Portsmouth v Birmingham City: Blues look to avoid slip up at crisis club
Birmingham City extended their amazing unbeaten record in the top flight to 12 last weekend by holding the champions Manchester United at St Andrews. This afternoon they travel to crisis-hit Portsmouth. Surely their remarkable run won’t come to a crashing end at Fratton Park?
On current form it’s highly unlikely, but the south coast has not been a happy destination for the Blues in the Premier League. They have only managed to record two points from their previous four meetings at Fratton Park in the league’s current guise and you have to go back 12 years for their last win at Portsmouth, thanks to a Martyn O’Connor penalty. However, you must go back to 1956 for the Blues’ last top flight win at Fratton Park. Birmingham are strong favourites to re-write that stat today.
Portsmouth are a team in deep trouble on and off the field and Avram Grant will have to call on Paul Daniels and David Blaine to help him keep Pompey at the top table of English football come August. They are four points adrift at the foot of the table, the whole squad is reportedly up for sale and Grant can’t bring any new faces in due to a transfer ban. If you think your job is bad just spare a thought for poor Grant.
Birmingham City haven’t experienced that losing feeling since going down 3-1 at the Emirates in October and Alex McLeish is even being talked about as a future Liverpool boss, but Pompey have won two of their last three home games and will be inspired by their dramatic cup victory over Coventry in midweek. The omens could be in Portsmouth’s favour but the majority of the Panel is backing the Blues.
