Deal nearly done?

According to Sky the deal with CSI is nearly done, if it goes ahead is this a good thing for us? http://www.skysports.com/football/team/0,,11674,00.html

 

It's been "nearly done" for about 3 months now.

Someone pass me the big bag of salt, I don't think a pinch will be enough this time...

 

There is no new news in that story - it's been around for a week or more, lifted directly from an interview in a Russian paper - the only questions left out is why he didn't buy a Russian club - apparently they are too expensive.

I'll have the bag of salt after you Jake!

 

Saints fan in peace.

The Sunday Express was also reporting this story today. If Portsmouth can be picked up for a sensible price (and not the £17 million previously muted), I would suggest that they would be a good investment but seeing that Saints were purchased for around £8 million (I think), it would seem daft to splash out on a club where investment is needed on providing a stadium that is fit for the 21st Century, decent training facilities and a proper academy if Cotterill's remarks yesterday about the calibre of your youth set up is to be believed. In fact, the release of the 4 reserve / youth players yesterday hot on the heels of Cotterill's refusal to flesh out the subs bench with them suggests to me that there are serious problems with Portsmouth's development process. Southampton managed to balance the books on the sale of talent brought on by the club during Lowe's tenure and there most be something seriously wrong for your management to demonstrate an apparent lack in confidence in your younger players. On top of this, the whole first team needs to be re-assembled yet again for the third year running. I think there is something like on 8 players currently with contracts. In the light of this, I am not surprised that Chanrai appears to be unable to recoup his investment as the club is clearly not worth this money and an even greater sum is required to return the club to the kind of standard it merits and the fans anticipate. With the Russians obviously so keen to acquire an English club, it seems strange too that they haven't made a more for Plymouth.

If the powers that be are not to make the same mistakes as Rupert Lowe, fresh investment must come in as to leave things as they are would certainly mean that you will struggle in 2011/12. Left as present, I think you will be one of the favourites for relegation next season and most of us Saints fans already have already chalked the derby down as 6 easy points given the depth of strength in our club. Even in league One, we have assembled a squad that would be a match for most Championship sides, yours included. I would suggest that, assuming West Ham's almost certain relegation is confirmed, next season the Londoners and Leeds United are probably the only clubs in the Championship who are "bigger" clubs than Portsmouth. Pompey fans should be expecting to reach the play-offs at the very least with someone as good as Cotterill at the helm. Up until the home defeat to QPR, it did look like this would be achieved but I think you were ultimately undone by the fact that the squad was nowhere big enough to make a sustained challenge. In the last month or so, the results suggest that you had lost interest in the elague once you knew you were safe and that they players couldn't wait for the season to end. I don't think that a team like Portsmouth FC should really be satisfied with surviving in the second tier as is currently the case. Granted you still have a club to support, surely this is not acceptable?

If I was a Portsmouth supporter, I would be desperate for a new buyer to come in - especially as financial issues have effectively prevented the team from competing on an even keel for the last two seasons. I would have thought that it wouldn't have taken much to buy PFC despite the current situation with the global economy but I would be worried if the only option seemed to be another Russian seeing that Gaydamak left you so badly in the lurch. Most Saints fans are sceptical of any positive noises coming out of Fratton Park as they seem so often to be in such a stark contrast from reality.

I was wondering, would you genuinely be happy if Russians bought your club again and propelled you on another Gaydamakesque roller-coaster or would you rather run the risk of remaining with Chanrai in the hope that a sensible investor can be found who will turn your fortunes around with their own "five year plan?"

 

Survival has to be the main target at this precise moment. That said how fans can accept that when their local rivals are doing well? Spurs, Arsenal or United and City. Rangers and Celtic, or Pool and Everton. No matter who your local team is you always want to be above them.

Even though as a Saint we have unfinished business to attend to, it would be great if our two clubs could rise at the same time to become serious contenders first in the Championship and then in the Premiership. I am not one to enjoy losing to your lot but at least if we were playing on a regular basis the same amount of sting wouldn't be there.

Get your buyer and let us have some meaningful banter between two Premier league teams in the near future.

 

Cracking post

I have to agree with you completely