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He might be slow and dissappointing sometimes, but the guy is a professor of football. from cnn ----------------------------------- Kanu calls tune as Pompey chime By Chris Stanton - Created on 28 Aug 06 A brace from a reinvigorated Nwankwo Kanu set Portsmouth on their way to a 4-0 win at Middlesbrough on Bank Holiday Monday.
Kanu's double sandwiched a goal from the similarly revived Benjani Mwaruwari, before Svetoslav Todorov claimed a stoppage time fourth as Pompey's deceptively potent strikeforce paid rich dividends.
Boro, meanwhile, will hope prospective signing Jonathan Woodgate is the man to remedy their defensive ills after a disappointing performance that saw the hosts soundly beaten.
High-profile signings had been expected to arrive at Fratton Park, too, over the course of the summer, but Redknapp's tight-knit unit are already building well enough on their fine form from the tail end of last season which helped to stave off relegation - Pompey should be aiming considerably higher this time around, though.
From the off, Pompey were the brighter, threatening first in the sixth minute, and, seconds later, just as Boro thought they had cleared the imminent danger, the visitors struck.
Dejan Stefanovic's finely-judged 25-yard free kick forced Mark Schwarzer to claw the ball away from the top right hand corner of his goal.
But the danger had not subsided, for, from the subsequent corner, Kanu - not normally renowned for his predatory instincts - pounced to direct a shot through the legs of Schwarzer after a spot of pin ball.
Boro, who had beaten champions Chelsea just five days ago, were slow out of the blocks - and their first effort of any note did not arrive until the 10th minute - Yakubu Aiyegbeni robbed Gary O'Neil, but Stewart Downing could not capitalise on the half chance as David James spread himself well.
David Thompson stabbed wide after more hesitancy in the home defence, but Boro upped the tempo towards the end of the half, peppering James's area with a number of testing crosses, albeit with little end result.
On 26 minutes, Pompey's man mountain of a stopper Linvoy Primus blocked Lee Cattermole's rasping effort, but Kanu and Benjani still menaced for the visitors, the pair carrying a threat greater than the sum of their enigmatic parts.
Yakubu's shot was held by James and, on the stroke of half time, Gaizka Mendieta dropped a free kick wide of James's right hand post.
Both managers resisted the temptation to make any changes at the interval and divert from a like-for-like 4-4-2, with the onus perhaps having fallen on Gareth Southgate to pep up his charges.
In the 50th minute, Pompey claimed a second goal through another reformed character Benjani. A short corner caught the hosts napping and Benjani got up ahead of George Boateng to head in and double the visitor's lead - and his Portsmouth goal tally to boot.
With the odds stacking up against the hosts, Southgate's team rallied, as Mendieta and Downing sought to reduce the arrears. The latter's free kick drew a save from James and Chris Riggott's header was then cleared off the line by Sean Davis.
Mission improbable became mission impossible for Boro in the 59th minute and again it was Kanu who earned his side's plaudits - the striker who showed his talent in mere glimpses at West Bromwich Albion last season converted a move of his own making.
Turning Boro's defence on the halfway line, Kanu ran towards the penalty area, and, despite appearing to have lost his legs amid his languid gait, he poked the ball over the top of Schwarzer and into the back of the net for his fourth of the campaign.
Southgate made a raft of substitutions twenty minutes from time but to no avail as Pompey - buoyed by a small, but vocal travelling support - comfortably saw off the hosts' wilting threat.
Three minutes into time added on, Pompey substitute Todorov profited from Davis's pass to slot home his side's fourth and earn the visitors their biggest away day win in The Premiership. --------------------------------------------
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