Any hopes Joey Barton had of enjoying a quiet pre-season were obliterated last night as the Football Association charged him with violent conduct.

Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton has been charged with violent conduct by the Football Association over his assault on Ousmane Dabo 15 months ago.

LAST FRIDAY, Avram Grant welcomed some friends who had come to watch Israel’s Euro 2008 qualifier against England to Chelsea’s newly-built training ground at Cobham.

THAT’S that then. Martin O’Neill flew into Dublin and did everything he could to distance himself from the role of Republic of Ireland manager.

Manchester City have lodged an increased bid for Fulham midfielder Steed Malbranque.

Yossi Benayoun has completed the formalities of his move to West Ham after being granted a work permit.

TEN trivial pieces of information about Israeli football: The Israeli Football Association was founded in 1928 and a national team has played since 1934.

Portsmouth will stiffen their defence with the return of David Unsworth and Dejan Stefanovic at Everton tomorrow after losing Andy Griffin through a one-match ban for five yellow cards.

Portsmouth 3 West Brom 2

Eyal Berkovic was returned to the Portsmouth line-up as Pompey went looking for their second consecutive win since the departure of Harry Redknapp at Watford in the Carling Cup quarter-finals.

Eyal Berkovic has been ruled out of Portsmouth’s clash with Manchester United at Fratton Park with the calf injury he sustained after scoring the Carling Cup penalty winner against Leeds in midweek.

Portsmouth 2 Leeds 1

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp will again call upon some of his reserves for the Carling Cup clash with Leeds United at Fratton Park tomorrow.

Steve Stone is still out of the Portsmouth squad with an Achilles problem for Sunday’s trip to Middlesbrough but skipper Arjan de Zeeuw may make a surprise return after missing five games through a knee injury.

Portsmouth 1, Tottenham 0

Portsmouth 1 Tottenham 0

Portsmouth midfielders Eyal Berkovic, Steve Stone and Nigel Quashie are recovering well from the injuries which kept them out of the midweek Carling Cup win at Tranmere and are in line to face Everton at Fratton Park on Sunday.

Portsmouth 4 Fulham 3

Bolton today completed a double swoop for former Spain captain Fernando Hierro and current Israel skipper Tal Ben Haim.

Portsmouth 5 Middlesbrough 1

Midfielders Eyal Berkovic and Alexei Smertin return to Portsmouth’s squad at relegated Leicester having been rested for the midweek clash with Arsenal.

Simon Johnson made his first start of the season for Leeds today in this crucial relegation battle.

Charlton 1 Portsmouth 1

Portsmouth 1 Southampton 0

Portsmouth 0 Newcastle 1 - HT

Portsmouth 1 Liverpool 0

HARRY REDKNAPP has been up to his old tricks again — and those tricks might just be good enough to keep Portsmouth in the Premiership.

Tottenham 4 Portsmouth 3

Manchester United kept up the pressure at the top of the Premiership as they hit Everton for three first half goals at Goodison Park.

Manchester United chief executive David Gill has admitted Rio Ferdinand made "a serious mistake" when he missed a drugs test on September 23.

David Seaman last night completed his final act of an illustrious career by advising Manchester City to sign the man who ousted him from the England team.

ROBBIE FOWLER insists the Manchester City dressing room is united behind manager Kevin Keegan.

Nicolas Anelka today dismissed Eyal Berkovic’s claim that Kevin Keegan had ‘lost’ the dressing room at Manchester City.

KEVIN KEEGAN has been given a £1.25m transfer kitty to drag Manchester City out of their current crisis.

Aiyegbeni Yakubu has vowed to return from Africa and deliver the goals to fire Portsmouth to Premiership safety.

Portsmouth 4 Manchester City 2

Eyal Berkovic lined up for Portsmouth against Manchester City today just two days after his £500,000 (€721,000) switch from Maine Road.

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp expects Eyal Berkovic to feature in tomorrow’s game with Manchester City after his move to Fratton Park.

Portsmouth remain hopeful of sealing Eyal Berkovic’s move from Manchester City by the weekend.

KEVIN KEEGAN has admitted that another month of misery for Manchester City will leave him seriously worried.

Kevin Keegan has admitted Manchester City are “nowhere near” doing a deal with Portsmouth for out-of-favour midfielder Eyal Berkovic.

RIO FERDINAND will appeal against an eight-month ban – branded “savage and unprecedented” by his club – for failing to take a drugs test.