Quiet week at Fratton Park?

Never a dull moment really as a Pompey fan, always things going on at the club that help your week more exciting. With talks in the papers about Neil Warnock citing being 'poisoned' from within the QPR hierarchy and David Beckham signing a new contract with LA Galaxy etc. Portsmouth was busy once more in another ownership wrangle, almost like X-Factor there are the characters who are more outspoken.

Step forward a Mr Joseph Cala, a shrewd Sicilian businessman who takes a single Google search to find out why myself and other Portsmouth fans are concerned with his intent into the club. His going business is a loss making one, claiming to sell high-class underwater casino's and glass bottom yacht's in which it makes a year on year loss, not a good omen.

Joseph Cala, a photo he personally sent to The News. 

Because he didn't like the one they kept showing of him!

Looking further into his credentials shows he previously owned a football club, a Serie D side Salerno Calcio, promising their unfortunate fans of promotion back to Serie A. This was supposedly backed with a '40m euro investment' into the club, which might of won over people, but the money never materialised and Cala left the club with crippling debt after only weeks. Fraud is a common word associated with Joseph Cala, usually following most stories about him.

He claims to have shown the cash necessary to complete the deal with David Lampitt (around £20m, a bold claim) and expects to complete the deal by Friday 20th. But today is that day, he announced Friday afternoon he had pulled out of the ownership race, much to the delight of Pompey fans.
I for one am glad! I think he would have been slow poison, selling off players and taking the money (ala Gaydamak) then asset stripping as well (ala Venky's). Then leave the club in a horrid position and probably on it's knee's facing relegation and oblivion. So it's a relief to hear he's off the radar!

Moving on though, the other news this week is finally somewhat good, and not about who owns the bloody club! I knew after the sad departure of fan-favourite Herman Hreriadasson we had freed up wages for another player, further rumour built with Appleton confirming a new signing in 'a matter of days'. Then The News confirmed Kelvin Etuhu had been training with us for a period of time.

Etuhu playing for Man City against Barcelona

These were confirmed when it was announced he signed a contract taking up him to the end of the season, a good addition to our thin squad. He adds pace and another winger to the squad, an area we desperately are lacking in. He has been a free agent after he was released by Manchester City while serving a prison sentence for assault (not the best reading), but he has stated his desire to play and get back to his best, Appleton also backs him for good things. Hopefully he will prove to be a good addition and I look forward to seeing him in action.

He goes straight into the squad against his old loan club Cardiff, the squad has only 14 fit professionals at the moment, it brings youngsters such as Adam Webster into the squad. Tonight I've seen on Twitter that Sam Magri has joined the first team in the trip to Cardiff. He has to undergo a initiation song as per tradition for new players. Good to see the young lad in the squad, he did well in the Youth Cup mid-week.

Finally the re-singing of Joe Mattock and George Thorne can happen once West Brom's injury crisis gets better, it's the only hindrance to their return. The reason this can happen is when the sudden collapse of CSI happened they were on the wage books, so it is budgeted for. Let's hope WBA injury problems get better (or they sign defenders/midfielders) we can see them back down Fratton Park!

Don't hold much hope for us against Cardiff tomorrow, hope we play well, we managed to nearly grab something against West Ham with 10 men!

Play Up Pompey!