'They ain't fell apart' - Former Fratton favourite makes Portsmouth prediction amid relegation scrap with Stoke, Hull, Cardiff & Co
Jamie O’Hara has backed Pompey to retain their Championship status.
The former Fratton favourite acknowledged John Mousinho’s side have found the step up to the second tier difficult at times this season, after being crowned 2023-24 League One champions.
Heading into Saturday’s game at fellow promotion-winners Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium, the Blues sit 18th in the league standings - just four points clear of the relegation zone. Injuries to key players, plus difficulties on their travels, have contributed to their struggles. But O’Hara is confident his former club can see the job through to avoid the drop at the end of the campaign.
The ex-Pompey midfielder told Grosvenor Sports: ‘It's difficult. It's a big jump. They've come up and it's hard. You've got huge teams in that league who are probably playing 50, 60 grand a week to some players.
‘You know, Pompey, it's difficult. You've got a great following (there), but it's a club who have struggled over the years, financially, and they're trying to find a way.
‘Listen, I've got a great rapport with people at Pompey, and I love them, and I look at their result every week. They're fighting it out.
‘They've got a big result against Cardiff the other night. They're a couple of games in front of some of the teams below them, but look at the teams below them - they've not been good this season.
‘The great thing is the fans are behind them. They need the home form and they've got to really, you know, try and find a way to see it through and pick up a few more wins.
‘I believe they'll stay up, and then consolidate in the Championship as much as you can. Are we ever going to see Pompey in the Premier League? I don't know. But listen, they can be a really good Championship side and there's some great teams. I love the Championship. Some great games in there, week in, week out, you never know who's going to win.
‘So, it's tough, but fair play to them. They're finding a way. They ain't fell apart.’
O’Hara, who is now a pundot on talkSPORT and Sky Sports, spent the 2009-10 season at Fratton Park while on loan from Spurs. He made 29 appearances for the then Premier League - including the Blues’ FA Cup final defeat to Chelsea.
The midfielder was named The News/Sports Mail Pompey player of the year at the end of his solitary season at Fratton Park.
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