Former Southampton man and Sky Sports pundit sends Portsmouth clear south-coast derby warning
Pompey travel to fierce rivals Southampton in the first south coast derby of the season on Sunday.
Pompey will have to be at their very best if they want to beat Southampton in Sunday’s south-coast derby.
That’s the verdict of Sky Sports pundit David Prutton, who is adamant Tonda Eckert possesses one of the strongest squads in the Championship this season.
John Mousinho’s troops make the short trip across the M27 this weekend in the first meeting of the campaign between the bitter rivals, which also brings the three-week international break to a close.
The Blues have had a mixed start to the new season and sit 19th at present, having picked up eight points from their opening seven matches.
Southampton, meanwhile, occupy 13th on 10 points but started the campaign on minus four points following their punishment for the Spygate scandal.
The St Mary’s outfit will also be boosted by the FA’s verdict over the controversy, which will see Eckert line-up in the dugout after escaping serious sanctions from English football’s governing body.
Sky Sports pundit & ex-Southampton man sends Pompey warning ahead of derby
And Prutton, who co-hosts the Sky Sports Essential EFL podcast, has given his prediction for Sunday’s meeting and is adamant Mousinho’s troops will have to be at their best against one of the Championship’s strongest sides.
He said: ‘It’s an amazing game. It’s one I knew about of course being a football fan but then having the privilege of playing in it a long, long time ago.
‘It’s utterly vicious, they absolutely hate each other and it’s the type of spikiness that we love in the Championship.
‘It’s an absolute jewel in the crown that we're going to be showing on Sunday from a footballing point of view.
‘Given the way Southampton have started the season, yes there’s other bits that have to still be taken into account, they’re a very good team.
‘They’ve got one of the best squads in the division and have obviously had to work with that points deduction as well.
‘Up against a Pompey side under John Mousinho that again did so well to stay in the division and want to do much better this time around and it’s the perfect game.
‘I’m going to go for a draw; Southampton 2-2 Pompey.’
Sky Sports pundit expecting ‘hostile’ south-coast derby
Prutton knows full well the ferocity of a south-coast derby, having appeared in four meetings during his four-year stay at St Mary’s.
And after draws in all of the previous four showdowns between the bitter rivals, the former midfielder is hoping the encounter ‘lives up to the billing’ on Sunday.
‘It’s hostile to say the least. If you go down to Fratton Park, my word it’s as hostile as you could possibly wish for.
‘The reverse of that at St Mary’s, I hope the game lives up to its billing because sometimes that isn’t the case.
‘We saw it lively on the touchline last season and hopefully it will be lively on the pitch but played in the right manner.’