It's a cliche because it's true - when you have had a stinker of a game you want the next one to come around quickly so you can put it behind you.

On the basis that you're only as good or bad as your previous game, Pompey must be over the moon that their rearranged visit to Crawley is to be played on Tuesday night.

It means their woeful effort against Crewe, resulting in a 1-0 defeat in their worst display of the season, could be quickly forgotten. After all, the Blues can be as bad again... can they?

Inevitably Paul Cook is looking forward not back as he plots how his squad can get back to winning ways and do what they have threatened to do but failed to do for months and break into that League Two top three.

The boss told the club website: 'We must move on — and if we’d have won on Saturday then you would have got the same reaction from me. It’s not that I don’t want to speak about the performance — and there wasn’t a lot to speak about — it’s just that we want to focus on the Crawley game.

'By the time we get back to Fratton Park next Tuesday night to face Grimsby, we won’t have had time to blink. I said at the start of the season that how we manage disappointment is key — are we going to sulk or stand up and fight. So let’s try to go to Crawley and get a positive result that will see us climb up to third in the table.

'They’re having a fantastic season under Dermot Drummy and have got a style of play that’s very easy on the eye. The lads are very comfortable and they can change between three at the back or playing 4-2-3-1. On their day they can hurt anyone because they’ve got very good players — there’s quality running right through the team. We know that it’s going to be difficult.'

Amine Linganzi is set to miss the trip to Sussex with fatigue, which seems likely to mean a recall for Danny Rose - unless Cook changes formation.

Elsewhere the wide positions seem to be up for grabs with the likes of Jamal Lowe and Kal Naismith vying with Carl Baker and Kyle Bennett for starting spots.

Follow @Pompey_Fans

Click here to sign up for an account and reserve your username! You can then post on the Forum and add your comments to articles

Photo: Action Images

Southampton Polls