After a 1-0 win away to Sheffield United, confidence was high heading into the unofficial Premier League south coast derby against Bournemouth, yet Southampton just couldn’t continue their form.
A disappointing 3-1 defeat to the Cherries has put Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side in a precarious position in the league table, with the Saints now sitting in 13th in the standings and just three points above the dreaded drop zone.
Although the fear of relegation is unlikely to faze Southampton supporters, the result and performance against Bournemouth has put the Saints in a worrying position heading into their eagerly anticipated fixture against Portsmouth on Tuesday.
With Southampton – Portsmouth regarded as THE South Coast Derby and the first of its kind in nearly seven years, this is a game that supporters of the Premier League side will simply demand a win from, and who can blame them.
Although Southampton have been hit-and-miss in the English top-flight this year, Pompey have been on a slump this season on another level compared to their south coast rivals.
One win in seven games sees Kenny Jackett’s side sit 20th in the League One table, yet despite this atrocious run of form from last season’s Play-Off semi-finalists, factors such as recent performances and quality seemingly go out the window on derby day.
With the game taking place at Fratton Park, Southampton will be heading into a battle arena with the majority of fans hoping for the demise, and off the back of a slumping Premier League defeat that is likely to mess with the previous positive mood around the Saints, Hasenhuttl and his warriors will have to bring their A-game in order to put Portsmouth back in their place and to return optimism to their supporters.
