We talked with Barry Hendridge in the build up to our next episode of Soccer Mayhem landing 25th October 2010. Leaving us on a cliffhanger last week due to his amazing weight loss he is keen to fill in the void and keep us guessing until the next episode is revealed. WEDO Network can reveal that Episode 3 will be going live on the early hours of the 25th October 2010 to ensure everyone gets a full chance to watch the latest episode in High Definition.

This week Pompey Pirates travel on their third successive away game to Saintragler. Hendridge stated:

Saintragler will be a difficult game, they’ll be a threat but they also like to try and keep possession for long periods. Our midfield play is key. I have no doubt we’ll create chances but the question is, can we put them away? We’ve yet to score an outfield goal this season and that worries me slightly

Saintragler is also a city that has been boiled in controvery recently after a chemical factory exploded on the outskirts of the city.

The carnage on the outskirts of Saintragler

There were some initial concerns surrounding the safety of the city water supply buildin up to the game but Russian authorities have confirmed that everything will be fine. Hendridge expressed his concerns to his fans advising them to buy any food and water from the airport before going to the stadium.

This game really shouldn’t have been played. However, given the extremely tight schedule we really have no choice. Good thing we’ll be back on our home turf next week. However, I will address the price of our hot dogs pre-season which there have been a few complaints about which I will give my reasons on tomorrows show. On the plus side I can confirm that we’ve also introduced a Vegetarian option to the refresher stands which will please some of our fans. Including our new sandwich LT without B: Lettuce & Tomato.

Hendridge hopes his side can return to winning ways but he also reassured fans that it is a long season ahead and that even if Pompey Pirates fail to grab all 3 points in Russia, it is not the end of the world;

I’m not expecting three points as a given, had I sign those two defenders I wanted  then maybe. That’s our vulnerability and I will make sure we sort that out in January. It’s important though that we remain unbeaten and I’m confident we’ll do enough to get some points on the board.

How will Pompey Pirates fair? Find out in less than 24hrs as Barry Hendridge and his Pompey Pirates team return in HD only on WEDO Network.

An exclusive in depth interview with Barry Hendridge along with match highlights for the game against Netapoltski. Can Hendridges men carry on the good form from the opening day of the season?

New Season, Another Glimmer of Hope

For the average Pompey Pirates fan, the start of a new season usually means it’s really all conjecture at this point as to how the team will do.  Whether the illusive promotion to the Premiership will finally be reached remains to be seen.  Some fans will be filled with boundless hope while others will gladly throw out the baby with the bathwater based on little more than the club’s failure to sign the next Robert Prosinecki in the off-season.  The overly positive outlook (We’ll definitely challenge for promotion!”) and the bitterly negative (“Barry Hendridge is a terrible manager who never won anything!”), both of which tend to get on my nerves will be a major talking point during this time of the season.

Opening day games historically aren’t classics and Sunday’s opener against Almchendolf was no exception. Aside from an excellent piece of skill from veteran Espimas, the game could have easily gone in favor of Almchendolf whom quite simply lacked the finishing touch.  Various questions regarding the backline remain after the first game.  One can only hope the new signings of Mendes and Diop can provide the steel in the midfield to avoid the defensive miscues displayed against a not so potent Almchendolf attack.  Openers are hard to rate, but Pompey Pirates certainly did enough to win this match along with the vital three points that came with it.

Pompey Pirates may have won, but they need to be more threatening in front of goal.

While Pompey Pirates are still trying to find their feet, Hendridge has to be somewhat satisfied with his team’s performance on the whole and their ability to hold on for the result.  Again, it’s the first game, but way too many unforced errors are what kept Almchendolf in the game for the entire 90 minutes.  Valeny’s horrible pass from the middle of the field setup a glorious chance for Almchendolf to pull level but Barvorena was unable capitalize on the mistake.  On the attacking side of things, Pompey’s inability to get behind the Almchendolf defense were the overriding keys as to why Pompey had to rely on the heroics of Espimas to win the game.  Overall, an acceptable performance and it was great to see the team start the season on the right track.  A long season awaits us in the push to finally overcome the final hurdle that has haunt Pompey Pirates for many years but for now the future looks bright as least.

However, not everyone at the match seemed to be pleased.  Those of you who were at the game have noticed the cost of admission and cost at the concession stands have absolutely skyrocketed.  One supporter who would like to be known simply as “MrZafonic” was outraged when he was charged £9.79 for a hotdog.  Such excessive prices led him and fellow supporters to file a complaint to the front office.  They have made it clear that they will request a refund for their season tickets unless the matter is sorted.  We all know that Pompey Pirates had financial struggles last season which is the root of the cause for the matter at hand but taking it out on the supporters seems a bit unfair.  When Pompey Pirates was dropping points left and right last season, we were at the stadium rain or shine supporting them regardless of how poor the team was doing.  We love Pompey Pirates unconditionally but when we feel we are being taken advantage of, that’s where we put our foot down!

Espimas celebrates goal #1

Another hot topic this week amongst supporters has been whether Barry Hendridge has what it takes to belong on the field.  Sure he has shed a few pounds but can he really be beneficial to the team at his new role of player-manager.  Few supporters seem to think so but others who have known Hendridge for a long time and have followed his trajectory have assured us that he can contribute a lot to the team if he can manage to stay fit for the entire season.  We will soon find out if there’s any truth to that when Barry Hendridge will most likely play some minutes at the next match.

I took some time out from reviewing Pantheon and had a chance to chat to Pompey Pirates manager Barry Hendridge about the new signings at the club. For those not aware Soccer Mayhem is an exclusive Machinima series created for this website, so if you love Pro Evo or football games in general and like some generous portions of humor, plus commentary that makes Jim Beglin look like a complete amatuer then check it out! So below are the new signings for the club and of course Barry Hendridge signed himself to play but has asked the critics to do the talking reference his performances.  Here is what Barry had to say about the following signings.

Pedro Mendes
Aged 31
Position: Defensive Midfielder

“I bought Pedro to the club because whilst he’s a workhorse he also has the ability to score from direct free kicks and long range. He’s a real battler and whilst his primary focus is defense he can score with some stinging shots. Me and Pedro get on very well, we go to Nandos every week! Pedro will replace Espimas as our main free kick taker at the club”

Ben Sahar
Aged 21
Position: Centre Forward

“On loan last season but now on a 3 year deal. Ben Sahar is back. He’s a confidence player and i’m sure after a few games we’ll see the best he has to offer. I signed Ben because he’s had a torrid time at the clubs he’s been at for the last three years and I can see his potential. He will grab you a goal from nowhere sometimes that can be a real game changer. I would have re-signed Abdel Salam also but he decided to play in Qatar for stupid money, I heard he died last week in a desert storm, nevermind.”

Papa Boupa Diop
Aged 32
Position: Midfield

“He was uncontracted after Portsmouth hit their financial demise, so I couldn’t resist but tempt him to Pompey Pirates. He maybe 32 but he has three more years left in him, so we penned him on a 3 year deal. Not the best passer of the ball but is aggresive and gives us what we need, a real presence in the middle. Some Fulham fan used to nickname him the Wardrobe, I call him the Magpie because he’s always wearing shiny bling. He’s attracted to it like it has female pheramones on it or something”

Barry Hendridge has promised in next weeks Soccer Mayhem to address everyone on the £53,000,000 cash injection that Pompey Pirates came across since last season. There was speculation that S.Korea Travel one of the clubs sponsors put an advance payment on sponsorship money for the next three years, but Hendridge can reveal that he actually sued FIFA and the F.A over wrongly placing a transfer embargo on the club last year. All will be revealed.

Good signings? Why not sound off in the comments section.

Pompey Pirates is a team managed by Barry Hendridge, a controversial manager who has angered  FIFA, the FA and is now residing in the PES League after suing the leagues over a wrongly placed transfer embargo. Follow the fortunes/misfortunes of Barry Hendridge and his team in this reboot of the popular Machinima series in HD. Episode 1 is below, your comments as always welcome!

Man of the match: Espimas
Goals: Espimas
Fan Complaints: Complaints that the hot dogs are too expensive.
Managers Comment: “We canceled our pre-season due to a lack of transfer activity and it hasn’t hurt us one iota. We have gone forward and got a deserved win and had Valeny not made the silly mistake he had he would have been man of the match.

Fans man of the match? You decide. Leave a comment below.

Developer Diary #1 – Creating The Team

Drop us a comment on this one. It’s our finest Soccer Mayhem to date, enjoy!