Noe Pamarot and David James are both pushing for some involvement against Fulham this weekend, although both admit that the FA cup final is the biggest prize on offer.
Pamarot made his return from injury in a reserve outing against Fulham this week, and although he is short of match fitness he is hoping to be involved against Fulham, but has his eyes firmly set on a cup final place as he told The News: ‘I am happy to be playing again. It will be good to be back for the final.
‘For me, it was very important to get through the 90 minutes in the reserves. Training is not the same, so it was a case of passing the test.
‘I have done a lot of running sessions to get fit and be involved with the team and that helped me keep going until the end against Fulham.
‘Now I’m back and delighted and hopefully I can push for the final. I don’t know if I will be ready. I’m trying hard enough to think I will be involved so it’s up to the manager.
‘I will definitely be showing him I will be okay.
‘I might be too short. Maybe I can have another game this weekend, I don’t know. But I’m delighted to be back’.
He also denied ‘speculation’ linking him with a summer move to Celtic, insisting that he is happy with us and enjoying himself. Harry Redknapp is himself refusing to rule him out of the final at this point.
My own thinking is that the cup final will possibly come to soon for him, he is a naturally fit guy but it is not even known if he will feature this weekend – so if not I cannot see him being thrown onto the bench for the cup final, particularly without any involvement against Fulham?
As we know James was given the all clear for the cup final yesterday and he has pleaded with Redknapp to start him against Fulham: ‘I had a scan yesterday and the calf has mended so I’ve declared myself fit and will have a chat with the gaffer to see if he thinks I am fit.
‘I’ve been out for a couple of weeks so the last thing I want to do when I’m not 100 per cent is damage myself for the sake of damaging myself.
‘I have to have a consultation with the gaffer. I want to play, I want to beat Fulham and get what we can out of the game with regards to points tally and looking forward to the Cup final on a high.
‘But the Cup final’s a big game so we’ll have to see.
‘I am aware that if you start overloading it, then you are always going to be susceptible to more injuries.
‘If I can’t play Sunday for whatever reason then fine. It’s up to me to make sure I do everything I can to be right for the Cup final and that’s what I will do. I have not got a problem with that’.
First and foremost this is a fantastic attitude to be hearing, a player desperately wanting to play in the final game of the season, even though by doing so he could potentially put his own cup final place at risk – the fella is a legend!
As it is I would love to see James play against Fulham on Sunday, as with him in goal I could not see us losing but as much as I want us to win that game I am not sure it is worth the risk with the cup final so near? On the other hand maybe going into the cup final ‘cold’ could work against him? It is a tough call, one that I am glad I will not have to make… To be honest I do not think Redknapp will take the risk.
All in all I am not sure that Pamarot will make the final 16 for the cup final, if he features against Fulham then these odds would increase. James will almost certainly – baring any reactions to his injury – start the cup final, but I am not so sure he will start against Fulham.
PLAY UP POMPEY!
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