Source: Daily_Mail
Portsmouth 0 Everton 1: Storrie stays but only if new owner delivers pledge
Peter Storrie has committed himself to struggling Portsmouth - but only if new owner Sulaiman Al Fahim keeps a promise to bring his money with him. [LNB]Al Fahim told a fans' forum on Friday night that he had raised £50million to help re-finance Portsmouth, who slid to their seventh straight league defeat. The club are bottom of the Barclays Premier League with no points after making their worst ever start to a season. [LNB]And Pompey chief executive Storrie said: 'Sulaiman has shown us documentation and information and spoken to fans to say that it's there so, on that basis, obviously I am very happy to stay and work at a club I've enjoyed being at for the last seven years. [LNB] Match winner: Louis Saha scored the decisive goal as Everton left it late to ease past struggling Portsmouth[LNB]'When the crowd chant your name it makes you think, "Blimey, that doesn't happen to many chief executives", and I would hate to walk out on the Pompey fans. It made me feel quite humble.' [LNB]The chief executive also backed manager Paul Hart to turn things around - although if he doesn't then Gordon Strachan is the top target to replace him. [LNB]'The Everton game was a very strong performance which we think we can build on for the future,' said Storrie. 'We would be daft and stupid to change it.' [LNB]The only top-flight side to lose their first seven matches and avoid being relegated were Liverpool exactly 100 years ago.[LNB]New man in town: New Pompey owner Sulaiman Al Fahim watched his side get edged out at Fratton Park[LNB] But Storrie added on BBC Radio 5 Live: 'We're confident. That's the thing. If you had seen the players' heads going down, you would be worried. We just need a little bit of luck. Can you tell me there are not six or seven teams worse than us in the Premier League? You can't, it's as simple as that.' [LNB]He refuted suggestions that the new arrivals were not good enough to keep the club up. 'All the players we've brought in have either played in the Premier League, come from the Premier League, or played in top leagues in Europe,' he said. [LNB]Hart insisted Portsmouth's off-field turmoil had not affected his players and was level-headed about the owner's £50m investment. He said: 'I'm a realist. I wouldn't for one minute think I will personally get £50m to spend. 'The club is in need of money. We've wiped £30m off the wage bill, brought in more than £75m in transfer fees in nine months. That has helped enable the club to carry on trading. [LNB]'I'm delighted with this bunch of players. I've got great belief in them. If we can continue to perform like today then, as I said to the players, this cannot go on.' [LNB]Everton manager David Moyes also saw signs of encouragement for his vanquished opposite number. 'Paul's squad was only put together at the last minute and he had a lot of things taken away from him,' said Moyes. 'You could see the attitude of his players - they gave him everything right until the last minute.[LNB] Sliding in: Everton's John Heitinga is challenged by Anthony Vanden Borre and Hassan Yebda[LNB] It was also good to see how the supporters backed their team. 'Portsmouth are only seven games into the season and football changes around very quickly.' [LNB]Portsmouth were by no means outclassed by Everton, but Louis Saha's 42nd-minute strike summed up the difference between the sides. [LNB]The 31-year- old was allowed to steal between Younes Kaboul and Aaron Mokoena, control John Heitinga's pass from the halfway line and slot the ball past David James for his fifth goal of the season. [LNB]Saha's strike showed the sort of clinical finishing that Portsmouth's front pairing of Aruna Dindane and Tommy Smith simply do not possess, even with the excellent Kevin-Prince Boateng working tirelessly behind them. [LNB]The goal also illustrated the hosts' propensity to lose concentration at the back. Leaving 6ft 4in Marouane Fellaini and Tim Cahill, with his reputation for scoring from set-pieces, free at corners was inexcusable. [LNB] Holding him off: Everton's Marouane Fellaini keeps Aaron Mokoena at bay[LNB]'It wasn't great play from Everton,' said Hart of Saha's goal. 'If the ball travels 40 yards it should be dealt with.' [LNB]That said, Everton only held on thanks to the excellent goalkeeping of Tim Howard and a clearance off the line from Leighton Baines. On another day, Portsmouth could have easily buried one of their four chances. [LNB]Howard conceded: 'That was the hardest I've had to work for a clean sheet all season. They smothered us and put pressure on us. If Portsmouth had got the first goal the game would have taken a whole different shape.' [LNB]Everton's first away win was soured by a knee injury to Steven Pienaar - who joins Phil Neville, Phil Jagielka, Mikel Arteta and Victor Anichebe in the treatment room - and Moyes criticised referee Alan Wiley for not punishing Mokoena for the challenge. He said: 'We lost a player (Neville) the other week against Fulham and now we may have lost another one. [LNB]'Before you know it they're going to be taking all of our players out if the incidents are not picked up on.' [LNB]PORTSMOUTH (4-4-2): James 6; Vanden Borre 6, Kaboul 6, Wilson 7, Ben-Haim 6; Mokoena 6 (Yebda 72min, 6), Brown 5 (Kanu 81), O'Hara 6, Boateng 8; Smith 8 (Webber 90), Dindane 7. [LNB]EVERTON (4-4-1-1): Howard 7; Heitinga 6, Yobo 6, Distin 6, Baines 6; Osman 5 (Hibbert 74, 5), Fellaini 6, Rodwell 6, Pienaar 6 (Bilyaletdinov 58, 5); Cahill 5; Saha 7 (Jo 90). Booked: Rodwell, Yobo, Fellaini. Man of the match: Kevin-Prince Boateng.[LNB] Referee: Alan Wiley. Portsmouth back under-fire Hart despite seven successive defeats£50m bait for Peter Storrie to stay put at Portsmouth after walk out fearsSaha: From sicknote to superstriker - how Everton are getting the best of himPORTSMOUTH FC
