Pompey fans will travel to Gresty Road tomorrow hoping to see their team win their first game of the season.
Team News
Paul Cook has claimed that he will play the same eleven that started last Saturday's match against Carlisle although Gareth Evans should make the bench having started the League Cup tie at Coventry.
Steve Davis will bring back Ryan Lowe to his starting line-up after he came off the bench to score the two goals that contributed to Crewe's win at Bramall Lane on Tuesday. Winger Billy Bingham is doubtful after coming off in that match with an injury.
The Match
The season is only two games old but there's already a small sense of panic settling in amongst a small group of supporters who are worried that Pompey are yet to register a win and seem to be conceding too many sloppy goals.
The defending will certainly have to improve but other than that, there hasn't been too much wrong with the two performances this season. There was plenty of attacking from Pompey's players but you would hope Michael Smith is much sharper than he was against the Cumbrians.
This should be a different match entirely as, early red card not forthcoming, Crewe have the onus to attack being the home side. We saw it often enough last season where the home side being more open allowed Pompey to contain them and hit them on the break with their more expansive style of football.
The home side are dangerous going forward as veteran striker Ryan Lowe has already found the net three times this season whilst his strike partner Chris Dagnall was prolific at League Two level with Rochdale and thus an improvement from Drew Talbot and Jack Whatmough is also required if Pompey are to bag their first three points of the season.
If the defence is tight enough, then Pompey have shown enough quality in attack to prove that they can repeat the momentus result from the last time Portsmouth went to Gresty Road...
Predicted Starting Line-Ups
Crewe
GK: Ben GARRATT
RB: Perry NG
CB: Jon GUTHRIE
CB: Harry DAVIS
LB: Zoumana BAKAYOGO
RM: Callum AINLEY
CM: Oliver TURTON
CM: James JONES
LM: Alex KIWOMYA
CF: Ryan LOWE
CF: Chris DAGNALL
Pompey
GK: David FORDE
RB: Drew TALBOT
CB: Christian BURGESS
CB: Jack WHATMOUGH
LB: Enda STEVENS
DM: Michael DOYLE
DM: Danny ROSE
RM: Gary ROBERTS
AM: Carl BAKER
LM: Milan LALKOVIC
CF: Michael SMITH
Last Time: Crewe Alexandra 1 Portsmouth 2 (League One - 02/03/2013)
Pompey came into this game on the worst winless run in the club's history. Portsmouth supporters had seen their team go 23 games without victory and yet were in dreamland when two early goals from Patrick Agyemang and David Connolly gave Guy Whittingham's men a comfortable lead.
There was still time for the nerves to jangle as Mathias Pogba capitlised on a fumble from Simon Eastwood to pull one back but Pome held on to cue crazy celebrations from Pompey fans in the away end who celebrated like their team had won the FA Cup all over again. Truly a match to remember for anyone who was there.
My Prediction
Crewe have started the season well despite finishing bottom of League One last season but their ambition may well be their downfall as Pompey's superior attacking players should be able to carve out (and hopefully convert) enough chances to win the match, so long as the defence stays compact.
Crewe Alexandra 1 Portsmouth 2