Ageless Kanu turns back the years

NWANKWO KANU might have been treated as part of the Premier League furniture for longer than he can care to remember, but at least one man believes his contribution merits special mention.

Avram Grant, Portsmouth’s technical director – he will be confirmed as manager once a work permit wrangle is resolved – believes players with Kanu’s craft are a dying breed, after the Nigerian veteran’s cameo inspired his side’s precious win here.

Kanu, who still maintains he is 33, set up Hermann Hreidarsson to break the deadlock for Pompey at Fratton Park as his clever passes gave the Clarets defence a major headache when he came off the substitutes’ bench after 59 minutes.

Kanu has started just twice for the Premier League strugglers this term but his strong reputation as an impact substitute has seen him called into action from the dugout 13 times.

Asked why the former Arsenal man did not start against Burnley, Grant joked: “It’s very easy – he’s 55 years old. He’s 60 next year.”

But the Israeli believes the ex-Internazionale forward adds a dash of flare to Pompey’s play, which he feels a decreasing number of players possess in the modern game.

“Football has changed a lot in the last 10 years – it has become more athletic and more aggressive,” he said.

“But I think we need to look for intelligent players like Kanu because in one move he can change the game, like he did for the first goal.

“He’s highly intelligent and thinking about the game and he’s very good for the team.”

While Grant sang Kanu’s praises after the game, Burnley manager Owen Coyle did not feel the Nigerian international was responsible for the south coast club, who failed to pay their players on time last month, taking the points.

“Kanu is a quality player and is obviously paid vast sums of money, but that’s a different topic,” he said.

“He gave everybody a lift but I don’t think he completely influenced the game. We lost concentration at the two goals and that is a disappointment for me.”

Coyle’s side have taken just one point from eight matches on the road this term and are only being kept in 13th spot by their record of five wins, one draw and one defeat at Turf Moor.

Given that Portsmouth went into the weekend bottom of the Premier League and seven points adrift of safety, this was a game the Clarets would have targeted beforehand but any hopes they had of pilfering a point were snuffed out by a late header from Aruna Dindane, who had earlier missed a penalty.

Burnley played some neat football and were denied three times by the excellent Asmir Begovic, and Coyle is confident his team’s rotten luck on the road will turn, as they prepare for trips to Wolves and Everton over the festive period.

“Again, there were a lot of positives to take, but it was another game away from home we haven’t won and it just adds fuel to the fire,” he added.

“They’ve made a rod for their own backs but the only way to sort that out is through hard work.

“They have to keep producing the level of performances they have and keep passing the ball. The chances will come and hopefully, we can take them.

“I’m disappointed because I thought we deserved something from the match.

“But we have to continue picking up points at home and looking to get points on the road to go with that.”

REFEREE: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire) 5: Made a horrible call with the penalty decision.

MATCH RATING: *** Had the look of a relegation six-pointer and was tense throughout.