Saints boss wants rivals Portsmouth to survive

Southampton manager Alan Pardew insists he wants local rivals Portsmouth to emerge unscathed from the cash crisis that threatens their existence.

Pardew’s League One outfit host Portsmouth in an FA Cup fifth round tie on Saturday that offers the beleaguered Premier League team a welcome chance to concentrate on playing matters rather than their perilous financial situation.

Portsmouth, who won the FA Cup in 2008, were given a seven-day stay of execution from a winding-up order this week but the future of the Fratton Park club remains far from secure.

It is a situation all too familiar to many at Southampton as they were hours from going out of business last year after falling into administration following relegation from the Championship.

Under new ownership, Southampton have got back on track and have already secured one Wembley appearance this season in next month’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final against Carlisle.

But, while many Southampton will relish taunting their Portsmouth counterparts this weekend, Pardew takes no pleasure in the ongoing drama along the south coast.

“They are our local rivals and we are pleased they are still here with us, they had a big day in court on Wednesday and we are pleased it went well because we’ve been in that position,” he said.

“I have a lot of sympathy for the players and staff there. Some of the players I know very well because I managed them – Hayden Mullins, Hermann Hreidarsson, David James.

“We are not going to be smug about that situation because we were in it not six months ago. We’ve come out the other end of it because our owners, who bought the club, have ambitions to go forward. I hope the scenario is the same for them in six months.

“I want that club to survive and come through, and I want us to be better than them and we are working towards that.”

Many pundits believe Southampton will spring a surprise and defeat Portsmouth in the first derby meeting between the clubs in five years.

But Pardew brushed aside those predictions and insisted Portsmouth were still the favourites.

“You see these classic FA Cup games when the pitch is poor and a big side slips up. But the pitch is perfect so there’ll be no excuses for them, it’s the perfect platform for them and they should win,” Pardew added.

“About six weeks ago would have been a better time to play them. When you have such turmoil off the pitch as a group you come together and want to fight the world.

“They are beginning to get that, they are playing well without getting the results and we are taking them on at their most angry.”