James could stay at Blues
David James has handed Pompey a major pre-Wembley boost after admitting he could be tempted to stay at Fratton Park.
The influential Blues captain and goalkeeper was expected to be among the extensive list of departures this summer.
But James, who was named in England's provisional 30-man World Cup squad earlier this week, has hinted he could be prepared to accept a huge salary reduction to lead Pompey again next season.
Asked if he had thought about his future, James said: 'I've thought about it but I haven't made any decisions because I need to sit down with the administrators and see what the plan is.
'With the FA Cup coming up, there is nothing that's going to happen between now and then. That conversation will happen afterwards.'
Pompey's future is still uncertain as they wait on new ownership to provide financial stability.
With administrator Andrew Andronikou still running the club, the decision on contracts will be his unless any interested party takes charge over the next couple of weeks.
But neither the players nor the management can afford to wait too long to make decisions.
James turns 40 in August and as he is settled in the area, he is unlikely to be simply motivated by the size of the wages on offer.
But he would also be unlikely to stay in a side who could struggle in the Championship if no new investment is forthcoming.
James, however, is content to focus on the job in hand and has taken a leaf from boss Avram Grant, who has maintained he will not rush into any decision on his future.
James, right, said: 'Perhaps I've learnt a little bit about how individuals should keep cool under Avram.
'There have been times where you could have excused him for letting off steam and he hasn't done it.
'But I've had a number of chats with him one-on-one where he has explained the reasons behind why he is the way he is.'
As for the final, James is eager to repeat the team's heroics from the semi-final win over Spurs.
James said: 'We will try to do what we did against Spurs.
'We will spend the week identifying their strengths and their weaknesses.
'Chelsea are not unbeaten this season and they have not won every game.
'So it doesn't matter if we are underdogs or favourites, it's just a matter of being prepared.
'I'm sure the manager will get us right for the match.'
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Portsmouth
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: -5 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North
