History books point to doom for Pompey

You could perhaps forgive Portsmouth supporters for muted celebrations following their shock win over crisis club Liverpool just before Christmas.

The 2-0 win did bring welcome relief after a traumatic season but results elsewhere left the South Coast club rooted to the bottom of the table as the calendar flipped over to the 25th.

And why is that significant? Well, since the Premier League was formed, only one side has ever stayed up after occupying bottom place on Christmas day.

On that occasion, in 2005, West Brom, complete with a Steve McQueen lookalike and the Great Escape theme booming from the PA system, managed to claw themselves above the safety line on the final day of the season with a win over, guess who, Portsmouth.

Portsmouth fans will, understandably, point to that escape as reason for optimism in their struggle for survival. But sadly that sole escape is overrun by 15 years of woe for the festive basement outfit.

And I can see that trend continuing next May. That win over Liverpool was followed up by a dismal performance against second bottom West Ham on Boxing Day, leaving them four points adrift of safety.

Even if their transfer embargo is lifted in January I can’t see Portsmouth having the finance to purchase the players required to improve their squad sufficiently and upset the Premier League relegation odds. Paul Hart did a brave job papering over the cracks last summer, when a fire-sale saw the squad decimated, but only paper over them they did and those key weaknesses are beginning to show again under new boss Avram Grant.

They have simply lost too much quality since that famous day in May 2008 when they lifted the FA Cup. Eighteen players have left, 13 (of lesser quality) have arrived but still the banks are not appeased. Add two takeovers and three managers into the mix and it is simply too much turbulence and uncertainty for one club to handle.

These problems mean Portsmouth have more than just history against them going into the second half of the season, which is why I predict it will end with a return to the Championship.