Jamo will be Fab's man
Avram Grant believes David James will be England's No1 at the World Cup.
The Pompey boss has leapt to the defence of the keeper with his hopes of being the Three Lions' first choice this summer hanging in the balance.
James has not started a game in goal for his country for nearly a year – a run spanning nine games.
England boss Fabio Capello has opted for Rob Green in goal in seven of England's past nine outings, with Ben Foster used in the other two fixtures.
James appeared to be head and shoulders above his rivals in the national pecking order.
But a difficult season which has seen him sidelined with a troublesome run of injury problems has changed all that.
The 39-year-old missed virtually all of December and January after picking up a calf injury in the warm-up against Stoke.
He has started the past seven games for the Blues, however, and has delivered form approaching the best he has produced since joining Pompey in 2006.
Grant has no doubt James is the best option going into the World Cup in South Africa.
He thinks he is the most reliable man for Capello to opt for, and feels he will be between the sticks in England's opener against USA on June 12.
Grant said: 'I have a feeling that when we come to the World Cup he will be the first-choice goalkeeper.
'He has experience, understanding of football and also passion for the game.
'When you have that knowledge it is good and you have to use it.
'For me he is No1, but I am not the coach of England.
'Fabio Capello is the man who will decide and he is someone I like very much.
'He will make the decision, and there are three months to the World Cup.
'There is still a lot of time for things to change. I think they will.'
Grant believes the troubles engulfing Pompey this season will not have
an impact on James' World Cup hopes.
The Blues have struggled at the foot of the Premier League table and been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons for much of the campaign because of their ongoing financial crisis.
Now the club have all but been condemned to the Championship next term after going into administration, with a nine-point deduction expected.
But Grant feels that will not taint the hopes James has of starting as England's first- choice keeper.
He said: 'I don't think what has happened here will be a problem for him.
'I don't think Capello will be thinking about the administrator when he decides who is his choice for England's goalkeeper.'
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Weather for Portsmouth
Sunday 12 February 2012
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