With Harry Redknapp recently named Premiership Manager of the Year there is a clear recognition of his work in creating an attacking, attractive footballing team and of the pivotal role he has played in guiding Tottenham into the Champions League for the first time. The significance of Harry Redknapp in this achievement is considerable and highlighted by the fact that he is only the second manager to take this accolade without winning the Premier League, the first being George Burley for masterminding Ipswich’s rise to 5th place in their first season.

Immediately after his inheritance of Juande Ramos’ team there was a marked improvement in their performance and with no new influx of players until the January transfer window this can only really be attributed to Harry Redknapp. As with many successful managers, his ability to get the best out of the players at his disposal is his underlying quality.

Looking at the performances of Ledley King, Gareth Bale, Michael Dawson, Aaron Lennon and Heurelho Gomes there is a confidence and consistency that has previously been lacking in their game. On top of this, the intelligent rotation of players has been central to Tottenham’s success. With what is arguably the strongest strike force in the league in terms of depth, Redknapp has used Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko in particular to great effect. All three have had regular spells in the first team and the competition between them has undeniably helped the team’s cause.

Moving across the capital to Craven Cottage and Fulham’s spectacular path to the Europa League Final has been the story of the season for many neutrals. Roy Hodgson has had a long and successful managerial career, most of which has been spent abroad, and it is good to see him getting the recognition he deserves back in England. The team he has created at Fulham has been well organised, spirited and incredibly focussed and determined. As with Redknapp, Roy Hodgson has everybody playing for him and for the team and there is nothing but praise for him from the players.

Danny Murphy has described captaining Fulham to the brink of European glory as his greatest achievement in football. Considering he was an instrumental figure in Liverpool’s treble cup winning team of 2001 that is a great indication of the way Hodgson has instilled unity and passion into this Fulham side. Even though Fulham were defeated by a late Diego Forlan goal in the final, this season’s Europa League has been a wonderful achievement for such a small club and the 4-1 defeat of Juventus at Craven Cottage will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the great European performances from an English team.

Finally there is the rather different situation at Fratton Park where a terrible season for fans of Portsmouth has ended in a completely unexpected trip to Wembley and FA Cup runners-up medals. With all the financial turmoil, the lack of wages and the deduction of 9 points it is a surprise that Portsmouth didn’t completely capitulate. It is once again to the great credit of their manager, Avram Grant, that this has not happened. He has, in a way, had the easiest of the three jobs in terms of expectations.

After the points deduction it was virtually impossible for Portsmouth to stay up and along with the very public financial problems the players and staff at the club would have found it hard to stay completely focussed on football. Yet at the same time he has done incredibly well to keep the players motivated and seems to have instilled a sense of togetherness in the team.

This is a credit to Avram Grant and you could see how much it meant to his players after the FA Cup semi-final and there was a definite desire in many of them to celebrate with their manager. Grant must also be applauded for the way he has handled himself in the media this season. He has never complained and has been nothing but sympathetic towards the backroom staff who have been most affected by the delay in wages and redundancies.

This is exactly what the players needed to hear and has been reflected by the lack of dissent coming from within the squad. Instead we have seen a group of players determined to prove people wrong and give their fans a silver lining on this blackest of clouds that hangs over Fratton Park.

This single-minded determination is something that is present in all successful teams and always emanates from the manager.

From Brian Clough to Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho, the best managers have always had this respect within their squads and this season we have seen the quality emerge in rather more unfamiliar settings.

What this has done is prove once again that for all the star players and astronomical wages the man holding the key to success continues to be the man in the dugout and that a good manager will bring more long term success than any player ever could.

The turf is being relayed for the 11th time since 2007 but why is it such a problem?

Three of the four FA Cup semi-final managers, Harry Redknapp (Tottenham Hotspurs), Avram Grant (Portsmouth) and Martin O’Neill (Aston Villa) agreed the Wembley turf was a ‘disgrace’, and watching both games it was clearly apparent the state of the pitch had a bearing on both results.

Players from Chelsea, Aston Villa, Portsmouth and Spurs were slipping and losing their footing, no more so than the Spurs captain Michael Dawson who slipped in front of the Tottenham goal at a crucial moment, as he was attempting to clear a free-kick, leaving Piquionne to score the winning Portsmouth goal.

James Milner (England & Aston Villa midfielder) said it was the worst football pitch he had played on this season, including the lower league pitches during their League and FA Cup run.

As with previous turfs, the latest Wembley surface will not have much time to bed in.  This is one of the main problems.

The FA Trophy final is on 8th May, followed by the FA Vase final the day after. The FA Cup final is on 15th May and England is due to play a pre-World Cup friendly against Mexico on 24th.

Furthermore, there are three Football League play-off finals and the Blue Square Premier play-off final to be played at the venue in May; and this is just the football events to be held at the stadium!

BBC Radio 5 Live commentator, Colin Murray suggested the FA use the same grass seeds as his mother, as the grass in her garden is always in pristine condition.

The other problem is caused by other events and concerts that take place at Wembley.  But surely this is a bad advert for England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup finals.

Next month the FA Cup final will be beamed around the world to millions of fans and FIFA officials alike.  Not only is the final going to be spoilt by the state of the turf, but surely the FA must realise this is both embarrassing and a complete waste of money.  Money that could be better spent on the grassroots, rather than the turf!

portsmouth fc

Chief executive of Portsmouth Football Club, Peter Storrie has been charged with tax evasion and will appear in Westminster City Magistrates Court on November 16th to answer the charges.

Storrie has been accused of concealing the signing on fee for the player Amdy Faye by paying it directly to the players agent William McKay. Faye was signed by Portsmouth from French club Auxerre in 2003 and it is alleged that the player was paid a signing on fee of £250,000 on which no tax or national insurance was paid.

The signing on fee was allegedly paid into William McKay’s bank acount, although he has not been charged despite being questioned by police over the matter.

Storrie has been on police bail since November 2007, when he was first arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting. The inquiry was originally a joint operation between the police and HMRC investigating corruption in football and code named Operation Apprentice.

The Portsmouth chief executive has already said that he will clear his name and that he has nothing to hide.

karren brady

Al Fahim has at last been seen to do the right thing by selling the majority shareholding in Portsmouth FC to fellow Saudi businessman Ali Al Faraj, who has promised financial stability and a safe future for the Premier League club.

Peter Storrie CEO at Portsmouth admits that he has had some sleepless nights during Al Fahim’s brief reign although he remains uncritical of the man who will remain as chairman at Portsmouth for at least two seasons.

Storrie has confirmed that funds would be available for new players in the January transfer window and added, “Ali is a passionate follower of the Premier League and wants Portsmouth to remain in the best league in world football, there will be money to spend in January to make sure we do not lose our coveted place in the top flight.”

Hong Kong billionaire Carson Yeung has completed the purchase of 90% shareholding in Birmingham City and takes over at the club with immediate effect.

Ralph Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady will all leave the club although David Gold will stay on as chairman. Sullivan is allegedly showing interest in purchasing another club in the top tier, with West Ham as favourites, although Sullivan has insisted that he will be taking a break from football.

At Liverpool co-owner George Gillett has had a dig at manager Rafael Benitez, saying that instead of criticising the owners, fans should look at the performance of the Liverpool manager for the clubs lack of progress.

Gillett insists that he and Tom Hicks have invested ‘more money than our competitors’ adding;

“In the last 18 months, we have invested £128m on top of what has come in. That means it should be getting better. Now if it’s not getting better, it’s not Gillett and Hicks, it’s the manager, it’s the scouting. You have to make sure you balance out your analysis. There was plenty of money, so if you have any complaints, take a look at the ins and outs.”

portsmouth fc

Portsmouth owner Sulaiman Al Fahim is reported to be in a hospital in Dubai about to undergo an operation, not to remove his wallet as most Pompey fans would like, but to remove kidney stones.

A brief statement from the south coast club to the BBC suggests that the situation will not have a bearing on either the refinancing or management of Portsmouth Football Club.

The loyal fans of Portsmouth must be gutted by the take over, as a football fan I am stunned at how things have developed for the worse at the club, particularly after seeing their rivals in Southampton going into administration earlier this year.

The big question is does Al Fahim have the backing that he says he has or are we about to witness another Michael Knighton situation where the ‘backers’ disappeared as soon as he had announced his takeover of Manchester United in 1989.

There are serious questions to be answered by Al Fahim and Portsmouth FC can no longer accept his empty promises, a situation that the board are only too aware of having issued a strongly worded statement yesterday insisting that he finds a ‘permanent financing solution’ for the club.

The board have also stated that they are in the final stages of securing funding to pay the players wages this week and are working closely with Al Fahim’s advisors regarding the owners ‘promise’ of  a £50million cash injection.

Having kept the club afloat during some particularly dreadful times financially last season when Portsmouth came close to going into administration, Chief Executive Peter Storrie is now losing patience with Al Fahim and has threatened to leave the club unless the situation is resolved very soon.

Having seen the big money takeovers and cash injections at other clubs, most recently Manchester City, Portsmouth fans must find these developments a bit of a bitter pill to swallow.

Not only did the protracted negotiations between the club and Al Fahim extend through the summer transfer window, leaving very little time to secure new players for the club, but also during that period they had to sell some of their best players to keep the business afloat.

Already Pompey are in a precarious position at the foot of the table with no points from seven games and no matter what happens in the next few weeks they look set for a long battle in the relegation zone for the rest of the season.

Sulaiman Al Fahim

Only last week club chief executive Peter Storrie, obviously concerned that there was no end in sight in the ongoing drama announced that he would set up a consortium himself to buy the club.

It is welcome news for Pompey fans who were elated that Al Fahim was keen to invest in the club, given his role in the Manchester City takeover. As the summer has gone on however fans have seen the departure of top players Glenn Johnson and Peter Crouch  sold to balance the books and the chances of investment looking very slim indeed.

Having lost their first three Premier league games of the season Portsmouth can do with some decent news and manager Paul Hart will be champing at the bit, not just to replace Crouch and Johnson, but to hang on to players like Sylvain Distin who has been the subject of enquiries from Aston Villa and Everton.

Although there will not be the pot of gold that Manchester City have enjoyed from their Middle East investors, the takeover will give some much needed stability to the south coast club and hopefully get them the new football stadium that they have been promised for so long.

A statement issued by Portsmouth FC says;

“The chairman of the club would like to extend his gratitude to the players, staff and the supporters of Portsmouth FC who have shown an extraordinary level of commitment and loyalty to this great club.”

Striker Tommy Smith looks set to join from Watford for a fee of £2million, while progress is being made in Pompey’s pursuance of Ivory Coast striker Aruna Dindane from French club Lens.

Peter Crouch

The transfer fee has not been disclosed but is believed to be in the region of £10million with a five year contract for the 28 year old England striker. Crouch will once again team up with Jermain Defoe, having formed a good partnership while briefly together at Portsmouth.

Redknapp is ecstatic over the arrival of Crouch, who had turned down a move to Sunderland because he wanted to stay in the south of England. The Spurs manager says;

“We now have four top strikers which is what you need at every club and so I am delighted to have Crouchy, he is different to almost anyone else in the league in terms of his size and the way he plays the game. With Crouch, Robbie Keane, Jermain Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenko we have a good strikeforce.”

Clearly Redknapp believes that Darren Bent has no future at Spurs and says that he expects the misfit to accept an offer from Sunderland over the coming days.

Portsmouth have defended the sale of Crouch with a statement that says, “His sale was necessitated by the club’s commitment to repay scheduled debts while we are in a transitional period of completing the takeover.” The statement goes on to say that Pompey will be looking to strengthen the squad with ‘fresh faces’ as soon as the takeover is finalised.

Al Fahim has confirmed that he has taken control of the club and his first bit of business involved getting manager Paul Hart to sign a two year contract, after meeting him at the club’s training ground at Eastleigh , diffusing the abundant rumours over who Portsmouth will bring in to manage the club.

The new owner Al Fahim said: “Paul did a great job keeping the team in the Premier League last season and, having previously worked as director of youth operations, he knows the club inside out. He has immense experience and a great knowledge of the game and commands the respect of the players. I’m looking forward to working with him.”

Peter Storrie has agreed to continue as Portsmouth’s Chief Executive  and says that the appointment of Al Fahim brings stability to the club and is excellent news for Portsmouth supporters.

In seperate Pompey news, Sunderland have pulled out of the running for striker Peter Crouch, the England player says he would prefer to stay in the South of England. Fulham and Spurs are now the favourites to sign the player unless Pompey can assure him a future at the club.

Manchester United have signed Gabriel Obertan from Bordeaux, the 20 year old French winger has been on United’s radar for a few years now according to boss Sir Alex Ferguson, adding,  “But because of his educational programme our efforts to get him have been delayed. We are delighted to get him now as he is an exciting prospect.”

Linvoy Primus has signed a one year extension to his contract with Portsmouth. The veteran defender was out with a knee injury for two years before coming back at the end of last season. He has agreed to take on an ambassadorial and advisory role with Pompey as well as playing.

Stoke City have tied up a 12 month contract for Salif Diao who was previously out of contract with the club, the 32 year old played in 21 games last season and struggled with injury. Stoke have also extended the contract of their longest serving player, Andy Wilkinson. The 24 year old is now contracted until 2012.

Cruz was an immediate hit at Rovers, scoring 23 goals in his first season in the Premier League although an injury hit Cruz could only manage six goals during last season. No fee has been confirmed although it is believed the player has a buy-out clause in his Rovers contract of £18million, he was contracted to Rovers until 2012.

Former Chelsea player Glen Johnson has snubbed the chance to return to the club from Portsmouth and chosen ‘big four’ rivals Liverpool instead. Portsmouth have accepted a fee of £17.5million for Johnson who has become a fan’s favourite after joining from Chelsea in 2007 for just £4million. A nice bit of business from Pompey.

And finally Michael Owen will quit relegated Newcastle when his contract ends at the end of June. He will be looking for offers from Premiership clubs or top European teams. Owen will be available on a free transfer although he will want paying a salary. Great opportunity for a pay-as-you-play option.