Portsmouth relegation prediction made as Championship warning emerges
Portsmouth are battling Championship relegation with just five games left, and Lee Brown has raised concerns at Fratton Park.
The Hampshire outfit’s former defender has predicted whether Pompey will return to League One at the end of the season as the campaign enters its final weeks.
John Mousinho’s team remain 17th in the league table, three points above 22nd-place Cardiff City, after losing 1-0 to Coventry in the Championship on Wednesday (8 April).
The Fratton Park faithful will hope their team can survive the drop in the current campaign and continue to build their squad next summer.
Portsmouth to survive Championship relegation
Pompey have enough quality in their squad to avoid Championship relegation, Brown says.
The former left-back believes the Hampshire outfit can survive the drop after seeing some of their dominating performances at Fratton Park this season.
| Championship table (2024/25) | Points |
| 17. Portsmouth | 45 |
| 18. Oxford United | 45 |
| 19. Hull City | 44 |
| 20. Stoke City | 44 |
| 21. Derby County | 42 |
| 22. Cardiff City | 42 |
| 23. Luton Town | 40 |
| 24. Plymouth Argyle | 37 |
Brown has admitted that anything can happen, though, with the several teams at the bottom of the table playing a mini-league.
Speaking on BBC Radio Solent (11 April), the 34-year-old said: “Every game that I’ve seen them at home, they’ve really dominated the game. They’ve had some really good, solid performances. I think there’s more than enough in the squad to stay up.
“But anything can happen, especially this time of the season. It’s so tight. There’s sort of a mini-league up till Portsmouth.”
Mousinho needs win against Derby County
Mousinho’s team will face Derby County at home on Saturday (12 April) in what will be a crunch tie towards the bottom of the table.
A win over the Rams could potentially be pivotal as the Hampshire outfit would open a six-point gap over them.
The game at Fratton Park feels like a six-pointer, considering what’s at stake in the final stretch of the campaign.
Portsmouth have lost four of their last five matches and can’t keep dropping points, especially against teams in the relegation battle.
Mousinho must ensure a win over Derby, as even a draw may not be enough to drag the Hampshire outfit closer to the bottom.
Pompey have made massive progress in recent months, and they wouldn’t want their hard work to be wasted this close to the finishing line.
A return to League One could potentially shatter the atmosphere around Fratton Park and may lead to a mass exodus next summer.
Important players like Colby Bishop and Josh Murphy must step up in the coming weeks to boost the Hampshire outfit’s chances of survival.