00:00Hello and welcome to this bite-sized version of Pompey Talk. My name is Mark McMahon and joining me today to discuss the developments of Pompey is News' Chief Sports Raider, Neil Allen.
00:11Neil, the only talking point at the minute revolves around one player and that is Callum Lang.
00:21News reportedly broke on Saturday that Pompey had reportedly turned down a £2 million bid from Preston for the forward.
00:35It's caused a lot of anxiety, it's caused a lot of stress over this past 48 hours.
00:41However, you spoke to Pompey Chief Executive Andy Cullen on Monday morning.
00:46What did he have to say about the situation?
00:47Yeah, obviously it broke at the weekend and it's a difficult weekend for it to break because Pompey, their game at Crawley was called off and then it was a behind closed doors training ground match instead when John Messina wouldn't be doing any press because it's a training ground game.
01:05So we couldn't put it to John Messina. Callum Lang is currently on his way back trolling a hamstring issue.
01:13So he wasn't around either, so he couldn't put it to him.
01:16So I spoke to Andy Cullen this morning, first thing.
01:20So I put the question to him about the future of Callum Lang.
01:23So yeah, it was very interesting what he was saying.
01:27Very diplomatic, as Andy Cullen can be.
01:31And yeah, I think there were little phrases in there as well, didn't he?
01:37He talks about unsubstantiated links and little things like that.
01:42And it's interesting that obviously a lot of people are reading that article today and they're coming up with different conclusions to one set of quotes, which is interesting.
01:53Do you want to read what Andy Cullen said?
01:57Oh, not all of it, by me.
02:01No, he mentioned about the unsubstantiated, I'm not going to comment on anything in terms of unsubstantiated links with him.
02:09So, and he talks about rumours and it's club policy not to comment on transfer rumours in or out.
02:17It has long been the case.
02:19John Messina as well.
02:20We all know that John Messina said, we don't talk about contracted players.
02:24So, so naturally Andy Cullen is not going to comment about potential outgoing of Callum Lang.
02:32He does talk about Callum Lang and about how Callum is, he's focused on getting fit for the first game of the season.
02:39So he does specify the player we're talking about here, but he wouldn't be drawing on whether there's interest or not.
02:46But again, there's little things in there, such as, he calls it unsubstantiated links.
02:52He talks about rumours, conjecture and so-called interest as well at one point.
02:57But yeah, it's, it doesn't, it's not, it's clearly not a yes or no.
03:02It's very much in between, isn't it?
03:04But yeah, it was interesting to speak to him about that today.
03:09And it's got bigger and bigger, this story really, hasn't it?
03:12On the back of one story from the football league world that Pompey have had, have rejected a bid.
03:19It's fair to say, as you mentioned yourself then, people are interpreting Andy Cullen's words in completely different ways, aren't they?
03:27Yeah, yeah, they are.
03:29I've seen some people saying, he's definitely going.
03:31Some people say, that's that, he's staying.
03:35It's funny, isn't it?
03:36We can read the same thing when it comes to different conclusions.
03:39It's amazing, isn't it?
03:41So, yeah, he's, but we'll see, we'll see how that develops.
03:47But yeah, at the moment, there's certainly no panic from Pompey's end about any situation as it occurs.
03:54And yeah, we won't speak to John Messina now until Saturday for the Reading game.
04:00So, yeah, and obviously, I've seen some criticism of social media saying,
04:05why can't you get in touch with the player and ask him?
04:09I've been in journalism 27 years.
04:11I've never, ever texted the player saying, can you tell me if you're leaving the club?
04:15And then they tell you and then you do a story on it.
04:17You know, it doesn't work like that.
04:20Players aren't going to tell us if they're going to leave the club and let us break it for them.
04:23Yeah, it's absolute nonsense.
04:25So, yeah, you can't really go to Callum Lang.
04:27All we can do is go to an interview he did with the news 13 days ago in Slovakia.
04:33Yes.
04:34And just on that note, you did speak to him, as you say, out in Slovakia.
04:38At quite length, did he give you any impression at all that he was unhappy at Pompey?
04:43Quite the opposite.
04:45I'm going to do a story on this.
04:46Bearing in mind, this is 13 days ago now, before the rumours came out.
04:52He's emphatically happy here.
04:55Talks about it would be an easy decision for him to sign a new contract if offered one.
05:01He's out of contract at the end of the season, fourth coming season.
05:04But the club have an option.
05:05He's talked about how much he enjoys living on the South Coast, walking his two French bulldogs in South Sea with his partner, who's now become his wife this summer.
05:16So everything he says, he talks about enjoying, loving it down here.
05:21Certainly, there's no indication whatsoever that he'll be intent on leaving.
05:27Similarly, Radio Solent spoke to him just before me as well.
05:31So me and Andy Moon had long sit-down chats with him.
05:34Normally, the case in pre-season, if a player is going to leave, you wouldn't get an interview.
05:41Simple as that.
05:42I remember Gavin White was off limits last summer.
05:45I remember a good few years ago, Connie Chaplin wouldn't speak at a pre-season tour and I couldn't work out why.
05:51Then I found out why because he was off to Coventry.
05:54Just little things like that.
05:55If a player is unsettled or is going to leave, the club wouldn't put them up.
06:00That's how it works.
06:02That's how it's established.
06:04So, yeah.
06:06So there's little things like that as well.
06:09But, yeah, it is a fascinating one.
06:12It's all stemming from one article and from what I can see, one supposedly in the note poster on a Preston North End message board.
06:21So, that's where the whole thing stems from.
06:25Again, you did on Saturday, you did your best to quell any rumours about his absence from the Crawley game.
06:32You pointed out to everybody that he's actually coming back from a hamstring injury.
06:37He's missed the first three games of pre-season.
06:39So, again, trying to dispel any rumour that there may be a sign that he could be on his way.
06:44Yeah, we know he had a hamstring injury at the end of last season, came back.
06:49There's a slight issue during pre-season, just before they flew out to Slovakia.
06:54So, he was with Slovakia with Colby Bishop, who's got a bruised ankle, and they were separate from the rest of the group in their rehabilitation.
07:05Now, Callum Lang came back to training, start of last week, as did Colby Bishop.
07:11Colby played on Saturday, Callum's not ready yet, but it's obvious a hamstring injury is more severe and needs more looking after than a bruised ankle.
07:21And I'm not dismissing Callum, I'm not dismissing Colby Bishop there, but that's how it is.
07:26You have to be careful with hamstrings, don't you?
07:28And they deemed he wasn't quite ready enough to play any part of the Crawley game, having been in training three or four days previously.
07:37So, but John Messina said this as well after the Woking game.
07:40And he said him and Bishop are unlikely to play, but he's looking at Reading.
07:46So, Bishop came back, but Lang's not there.
07:49So, he is carrying an injury as well.
07:51That's not stocked to spirits over that.
07:53He actually has got an injury as well, and he's recovering from that.
07:56And hopefully, he'll be fine for the remaining three games and the rest of the season.
08:00Yeah.
08:01Just on the Crawley game, let's move away slightly then from Callum Lang.
08:04Probably beat Crawley 1-0 in the behind-closed-door game at Hellseid after the game at Broadfield Stadium was called off because of a waterlogged pitch.
08:15You were there.
08:16You were able to report on the game.
08:18What was the main take-home from that there game itself?
08:21Yeah.
08:22I should have put some suntan lotion on, really.
08:24Yeah, it was that sunny in Portsmouth.
08:28Although, torrential rain in Crawley, it was very sunny in Portsmouth.
08:32Played at the training ground.
08:34Thankfully, we managed to find a bit of shade as well.
08:37Lovely day.
08:39Scrapping your heads over what happened at Crawley there.
08:41Although, I was told that, basically, more than a week's worth of sunshine, the pitch was hardened.
08:50And when there's sudden, torrential rainstorms, which I think really did happen, it struggles to soak and drain.
08:57So, that was the issue Crawley had, in all seriousness.
09:00Yeah, you don't often get games caught off for bad weather in July, do you?
09:05So, yeah, you switch to the training ground.
09:07And it's a shame, really, isn't it?
09:08Because you get these training ground games, the intensity goes, it just downgrades them, really, doesn't it?
09:15And it's a shame.
09:16It's just different when teams play at a match, in a ground, in front of people.
09:22Pompey used 21 players.
09:25Hayden Matthews was used in both halves.
09:28So, yeah, it's difficult to see how good players play in those sorts of games.
09:38Swift had 31 minutes, which is his first outing.
09:43Colby Bishop had an hour, which is his first outings.
09:46So, that's positive that they're okay.
09:49And it's just more about, I know it's a whole cliché thing about, it's just about minutes, minutes fitness.
09:55That's all he is.
09:58And so, naturally, the management will be very happy with that.
10:02Hopefully, no injuries as well from that match.
10:05And everyone's looking to Reading, where, again, there are a lot of the minutes and people will play longer.
10:10Yeah, I'm just talking about Reading.
10:11That's their next game, which is, yeah, this Saturday.
10:15Are you anticipating, just to go back to the transfer angle to this year,
10:18are you anticipating any new arrivals between now and then?
10:21Yeah, well, John Messina said last week he was hopeful that something more will happen this week.
10:26We know that they are looking at a few players as well.
10:30There's all sorts of transfer things going on.
10:32Jordan Arch is interested in Salford.
10:34Pompey are looking at Joseph Bursic, who's playing abroad at the moment,
10:39the former Stoke and England goalie as well.
10:41And, obviously, the Hungarian midfielder, who you pronounce his name very well, don't you?
10:47Kosnowski. Mark Kosnowski.
10:49Mark Kosnowski.
10:50Obviously, there's interest there, Pompey, and also in Peli Mattson.
10:54But the Hungarian midfielder clearly sounds further advanced.
10:59So, we're just waiting on those sorts of things as well.
11:02It's been slow.
11:03No doubt about that.
11:05Nobody can deny that whatsoever.
11:07We're now, what's, it's now the 21st of July and two players are in the door.
11:12It's not like previous pre-seasons where Pompey needs to get a lot of players in.
11:15We know that.
11:16But they still need, surely, about five more players.
11:20So, yeah.
11:21Hopefully, things will speed up a bit from this on.
11:24Hopefully, they can find a replacement for Matt Ritchie as well.
11:28And, yeah.
11:29It's still plenty of work to do with the season starting on the 9th of August.
11:35Okay, then.
11:36Well, that 9th of August is ticking down very quickly.
11:38You'll be there at Oxford.
11:40Hopefully, you'll be there too in the stands.
11:43In the meantime, good luck.
11:44Hopefully, it doesn't rain.
11:45Hopefully, it doesn't rain as well.
11:46Hopefully, it doesn't rain.
11:48Yes.
11:48In the meantime, we'll be back soon.
11:50I hope you enjoyed this little bite-sized video.
