Portsmouth Cut off Some of the Fat
Por Never Captain Nicky Butt
 Portsmouth Cut off Some of the Fat
 

With all the focus this summer on players getting bought and sold - and making big money moves across Europe - we sometimes forget that the summer is also a time when scores of players lose their jobs. Their contracts are not renewed. They don't make the step up from the reserves to the first team. They flunk out of the youth academy. Dreams are shattered. That's the reality for most professional footballers.
 
And Portsmouth FC are the club in the spotlight today - releasing five first team players. The club has now released 22 first team players in the past 12 months. Yes, you read that right. 22 players. Gone. In. One. Year.
 
Lauren, Djimi Traore, Glen Little, Noe Pamarot, and Jerome Thomas were all released today.
 
Sean Davis (Bolton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Jermaine Pennant (free agent), and Armand Traore (loan expired - back to Arsenal) have also left Fratton Park this summer.
 
There are also question marks about the futures of Kanu and Sol Campbell, who are both out of contract, and yet to renew.
 
Perhaps new owner Sulaiman Al-Fahim can invest his Dubai real estate billions into figuring out a way to clone Niko Kranjcar 10 times. That would surely solve the summer exodus woes.