Pompey will be hoping to avoid a seventh consecutive league defeat; their sixth, a 2-0 reverse at Villa Park, was a record for the start of a Premier League campaign.
Manager Paul Hart, though, has quashed talk his job is under threat.
'There were a number of names touted around that were going to take the manager's job on, but there's only me here,” he said on Thursday. “I'm still here, I'm still backing the club and I think we can turn it around. I'm the man for the job.
'What have I got to fear? I know what I do day in, day out and I have no fears about that. It's not me that's going to make decisions like that and it's not something I think about every waking hour.”
If results continue he may end up with more free hours to ponder where it has gone wrong.
The last time the sides clashed at Fratton Park the hosts run out 2-1 winners thanks to second-half brace from Peter Crouch. The lanky front-man was part of a summer exodus that means from the XI that started that day, only David James and Younes Kaboul (Pompey’s top scorer this term with two) are likely to feature again this time around.
Sylvain Distin left late in the transfer window and returns to Pompey with his new club having helped steady the Goodison Park ship after an equally calamitous start to the season on Merseyside. The Toffees’ early woes are a distant memory and David Moyes has steered them to three consecutive wins, scoring 11 and conceding none.
'It's getting better and I still think that there's more to come,” said the Scot. “I know there's more to come, because we can play better and we can control games for longer periods. But I've been happy with the goals that we're scoring, but probably more so that we're not conceding any.'
Both sides enjoyed straight-forward Carling Cup victories in midweek but Everton’s joy was tempered by the half-time withdrawal of Yakubu (thigh) who had only just returned from ten months out with an Achilles injury. The Nigerian striker is rated as doubtful to feature at Fratton Park. Summer signing Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (groin) is almost certainly out, joining long-term absentees Victor Anichebe, Mikel Arteta, Phil Jagielka, and Phil Neville (all knee).
For the hosts Steve Finnan could make his long awaited debut following his move from Espanyol but Aruna Dindane (knee), who notched on his debut in midweek, could miss out.
Head-to-head history favours Portsmouth, but only slightly; 25 wins to Everton’s 24 in all competitions.
Come Saturday evening form tells us that tally will be equal. It mean with Pompey’s future looking ever gloomier, even history won’t be shining favourably on Fratton Park.
No comments:
Post a Comment