It was only last season that these two sides were slogging away in the Premiership although those days must now seem a long, long time ago. Both have started the season in appalling fashion although Portsmouth fans are probably feeling the more positive, with Pompey one of the form teams at the moment and slowly climbing the table. Hull on the other hand are plummeting and Nigel Pearson must be worried by his side’s league standing of 19th.
Hull may have their financial troubles, but the decision to appoint Nigel Pearson in the summer seemed an exceptionally shrewd one considering his success at Leicester last season. However, Pearson has been unable to bring that positivity to the KC Stadium and the Tigers’ position of 19th will not sit well with their supporters. Part of the reason for their league position is their form through the last few weeks, with Pearson’s men just recording the one victory in their last six outings. Worryingly, they’ve bagged just the three goals during that spell and considering some of the attacking talent they have at their disposal, that must puzzle Pearson. It may be early days, but already Hull find themselves seven points behind the top six and by the looks of things recently, that margin is only going to widen.
Portsmouth on the other hand may only be a few places above the Tigers, but it’s clear to see that the Fratton Park outfit are heading in the right direction. Pompey sit in 15th spot on fifteen points although the majority of those have come in the last few weeks. Up until late September Steve Cotterill’s men were rock bottom but things have completely changed around lately and having won four out of their last five, they’re certainly one of the form teams in the division. A lot of bookmakers had the club down as certainties for the drop during the summer considering their terrible financial problems, yet judging by their recent progress you’d be tipping them more for a challenge at the top end of the table.
As for team news, a new knee injury means that Hull’s Jimmy Bullard is unlikely to be risked for this one. On the positive side, James Harper could finally make his debut following his summer move after recovering from a broken foot, but Craig Fagan won’t feature as he struggles with a groin injury. The visitors meanwhile are set to welcome back Aaron Mokoena who missed the last outing through suspension. Elsewhere however, Ricardo Rocha won’t feature for the next few weeks due to a hamstring problem.
Had this game been at Fratton Park, we’d be predicting an easy victory for Portsmouth. However, Hull have the vital home advantage and with that, we can see them getting something from this one. In a great game for the neutral, we’ll predict a 2-2 draw.
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