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Hilarious, well not if you’re either player or indeed a fan of the club, but nonetheless a good giggle for everyone else.

A pair of Tasmanian Devil pups: Mr. Wilson and Mr. Nugent will do well to learn from them!
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Jim Magilton clearly means business next season if this latest capture is anything to go by. While the deal is not quite yet done, this signing would surely make Ipswich one of the favourites to gain promotion from the Championship this season, especially as they’ve already captured Kevin Lisbie from Colchester. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Harry Redknapp is chuffed to bits and has every right to be. Not only has he steered his Portsmouth team to the FA Cup final against Cardiff, he’s also done this without having a decent striker throughout his club’s run in the competition. The Daily Telegraph report his delight after winning 1-0 against West Brom.

“The owner was here. He’s delighted,” Redknapp said. “He sent me a text from the League Cup final, which said: ‘My dream is to go to Wembley for a Cup final, can you take your team to Wembley?’ And I thought, ‘oh no, someone else wants a ticket’, so I read it again and it was Sacha [Gaydamak].”

“I signed a new contract at the start of the year,” he said. “The owner has backed me. New stadium, new training ground. The club is in great shape. When I get in that car tonight, I will go ‘ get in there!’ Two glasses of red and I’ll be singing. Then drive home.”

Pompey’s cup adventure began at Ipswich in January when David Nugent scored a rare goal for his club. Goals from the midfield duo of Diarra and Kranjcar were enough to see off Plymouth, while a fortunate own goal landed the win at Preston. Sully Muntari’s penalty then knocked Manchester United out of the competition, before Kanu’s scrambled effort saw the Baggies on Saturday. While Jermain Defoe is banging them in for Portsmouth in the Premier League, it’s quite an achievement that this team can win the FA Cup with the likes of Kanu, Baros and Nugent up front – hardly a trio to strike fear into any defence!

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After all, David Nugent has demonstrated that he’s more than capable of scoring against Championship opposition, as the striker’s eighteen goals for Preston last season will testify. This campaign has been an entirely different kettle of fish, with the player either injured, unfit or out of favour with Harry Redknapp, who has seemed willing to farm him out on loan.

However, The News is reporting that the former Bury striker is upbeat ahead of his team’s semi-final clash with West Brom on Saturday. With Jermain Defoe cup-tied, will the England international (!) get the chance to impress on a big stage?

‘I want to prove I’m good enough for the Premier League. I want to show how good I am.

‘I don’t feel I’ve given enough to this football club yet so this is my time to show what I can do.

‘I’ve got the buzz again and it’s going to be nice to be involved on Saturday.

‘We’ve got a great chance of winning and hopefully I can help.’

As Michael Ricketts will testify, it takes a lot for a striker to play at the top level every season, especially with confidence such a factor. However, Redknapp must surely be considering Nugent to play some kind of role in the game as it’s otherwise difficult to see where the Pompey goals are likely to come from. Baros has yet to open his account for the south coast club, while Kanu has also had an indifferent season.

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It’s looking increasingly likely that David Nugent’s future lies outside of the Premier League. Earlier this week, the Portsmouth striker was linked with a loan move to Ipswich Town, before discussions broke down. Now, it appears that promotion challengers Stoke City are interested in acquiring his services, according to the BBC website.

Pulis told BBC Radio Stoke: “I don’t know what’s happened with Ipswich, but if we’re going to do business then we’ll do it with Portsmouth.”

“If there’s an area that we need another player it is up front.”

There is an obvious question mark over the player’s fitness that needs to be resolved, although the Potters might think Nugent represents the final piece in the jigsaw as far as their charge towards the top flight is concerned. However, can the former Preston striker ever cut it at the highest level or is he forever destined to be plying his trade in the Championship?

It’s been a season to forget for David Nugent, who has seen little in the way of first-team action since joining Portsmouth from Preston last summer. The striker has made just a handful of starts for Pompey, although help appeared to be at hand after Ipswich declared an interest in signing the player on loan. However, the official Town website reports that any deal is now off due to Nugent’s struggle to get himself fit.

“The Portsmouth medical people have told us today that David is still not fit and won’t be until next week at the earliest,” said Ipswich manager Jim Magilton.

“Games are running out for us now and we have decided we need to move on and look at other targets.

“We have other irons in the fire and will step up our interest elsewhere now.”

Like Robert Earnshaw and Michael Chopra, the Portsmouth striker has found life a lot tougher in the top flight compared to the Championship last season. Will he have to drop down a division to regain his confidence and fitness with many seasons of football still left in him?

Is David Nugent’s career at Portsmouth coming to an end? Yes, if you follow these words of the Pompey manager Harry Redknapp:

It should be tied up in the next few days. It’s a good deal for us financially too which is important.

Chief executive Peter Storrie has been dealing with their chairman (David Sheepshanks) and they have made a good offer.

Lots of clubs have asked about taking David, but Ipswich are the only ones to come forward with a decent offer.

David is interested in going, so we’re just waiting for his injury to clear up, which should be in the next few days.

So Ipswich Town have emerged as the most likely destination for the 22-year old striker who was signed from Preston North End for £6 million in the summer. The young striker hasn’t managed to cut the ice at Fratton Park and has scored just thrice in 16 appearances. The fear is that David Nugent is not good enough to play in the English Premier League.

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First-team opportunities have been limited for David Nugent since he signed for Portsmouth last summer. The £6 million signing has started just four league games and is behind Jermain Defoe, Milan Baros and Kanu in the pecking order. However, the knight in shining armour could come in the form of Ipswich Town, with the Evening Star reporting that manager Jim Magilton has approached Pompey with a view to taking in the striker on loan.

Magilton said: “Nugent is a possibility. We have asked Portsmouth about taking him on loan and they have not ruled it out.

“It is a big decision for Portsmouth and it is a big decision for the lad but that has not stopped us making an enquiry.

“We are well aware if he did come he is not 100 per cent but he is making massive strides to get fit so we will wait and see what happens.

“He loves Portman Road and he loves scoring goals here so it would be good to have him in a Blues shirt.”

Indeed, Nugent scored the only goal of the game when the two teams met in the FA Cup last month and it’s clear that his Portsmouth career is going to be short-lived. Why doesn’t Harry Redknapp rate the player he splurged so much cash on? Will he be playing Premier League football for Ipswich Town next season?