FA CUP PREVIEW

Portsmouth will be looking to put all their off-field troubles to one side when they come up against bitter rivals Southampton in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday.

The Fratton Park club were given a week to find a buyer on Wednesday and told to repay £7million in unpaid taxes to HM Revenues and Customs if they are to stave off a winding-up order from the High Court.

On the field things have been faring little better for Avram Grant's side, who are without a win since their 2-1 fourth-round triumph at Sunderland.

The last time the two sides met in the FA Cup was in 2005 and on that occasion a last-minute penalty from Peter Crouch secured the Saints a 2-1 home win.

Alan Pardew's Southampton side will be without news signings Jose Fonte, Dan Seaborne, Jon Otsemebor and Jason Puncheon for the showdown at St Mary's.

The quartet are all cup-tied so Wayne Thomas, Chris Perry and Radhi Jaidi come in at the back and Michail Antonio should start on the wing.

A fifth new recruit, striker Lee Barnard, is available however and returns to the squad having been ineligible for the midweek Johnstone's Paint Trophy win over MK Dons.
Pardew will make a late call on forward David Connolly, who has been out since December with a niggling groin injury but is close to returning.

Southampton will have no doubt celebrated their win this week and they can be brought down to earth against superioir opponents. This may be a local derby but the prices probably don't reflect the gulf in class.

Pompey boosted their ranks on Friday by signing former Werder Bremen defender Dusko Tosic on a free transfer, and he could go straight into the squad if he receives international clearance in time.

Grant will have to make do without the services of fellow defender Ricardo Rocha though as he was sent off in the 1-1 draw against Sunderland on Wednesday night.
Kevin-Prince Boateng (ankle) and Anthony Vanden Borre (knock) were both sidelined for that game and are rated as doubtful again this time around.

If Vanden Borre does fail to recover Steve Finnan will continue to deputise at right-back. John Utaka is pushing for a recall after his hamstring problems.

We fancy Portsmouth to get through one way or another and the 4/5 with Tote about that is value.

Elsewhere in the Cup, Cheslea can take care of Cardiff, minus John terry and Ashley Cole. They demolished Preston in the last round and cardiff will be up against it. The 1/4 about a home win is less appealing and the bet may be to go against the grain a bit and back unders at evens or better.

Derby may be able to force a replay at home to Birmingham having finally showed the form that squad should be capable off. Back to back home  wins over Forest and Newcastle suggest they are as good as any side in the Championship on their day. Birmingham have slipped a couple of times lately and followed a win over Wolves with a shocker at West ham midweek. The draw is 12/5 in places and worth considering

Published 12-02-2010

< return to the home page