Flattering to Deceive

Pompey fans hoping to see the new year in with a bit of excitement must have been disappointed by the bore draw with Spurs at Fratton Park – especially as one or two of their players did little to justify the hype that often surrounds them.

Sol Cambell and Glen Johnson in particular seemed to be having a private contest to see which of them could give the ball away most often, and most dangerously. Spurs’ 49th minute goal, a header from Malbranque to give them the lead, can be traced back to Johnson and throughout the game most of Campbell’s clearances under pressure lacked height and distance and consequently caused more pressure as Spurs players latched onto them and launched new attacks. Arsenal fans will be familiar with performances of this kind from Campbell, which may signify that the honeymoon period is over. Unless of course he was merely trying to discourage interest from Chelsea.