Huge former Portsmouth favourite makes intriguing south-coast derby prediction against Southampton
Gareth Evans featured from the bench against Southampton in the last south-coast derby in 2019.
Gareth Evans has admitted he is jealous not to be in the Pompey squad to face Southampton next week.
And the huge former Fratton favourite has given an intriguing prediction ahead of next Sunday’s south-coast derby.
Evans fondly remembers the previous meeting at Fratton Park, with the midfielder coming on in the final 12 minutes of the 4-0 defeat in the Carabao Cup.
And with the upcoming derby taking place in the Championship, the 37-year-old is jealous he didn’t get to experience a league contest between the Blues’ fierce rivals.
Former Pompey favourite’s south-coast derby prediction
Speaking on BBC Radio Solent, Evans said: ‘I’m a little bit jealous not to be involved but it’s going to be a fantastic occasion. I know it's at St Marys but that was the importance for Pompey fans to stay in the Championship last season because you’re going to end up with games like that.
‘Southampton were poor in the Premier League last season, it must be said. On the back of that, we’re looking at a south coast derby for the first time in a long time.
‘It’s something to look forward to and something to savour and hopefully Pompey can pick up all three points.
‘I would’ve absolutely loved to play against Southampton in the league but unfortunately we were only able to get them in the cup that one time. It was a little bit of one-way traffic in that game and I think I only came on for the last 10 or 15 minutes.
‘If I had the opportunity to be involved next Sunday I’d bite someone's hand off. That’s not the case unfortunately, I’ve hung my boots up now.
‘The advice I’d give to every Pompey fan and Pompey player is just savour it and enjoy it, get behind the team and pick up the desired result.
‘There was quite a lot of press coverage around it and it was live on Sky. There was obviously that extra bit of edge to a south-coast derby, it’s one of the fiercest rivalries in English football.
‘It’s quite obvious there was an extra edge to it. When you’d been a part of the football club for as long as I had, I was trying to sort of portray to the rest of the lads in the rest of the dressing room how important the game was.
‘I didn’t really need to do that to be honest because you could feel the enormity at the time and that was only for a League Cup game.
‘If it’s a Championship game, I can imagine the heat is going to be turned up for it in the next week. I’ll go for a 1-0 Pompey, Conor Chaplin of course.’
After predicting a victory for his former side at St Marys next week, Evans is adamant Southampton will struggle further in the reverse fixture at Fratton Park in January.
‘Historically, Fratton Park is a very difficult place for opposition players to go and put the south-coast derby atmosphere and all the surrounding press and media coverage for the game, it’s going to be a very difficult game for Southampton to get a point from - let alone all three.
‘It’s going to be an interesting watch and hopefully I can get down to the park and watch it. That’s the excitement of staying in the Championship and we’ve got two fixtures against our fiercest rivals.’
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