Matt Taylor's Sentata Blog

I've seen a couple of internet articles saying that Taylor's comments in his blog show that he is happy at Pompey - I hope he is -but I'm not sure that there is anything in this article that proves or disproves anything. Anyway I like player's blogs so I'll post his.

clipped from sports.setanta.com

Why Luton case will help football

Written by Matthew Taylor

on Sunday, 18 November 2007

It hurts me to say it due to my feelings for the club but I have to think the charges brought against Luton on Thursday will actually have a positive effect on football.

Obviously it is negative for the club who will now be thrusted into the limelight, but hopefully it will help to rip the ugly side of the game out of football.

Mike Newell bravely brought the issue into the public eye and lost his job because of it, but irregular payments need to be exposed and now it appears it has come to a head – albeit in unfortunate circumstances for Luton.

The club will always be close to my heart, I always look out for their scores – after all, they helped me get as far as I have in the game today.

One of my closest friends, Matthew Spring, is still there and we actually met up with the kids on Tuesday so I still have great ties to the club.

I was never aware of any wrongdoings whilst I was at Kenilworth Road, but now The FA have it in their hands and I guess they will make an example of this case to warn others off making the same mistakes.

MIND GAMES

Readers of my last blog entry will have noticed my extreme confidence that we would only play one up front against Manchester City. I would like to say I was entering into the Sir Alex Ferguson school of mind games but unfortunately I was just wrong!

Harry decided he would play two up – he discussed it with the coaches and then on Friday morning we were told of the change of tactic. It's nothing new to us, Kanu and Benji played together last season, and I thought we played well against City.

Other than Vassel's chance they had little else, and when I picked up the morning papers their keeper was man of the match so that tells its own story.

I can assure Pompey fans that both Kanu and John Utaka should be fine for the next game. I'm not sure exactly what injuries they picked up because they've been in intense rehab since, but I read somewhere that they would be fit so I'm pretty sure that will be the case.

BACK IN THE FOLD

It was nice to get some game time against City, and I thought I did ok. The only disappointment I had was that I didn't score but, bar one occasion when I sent the ball into the stands, I thought I got in a couple of decent efforts.

The header was probably closest, but that's what my game's all about, getting into positions to threaten the opposition and as I say I was disappointed not to score.

Fitness wise I felt good, it was good to play 45 minutes and it just builds the hunger for more action.

There were probably a few raised eyebrows when I played on the right, but I'm happy playing there – it's not strange to me and I'm happy playing either side.

I feel I'm more than capable of holding my own against any Premier League side on the right and when I looked in the mirror that night I was satisfied with what I had done.

That's all I can do, train well, play well and then see who Harry selects.