Matt Taylor to rile every last Southampton fan with brilliant Portsmouth admission
Matt Taylor is no stranger to Portsmouth and Southampton clashes, having featured in six of them in total.
The Portsmouth cult hero spent six years at Fratton Park during his playing days, accruing over 200 appearances during that time.
Taylor‘s record against Southampton wasn’t the best, losing four out of six – each of those defeats being at St Mary’s.
However, ahead of the return of the South Coast derby at St Mary’s on Sunday, Taylor insists Portsmouth’s current crop have absolutely nothing to fear.
St Mary’s far less intimidating than Fratton Park
It might seem quite telling that Taylor won both of his tastes of this fixture at Fratton Park, but lost all four on enemy territory.
However, the former Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United midfielder insists St Mary’s is anything but intimidating, even in this high-profile clash.
- Portsmouth are one point off the Championship playoffs in eighth
- Pompey have won two of their first four Championship matches, drawing one
- Mousinho’s side crashed out of the Carabao Cup to Reading
In an interview with The Sun’s Goals pullout (13 September, page 11) that will no doubt rile every Southampton fan, Taylor said: “I didn’t find St Mary’s hostile at all – in fact, I found it a nice place to play.
“Even now, after all these years on, it’s a wonderful modern stadium that has only recently been hosting Premier League football.
“There’s not one part of the ground that’s closer to the pitch than the other so the fans don’t really create the sort of atmosphere to scare you.
“Whereas Fratton Park is a much smaller ground where the fans could literally touch you as you’re running down the line.”
Taylor added: “I never once found it intimidating.”
Taylor went on to add that his favourite memory of this fixture came in 2005 at Fratton Park when Portsmouth memorably ran out 4-1 winners.
What is Portsmouth’s record away to Southampton?
The bottom line is that Portsmouth have not won away at Southampton in the league since January 1988. It goes without saying that is far too long a wait.
The most recent encounter at St Mary’s came in April 2012 when the sides played out a 2-2 draw, but there is no forgetting Pompey’s 4-1 away win in the FA Cup.
It is now time to get a league win on the board at St Mary’s, and there is no time like the present thanks to the work John Mousinho has done.
Portsmouth have a squad capable of beating Southampton, and with the eyes of millions on St Mary’s this weekend, every fan making the short trip will be quietly confident of picking up a famous result.
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