In what could possibly be our biggest game of our Premiership history tommorow we take on the team that some round here believed we saved last season from the very fate we are staring in the face.
West Bromwich Albion travel down to Fratton park in a game Milan Mandaric has said "do or die" and I pretty much share the same sentiments. Let's face it, if we draw tommorow we will still be 6 points behind the Baggies and that's not even taking into account that Birmingham, Villa, Everton and Fulham may all pick up points leaving us even further in danger. Defeat tommorow is just unthinkable. OK we'd not be relegated but we'd probably have left ourselves too big a mountain to climb in the second half of the season and looking at ourselves realistically I don't think it can be done.
So it's not exactly welcome that West Brom are unbeaten in 4 and have kept clean sheets in 3 of them. Add to that that Ashdown is a doubt so Sander Westerveld; the keeper that made a terrible howler in the reverse fixture this season looks set to be in goal and also Diomansy Kamara is likely to play against us, and we all know what the "returning player" curse usually means don't we?
Ah but remember this fixture last season? We looked dead and buried then until a late five minute show meant we beat Robson's team 3-2 and I would certainly take that result again. We as Pompey fans need to get Fratton Park bouncing again and make it a hard place to play and I'm sure we'll all do our part as we always do when we are in dire need of a result. In all honesty West Brom aren't the best Premiership side despite their current good form so we are capable of a result tommorow but the crowd are certainly going to have an influence on this game so to every Pompey fan who reads this be sure to get behind the team the whole 90 minutes!
As for the team I've already mentioned Ashdown. Harry has hinted that Robert may start and if he can get the best out of him then Laurent is the sort of player who can make something out of nothing. Dario Silva could return though I am expecting Lua Lua and Pericard to partner each other up front. Unless of course we play three up front and just go for it and that might prove to be handy seeing as we're always going to have to score at least two goals to win a game because our defence just don't do clean sheets.
Whatever happens tommorow it's going to be a tense game seeing as this is a key game in the season. Win and we can start building again (although in fairness we have to beat West Ham on Boxing Day too) but a draw or a defeat and it really is going to be "Mission: Impossible" for Pompey.
West Bromwich Albion travel down to Fratton park in a game Milan Mandaric has said "do or die" and I pretty much share the same sentiments. Let's face it, if we draw tommorow we will still be 6 points behind the Baggies and that's not even taking into account that Birmingham, Villa, Everton and Fulham may all pick up points leaving us even further in danger. Defeat tommorow is just unthinkable. OK we'd not be relegated but we'd probably have left ourselves too big a mountain to climb in the second half of the season and looking at ourselves realistically I don't think it can be done.
So it's not exactly welcome that West Brom are unbeaten in 4 and have kept clean sheets in 3 of them. Add to that that Ashdown is a doubt so Sander Westerveld; the keeper that made a terrible howler in the reverse fixture this season looks set to be in goal and also Diomansy Kamara is likely to play against us, and we all know what the "returning player" curse usually means don't we?
Ah but remember this fixture last season? We looked dead and buried then until a late five minute show meant we beat Robson's team 3-2 and I would certainly take that result again. We as Pompey fans need to get Fratton Park bouncing again and make it a hard place to play and I'm sure we'll all do our part as we always do when we are in dire need of a result. In all honesty West Brom aren't the best Premiership side despite their current good form so we are capable of a result tommorow but the crowd are certainly going to have an influence on this game so to every Pompey fan who reads this be sure to get behind the team the whole 90 minutes!
As for the team I've already mentioned Ashdown. Harry has hinted that Robert may start and if he can get the best out of him then Laurent is the sort of player who can make something out of nothing. Dario Silva could return though I am expecting Lua Lua and Pericard to partner each other up front. Unless of course we play three up front and just go for it and that might prove to be handy seeing as we're always going to have to score at least two goals to win a game because our defence just don't do clean sheets.
Whatever happens tommorow it's going to be a tense game seeing as this is a key game in the season. Win and we can start building again (although in fairness we have to beat West Ham on Boxing Day too) but a draw or a defeat and it really is going to be "Mission: Impossible" for Pompey.