Source: Team_Talk
TEAMtalk Predicts: Blackburn v Pompey
We've made our predictions for the full season at TEAMtalk Towers but we know you can't wait that long to prove us wrong so we're giving you the chance to do it once a week.[LNB]We'll pick out one of the big Premier League games every weekend and one of our 'experts' will attempt to predict the result and scoreline. But we'll also get a prediction from a fan of each club to find out who knows the most about the beautiful game - TEAMtalk or the fans.[LNB]It's one point for a correct result and three if you can nail the right score, and we're keeping a tally so you can all see just now much we know (or don't know). Feel free to send in your own predictions too - and of course messages to compliment us on another job well done![LNB]Last Time Out[LNB]We featured Hull's trip to Burnley last weekend and finally got another point on the board after correctly backing the Clarets to come out on top at Turf Moor. Hallelujah![LNB]Rob McCarthy was happily accepting the plaudits from all at TEAMtalk Towers for getting us some respectability back, but our smiles soon disappeared once we realised the Burnley fan had tipped 2-0 - the correct scoreline.[LNB]That means the hosts took a maximum three points for the second time in a row to move way ahead at the top of the prediction table on eight points, with TEAMtalk way back on four and the visitors propping up the table with two.[LNB]Week Eight - Blackburn v Portsmouth (Saturday, 3pm)[LNB]Portsmouth have finally got the results their performances have merited in the past few weeks so, with Paul Hart's side having the chance to move out of the bottom three, their trip to Blackburn seemed like a good game to feature this week.[LNB]Rovers are deep in relegation trouble themselves and will be desperate to pick up all three points so Sam Allardyce will be delighted to be picking from a virtual full-strength squad. [LNB]Benni McCarthy has recovered from swine flu and is back in the squad so Vince Grella (thigh) is the only absentee for the hosts, while Portsmouth are boosted by the return to fitness of Frederic Piquionne. Steve Finnan is out, however.[LNB]Match Facts[LNB]Blackburn find themselves third from bottom in the Premier League following their worst start to a season for five years - they have 10 points from 10 games - but the East Lancashire side have lost just one of their last 11 league matches at Ewood Park.[LNB]They have won their last four there in all competitions, scoring 13 goals, and will surely be confident of seeing off a Portsmouth side that have lost the most matches in the league.[LNB]However, the south coast outfit have won their last two games 4-0 and have conceded just seven goals on their travels in the Premier League - a record bettered by just five sides.[LNB]Blackburn have won 37 to Pompey's 26 of the 86 previous meetings between the sides, and just one of the last 12 league clashes ended in a draw.[LNB]Predictions[LNB]TEAMtalk - Simon Wilkes: Paul Hart's Pompey will arrive at Ewood Park in decent nick having put four goals past Stoke and Wigan in their last two games - but only one of them was in the Premier League so they are still propping up the table.[LNB]If you look at the form book it points to an away win as Rovers have lost their last two games - but look closer and you'll see they've actually won three on the trot at Ewood, picking off Wolves, Villa and Burnley, so Big Sam clearly knows the importance of home comforts to his survival bid.[LNB]It should be quite an entertaining affair and I think there'll be a few goals due to dodgy defences on both sides, so I'm going for a 2-2 draw.[LNB]Blackburn fan - ChrisTattersall:October has been a really hard month for us Rovers. Three away games, at Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United, with just the one home game against our fiercest local rivals, has left us lower down than we perhaps deserve. I think that Sam Allardyce's pragmatic approach will prove effective, as has always been the case and, hopefully, the climb will start on Saturday against Pompey.[LNB]Pompey have had a terrible start to the season. Defeat followed defeat and relegation looked little more than a formality. All that changed two weeks ago! Two successive 4-0 victories appear to have re-invigorated the entire club. I wish Pompey well with their climb from the depression that is the bottom three, but I hope that their renaissance begins next week rather than this weekend.[LNB]Rovers have a decent home record but Portsmouth also look capable of scoring goals. I think that this game will produce high-scoring stats and I'm predicting a 3-1 victory for the home side. [LNB]Portsmouth fan - Angus Mowl: It might sound strange coming from the fan of the bottom side in the league, but we've been playing well this season![LNB]We were creating loads of chances even when we were losing but the ball just wouldn't go in the net for us until we beat Stoke 4-0 in the Carling Cup. It was only their reserve side but it clearly gave everyone some confidence and we beat Wigan by the same score last weekend so we'll be looking forward to this one.[LNB]Blackburn are very good at home but this is the sort of game we need to be getting something from if we're going to get out of the bottom three. We could actually do that this weekend (with a massive win) but I'd settle for a draw and I think that's what we'll get. 1-1.[LNB][LNB] Blackburn v Portsmouth Correct Score: Draw 2-2 12/1
