Adams: Pompey need to keep Diarra

Portsmouth assistant boss Tony Adams admits the club need to match the ambition of Lassana Diarra or risk losing the France midfielder.

Diarra: Has big ambitions
Diarra: Has big ambitions

Diarra took the plaudits on Saturday for his performance in the FA Cup final victory, despite Kanu grabbing the only goal of the game at Wembley.

Boss Harry Redknapp bought Diarra in January from Arsenal and the midfielder suggested at the time that his stay at Fratton Park could be short "if a really big club" wanted him.

Adams said: "If he keeps playing like that, we might lose him. Portsmouth need to come up to his standards."

Diarra has been tipped to shine at the European Championships with his country next month.

"He can be one of the stars this summer, of course he can. He can do everything," said Pompey midfielder Niko Kranjcar.

Pedro Mendes added: "Lassana is a really, really good player and it is great to have someone like him in the squad. He's young so he will get even better.

"He could be a star of the European Championships, he's a fantastic player and deserves to play."

Assistant boss Adams has ambitions beyond Fratton Park, to go back into management, but he is expected to stay at the club for next season's UEFA Cup campaign.

"We'll get this out of the way, sit down and see how it goes," he said. "Europe, the UEFA Cup is another challenge, and I like a challenge.

"The UEFA Cup defeat hurt badly in 2000, that was an awful feeling as a player. I might get a shot at winning it as a coach."

Players and staff have enhanced their reputation under Redknapp, including Adams and none more than goalkeeper David James, signed two years ago from Manchester City.

"I was going to leave City because I had a year left on my contract," James said. "The plan was to do a year at City and maybe move to Plymouth, not that Plymouth knew about it, and wind the career down.

"Harry came in and I thought I could commute the two-and-a-half hours each way and give it a shot, it's all about environments.

"I had a chat with Sol (Campbell). He wanted to do stuff here, not just use it for his pastures. That was one of my ideas. It's better than I anticipated in two years, it has to be said, but well deserved."

Your Comments

deanjcrawford

"hasn't Diarra already played for two "really big clubs"? i think he needs to actually play a full season before he starts talking about moving on again."

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