball came loose, Chris Clark marked his debut after moving from Aberdeen with a shot that took a big deflection off Hermann Hreidarsson and flew beyond the reach of James.
Three thousand travelling fans greeted the goal and they nearly celebrated again when Rory Fallon angled a low shot towards the far corner। This time the goalkeeper made an excellent one-handed save. When James was forced to head clear beyond his penalty area as Jermaine Easter closed in, Plymouth were threatening to go clear.
Instead, Pedro Mendes collected a short corner to set up Lassana Diarra, who struck his first goal for the club from 25 yards with a deflection off Mathias Doumbé। Then, in quick succession, Plymouth's hopes dived. Easter hit the outside of the post, while Niko Kranjcar was on the mark from close range after Paul Connolly failed to deal with Glen Johnson's centre.
Nugent's injury offered them renewed hope and James made saves from Norris, Peter Halmosi and Easter, the latter at full stretch। Diarra drifted past three men in an attempt to restore Portsmouth's edge, but the angle defeated him and Luke McCormick saved. Another delivery from the impressive Halmosi prompted appeals for hands against Distin and replays suggested the ball may have struck the defender on the elbow.
'Some you get, some you don't - I'm not going to cry over it,' said Sturrock, who felt that a tug of the shirt on substitute Lukas Jutkiewicz may have been more deserving of a spot-kick.
Mendes had the chance to ease the pressure on Portsmouth, but shot weakly at McCormick from a dozen yards, ensuring a nervous finish for his side who had their backs to the wall at the end।
Redknapp enthused about the qualities Diarra has introduced - 'He has everything in his locker to be a top-class player' - and prepares to welcome Milan Baros to a squad hard-hit by the demands of the African Cup of Nations।
A good Cup run? 'It would be nice - it's been a long time since anyone outside the big four has won it। Baros will sign on Monday, Diarra will make a real impact and things are looking good. We would be in a position to have a strong end to the season.'
Man of the मैच: Peter Halmosi Lassana Diarra looked another sound signing by Harry Redknapp, but the Hungarian's contribution for Plymouth showed why he is so coveted. His positioning and use of the ball were spot-on and he almost grabbed an equaliser in the last minute.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jan/28/match.portsmouthPompey dream of Wembley as Redknapp adds Baros to squad
FA Cup Fourth Round, Portsmouth 2 (Diarra 35, Kranjcar 45) Plymouth Argyle 1 (Clark 5)
by Dominic Fifield at Fratton Park, The Guardian, Monday January 28 2008
Portsmouth completed the loan signing of Milan Baros from the French champions, Lyon, last night and, while the Czech has been absent from the Premier League for only a year, he will quickly discover that Pompey have pedigree these days। This was a club punching above its weight 12 months ago. Now encouraging league form has been allied to a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in four years.
Portsmouth completed the loan signing of Milan Baros from the French champions, Lyon, last night and, while the Czech has been absent from the Premier League for only a year, he will quickly discover that Pompey have pedigree these days। This was a club punching above its weight 12 months ago. Now encouraging league form has been allied to a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in four years.
As top-flight clubs continue to fall by the wayside, there is belief on the south coast that this could be Harry Redknapp's year। Awkward opponents were edged out on Saturday, David James excelling in the home goal to keep Plymouth at bay, but a side shorn of key personnel has squeezed into the next phase. "We can win it, especially when the Champions League kicks off again," said the midfielder Nico Kranjcar. "I don't see the top four playing their full squad in this competition when they've got a big European game in the week. With the squad we have, we can get to Wembley."
This club has not managed that since winning the Cup in 1939 and, while Redknapp was more guarded in his optimism - "The big four are still there, that's the problem" - this side will boast rare quality once those personnel currently absent at the African Cup of Nations come back next month। They will return to find their ranks bolstered by Baros, whom Portsmouth have an option to buy, and, just as significantly, a £5.5m midfielder relishing an opportunity to play. Lassana Diarra is 22 but has already been good enough to sign for both Chelsea and Arsenal. Those clubs' loss is already proving Portsmouth's gain.
The France international was outstanding, slamming in an equaliser just after the half-hour mark which flicked off Mathias Kouo-Doumbé and in beyond Luke McCormick। He was also instrumental in the hosts' winning goal, surging upfield on the break before spreading the play, Kranjcar prodding in from close range after Plymouth had abandoned their shape.
"Chelsea and Arsenal don't go for players who lack quality," said the Croatian of Diarra। "We're lucky to have him." "He is brilliant, a young Claude Makelele with pace," offered Glen Johnson, who suffered similar frustration on the fringes at Chelsea before finding his niche on the south coast. The Frenchman will have opportunities in the week to come, with league games against Manchester United and Chelsea, to prove a point.
Plymouth crave to belong among such exulted company। They were excellent here, their performance perhaps not entirely reflective of recent inconsistent league form, and led early through their debutant Chris Clark. James expressed a desire to play for Argyle - with Devon his adopted county - in the matchday programme, but he denied them a second with fine saves from David Norris, Peter Halmosi and Jermaine Easter.
"I'm pleased to hear he wants to play for us, but he could have let one in and it might have happened a lot sooner," said Plymouth's manager, Paul Sturrock।
Quite how the officials failed to spot Sylvain Distin's handball was a mystery though Argyle can now concentrate efforts on reviving their promotion campaign with the promise of more wheeling and dealing in the week ahead।
Redknapp may do likewise, though his squad already looks impressive. "We have two players who have won the Champions League [in Nwankwo Kanu and Pedro Mendes], so the club has come a long way," added Kranjcar. Baros' arrival will make it three, with talks also under way to offer Benjani Mwaruwari a new deal. Avoid one of the sides which have monopolised this competition in today's draw, and Pompey may just believe this season could be laced with silverware.
Man of the match David James (Portsmouth)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article3257192.eceJanuary 27, 2008
David James saves Pompey as Plymouth rise to the occasion
Portsmouth 2 Plymouth 1 by Andrew Longmore at Fratton Park
MOST of the south coast had decamped to Anfield with Havant & Waterlooville and the spirit of the Cup seemed to have travelled north as well। To their credit, Plymouth brought a vociferous contingent of fans and out-sang the home crowd as soundly as their team outplayed the Premier League side। How Plymouth lost, after taking an early lead through Chris Clark and dominating large swathes of the match, was a mystery।But for David James, who made a series of fine saves including three in as many minutes just after half-time, it would be the Championship side representing the dockyard cities in the fifth round of the FA Cup. “If the Premier League side’s goal-keeper is the man of the match, that tells the story of our performance,” said Paul Sturrock, the Plymouth manager. “It’s not often you get a standing ovation from your fans when you lose.”To compound Plymouth’s sense of injustice, referee Andre Marriner turned down clear claims for a penalty in the closing minutes after Sylvain Distin appeared to handle the ball. Sturrock also thought Lukas Jutkiewicz was tugged down in the box as Plymouth pressed forward to try to gain some reward for their industry.Plymouth’s preparations had included a visit to HMS Albion in Devonport and they came to Fratton Park looking refreshed by a new shipment of players. But not even Sturrock could have envisaged the impact made by one of them, Chris Clark, a £200,000 buy from Aberdeen, who marked his debut with a goal inside four minutes.Aberdeen to Plymouth must be one of the longer journeys in the domestic transfer market, but Clark had barely introduced himself to his teammates before he was being feted as a potential hero. His powerful right foot shot took a deflection off Her-mann Hreidarsson before hitting the underside of the bar, but he must have blinked at the time and space he was allowed.Moments later, Plymouth could have gone futher ahead as Rory Fallon turned Noe Pamarot and forced James to tip away his low shot. From the corner, Jermaine Easter’s volley brought another excellent save from the Portsmouth goal-keeper. The drum-and-bass brigade at the Milton End were stunned into silence by the side ranked 23 places below them in the league ladder. At least, having allowed neighbours, Havant & Waterlooville, to borrow their data on Liverpool, they could claim an assist in the nonleague side’s heroics at Anfield.Slowly, the Premier League side began to find their rhythm, with Benjani Mwaruwari the main threat and Glen Johnson pressing forward down the right, but their passing was still laboured, their workrate dismal. Of David Nugent, little was seen, and of Nico Kranjcar, Portsmouth’s player of December, even less. In contrast, the experienced Fallon was a constant concern for a Portsmouth defence that was missing the solidifying presence of their captain, Sol Campbell.When Portsmouth did draw level, in the 34th minute, it was rather less than the home team deserved. There was a touch of good fortune about the goal as recent signing Lassana Diarra’s 25-yard strike took at least one deflection off a Plymouth defender before flying low past Luke McCormick’s left hand and into the bottom corner of the net. If Nugent, who was withdrawn at half-time with a groin injury, is proof of Harry Redknapp’s fallibility in the transfer market, Diarra, brought from Arsenal. looks like another stolen gem.Plymouth still looked the more purposeful and Fallon volleyed at James from the edge of the penalty area, just to remind the home side that the tie was far from over. It seemed that way when Kranjcar took advantage of a momentary lapse in the Plymouth defence to poke home what proved to be the winner on the stroke of half-time.Plymouth stuck to their guns in the second half, James saving from Clark, Peter Halmosi and Easter in quick succession. Only then did Portsmouth begin to add some urgency to their passing game and pen Plymouth back into their own half. Pedro Mendes curled a shot weakly at McCormick and Kranjcar’s long-range effort looped over the bar after a deflection. Yet, by the end, it was Plymouth who looked most likely to score. “We were hanging on for long periods,” admitted Redknapp later. “If Jamo hadn’t been in such good form, we could have found ourselves in real trouble.”Star man: David James (Portsmouth)
Player ratings: Portsmouth: James 8, Johnson 4, Pamarot 4, Distin 6, Hreidarsson 5, Lau-ren 4 (Davis 66min), Mendes 5 (Hughes 90min), Diarra 7, Kranjcar 6, Nugent 3 (Mvuemba ht, 6), Benjani 6
Plymouth: McCormick 6, Connolly 5, Doumbe 6, Timar 6, Sawyer 7, Clark 7 (Folly 81min), Nalis 6, Norris 7, Halmosi 7, Easter 8 (Jutkiewicz 75min), Fallon 7
Yellow cards: Portsmouth: Pamarot Plymouth: Halmosi, Doumbe
Scorers: Plymouth: Clark 5
Portsmouth: Diarra 34, Kranjcar 45
Referee: A Marriner
Attendance: 19,612
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=A1YourView&xml=/sport/2008/01/27/sfgpor127.xml
Portsmouth survive stern test from Plymouth By Duncan White
Portsmouth (2) 2 Plymouth Argyle (1) 1
Navigating their way past Plymouth proved a far more perilous proposition than Portsmouth had anticipated and while they did eventually land on the shore of the FA Cup fifth round, they were taking water and would have foundered if David James' manful efforts had not bailed them out. "It was every bit as tough as I'd anticipated," said Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp. "They went one up and it could have been two up. If James hadn't been in such good form we could have found ourselves in real trouble. He was outstanding today and we needed him to be at times."
On target: Chris Clark puts Plymouth ahead after five minutes at Fratton Park
Portsmouth were not the robust unit that has intimidated opponents this season। Deprived of some of their African players on international duty and missing the influential Sol Campbell because of a back injury, there was a fragility to Portsmouth that became evident as early as the fifth minute, when Plymouth took the lead.
Sylvain Distin rushed out to block the advance of David Norris on the edge of the box and the ball squirmed out to the right and straight to Chris Clark। The Plymouth midfielder, just signed from Aberdeen for £200,000, had plenty of room and despite being only minutes into his debut, took his time. His eventual shot deflected off Hermann Hreidarsson and into the net.
It was positive stuff from Plymouth and they continued to attack where other teams might have fallen back। That left them vulnerable, though, and Portsmouth took advantage of some fairly inept defending to score twice before the break.
Plymouth failed to react to the home side's short corner, allowing Pedro Mendes to stroll towards the box and tee-up the outstanding Lassana Diarra। The French midfielder unleashed a powerful shot that, with the aid of a deflection, levelled the score. "Inspired," was Redknapp's verdict on the former Arsenal player who chose Portsmouth ahead of Aston Villa, Manchester City and Newcastle. When Glen Johnson - as clever going forward as he was inept at the back - chipped a cross in from the right, Niko Kranjcar should have nodded in a straightforward header, but he mistimed it, surprising Paul Connolly behind him. The ball bounced off the Plymouth defender and back to Kranjcar to convert.
Plymouth remained defiant and thrice tested James early in the second half but the goalkeeper was equal to it all।
When James was finally beaten, he was rescued by the post; Johnson had been caught by Jermaine Easter while trying to shepherd the ball out and the striker's poked shot from a tight angle came back off the near post।
Even the referee seemed to be against them, with Distin's late handball in the box going unpunished।
"I was very pleased," said Paul Sturrock, the Plymouth manager.
"It's not often you get a standing ovation from your own fans when you lose। The players were fantastic from start to finish. Only their superior finishing and some superb goalkeeping won the day for Portsmouth."
If they are to progress deep into this competition then Portsmouth will have to improve। With David Nugent succumbing to a groin injury at half-time and likely to be out for several weeks, Redknapp will need to press Milan Baros straight into service when he arrives from Lyon tomorrow.
Man of the match Lassana Diarra (Portsmouth)Passed crisply, dribbled well, scored one – not bad for a holding midfielder
Match details
Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Pamarot, Distin, Hreidarsson, Lauren (Davis 67), Pedro Mendes (Hughes 90), Diarra, Kranjcar, Nugent (Mvuemba 46), Mwaruwari. Subs: Begovic, Aubey Booked: Pamarot. Goals: Diarra 34, Kranjcar 45.Plymouth Argyle: McCormick, Connolly, Timar, Doumbe, Sawyer, Clark (Folly 82), Nalis, Norris, Halmosi, Fallon, Easter (Jutkiewicz 75). Subs: Larrieu, Hodges, Summerfield. Booked: Halmosi, Doumbe. Goals: Clark 5. Referee: Andre Marriner (W Midlands)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=A1YourView&xml=/sport/2008/01/28/sfnpor128.xml
Lassana Diarra tilts battle Redknapp's way By Stewart Jackson
Portsmouth (2) 2 Plymouth Argyle (1) 1
For all the talk of this being a battle of the Navy dockyards, it was a Cup tussle won in the midfield trenches by the newest recruit to Portsmouth's foreign legion, Lassana Diarra.
At today's prices, the 22-year-old France international looks a snip at £5.5 million from Arsenal. Supposedly lining up in the midfield holding role, he was everywhere - tackling, closing down, counter-attacking, dribbling, playing 40-yard passes and, of course, scoring. Has Arsene Wenger made a rare mistake in letting him slip?
Glen Johnson, who was Diarra's team-mate at Chelsea, said: "He is brilliant. It is a shame that he didn't get given a chance at Chelsea. He is like a young Claude Makelele with pace. He doesn't look that strong but he is probably one of the strongest players we have."
Indeed, earlier in his career Diarra was rejected by Nantes for being too lightweight, and his 5ft 10in frame looks far from imposing। But then Makelele is no giant, either, and he had made a significant mark on European football.
Although the opposition on Saturday came in the form of a mid-table Championship side, they were no pushovers। And against a midfield comprising Lilian Nalis and David Norris, that could politely be described as "solid", it was Diarra who threw his weight around. "Diarra will make a massive difference to this team," said Portsmouth manager Harry Redeknapp. "He can do everything. People liken him to Makelele because he uses his body so well to hold people off, but he's got much more in his locker."
The midfielder had rubbed a few people up the wrong way on his arrival by describing his move to Fratton Park as a "stepping stone" to बिग्गेर things .
Now they have seen him, one suspects, the fans will be happy to sit back and enjoy him while he is around। And if a trip to Wembley comes with it, all the better.
Redknapp, who revealed he had tied up a loan deal for Lyon striker Milan Baros until the end of the season, said: "I've never got anywhere near in the FA Cup - the quarter-finals, I think, a few years ago. We have got a chance, but the Big Four are still there. It does get a bit monotonous when one of them wins it every year."
Portsmouth are in the hat for today's fifth-round draw, but they had to work for it - particularly goalkeeper David James, who made a string of crucial second-half saves.
Plymouth took a fifth-minute lead when Chris Clark, on his debut after a £200,000 move from Aberdeen, saw his shot deflect past James. Diarra fired home from 25 yards when Plymouth went to sleep at a corner, and Niko Kranjcar gave the scoreline a more predictable look when he finished Johnson's cross at the second attempt.
Plymouth manager Paul Sturrock said: "It was just the finishing and their goalkeeper that made the difference in the end." And the small matter of Diarra.
Match details
Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Pamarot, Distin, Hreidarsson, Lauren (Davis 67), Pedro Mendes (Hughes 90), Diarra, Kranjcar, Nugent (Mvuemba 46), Mwaruwari. Subs: Begovic, Aubey Booked: Pamarot. Goals: Diarra 34, Kranjcar 45.Plymouth Argyle: McCormick, Connolly, Timar, Doumbe, Sawyer, Clark (Folly 82), Nalis, Norris, Halmosi, Fallon, Easter (Jutkiewicz 75). Subs: Larrieu, Hodges, Summerfield. Booked: Halmosi, Doumbe. Goals: Clark 5. Referee: Andre Marriner (W Midlands)
Man of the match
Lassana Diarra (Portsmouth)
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/fa-league-cups/portsmouth-2-plymouth-argyle-1-james-keeps-pompeys-hopes-afloat-774911.html
Portsmouth 2 Plymouth Argyle 1: James keeps Pompey's hopes afloat By Evan Fanning, Monday, 28 January 2008
The Dockyard Derby may not rank among the world's great footballing rivalries. In fact, with 10 different nationalities on display among the two starting line-ups, it is fair to assume that most of the players on show would not even have been aware that this is the title given to the game they were taking part in.
As a resident of Devon, the Portsmouth goalkeeper David James will have been in the minority in appreciating the geographical significance of this Cup tie and, had the England international not been at his best, then Plymouth would have been joining another club from the region, Havant & Waterlooville, in making the fourth- round headlines.
James made a string of saves in the second half as Portsmouth hung on to a lead they scarcely deserved, but Portsmouth remain many people's dark horses to win the Cup outright.
"We've got a chance," said the Portsmouth manager, Harry Redknapp, after Saturday's win. "But the big four are still there, that's the problem. You wouldn't bet against them, but I think when everyone's back from the African Nations we'll be strong and capable of giving anyone a game."
Portsmouth will get even stronger today when the Lyons striker Milan Baros arrives at Fratton Park for a medical before signing a loan deal until the end of the season, but it is Redknapp's other transfer window purchase, the £5m signing of Lassana Diarra from Arsenal, which offers the most evidence that Portsmouth are able to take on more illustrious rivals.
The French international scored Portsmouth's equaliser and was easily their most accomplished outfield performer. His goal got Portsmouth back in the game after they had fallen behind to Chris Clark's fifth-minute deflected strike. Diarra's equaliser came in the 34th minute when his low 25-yard shot took a deflection passing Plymouth goalkeeper Luke McCormick.
"Diarra is brilliant," said Portsmouth's Glen Johnson. "I know him from when we were together at Chelsea. It's a shame that he really didn't get given a chance there. He's like a young Claude Makelele with pace. We are happy to have him here."
Portsmouth got their winner on the stroke of half-time after Plymouth failed to clear a Johnson cross. The ball fell to Niko Kranjcar, who slotted the ball past McCormick.
The second half was about survival for Portsmouth, with James keeping Plymouth at bay time and time again. The visitors 6,000 travelling fans gave their defeated side a standing ovation on the final whistle, before departing back down the coast to Devon. James was the only one making that journey who could be entirely satisfied.
Goals: Clark (5) 0-1; Diarra (34) 1-1; Kranjcar (45) 2-1.
Portsmouth (4-4-2): James; Johnson, Pamarot, Distin, Hreidarsson; Lauren (Davis, 67), Diarra, Mendes (Hughes, 90), Kranjcar; Nugent (Mvuemba, 46), Mwaruwari. Substitutes not used: Begovic (gk), Aubey.
Plymouth Argyle (4-4-2): McCormick; Connolly, Timar, Doumbe, Sawyer; Clark (Folly, 82), Nalis, Norris, Halmosi; Fallon, Easter (Jutkiewicz, 75). Substitutes not used: Larrieu (gk), Hodges, Summerfield.
Referee: A Marriner (West Midlands).
Booked: Portsmouth Pamarot; Plymouth Halmosi, Doumbe.
Man of the match: James.
Attendance: 19,612.
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