Ex-Toon Defender Has FA Cup Concern!

Last updated : 16 May 2008 By Footy Mad - Editor

All the giant-killing has left us with South coast Pompey against the Taffs from Cardiff ... and just like Euro 2008 where no home country qualified ... we are left with the 'loose change'.

BUT ... if you ARE interested ... former Toon defender Sylvain Distin is on his guard against an upset.

Back in 2000 Distin was part of Ligue 2 side Gueugnon who claimed a shock 2-0 victory over Paris St Germain in the French League Cup final.

And the 30-year-old centre-back has warned his team-mates they must improve dramatically on their poor end-of-season run.

He also reminds us he "won nothing at Newcastle".

Distin: "It was a bit like Cardiff against Portsmouth.

"So I have to hope that Cardiff won't have the same spirit Gueugnon had then - yet I know they will.

"It is an opportunity for them to prove everybody wrong because everybody thinks we are going to win.

"And obviously if we lose everybody apart from us will be happy because they believe that it is good for football if a small side wins.

"For me they are not a small side and it's going to be a tough game until the last second.

"But we've got to perform, not like the last month in the league. If we carry on like that on Saturday it will make it even harder than it is going to be.

"We need a good reaction but the way we've been playing has had nothing to do with thinking about Cardiff or Wembley too much. We just haven't performed.

"When I signed here some people didn't say too much, but I could see in their eyes: 'Why Portsmouth?' They have the answer today.

"I played for Newcastle and I didn't win anything, I played for Manchester City and I didn't win anything either.

"At Portsmouth I'm going to play in a final for the first time in my career in England and so for me that's the most important thing.

"We are the big club now. When people talk about big clubs, they are usually talking about past history, but for me a big club is where the club is right now, not 20 years ago."