Portsmouth vs Manchester United thread

[Barton8]

We take on the Champs at Fratton park today. Match kicks off at 19:45.

Team news
O'Neil has been declared fit to play while Campbell, Mendes are doubtful while Primus and Kranjcar is still out. Hope to see Taylor in the starting line up and Muntari in the middle. As for the strikers, I hope HR goes for Utaka and Benjani with Nugent and Kanu coming on as subs. I hope Harry does something about the left, most preferably Traore/Stefanovic ahead of Hreidarsson to take on Cristiano Ronaldo. David James will have to be at his best today.


Man U
As many of you have heard, ManU will be without Rooney for 2 months. Their only strikers available are Tevez and Dong, who i doubt will be on the subs bench. Gary Neville is still out along with strikers Saha and solsjaer. Nani and Anderson are available.

Pompey beat Manu in previous years and I pray they show the same commitment to do the same. Campbell will be needed badly to take on Tevez. Can't wait for kick off. PLAY ON POMPEY!

[sportscribe]

Come on Portsmouth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I want an Utaka hat-trick.

[el piojo]

Got a good feeling about today. Fratton's been a house of horrors for the champs in recent years. It's going to be a superb, old school, blood and thunder atmosphere, that's for certain. Play up Pompey!

[Spry]

Can any of you fellas comment on why Matt Taylor hasn't been starting?

[el piojo]

Spry: Taylor's in a bit of a holding pattern at the moment. Spurs want him to fill their needs on the left. Pompey's asking price, reportedly 8 million pounds, is too steep at the moment. There's some speculation that Tottenham will compromise, giving Pompey cash plus a player, but it all remains unresolved.

[cromagnum]

Spry: Taylor's in a bit of a holding pattern at the moment. Spurs want him to fill their needs on the left. Pompey's asking price, reportedly 8 million pounds, is too steep at the moment. There's some speculation that Tottenham will compromise, giving Pompey cash plus a player, but it all remains unresolved.
8 million pounds for matty taylor llllllllllllllllllllllloooooooooooooolllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.

[marighand]

anyone got video of goals and ronaldo's head butt?

[MrEleganza]

8 million pounds for matty taylor llllllllllllllllllllllloooooooooooooolllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.

Yeah, I know, way too low, right? Or maybe you just haven't been watching him very long.

Benjani was a beast today, his best game in a Pompey uniform. Taylor set him up perfectly - no one on this club can spot it the way he does, be it a perfect pass or one of his legendary goals from distance. Pompey needs him and shouldn't sell him unless the price is truly ridiculous.

[jinxproof]

hate to see matty go. he's been a good man for Pompey..... there had better be something brilliant coming if we trade him off.
didn't see the match, what was with the ronaldo incident?

and, can we have any more injuries to start the season?!?

[MrEleganza]

didn't see the match, what was with the ronaldo incident?



It happened off-camera as far as the TV coverage went, and I haven't seen any other videos pop up on youtube.

ManU was lining up for a corner, and all the sudden, a fight broke out between the teams (nothing too serious, just a lot of shoving). The fight broke out so quickly that it was clear that the players were reacting to something extreme.

The second the fight semi-abated, the ref showed Ronaldo a straight red, which he didn't argue. He also gave Sean Davis and another ManU guy a yellow. The announcer said something along the lines of, "Yeah, any time you lead with your head like that, you're gonna get a red."

It was a good thing, too, because Muntari had just been sent off (for two yellows, second one undeserved IMHO) a minute earlier.

[Barton8]

Selling Taylor would be one of the stupidest moves ever made. This match just went to show how much we need him. Even if we get 8 mil i don't see any replacement we can get before the window closes that can do what Matt does best.
Otherwise, good result for us, a draw vs the champions. Better performance in the second half. Manu had all the possesion but nothing much came from it. Hreidarsson actually had a good game much to my suprise. Benjani proved again how important he is despite the criticism he gets. Hope to see him continue this form. Again I don't see Kanu staying past Jan.
Finally Muntari had a decent game but wreckless challenges to be sent off. We all saw this coming eventually, He got 3 reds in Serie 'A' last season and this is the prem where the pace is faster. To be fair, he's bring play out of position and he will need time to adjust. I remember Essien going throught the same thing around two years ago. That must mean Taylor will play vs Bolton.
Good game for Cranie, Utaka and good signs of intent from Nugent.

[sinner78]

the benjani/kanu/utaka combo looks deadly.
should be a good season.

[Barton8]

the benjani/kanu/utaka combo looks deadly.
should be a good season.

Yes, Benjani is off to a good start, hope he maintains it and Kanu and Utaka had an influential game today.
I was a bit worried when I first saw the fixture list but we're doing quite well.