Source: Team_Talk
James wants Pompey cup therapy
Portsmouth goalkeeper David James admits he would love to celebrate the glory of lifting the FA Cup all over again at Wembley on Saturday.[LNB] Since Harry Redknapp led Pompey to glory with victory against Cardiff at the national stadium, it has been a rollercoaster ride through numerous managers and owners at Fratton Park - from a European clash with Italian giants AC Milan to lurching from one financial crisis to another, which eventually led to administration, a nine-point deduction from the Premier League and with it relegation.[LNB]James is in no doubt while Pompey were right to aim to punch above their weight, that achievement in the Wembley sunshine ultimately came back to haunt them.[LNB]"It has had a terrible effect on the club over arguably the last 18 months," the 39-year-old said. "Qualifying for Europe was financial and physically damaging for the club.[LNB]"What we spent two years building up as a decent resilient side was pretty much undone in a couple of months."[LNB]The England goalkeeper added: "To offer people the opportunity of big bonuses to qualify for Europe seems like a pretty safe bet, simply because you do not anticipate a club like Portsmouth winning the cup and our league form in the first season I was here, as much as it was progressive, would not have led us to believe we were going to finish in the top seven.[LNB]"Had we not won the FA Cup, bizarrely it would probably have done us a lot better, because we would not have qualified for Europe and would have been able to build on two decent years of progression.[LNB]"Having won the cup, the financial impact was crippling and then as a squad we just were not kitted out to be able to sustain the European, as well as league and cup campaigns which followed. We ended up suffering on both fronts."[LNB]The FA Cup has traditionally produced some fairytale moments, but were Avram Grant's squad to beat the millionaires of his former club Chelsea, the famous old competition would surely have outdone itself - even after Pompey's unexpected semi-final victory over Tottenham and former boss Redknapp.[LNB]"Before the semi-final, people pointed out the long odds for us to get anything out of the Spurs game," James recalled.[LNB]"Had we lost, everyone would have said: 'That was expected, but well done for getting to the semi'.[LNB]"But that was more than just proving other people wrong - I think we proved ourselves right."[LNB]James added: "Now after what has been a traumatic season in the Premier League and off-the-field, it is great for Pompey to have something to look forward to."[LNB]James - hoping to be part of England's World Cup squad in South Africa - is one of several players out of contract at the end of the campaign.[LNB]However, the veteran goalkeeper elected not to take up the option of an automatic contract extension to try to help the club out in their current plight.[LNB]"No-one knows what will happen at the end of the season with regards to takeovers, and therefore there may be decisions made which are beyond the control of any individual players," said James, a reported target for Tottenham and newly-promoted West Brom.[LNB]"It is an issue and problems which will have to be dealt with at the end of the season.[LNB]"I will be 40 in the summer and have no intentions of not playing next season.[LNB]"The desire to play is more important than where I play."
