Campbell - Pompey can improve

Skipper confident despite transfer frustration

By Rob Parrish   Last updated: 10th August 2008

Harry Redknapp and Sol Campbell with FA Cup trophy

Campbell: Wants more success

Related links

Teams

Players

Also see

Sol Campbell believes Portsmouth need to build on last season's achievements even if they are unable to bring in any more new players.

Harry Redknapp's side have a first-ever European campaign to look forward to having qualified for the Uefa Cup by lifting the FA Cup, while they finished the season eighth in the Premier League.

Pompey invested £10million to bring in striker Peter Crouch from Liverpool, but their only other new arrivals are Glen Little from Reading and on-loan Chelsea forward Ben Sahar.

Midfielder Sulley Muntari moved to Inter Milan for a fee believed to be in the region of £12.8million, but Redknapp has admitted he will now have to sell before he can buy.

That has put Younes Kaboul's proposed switch from Spurs on ice, while any hopes of bringing in Shaun Wright-Phillips from Chelsea are also in doubt.

And Pompey skipper Campbell insists there is already enough talent at Fratton Park to help the club continue on their upward curve.

Players

He said: "I know the gaffer looked to go for three top players this summer but whether the money is going to be available, I don't know.

"It's up to the board isn't it? For certain, we need a new training ground and a new stadium here and now it's up to us to keep going as a team to ensure we get them.

"We've done well. Winning the FA Cup was fantastic and we did well in the league even though we let it go a bit towards the end.

"It's a bit different to a few years ago. People looked at Portsmouth and said there's not much happening there but we've taken off and a lot of that's down to Harry. He's been fantastic here and, for me personally, he's been brilliant.

"I know he feels we need more players this year but you can never stop believing. Your aim has always got to be to improve every year - at least it's mine - and I think it is still achievable."

Happy

Campbell feels Crouch will form a dangerous strike partnership with fellow England international Jermain Defoe, and insisted he is still happy at the club.

The former Spurs and Arsenal centre-back added: "We are in the Uefa Cup for the first time and the benefit of Europe is that it attracts players to sign for you.

"We've got Peter Crouch now and he's a great player as well as a great lad. I can see his partnership with Jermain Defoe doing well.

"And I'm certainly still happy here. A new contract? It's not been mentioned but I'm going nowhere. I never was. No. I think I could give it another three years before I looked at the situation."