They literally exploded in to the Barclays Premier League last season. In their first 18 games they won 7 times including away at Arsenal, Spurs and Newcastle (while also taking a point at Anfield). They seemed well placed to see out the season in style and manager Phil Brown was being talked about as a genius and breath of fresh air - there was even talk of Brown being a future England manager in waiting. What a difference a few months make. From the debacle of away at Manchester City on Boxing Day and his half-time team talk to trying to convince Alvaro Negredo that Humberside was the new Madrid his team just look poor. Michael Turner seems a big loss for them and they are shipping goals for fun. A game at Anfield has demolition written all over it and I fully expect Hull to get thumped again. The challenge for Brown is to get his troops in order for the games against Wigan, Fulham, Burnley, Stoke and a massive match at home against Portsmouth. If they continue to ship goals then Brown will be packing his bags - he even now has the public show of support from his Chairman (usually the first nail in the coffin). Portsmouth: Paul Hart
FA Cup winners in 2007/2008. A complete shambles 2009/2010. Paul Hart did a solid job keeping the side up last term, but the sheer volume of change and gulf in talent between the players who came in on the last day of transfer day against Distin, Crouch, Defoe, Kranjcar and co means he now needs to perform a miracle. I am sure that the win away at Carlisle in the Carling Cup did them good but they need to string a few results together in the league. If they stay up then Paul Hart deserves a medal. They have got a good run of fixtures against Wolves, Spurs, Hull, Wigan and Blackburn but think they might get ripped to pieces by Everton on Saturday. Time will tell but they need points, and they need them quickly to save Hart's job - mind you if he goes who would take it on?!
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