Is there a worse chairman in the history of the Premiership than Sulaiman Al-Fahim? I’m struggling to think of anyone who has misled, misinformed and treated the supporters of a club so clearly as Al-Fahim has in his 8 month relationship with Portsmouth. Today the HM Revenue & Customs have issues a winding up order against Portsmouth F.C. which will see the club declared bankrupt unless all debts can be settled by February

Now, for me, the Premiership board have to take a long look at themselves over this situation. They allowed a man who clearly didn’t have the financial muscle to own a Premiership club to purchase it and then sell 90% within 6 weeks to Ali al-Faraj who promised to invest significant sums that have still to materialise. Where is all the money going at Portsmouth?

So here we have a situation where the 2008 F.A. Cup winners are facing going under in 6 weeks. It is an absolute disgrace that this situation has come about and the club have just commented on this story, wholly denying the accusations but does anyone believe them anymore? The club are banned from signing anyone until the footballing debts are settled, the ground needs major redevelopment or a new ground and now the tax man has come knocking.

Going into administration would see them hit with a 10 point deduction immediately and would seal relegation for them. Selling players would leave them weaker than they currently are and it would seem highly unlikely that anyone can step in to bail them out financially. It’s a nightmare situation that has echoes of the crisis which engulfed the club in 1999 when Milan Mandaric rode to the rescue.

Yet football has changed immeasurable in the ten years since that crisis. Administration now means a points deduction and yet, when al-Faraj bought his 90% of the club in October, the debt to the Inland Revenue was claimed to have been settled. It now seems that once again, it wasn’t true and with the amount supposedly £2 million, where did that go? The statement from the club claims that they’ve paid £9.7 million but the HMRC have still sought a winding up order. Who’s telling the truth here?

Mandaric has actually stated just before Christmas that he wouldn’t be buying Portsmouth back which would be bad news for anyone hoping to see him return to the Solent. Yet the club has been hemorrhaging money for the last 3 seasons, losing over £40 million up to the end of the 2007-2008 season. Since then, the club have sold over £80 million of talent, but still owe money to Chelsea, Watford  and Rennes. The next allotted amount of TV revenue, which is £7 million could be diverted to those three clubs but it still wouldn’t cover all the outstanding monies.

The monthly wage bill at Fratton Park is £1.8 million and the only other option is to sell playing assets to try and keep going, but the wages have bounced twice already this season and with everyone aware of Portsmouths situation, they will do well to receive an actual value for those players that matches what they need. All in all, it’s a dire situation and there seems no light at the end of the tunnel for Portsmouths long suffering fans. As always these days at Pompey, they are the last to know anything. I could do a better job than the current incumbents at Fratton Park and I suspect most Portsmouth fans could.

In the 2006/2007 season, Watford finished on bottom of the Premier League with 28 points. While it looks like it’ll be a while before Watford gets promoted from the Championship again given their current league form, the ghosts of Watford past are still alive and well in the Premier League today.

There were two players that showed a lot of promise during that 2006/2007 season for Watford, but who weren’t able to shine for several different reasons. Those players are Ashley Young, now with Aston Villa, and Marlon King, now at Hull City.

Watching the Watford side from a couple of years ago, you would have been hard pressed to predict that these players would go on to greatness. When Young joined Villa in January 2007, a lot of people thought the £9.6 million fee was excessive. Young, at the time, seemed very rough around the edges except for a few glimmers of skill here and there. He has since gone on to become an integral part of the Villa side and is one of the best left foot crossers in the league today.

Marlon King was less an unknown at the time after his success earlier in his career at Nottingham Forest. But King was only able to score four goals that season after being hampered by injuries. This season, King has already scored four crucial goals in the league and it’s only early December.

Watching Watford a couple of seasons ago, it was frustrating watching King play because he would get those rare chances in front of goal to knock the ball in but seemed to be lacking the skill or confidence to score. This season, King seems like a player reborn. Perhaps his maturity is allowing him to be more cool under pressure as he slots the ball into the back of the net.

So while many football fans will laugh at the memories of Watford from the 2006/2007 season, I look back and feel glad I was able to watch two players move up from the ranks within Watford on to greater glory.

This week, two Manchester United players made their debut for the club in quiet circumstances during a 2-0 friendly win against League One side Peterborough United. The match was noteworthy because of the debut for two of United’s rising stars, Rafael and Fabio Da Silva.

The two 18-year old Brazilian twins agreed to join Alex Ferguson’s side in February 2007 but due to FIFA regulations, they had to wait until they turned eighteen before they could sign professional contracts. But now that they’re authorized to play, keep an eye out for the twins during this upcoming season.

Right back Rafael and left back Fabio joined Man United from Fluminense in Brazil. The twins also played in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Korea.

After the Peterborough friendly, Ferguson said this about the two Brazilian defenders:

“The young players were fantastic and young Rafael the right-back was a sensation for me.

I thought it was a real eye opener for us. He hadn’t played for a year but he’s played a full 90 minutes today. His brother Fabio has played 45 minutes and he’s also done well so we’re really pleased by their contribution.

You know what football’s like. Sometimes it turns up some star, some little nugget maybe. On the evidence of tonight I think we have got a good player here.”

In the recent history of English football, there have been some notable brothers who have played together on the same team. Best known are Gary and Phil Neville. While brothers are not uncommon, what is rare is to see two twins playing together on the same side. Examples from Holland include Ronald and Frank de Boer, and Rene and Willy Van der Kerkhof. In England, the only twins I can remember are Dean and David Holdsworth who played for Watford in the late eighties.

[display_podcast]

I just want to send some good thoughts the way of Calum Davenport, who is in hospital after fracturing a bone in his neck during his first match on loan at Watford. The injury brings an immediate end to Devenport’s loan spell and he will return to West Ham.

The 25-year-old defender had to be stretchered off after team-mate Darius Henderson landed awkwardly on him during the 1-1 draw at home to Charlton Athletic. A statement on Watford’s official website confirmed: “X-rays and scans showed that although he was safe to be moved, he would stay in a private hospital overnight where he could be kept under observation for the next few days. Watford have been in close contact with West Ham United since the incident and would like to thank them for their co-operation in the matter. The club would also like to give a special thanks to the stretcher bearers who ensured that Calum left the playing field in a safe and correct manner.”

After the game, Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd told reporters: “Calum heard a crack in his neck and he lost the sensation in his fingers and he is in the hospital now. When it is a neck injury you have to get him off the pitch straight away and we hope it is not too bad.”

I hope for the best and will update you on any news as it becomes available.