I've been a fan of Dave "Harry" Redknapp since his West Ham camera-avoiding days, cheeky wheeler-dealering, harping on about "ve fings Joe Cole does in training", Michael Douglas Sr his trusted Assistant. His ride at Pompey has been bumpy; promotion on the back of wheeler-dealering, progress on the back of wheeler-dealering, leaving due to not enough wheeler-dealering, relegating Southampton due to wheeler-dealering, saving Pompey due to wheeler-dealering and getting them back into the top half on wheeler dealering. Indeed, his new owner - the not at all dodgy Alexandre Gaydamak - has allowed his wheeler-dealering to soar to new heights:
In: David Nugent, John Utaka, Sylvain Distin, Hermann Hreidarsson, Sulley Muntari, Martin Cranie, Arnold Mvuemba, Callum Reynolds
That's a lot of quality - Distin will assist Nokia Campbell at the back; Nugent, Muntari and Utaka will batter in the goals. And not really a lot of cheeky sales or swap deals:
Out: Svetoslav Todorov, Daryl Fordyce, Andy Griffin, Collins Mbesuma
That's tidying up the squad more than anything.
Gaydamak will be expecting a return on his investment, and cheeky wheeler-dealering on this scale has to afford Pompey a European place. If not, well...
PREDICTION - 8th
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