Pay Up Pompey

Burnley will travel to Fratton Park in a mid-table position and with nothing really to play for any longer in terms of the promotion and relegation issues, but we'll still have our part to play with games still to come against two of the top six and all of the bottom four in our remaining eight games.

David Edgar, sixteenth doesn't do us justice

The first of those against the bottom clubs is this one as we face a Portsmouth side fighting to get back out of the bottom three following their second points deduction in two years.

We're sixteenth and David Edgar, who has been a regular in the heart of our defence, feels we should be higher. Speaking about our current position, he said: "It doesn't do us justice. Our standing in the league does hurt.

"Nobody in the team likes losing or drawing. We want to win every game. That's the mentality we have at this club and that's what the manager wants in the team. It does hurt when we don't.

"We want to try to pick up as many points as we can to move up the table. It helps, especially coming back in pre-season knowing you finished the previous season strongly."

It will take a reverse of current form for the Clarets to finish the season strongly. We haven't won since the 2-0 home victory against Barnsley in February. We've gone seven without a win since and that Barnsley win is the only one in the last ten games.

Manager Eddie Howe looks certain to have to go into the game without Jay Rodriguez again. He's not trained this week. Danny Lafferty could be available again and I expect he'll be added to the squad that played last week.

If Howe sticks with the same eleven we should line up: Lee Grant, Kieran Trippier, Michael Duff, David Edgar, Ben Mee, Dean Marney, Marvin Bartley, Chris McCann, Ross Wallace, Martin Paterson, Danny Ings. Subs: Brian Jensen, Danny Lafferty  Josh McQuoid, Junior Stanislas, Charlie Austin.

Our Opponents - Portsmouth

Portsmouth's problems have been documented. Administration came in 2010 after they'd been living beyond their means. They got away with paying a small amount in the pound to creditors and then, inexplicably, lived beyond their means again. That's meant administration again.

Last time they'd still have been relegated without the points deduction; this time it could just lead to a relegation although Tuesday's home win against Hull has given them a fighting chance of avoiding that drop.

They are unbeaten in their last three home games, drawing with Bristol City and then beating Birmingham before the Hull game.

They've had to do it without five players who have moved on to other clubs because of the financial situation. Hermann Hreidarsson was the first to go and he's been followed by Erik Husiklepp, Liam Lawrence, Stephen Henderson and Hayden Mullins, the latter four all leaving on loan deals.

Michael Appleton is expected to name the same team today to the one that beat Hull when they lined up: Jamie Ashdown, Tel Ben Haim, Karim Rekik, Joel Ward, Jason Pearce, Greg Halford, David Norris, Scott Allen, George Thorne, Luke Varney, Chris Maguire. Subs: Kelvin Etuhu, Ricardo Rocha Luca Scapuzzi, Ashley Harris, Marko Futacs.

Last Time We Were There

We go back to January 2011 for our last visit to Portsmouth. It was Eddie Howe's second game as Burnley manager and after drawing 0-0 at Scunthorpe this game provided him with his first win at one of his old clubs.

Spectacular winner from Dean Marney

Steve Cotterill's Pompey had no answer to the Clarets in the first half when three goals were scored in a six minute spell just past the half hour.

Jay Rodriguez, who was making his 50th league appearance, turned in a cross from Danny Fox to give us a richly deserved lead but John Utaka scored a surprise equaliser for Pompey.

But it was Dean Marney, with a spectacular overhead kick, who restored the lead and scored what proved to be the winning goal.

At half time the mood was relaxed amongst Burnley fans. We'd been much the better side and a second away win of the season looked on the cards. The second half, unfortunately, proved to be a lot different.

We came out and defended the lead, ultimately successfully, as Portsmouth pressed for an equaliser. We went deeper and deeper and there were a couple of half chances for David Nugent.

By the end though we saw it out comfortably and won the game 2-1 and our first win against  Portsmouth since February 1982.

The teams were;

Portsmouth: Jamie Ashdown, Joel Ward, Greg Halford, Ibrahima Sonko, Ritchie De Laet, Liam Lawrence, Jonathan Hogg (Hermann Hreidarsson 89), Hayden Mullins, David Nugent, Nwankwo Kanu (Carl Dickinson 64), John Utaka. Subs not used: Darryl Flahavan, Ricardo Rocha, Tom Kilbey, Nadir Ciftci.

Burnley: Lee Grant, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Michael Duff, Danny Fox, Jack Cork, Dean Marney, Chris Eagles (Graham Alexander 90+1), Wade Elliott, Steven Thompson (Chris Iwelumo 87), Jay Rodriguez. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, David Edgar, Andre Bikey, Brian Easton, Ross Wallace.

Previous Games against Portsmouth

Click HERE to see all previous results against Portsmouth