Quite clearly Benjani is, or at least was, very short of match fitness – this has been obvious in his opening minutes since his return.
His run-out in the ‘behind-closed-doors’ friendly win over Swindon this week, a game in which he of course scored a hat-trick, would have done him the world of good!
Benjani and ‘an eye for goal’ is not something that we can say many could, all in all, consider him has having although ‘word on the street’ has it that Steve Cotterill is ‘delighted about Benjani’s eye for goal’ and is in fact ‘cock a hoop’ about this…
With all due respect to Swindon’s ‘2nd string’ this is a far cry from Cardiff’s 1st team but this hat-trick cannot have done his chances of a first start since his return to Fratton a couple of weeks back any harm, can it?
If Cotterill is as happy with him as it is said he is then there is every chance his second full debut could come this weekend…
‘Should’ Benji managed to force himself into the starting 11 this weekend he ‘might not’ be the only new face from the start on display?
Cotterill says that he is ‘99% certain’ that a new arrival will be in place by the weekend.
A couple of names being ‘heavily’ mentioned are Norwich’s Cody MacDonald, a name totally out of the blue to me, and Ipswich’s Grant Leadbitter.
MacDonald had a phenomenal strike rate during a loan with Gillingham last season, better than 1 in 2, although it is known that Leadbitter is in talks with PFC. His arrival before the transfer deadline arrives does seem likely, but will it be him arriving today?
PLAY UP POMPEY!
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