Pompey will not relish another awayday to Lancashire to face a Burnley team which has quickly established mid-table respectability after promotion to Division 1.

The Clarets are tough nut at Turf Moor and manager Stan Ternent has a mean defensive line which includes ex-Cherry Ian Cox. After the recent 4-0 mauling by Burnley's great rivals Blackburn in Worthington Cup, Pulis (pictured) will be hoping the Blues can at last spark away from home. A draw might get the fans off Pulis's back. Pompey optimists might see Wednesday's "Worthy" 1-1 second leg draw against Rovers, as a the platform but there are more serious problems for Pulis. Pompey's shocking away form - just one point gained at Gillingham so far - is dragging them down.

The strangest aspect is that towards the end of last term Pompey were becoming an extremely tough proposition on their travels - something Pulis is at a loss to explain.

"There has definitely been a different response in performances playing away from Fratton and we have to sitdown and analyse that situation. It is difficult for me because I have always been a manager that has taken teams away and made them very, very difficult to beat."

"We have put ourselves in a position where everyone wants to prove that we don't just lump the ball - and we have proved that. He dismisses "long ball" criticism as unfair.

"What is happening is that a few of us are over-elaborating in areas where we could get that cross in or get that shot off. We have to find the balance."

"We have passed it exceptionally well at times but maybe once or twice we have got in areas where we have come back out, where Brads and Millsy are waiting for crosses to come in. It is something that we have to improve on."

The most worrying is aspect for Pulis must be the chairman Milan Mandaric's lastest interpretation of the season. He fired a broadside just before the Blackburn match. He said: "I do not want another season wasted. We have brought in some good players and I think we have a better squad than clubs like Burnley, West Brom and Stockport."

Tomorrow's game will give a pointer to the chairman's judgement in the case of Burnley.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.