Olisadebe moves on
25/12/2005 - 15:22:23Portsmouth have released Poland international striker Emmanuel Olisadebe after a short trial at Fratton Park.
Manager Harry Redknapp has been looking to bolster his striking options after losing Vincent Pericard to a thigh injury after only six minutes against West Brom on Saturday.
However, Redknapp revealed there is no further interest in the Nigerian-born Panathinaikos striker who has been in Greece for five years after moving from Polonia Warsaw.
He told Sky Sports News: “He has gone home. He did okay but he has gone home. There are a couple of other clubs interested abroad so I think he has moved on. He looked a talented player but he’s not here.”
The Pompey manager faces former club West Ham in a St Stephen's Day clash at Fratton Park and he joked he would approach ex-Hammers star Paolo di Canio to join him on the south coast.
“Fantastic. What a player – I might bring him here now,” he said. “In Italy he was fantastic. He is still a talent. He was a character and the West Ham fans absolutely loved having him there for the five or six years he stayed there – a super player.”
Redknapp oversaw the emergence of a number of youngsters at Upton Park who have since gone on to become household names, namely the likes of Frank Lampard and Joe Cole – now both at Chelsea – Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand and Jermain Defoe of Tottenham.
The 58-year-old insisted, however, Di Canio – who has caused controversy recently with a raised-arm salute that earned him a one-game ban for Lazio - could more than hold his own with the best.
“There were some fantastic kids that have gone on to be fantastic players but Di Canio was a super talent, an unbelievable footballer,” said Redknapp.
The former Southampton manager insists the youngsters had already developed into top players prior to leaving Upton Park – although they have received greater recognition since their departures from east London.
He said: “They were good players when they were at West Ham. Leeds didn’t pay £18m (€26.3m) for Rio for potential, they bought a kid who was a fantastic player.
“Chelsea paid £11m (€16m) for Frank Lampard because they had a clever manager who saw what a good player he was. As time has gone on he is playing in a great side and scoring goals but he was scoring goals at West Ham and he was a terrific player.”
Portsmouth claimed their first home win of the season last week with a 1-0 victory over West Brom and Redknapp wants to make Fratton Park a difficult place to visit ahead of the busy Christmas period during which they face West Ham and Fulham at home and Arsenal and Blackburn on their travels.
Redknapp knows it is vital for their bid for Premiership survival that third-bottom Pompey secure points from at least their home games.
“It started well last week. We got a good result against West Brom. Now we’ve got four games over the holiday with West Ham and Fulham at home and Arsenal and Blackburn away,” he added.
“It’s important – we have got to pick up some points from these games especially the home games – they are going to be key for us now.
“Fratton Park used to be a difficult place to come to when I was here before - it was a place where no-one used to enjoy playing and we used to be very difficult to beat.
“That was our first win last week at home this season so I’ve got to try and get back to the old ways of making it a difficult place to come to and start getting our home form again.”
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