There were a number of ‘pluses’ and ‘pleasant surprises’ about Pompey’s 4-0 win over Havant last night, in our opening pre-season friendly.
Quite if Tal Ben-Haim’s Pompey return can be classed as a ‘plus’ or a ‘pleasant surprise’ is open to debate though?
A ‘surprise’ it was though nonetheless!
According to The News (and ‘word on the street’) and what Steve Cotterill has told The News also an agreement over his unpaid £1.4m wages has been worked out…
So he is back ‘in the mix’ for PFC.
If he will still be here at the end of the transfer window is questionable, it is also open to debate if his contract has been restructured, which I doubt, or if he is still on his massive £38,000 p/w wages?
One thing that is not in doubt is the fact that he is available for selection and is going to America when the squad fly out on Sunday: ‘at this moment in time, Tal is going to be available to play. He will also be going to America.
‘I think an agreement has been struck over monies that Tal has been owed.
‘That’s another important deal the owners have sorted out.
‘He was training with us last year for the best part of four months and we couldn’t pick him.
‘Hopefully now we have got a good player. Tal did really well last night, I’m pleased with him.’
All in all I think it would be best for all if his future lay elsewhere but him sitting on his arse in the stands was benefiting nobody, well I guess it ultimately was his bank account!
If he ‘really’ wanted to play football then settling differences with PFC was the only way to do this, so lets see how much he really does want to play not.
Given the bad blood between various parties it is going to be ‘awkward’ this season although I sure as hell would rather a player actually did something to warrant the massive amount of money they are getting paid. So with Ben-Haim now available for selection I would much rather he did something to earn his money, and it seems he now will. If he is the best option we have at left back, right back or in central defence then we pick him.
I suspect that the next 5-months or so will be a ‘shop window’ opportunity for all, and if the chance comes for us to offload him in January, or he has interest shown in him to give him the opportunity to move on, then this will happen.
Well so long as he is paid enough…
PLAY UP POMPEY!
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