The ongoing crisis at Portsmouth Football Club is distressing for all true fans of the game.

The club is currently lurching from one drama to the other and the distinct whiff of high farce is also in the coastal air.

Last week, chief executive Peter Storrie said he was on the verge of quitting after being left in the dark about the intentions to sell Younes Kaboul to Tottenham Hotspur, a deal that finally went ahead - only for the money to be immediately used to pay Portsmouth's players who had seen their wages delayed for a third successive month.

The news that they now have another new owner in Balram Chainrai has hardly engendered optimism, considering he is the fourth man to take over this season.

However, no matter how gloomy the cloud, there is always a silver lining available to somebody.

And on the South Coast, that somebody is Greece's Angelos Basinas.

With zero funds available to bring in new players, Portsmouth have recently been forced to look inside their own dressing room to see who can help out and the 90-capped international is one player who has answered the call.

Last season, the 34-year-old played just three games for the club but he played more times than that this season in January alone.

Basinas is the Greece captain but his lack of game time had wounded his chances of getting into his national squad for South Africa. his recent run in the Premier League has given him cause for optimism.

In other words, Portsmouth's loss is Basinas's gain and he has impressed at Fratton Park enough to convince some at the club that he still has what it takes to influence games.

First team coach Paul Groves said: "Each midfield player brings different strengths to the team. Basinas brings calmness. Give him time on the ball and he'll pick people out. He has shown he is more than capable of coming into the team and keeping his place."

Having previously been largely overlooked by manager Avram Grant and his predecessor Paul Hart, Basinas's attitude has impressed Groves which will also please Greece manager Otto Rehhagel.

Groves added: "Bas has found it difficult to get into the team, but to his credit, he has been around the group and conducted himself fantastically well. That's not always the case with some players, so credit to him.

"He's a professional in everything that he does. He works hard on the training ground and he makes sure he looks after himself. When he goes out on the pitch, he wants to win."

There appears to be little doubt that Portsmouth will get relegated from the Premier League this season as they are currently rooted to the bottom of the table on just 15 points.

Yet while Portsmouth's fans will not be looking forward to the summer and will look back on this season with nothing but contempt, Basinas may well yet see it as the time when his World Cup ambitions got back on track.