'It’s fierce, it’s brutal' - Southampton reminded about Portsmouth rivalry as form drops ahead of Championship play-offs

David Prutton has reminded Southampton they face the prospect of a south-coast derby against Pompey in the Championship next season.

The ex-Saints midfielder - who is now employed by Sky Sports - said a fierce, brutal game with an edge to it awaits his former club if they’re unable to book their return to the Premier League this season.

John Mousinho’s Blues did their bit in increasing the chances of the fixture’s comeback by securing the League One title this season. But the only way Southampton can avoid a double header against their fiercest rivals next term is if Russell Martin’s side secure promotion via the Championship play-offs.

Their hopes of an automatic return to the Premier League were dashed by their current three-match losing streak which has left them well adrift of recently-crowned champions Leicester and Leeds and Ipswich, who are both battling it out for the last automatic promotion place. And with Saints’ form dramatically falling off at the wrong time of the season, their play-off rivals will be keen to exploit their vulnerabilities when those games come around.

No doubt, Pompey will be keeping a close eye on their neighbour’s progress, with the last league meeting between the two sides dating back to April 2012. And despite Prutton’s allegiances, after four-and-a-half years at St Mary’s, he said he’d happily see the fixture return to the footballing calendar as he welcomed Pompey’s promotion back to the Championship as champions.

Speaking on Sky Sports, the 42-year-old said: ‘They (Pompey) will bring a lot of noise (to the Championship). They’ll bring a hell of a lot of fans. Pompey fans especially, they’ve paid their dues in League One, they were more than ready to get back up.

‘The job that John Mousinho’s done - again, phenomenal, because there is a real weight of expectation on that club down there. Historically, we’ve seen it punching well above its weight in the Premier League and to see the decline of that club has been tough, if you are a Pompey fan, of course.

‘But if you are a lover of big traditional football clubs as well, you want to see them at the highest possible level. 

‘I’m sure Southampton fans won’t thank me for reminding them that potentially there’s a south-coast derby there, if Southampton can’t navigate the play-offs, which is a cracking game to play - it’s fierce, it’s brutal, it’s got a real edge to it, it’s one that’s well worth tuning in for.’

With fourth place and a play-off spot secured, Southampton’s last game of the season is on Saturday against Leeds. At this moment in time, Norwich will be their likely opponents in the semi-finals. Although there’s still a possibility that it’s West Brom they come up against.