Portsmouth v Bolton Wanderers

September 10, 2009

One thing is definite about Saturday’s encounter between Portsmouth and Bolton as the Premier League resumes after the international break – one, or both, of the teams will break their duck. The pair are stuck at the bottom of the league table as the only two teams that are pointless, but whereas hapless Portsmouth have played four games, Bolton have only played three.

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The way things have started for Portsmouth this season, both on and off the pitch, suggest that the team are going to struggle badly this term and will be facing a battle for their Premier League lives. All the off-field shenanigans over the ownership of the club, and the exodus of players during the wrangle, have seen the side decimated with manager’s Paul Hart’s hands well and truly tied.

With players of the calibre of Glenn Johnson, Peter Crouch, Sean Davis and Sylvan Distin all being allowed to leave over the summer, and the loss of Jermaine Defoe in last January’s transfer window, Portsmouth have had to make up the numbers with a rash of free signings and loans which have not gone down too well with the Pompey faithful.

Bolton have also started the season poorly and manager Gary Megson is already under early pressure. After losing the first two games of the current campaign 1-0 (to Sunderland at home and then Hull away), the team faced a Liverpool side at the Reebok last time out that was rumoured to be in turmoil, and these rumours looked well founded when Bolton took a 2-1 lead in the game. Nevertheless, Liverpool are renowned for their comebacks and eventually won the game 3-2, sending the Bolton fans home in despair.