It looks like we're back to talking about Rafa Benitez losing his job. Liverpool are out of the
Champion's League and the world is about to go into meltdown. However, the Kopites don't see it
like that and neither do I.
After hearing that Portsmouth had sacked (or removed) Paul Hart from the managers chair, I couldn't
help but feel that the majority of Chairman seem to be as fickle as the rest of us.
I recently had a chat with Hank, a mate of mine that's a Portsmouth season-ticket holder. He's come
along to The Lane a few times and you could say that he know's his football pretty well. The only
downer is that he and a lot more Pompey fans blame Harry for their current plight. Now, call me
stupid, but how is Harry to blame?
Pompey picked up some Saudi Oil money today as Saudi tycoon Ali al-Faraj bought 90% of the
financially stricken club from Sulaiman al-Fahim.
Al-Fahim, of Abu Dhabi, bought the club just 44 days ago - but he's out and the 40-year-old
al-Faraj is in.
So, what does this mean? Well - for starters, not much on the pitch: Pompey may have a large
arsenal of cash to use in the January transfer window - but they'll have to stick with their
hodgepodge of new signings and on-loan stars (O'Hara 4.
With all the focus this summer on players getting bought and sold - and making big money moves
across Europe - we sometimes forget that the summer is also a time when scores of players lose
their jobs. Their contracts are not renewed. They don't make the step up from the reserves to the
first team.
And speculation turns into fact. When there's smoke, there's fire. Just as we reported last
weekend, Liverpool finally get their man Glen Johnson.
Johnson will come in as a direct replacement (and upgrade?) to Alvaro Arbeloa - who will now surely
end up in Spain - perhaps even with former Premier League rival Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid.
I view billionaires from kind of the same curious perspective I view species of mysterious
origin and function, like tapir or rare slime molds. I have lots of questions: How did they get
there? And what do they do? If I see one, will I know it? Generally, these questions don't have
easy answers.
I view billionaires from kind of the same curious perspective I view species of mysterious
origin and function, like tapir or rare slime molds. I have lots of questions: How did they get
there? And what do they do? If I see one, will I know it? Generally, these questions don't have
easy answers.
Like two peas in a pod Hmm, this lookalike is a bit too good to be true. They are, in fact, one and
the same. Sulaiman al-Fahim fronted the Abu Dhabi United (the name still makes me snigger) takeover
of Manchester City before mysteriously disappearing out of sight. He has now re-emerged as the
all-but-signed-on-the-dotted-line new oener [.
Hmm, they could be twins Dr Sulaiman al-Fahim, who led the takeover of Manchester City, has
expressed an interest in leading a consortium to take over Chelsea. He said: "It would not be
cheap... but through a number of investors, there is money available to put together a deal."
Given the limited success of importing washed [.
topic du jour It appears stealing the closing act was not enough, as Manchester City's new owners
would like to steal tomorrow's matinee, the following evening performance, and the rest of the
shows from here on out. Their point was made by the frankly shocking snatch of Robinho and equally
as surprising bids for David Villa, [.
A deal has finally been brokered between Israelis and Arabs. Portsmouth FC have been sold from
Israeli Alexandre Gaydamak to Arab Sulaiman Al-Fahim.
Al-Fahim, a real estate billionaire, has been nicknamed the "Donald Trump" of Abu Dhabi. The
32-year old will take over a club in dire need of some investment, and the task will be
considerably more difficult than producing a season or two of The Apprentice.
