Portsmouth-Birmingham City Preview

Aug 17, 2009 - 4:24 PM ALEX CROOK STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - David James has admitted he fears for the future of crisis-hit Portsmouth ahead of Wednesday's trip to Premier League new boys Birmingham.

Pompey are in danger of becoming the first Premier League side to go into administration as the takeover by Dubai businessman Sulaiman Al Fahim continues to stall.

Manager Paul Hart has been told there are no funds to strengthen despite being left with only 19 available players after selling Peter Crouch and Glen Johnson and releasing 12 others including FA Cup winning captain Sol Campbell.

England goalkeeper James, 39, said: "As we began to sell our players we could not help but look around and wander whose next?

"You cannot help but start wondering whose fault this is? Where has all that income gone?

"Hearing the dreaded word administration attached to a Premier League club, albeit speculatively, is unprecedented. Hearing it in association with your own club is much worse.

"Premier League clubs have always maintained this untouchable aura and yet suddenly, even millions in TV revenue and sponsorship may not be enough to keep the club afloat.

"It is a difficult situation to get your head around.

"We have been told we have a new owner lined up and the future is bright, but until everything is signed, sealed and delivered we are all - fans, players and staff - prone to worry.

"We have reason to keep the faith. The worst case doomsday scenario has not happened."

Birmingham midfielder Barry Ferguson has told his side their season starts here after emerging from a daunting opening day trip to Manchester United with a narrow 1-0 defeat.

Alex McLeish's side would even have snatched a surprise point but for United goalkeeper Ben Foster's superb late save form substitute Christian Benitez.

Ferguson said: "We were saying in the dressing room afterwards we really disappointed not to get anything from the game.

"You saw the reaction of the fans; they seemed to be delighted the way we tried to play.

"Manchester United, the best team in England by far, we kept the ball off them at times. So we've got to be happy with that.

"We go into two massive games now, Wednesday and Saturday. So we have to make sure our minds are firmly set on Portsmouth and Stoke at home and hopefully we will come away with the points.

"You've got to be consistent and we have set our stall out now the way we played on Sunday. We played at a decent level and we've got to do that again now, every single game.

"I'm confident we can because we've got the players, as we showed at Manchester United. But we have got to build on it. We can't just rest on a decent performance. We have to carry it into the next game, then the one after that."

McLeish is set hand club record nine million pounds signing Benitez his full debut after an impressive cameo appearance at Old Trafford.