Post by QPR Report on Feb 14, 2009 8:09:54 GMT
Guardian Stuart James and Paul Doyle
More Portsmouth turmoil as Storrie is arrested again• Chief executive questioned and bailed over corruption inquiry
• David James gives his backing to dismissal of Tony Adams
Peter Storrie, the Portsmouth chief executive, was yesterday re-arrested as he faced further questioning by City of London Police officers in relation to the ongoing investigation into corruption in football. Storrie, who was first arrested in November 2007 on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting, attended Bishopsgate police station in London, where it is understood that he was informed that HM Revenue and Customs would be investigating the possibility of tax-related offences. Storrie, who has been bailed until June, has strongly denied any wrongdoing.
A Portsmouth spokesman last night said: "This is to confirm that Peter Storrie today attended Bishopsgate police station to answer to bail in furtherance of his arrest in 2007. Mr Storrie has been fully co-operative throughout police investigations which did not involve allegations of corruption or bungs. This investigation is being conducted by HMRC. As with this, Mr Storrie has been re-bailed to attend a police station in June 2009 when it is expected that the matter will be concluded."
Meanwhile the Portsmouth goalkeeper David James has strongly backed his club's decision to sack the club's manager, Tony Adams, this week and warned against cutting corners in the search for a replacement. While expressing his frustration at the "ludicrous" and "bizarre" way in which last season's FA Cup winners have slipped to within one point of the relegation zone, James rejected the suggestion that the slide has been caused by player sales and instead described what amounts to a comprehensive managerial failure.
"You can say we've lost Lassana Diarra and Jermain Defoe and that's why we are where we are but that's nonsense," said James. "The side that did well last season wasn't about those players. This season's side is fundamentally the same as last season but we weren't set up to replicate the success."
He admitted that frequent mistakes on the pitch meant Portsmouth players bear some responsibility for this season's woes but indicated that the primary problem lay with Adams' inability to communicate effectively as well as his misguided team selection and muddled tactics. "Players don't pick the team," he said. "Pick the team right and you'll get the right results.
"As a structure, as a formation – well, it was clear for everyone to see that teams were scoring against us on the counter, just walking through the middle. The Liverpool match last weekend [that Portsmouth lost 3-2] summed up our season. We were leading on two occasions but at no point did we look like we wanted to defend that lead. It was bizarre. Last season we were scared of nobody and teams found it very difficult to score against us. This season it looked like we have to score three goals just to get a point, which is ludicrous."
James revealed that Adams shared similarities with his predecessor, Harry Redknapp, but none of the qualities. "I can't go too deep into it, it's about managers' personalities. Under Harry you also didn't know the team selection until the day of the match and you also wouldn't do much work on such-and-such but Harry had an idiosyncratic way of getting the team to perform. Just putting an arm around you, telling you you're the best in the world – call it blowing smoke up your arse or whatever, but it worked."
Rumours of player discontent with Adams had been circulating long before the manager's dismissal and James was even reported to have been involved in a "ruck" with him following the 3–1 defeat at Fulham two weeks ago. The goalkeeper confirmed those reports and suggested that it was the manager's lack of leadership that had provoked his reaction.
"Things had to be said," said James. "If you're not going to criticise the situation,then people just think it's the norm and it happens again and again ... players need guidance ... so yeah, words were said. And it had happened before too."
Portsmouth will be managed against Manchester City on Saturday by the club's director of youth operations, Paul Hart, who will be assisted by the former Manchester United and England No2 Brian Kidd. The latter's arrival at the club has fuelled speculation that the next full-time manager will be Sven-Goran Eriksson, who hired Kidd as his No2 at the start of his reign as England manager. Though James, who if picked against City will beat Gary Speed's record for the highest number of Premier League appearances, said he did not know who would be installed as permanent manager, he said he would welcome working under that duo again.
"He [Kidd] is a guy who's very switched-on, who loves and understands football and can give a lot of feedback to individuals. Whoever takes over permanently has to be like that, we can't have a situation where we're cutting corners. As for Sven, his record in club football is fantastic and he would be a very positive acquisition. Again, he's not a manager to rant and rave but he does talk, very quietly obviously, but what he says he means. There's no ambiguity with him."
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/feb/13/david-james-tony-adams-portsmouth
More Portsmouth turmoil as Storrie is arrested again• Chief executive questioned and bailed over corruption inquiry
• David James gives his backing to dismissal of Tony Adams
Peter Storrie, the Portsmouth chief executive, was yesterday re-arrested as he faced further questioning by City of London Police officers in relation to the ongoing investigation into corruption in football. Storrie, who was first arrested in November 2007 on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting, attended Bishopsgate police station in London, where it is understood that he was informed that HM Revenue and Customs would be investigating the possibility of tax-related offences. Storrie, who has been bailed until June, has strongly denied any wrongdoing.
A Portsmouth spokesman last night said: "This is to confirm that Peter Storrie today attended Bishopsgate police station to answer to bail in furtherance of his arrest in 2007. Mr Storrie has been fully co-operative throughout police investigations which did not involve allegations of corruption or bungs. This investigation is being conducted by HMRC. As with this, Mr Storrie has been re-bailed to attend a police station in June 2009 when it is expected that the matter will be concluded."
Meanwhile the Portsmouth goalkeeper David James has strongly backed his club's decision to sack the club's manager, Tony Adams, this week and warned against cutting corners in the search for a replacement. While expressing his frustration at the "ludicrous" and "bizarre" way in which last season's FA Cup winners have slipped to within one point of the relegation zone, James rejected the suggestion that the slide has been caused by player sales and instead described what amounts to a comprehensive managerial failure.
"You can say we've lost Lassana Diarra and Jermain Defoe and that's why we are where we are but that's nonsense," said James. "The side that did well last season wasn't about those players. This season's side is fundamentally the same as last season but we weren't set up to replicate the success."
He admitted that frequent mistakes on the pitch meant Portsmouth players bear some responsibility for this season's woes but indicated that the primary problem lay with Adams' inability to communicate effectively as well as his misguided team selection and muddled tactics. "Players don't pick the team," he said. "Pick the team right and you'll get the right results.
"As a structure, as a formation – well, it was clear for everyone to see that teams were scoring against us on the counter, just walking through the middle. The Liverpool match last weekend [that Portsmouth lost 3-2] summed up our season. We were leading on two occasions but at no point did we look like we wanted to defend that lead. It was bizarre. Last season we were scared of nobody and teams found it very difficult to score against us. This season it looked like we have to score three goals just to get a point, which is ludicrous."
James revealed that Adams shared similarities with his predecessor, Harry Redknapp, but none of the qualities. "I can't go too deep into it, it's about managers' personalities. Under Harry you also didn't know the team selection until the day of the match and you also wouldn't do much work on such-and-such but Harry had an idiosyncratic way of getting the team to perform. Just putting an arm around you, telling you you're the best in the world – call it blowing smoke up your arse or whatever, but it worked."
Rumours of player discontent with Adams had been circulating long before the manager's dismissal and James was even reported to have been involved in a "ruck" with him following the 3–1 defeat at Fulham two weeks ago. The goalkeeper confirmed those reports and suggested that it was the manager's lack of leadership that had provoked his reaction.
"Things had to be said," said James. "If you're not going to criticise the situation,then people just think it's the norm and it happens again and again ... players need guidance ... so yeah, words were said. And it had happened before too."
Portsmouth will be managed against Manchester City on Saturday by the club's director of youth operations, Paul Hart, who will be assisted by the former Manchester United and England No2 Brian Kidd. The latter's arrival at the club has fuelled speculation that the next full-time manager will be Sven-Goran Eriksson, who hired Kidd as his No2 at the start of his reign as England manager. Though James, who if picked against City will beat Gary Speed's record for the highest number of Premier League appearances, said he did not know who would be installed as permanent manager, he said he would welcome working under that duo again.
"He [Kidd] is a guy who's very switched-on, who loves and understands football and can give a lot of feedback to individuals. Whoever takes over permanently has to be like that, we can't have a situation where we're cutting corners. As for Sven, his record in club football is fantastic and he would be a very positive acquisition. Again, he's not a manager to rant and rave but he does talk, very quietly obviously, but what he says he means. There's no ambiguity with him."
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/feb/13/david-james-tony-adams-portsmouth