Pompey announce Hayden Mullins and Pele signings
Pompey have made a double swoop to bolster their midfield options after crashing out of this season's FA Cup.
Tony Adams has secured West Ham defensive midfielder Hayden Mullins for an undisclosed fee on a three-and-a-half year contract, while the Blues boss has also added FC Porto attacking midfielder Pele on loan until the end of the season.
Mullins has fallen out of favour at Upton Park under manager Gianfranco Zola, but was an integral part of the Hammers side until the Italian's arrival.
The former England under-21 international's arrival is timely with Pompey's midfield even further depleted by an injury to Richard Hughes during the Swansea defeat.
Vtor Hugo Gomes Passos – known as Pele – started his career at Pompey's Uefa Cup opponents Guimaraes before a big-money move to Inter Milan in 2007, and earned a Championship winner's medal last term for the Italian giants.
The 21-year-old attacking central-midfielder returned to his native Portugal back in August, but has now been drafted into the Pompey squad on a six-month loan.
>>> Click here to see Pele in action
Adams, meanwhile, is also keen to add Real Madrid's Argentinian star Javier Saviola to the ranks, with sources at the club suggesting the move is close to completion over the next few days.
Both new signings will be available for tomorrow's clash with Aston Villa and are likely to be in contention after Adams slammed Pompey's lack of fighting spirit in their FA Cup loss to Swansea.
The Blues boss ripped into his players as they tamely failed in their bid to retain the Cup, going down to an embarrassing 2-0 defeat.
Adams read his team the riot act in the wake of their exit and promised to make changes for tomorrow's Premier League clash.
He said: 'We were outplayed and outfought in the first half.
'I warned the players they were playing a good team and they had to be up for it or they would get knocked out. Sadly I was proved right.
'We created chances but were very poor.
'I think the players got caught by surprise.
'We showed them a video of Swansea, but they obviously got caught on the hop.
'We're not Arsenal or Manchester United.
'We have to scrap and I need people on the pitch who are going to scrap, so I think Hermann Hreidarsson will be getting a game tomorrow. I need winners and fighters.
'I'm not making excuses. We have rode our luck at times in the competition.
'But if you don't take your chances you go out.
'It hurts going out of the FA Cup. I had a go at the players afterwards, but was constructive with my criticism. Maybe I'm being over critical but I've reacted badly.
'I had to tell them the truth. We were poor and were outplayed.'
Adams has dismissed speculation over his Pompey future.
He is now the bookmakers' favourite to be the next Premier League manager to be sacked, and has been linked with the manager's post at Dutch side Feyenoord.
Adams said: 'I'm not going to go away and I'm going to scrap until the end.'
Watch Pele scoring a stunner for Inter Milan by clicking here
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Weather for Portsmouth
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South
