Davis praise for boss of troubled Pompey

Steve Davis has praised the job Michael Appleton has achieved at troubled club Portsmouth and says that their experienced squad will prove to be a tough encounter. Crewe could face two former players at Fratton Park with our former defender Ashley Westwood and striker Luke Rodgers now at Pompey. Westwood has a player/coaching role whilst Rodgers has started his Portsmouth career in style with three goals in his seven starts.

Ahead of the trip to the South Coast, Steve told crewealex.net: “Portsmouth are a big club with a fantastically loyal fan-base. They have had some tough times because investors have come in and stripped the assets of the club.

“They have great support and it is a fantastic place to play football at Fratton Park, it is a compact stadium with a great atmosphere. They have stuck behind the club and have always had a good following.

“Hopefully, they can come through their difficult times and Michael has done an outstanding job. He has had to get players in on month-to-month contracts and that isn’t easy. He would have learnt a lot and he is doing a really job.

“He has assembled a squad full of experience and they are gelling now and playing some good football. We know Ash and Luke of course. Luke has been over in America and has now arrived at Portsmouth and we know he always works hard for his team.

“They have others like Brian Howard, who is a very good footballer, very experienced and McLeod who was very good for Barnet whenever we played them.

“It will be a tough game and that is credit to the job Michael has done there.”