PREMIER LEAGUE: FRATTON PARK, TUESDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2010. KICK-OFF 1945 GMT
PORTSMOUTH:
Portsmouth may be lurching from one crisis to another but at least manager Avram Grant has resisted the temptation to walk out.
Four owners and counting, an imminent High Court winding-up order, players not having been paid on time and a position at the bottom of the Premier League table all adds up to a sorry series of storylines for the south coast soap opera club.
Yet they are not so far adrift that the season cannot be salvaged and their home form isn't actually that bad. And given that tomorrow's visitors to Fratton Park are struggling Sunderland, whose early good form has disappeared alarmingly, Grant's decision to tough it out in the wake of a five-goal mauling at Manchester United makes more sense.
"It's not my job because I'm not a finance man but I feel I owe something to this city because it gave me the first chance so I can not only think about myself," he said.
"I had a choice, to say it's not what they promised me and I'm going - and I don't think one person could blame me for that - or to stay. I decided that even if things were different, I would do my best to keep this club up.
"I can not take the easy solution for myself. All my life I haven't thought only about myself so I need to think about this club also.
"The players give everything and the supporters are great so how could I say to them that I'm leaving now? I will do everything to help keep this club alive."
Strategy: Grant's first priority is to cut out the cheap goals with no fewer than three of United's goals at the weekend going in off Portsmouth players. Pompey have already just beaten the Black Cats, in an fourth round FA Cup tie last month, when Grant's side came back from going a goal down to triumph 2-1 and set up a fifth round derby with neighbours Southampton, whose League One status has given Pompey fans a crumb of comfort at least this season. Grant has the option of freshening up his attack by handing new recruit Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, the former Arsenal man, a first start after three substitute appearances.
Injury Update: Grant has been without midfield enforcers Michael Brown and Papa Bouba Diop for a while and they remain on the sidelines.
SUNDERLAND:
Steve Bruce has given the clearest indication yet that he is feeling the strain of Sunderland's debilitating Premier League winless run.
The uninspiring 1-1 draw with Wigan Athletic made it 11 games without a top flight victory, 80 days of hurt since Arsenal were beaten at the Stadium of Light back in November by the time they take the field here.
A paltry nine points from a possible 45 have since followed, to turn an outside tilt at Europa League qualification into a third successive fight for survival, leaving the manager not so much exasperated, as simply worried for his future unless he can orchestrate an immediate halt to the continuing slide.
When Bruce is forced to use words such as 'unsustainable' when referrring to the current depressing run, it gives an indication as to how bad things are, with Sunderland currently sitting a precarious four points above the relegation zone.
Such are the depths they have hit at present, a draw at Portsmouth would be seen as a decent outcome, although defeat to the league's bottom club would be unthinkable. Supporters are starting to turn against the manager, and he admitted: "This is possibly the worst run of form I've expeienced as a manager. We've got to try and turn it around, because our form is unsustainable."
Bruce was immediately hailed as an adopted Mackem on the back of Sunderland's express start to the season that took them as high as sixth in October. But he's back to being labelled a 'bloody Geordie' by the grumbling locals until he oversees an upturn in results.
Fixtures take on a far more stern-looking nature after the trip to the South Coast with the visit of Fulham sandwiched in between visits to Arsenal and and Aston Villa. Bruce added: "I don't like the stick but I'm under no illusions. I knew what I was taking on when I came here and I knew it was difficult. But I'm convinced we'll turn it around and I'm convinced we'll be okay."
Strategy: Bruce has promised changes as Sunderland return to the scene of their supine FA Cup exit a little over two weeks ago. With the injured Jordan Henderson out for 'months rather than weeks' Steed Malbranque is set to return, although Fraizer Campbell could earn a surprise recall on the right of midfield as the manager looks to freshen things up. Andy Reid's place on the left flank is under threat from Bolo Zenden.
Bruce is keen to hand Benjani a first Sunderland start on the former Portsmouth forward's return to Fratton Park. Unless the manager employs a three-pronged attack that eventuality looks unlikely, as Kenwyne Jones enjoyed one of his better games of the season in scoring against Wigan and would have every right to feel hard done-to should he lose his place.
The manager could take the bold step of resting Darren Bent, who has had little down time this season and has gone three games without a goal, although that is more down to the lack of service received by the 15-goal top scorer rather than any deficiencies on his part.
"We'll try something different, that's for sure, and we'll start that against Portsmouth," Bruce added. "The one thing I can look at is changing the personnel and I'll probably freshening things up so at least we haven't got that as an excuse. We've got people who are champing at the bit to play."
Injury Update: Henderson is the only fresh addition the injury list, with the teenager likely to be ruled out until April, and perhaps even for the remainder of the season, with ankle ligament damage suffered against Wigan. "I hope it's not the end of his season, for his sake and for ours," Bruce added. "He's had a terrific start, but the kid was in a bad way when I saw him and we'll keep our fingers crossed and hope he's okay."
