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Kaboul pleads for patience

Jim van Wijk
Tuesday 25 August 2009 00:00 BST
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Younes Kaboul maintains Portsmouth must stay united on and off the pitch. Pompey have lost all three matches of the new Premier League season, but tonight's Carling Cup tie with League Two Hereford will at least offer some respite.

As a takeover, fronted by chief executive Peter Storrie, continues to move slowly forward, manager Paul Hart is running out of time to strengthen his squad before the transfer deadline on 1 September. However, the players and coaching staff remain committed.

"We know it will be a hard season for us because we do not have many players, but we have to keep going," said the former Tottenham defender Kaboul, who scored in the 4-1 defeat at Arsenal on Saturday. "We all have to stay up and need the fans behind us. I hope they understand the situation of the club. We are doing what we can with what we have got. The fans were massive for us at Arsenal on Saturday and I have just one message to them: Be patient. The situation will get better and I hope we will be doing better in the future."

Kaboul added: "When you wake up in the morning knowing you have lost 4-1, it is horrible, but we are professionals. We just have to keep going and training hard. We did the best we could against Arsenal, and are now looking forward to the Carling Cup match." Forward John Utaka also believes the fans can help the club's revival. "Our fans are terrific, we have to keep them happy and we have to keep trying for them," he said. "The Carling Cup is a challenge, but we have to keep going and one good result will change things round for us."

Hart is trying to add to a squad decimated following summer departures, such as England pair Glen Johnson and Peter Crouch, to help balance the books. Defender Steve Gohouri, released by Borussia Mönchengladbach, will be hoping to impress during a trial, while former Germany midfielder Dietmar Hamann has also been linked with a free-transfer move. Lens striker Aruna Dindane is another said to be on Hart's wish list as are Bolton's Danny Shittu and Gavin McCann.

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