LAST UPDATE | 8 Dec 2021
MANAGER DANNY COWLEY is confident that Portsmouth won’t lose the services of Gavin Bazunu next month.
Bazunu, who was making his 20th appearance for the club, kept his third consecutive League One clean sheet in last night’s goalless draw with Sheffield Wednesday.
The Ireland goalkeeper joined Portsmouth on loan from Manchester City in July. The deal is intended to last for the duration of the season, but City do have the option of bringing him back to the club when the January transfer window opens.
Amid concerns around Fratton Park that the Premier League side may exercise that option in order to loan Bazunu out to a club playing at a higher level, Cowley has moved to allay the fears of Pompey fans.
According to the Portsmouth boss, City can only recall the 19-year-old Dubliner in the unlikely event that they experience a personnel shortage in the goalkeeping department.
Ederson is Pep Guardiola’s first-choice stopper, while Zack Steffen and Scott Carson are also regularly involved with the first-team squad on matchdays. Further down the pecking order on the books of the English champions, Cieran Slicker and Mikki van Sas have been sharing the load for Brian Barry-Murphy’s U23 side.
“The clause is if Manchester City get into serious injury concerns with the goalkeepers,” explained Cowley, whose side have moved up to ninth place in the League One table thanks to an eight-match unbeaten run.
“They have a few in front of Gavin – not loads, but enough to suggest [a recall] won’t happen. We would have to be very unlucky should that occur, but then again not much has gone for us at the moment.
“Gavin has been incredible for us at every level in terms of improving the team, working towards the game idea and value for money.”
Bazunu, who is contracted to Manchester City until 2024, earned his 10th senior cap for Ireland in last month’s 3-0 win over Luxembourg.
This is a tough assignment for this Munster team. They really need a result and a performance. Not sure the squad named will be able to deliver either.
Lads and ladies, just block that azdizlack gomie. The comments section instantly becomes a much nicer placer
@Niall Boyle: like blocking out reality
@Niall Boyle: 100%. Did that early on. Great not to read his inane rambling
@Michael Corkery: the poor chap definitely needs help
@Niall Boyle: The amount of people out there that see an open comment section and immediately all they want to do is have a go at someone or something…
They need some serious self reflection.
@Barry Moran: self reflection is an alien concept to the majority unfortunately Barry. The funny thing is how you see another is what one secretly believes is true for themselves and through denial is projected onto another
@Niall Boyle: I’m a Leinster supporter and I fully agree with you.
Do the business tomorrow night and both provinces will be happy.
@Niall Boyle: Did that weeks ago he is worse than are ray negitive ridge least ray can be funny
@Niall Boyle: yep, just did that myself a few days ago. Now there are just glorious blank spaces where his divisive rubbish used to be.
Hard to see Munster coming away with anything other than a beating.
@Ray Ridge: how bad is that starting Munster front row. The replacements are even worse.
@Ray Ridge: I’m quite positive from a Munster perspective after hearing your prediction
@Aidan Farrell: great to see you can read the future. This will be the second senior appearance of one of the front row replacements
@Niall Boyle: Hopefully Niall. But I doubt it considering my recent record. The Scotland game was some time ago now. Although some lads are still forced to refer to it in desperation.
@Ray Ridge: Munster to win with a bonus point too
@Jed Ward: That would be fantastic Jed. However they’ll need to improve some from the $hit show that was the Edinburgh game.
@Ray Ridge: wouldn’t be too difficult to make an improvement from game with Edinburgh. As Ian Costello said, it was the worst 1st half of rugby he ever saw. Glasgow are the right team and the right time to right that wrong of last game. I’d say muster are licking their lips looking forward to this battle
@Ray Ridge: Now Now plenty records you have set on here not just scotland man ciry winning the league in october ireland are finished after the world cup and sooooooooooooo on
@SEAN: everyone is allowed to make a prediction there Sean. Who are you predicting will win?
@Jed Ward: Anything team ray picks i do the other one
@SEAN: Ray is shouting for Cork on Saturday night in the hurling Sean. Does that mean you will be shouting for his county against your county come Saturday?
Munster fans who repeatedly abused SP the 22 year old – I am going to watch this game closely and scrutinise every aspect of Tony Butlers play on Sat. He’s older than Sam by a year so it should be nothin to the lad, URC teams are a walk in the park to play against compared to France, one of the best teams in the world. Let’s see what Tony Butler is made of
@adizlack93: Butler is third choice with Munster, Sammy is first choice with Ireland and Leinster. No comparison really.
@adizlack93: This, sadly, says so much more about you than Tony Butler, a young player steeping up to higher levels. Instead of supporting him you are already primed to criticize/use him to support your argument.
@adizlack93: I must have missed the game that Tony Butler started for Ireland? I must have also missed where Tony Butler was compared in anyway to Sam Prendergast?
@John Ludgate: this has to be irony
@adizlack93: old testament, the only way.
@adizlack93: go for a walk or something lad, bit of fresh air might help !
And now do you clowns see how below the belt it is to have a go at a young aspiring lad?? Point proven
@John Ludgate: I don’t support Munster but you dopes support Ireland
@adizlack93: You’re entering Ray Ridge levels of acting the Betty Swollocks now
@adizlack93: the game isn’t on Saturday you m!ron haha
@Cian Halley: let’s see who the m0rons are at full time
@adizlack93: My dad’s bigger than your Dad – that’s exactly what you sound like you complete and utter knobhead
@adizlack93: I’l analyse Tony Butler on Saturday too. He prob be spending the day recovering from the game Friday night me thinks
@adizlack93: you need a hobby pal
@adizlack93: once a Muppet
@Liam23: I think that’s his whole point Liam
@adizlack93: butler at least has the willingness to tackle.
@adizlack93: You mention Munster supporters, but Munster people are not the only ones that see the problem. If you were a true Irish supporter you would also leave aside your provincial bias and push for a selection of the best player. All Irish supporters (other than myopic Leinster dead heads) want the Irish team to be selected on ability. Everyone including our opponents question the selection policy for this 6Nations. See https://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12317/13331309/a-baffling-change-in-style-how-ireland-blew-the-six-nations-chance-of-a-century-and-a-half
@Cormac McCarthy: that article must have been written by a Munster fanatic who could only see those games with JC rose tinted glasses.
@adizlack93: well someone is a bit upset here
@Jed Ward: You can say that again Jed. That’s the most dreadful and one-eyed appraisal I’ve ever had the misfortune to read. A cursory bit of research into the author of this drivel shows he’s from Limerick! Quelle surprise. I particularly enjoyed how Crowley’s, let’s face facts, absolute stinker of a performance vs Italy and his poor place kicking was totally washed over. It must be amateur hour at Sky Sports. I’m sure people would go mad for the balanced appraisal the likes of you and I could offer.
@Cormac McCarthy: Great article, the stats don’t lie.
@Cormac McCarthy: great article, the stats don’t lie. You wouldn’t see Cian and Rory in the Sindo printing stats like that.
@Carmine Lorenzo: Crowley certainly had a poorer game against Italy than anyone would have liked particularly from the ground but can you argue with any of the facts listed in the article? Who can say if we would have fared any better with Crowley at 10 its a moot point now but the overall premise is that we were far from our standards in 23 and 24. Don’t take this as a go at Leinster but for me Nienaber is the root cause here (great plant by Rassie :-)) he has drastically changed the core principles of how Leinster have played and this is translating in to the Irish performance. I am sure Leinster are happy with the transition as your league and cup performances have shown and if you win a 5th star it will be truly validated but bigger picture is it is impacting Ireland for now
Good news, tho am not positive about the game, be v hard to turn over a result, Horne and Hastings are a decent half back pairing, big game for Butler and Paddy, who is hopefully due to find some form, great to see Sheehan and Wood on the bench too.
Yikes
@adizlack93: Yikes is right.
From an Irish perspective good to see Loughman back, need as many IQ looseheads playing as possible. Also very good to see Ahern playing at lock, seems to make the most sense as his long term position rather than 6
Tough game but great to see young talent coming through and getting some minutes from the bench.
It’s amazing how the Scottish internationals are up for selection albeit from the bench….. Murray mustn’t have played no more than 60mins over the last 6 weeks and O’Mahony maybe double that… it been their last season with Munster you’d of thought they’d be pushing to get back onto the team after all they are no longer governed by the IRFU… even if they were at least on the bench to give the team a mental lift?
If we come away with a losing bonus point it will be a plus ….
In saying that the weather could play a big factor in this game and a slim chance for Munster to capitalise..
That’s a callow looking 15 but you can only play the cards your dealt. Jager has been a disastrous signing so far, any word on where Edogbo is with his rehab?