View: Portsmouth still capable of top half as Derby provides new litmus test
Portsmouth take on Derby County this Friday night to kick off another round of Championship fixtures.
The contest at Pride Park is set to be a dreary Friday 13th for at least one of these sides, with Pompey now heading into a fixture from outside the relegation places for the first time since August.
That in itself is a mark of progress, and provides an updated litmus test against a fellow promoted side from League One last term; the last of these came at Fratton Park against Oxford United on 5 October, which produced a teeth-pulling 1-1 draw despite the Blues creating 21 attempts.
John Mousinho’s side are unbeaten in their last five and are the closest to a settled team they have been all season, through constant injury woes and occasional individual form dips.
But coming up against Paul Warne’s gritty Derby side in the East Midlands will set up a proper, full-blooded EFL clash which will act as a helpful measure of Pompey’s progress.
Portsmouth can still finish in the top half
Portsmouth approach Pride Park for Friday’s football fix in 21st position with 17 points from 18 games. While the Blues have won just three so far, that formula is there to be struck to secure more wins on the board having drawn eight.
Warne’s Rams sit four places higher in 17th, with 21 points from 20 games. Should the Blues snatch all three points – not out of the realm of possibility in current form – they will move to within one point of Derby with two games in hand.
Then, it would be all about looking upwards, having spent almost half the season looking over their shoulders. Sheffield Wednesday, the last team currently positioned in the top half, are nine points above Pompey having again played two more matches. The league continues to be wide open to the point that any consistent run can change a club’s entire season outlook.
Would Blues fans be happy with a 21st-place finish come May? Absolutely. But while survival was the sensible objective both in and out of Fratton Park, there is no reason not to aim higher.
January is vital for Portsmouth as it is for all the competitors around them. If the Blues emerge with a superior squad to how they enter next month’s winter window, there is no reason they cannot flex their muscle on the pitch and strive for more.
But for now, it’s all about showing a good account of themselves at Pride Park and letting the football do the talking for itself.
In other Portsmouth news, Ian Darke laments the “freakish” injury situation of one Blues star.
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