‘I think’: Portsmouth legend delivers latest relegation verdict as Championship battle with Derby County, Cardiff City and Hull City heats up
Pompey still have enough to maintain their Championship status.
That’s the verdict of Fratton Park legend Guy Whittingham, who has made it clear that - despite a potential scrappy end to the season - the Blues do have the quality to stay in the division.
John Mousinho’s men suffered another late defeat on the road after a 2-1 disappointment against Millwall on Saturday. Although Andre Dozzell thought he’d grabbed a point on 80 minutes, Mihailo Ivanovic netted his second of the afternoon to succumb Pompey to their third successive loss on the road.
The relegation picture took another twist after positive results for Luton, Cardiff, Plymouth, Stoke, Hull, Oxford United, while Derby’s impressive four-game winning run came to an abrupt end against Swansea.
The defeat at The Den and results elsewhere now leaves Pompey just four points above the bottom three, with six games remaining.
Although the Blues suffered their third defeat in five league games, Whittingham is adamant Mousinho’s troops have got enough quality to avoid an imminent return to League One.
He told BBC Radio Solent: ‘Still as before. I think Pompey have got enough to stay up and days like these are going to happen between now and the end of the season.
‘We’ve just got to ride the wave and keep believing that the team will do enough to stay up. All the form at home indicates that they will do that but the sooner the better and they have got that tough game against Coventry coming up.
‘There’s Coventry and Norwich away and in between that there’s Derby at home. That isn’t exactly going to be an easy game with the way they’re going, yes they (Derby) lost today but they’ve picked up points over recent weeks. It’s going to be a scrap and there are going to be lots of nerves.’
Away woes continue for Pompey
Saturday’s late disappointment at The Den continues the Blues’ terrible run on the road. This has seen Pompey pick up just 10 points and win two of their 20 away games so far this season.
The latest blow prompted some of the Fratton faithful on social media to blame the head coach for the defeat to Millwall as uncertainty over his side’s future looms.
And Whittingham believes it’s harder than people think to stop the rot on their travels and pinpoints the players’ confidence as a main reason behind the change in home and away form.
‘It is and it’s something people think is easy to change. It’s really not. When you’ve lost that many, it does affect players and that’s in contrast to the great home form which has kept them in this league.
‘If you look at the goal itself, the clearance was okay and then you look at Blair trying to control the ball and get on it. Is it a case of you just hack that ball free up the pitch and get it as far away from your goal as possible.
‘John Mousinho talked after the Preston game about coming back into the game and then being naive at the end to concede the goal. This one again, the ball which came in was a good ball but wasn’t well defended.
‘The game was an awful game up until Millwall scored and then they dropped off and Pompey could play a bit. It wasn’t a game you’d recommend anyone to watch and the highlights won’t be that long I think.’