Portsmouth manager defends ‘expensive’ Zimbabwean striker

By Lance Guma
15 March 2006

English premiership manager Harry Redknapp has defended Portsmouth’s record buy, Benjamin Mwaruwaru, over his poor scoring form. The Zimbabwean arrived in January from French club Auxerre in a £4.1 million move that smashed the clubs transfer record. The price tag has however put pressure on ‘Benjani’ as he is known, to deliver the goals and help Portsmouth survive relegation.

Redknapp believes Mwaruwaru will eventually start scoring and has asked the fans to be patient with him. He told the British media ‘he is a very quite boy and he’s had a poor upbringing. He has come over here and he’s finding it tough. One of the lads said he sits in his room all afternoon and he is not adapting to life here. He is terrific in training.’ Rednknapp went on to say Mwaruwaru was ‘miles better than he is showing’ and all he needed to do was win over the fans.

Seven games into his career at Fratton Park the man affectionately known in Zimbabwe as ‘The Undertaker’ is yet to bury any goals inside the nets. Most observers however are hopeful the 27 year old will build his confidence and settle well into the team. Commentators say most of his team mates are not yet willing to make passes to him when he makes runs into the box and until that changes he will not be able to score as many goals. Even his own manager has urged Mwaruwaru to be selfish when he gets the ball. This he believes is how great strikers need to be sometimes.

Former Liverpool assistant manager Phil Thompson says when their club played against Auxerre three years ago, ‘Benjani’ was ‘fantastic’. Former Newcastle manager Graeme Souness also phoned Redknapp to tell him how Mwaruwaru was highly rated by former teammates Jean Alain Boumsong. Zimbabweans await to see how Benjani, the third Zimbabwean to play in the Premiership after Bruce Grobbellaar and Peter Ndlovu, will fare in the competitive league.

Sports journalist Natty Zvimba says there are other players in the premiership like Liverpool’s Peter Crouch who cost the club over £8 million but went on for months without scoring. He said Mwaruwaru is being pin pointed only because his team is struggling while fighting against relegation, ‘you can’t afford not to score if your team is in such a situation.’ Like many he believes with time the signing will turn out to be worth the £4.1 million.