Redknapp getting in the Wembley way again
Since Everton’s triumph in 1995, Redknapp’s Portsmouth are the sole team to lift the trophy from outside the league’s heavyweights of Man United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.
Spurs now have to get past Redknapp’s former side to reach this year’s final and he is wary of the threat Avram Grant’s men pose, as well as playing down the reputation of his new club being FA Cup specialists.
“They say that it’s a cup club but it’s nearly 20 years since they won,” Redknapp said. “I don’t know who’s expectations these are. What do people expect? Why are we expected to win it now?
“Who’s won the FA Cup outside the top four apart from Portsmouth in the last 15 years? Only one team has won it outside the top four in that time so I don’t know why we’re expected to win it.”
Redknapp faces injury problems ahead of the semi-final, with Vedran Corluka and Tom Huddlestone needing checks on ankle problems, while Michael Dawson needs his Achilles injury assessed.
Aaron Lennon is still sidelined by a groin injury but the good news is Ledley King is approaching full fitness following a thigh complaint.
If King fails to make the Wembley semi-final, he could still make the clash against Arsenal the following Wednesday.
“It’s a massive week but it’s better than being stuck at the bottom in a relegation battle,” Redknapp said. “Portsmouth will be a hard game, they’ll have four or five who will come back and they’ll make a difference.
“We were lucky to beat them down there and I saw them beat Liverpool at home. They are very dangerous and they have players who can cause you problems. And I have a lot of respect for their manager.”
Grant and Redknapp are friends, but have not spoken much in the build-up to the match.
“I had dinner with him last week,” he said. “We’ve kept out of each other’s way this week. We’ve both had a lot of injuries to contend with. I look forward to seeing him. He’s done a terrific job for them.”
David James, meanwhile, believes winning the 2008 FA Cup final was the beginning of the end for Portsmouth’s golden era — but would love to do it all over again at Wembley this year.
James is in no doubt while Pompey were right to aim to punch above their weight, that achievement in the Wembley sunshine ultimately came back to haunt them.
“It has had a terrible effect on the club over arguably the last 18 months,” James said.
“Qualifying for Europe was financial and physically damaging for the club.
“What we spent two years building up as a decent resilient side was pretty much undone in a couple of months.”
“Having won the cup, the financial impact was crippling and then as a squad we just were not kitted out to be able to sustain the European, as well as league and cup campaigns which followed. We ended up suffering on both fronts.”
James, though, maintained: “Winning the FA Cup on its own was a tremendous achievement.
“This year we have got a semi-final against decent opposition, and if we can give ourselves a chance of winning the cup again, that would not be for the lure of getting into Europe – it would be winning another trophy for Portsmouth.”
The 39-year-old is hoping to end the campaign as part of the England World Cup campaign, but is taking nothing for granted.
“There are some decent young English goalkeepers out there playing well, so it is a wonderful situation which Mr Capello finds himself in with so much talent to draw from,” said James.
“I just have to continue to do my job, and my focus is purely on Portsmouth.
“I will do as well as I can for the rest of the season and hopefully that will be enough.”
Pompey yesterday appointed David Lampitt, the Football Association’s head of football integrity, as their new chief executive.
Lampitt takes over the role at the crisis club from Peter Storrie, who stepped down on March 12.
He will take up the post once his period of notice has been agreed with the FA.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
