Dilemma

Last updated : 01 April 2008 By Jim Bonner
Harry Redknapp only has one chance to get his team selection right for our biggest game since 1992. Who will he pick to get the job done on Saturday?

The easiest decision he has is to make David James his first name on the team sheet. The England 'keeper has been in top form and without him we'd be significantly weaker so Jamie Ashdown will take up one of the spaces on the bench.

I believe that Redknapp had some "untouchables" in his mind that he would have always selected for this game. Glen Johnson, Sol Campbell, Sylvain Distin, Sulley Muntari, Lassana Diarra and Niko Kranjcar should all start no matter what formation Harry opts for.

There are slight doubts over Hermann Hreidarsson's fitness as he had three stitches in his Achilles. Redknapp reckons that he'll tough out any niggly injury he's feeling and so the "Ice Man" should start. Lauren is likely to take a place on the bench with our other defensive options injured or out of favour.

It's been reported that Kanu will definitely start the game against his former club, but it's not clear whether he will play with either Milan Baros or David Nugent as his partner.

I'm almost certain that Nugent will be on the bench. Harry doesn't rate him as high as Baros but he knows that he's sharper after his operation and is more than capable of scoring against Championship sides.

I think Harry's team selection will depend on the fitness of John Utaka. The Nigerian winger is receiving oxygen treatment on his hamstring in a bid to be available and if he is, then it's probable that the gaffer will opt to use his pace against Albion's leaky defence.

If Utaka isn't fit, then I expect that Papa Bouba Diop will be used on the right of midfield and/or as part of a diamond formation with Baros partnering Kanu up front.

I'm thinking that we will employ the 4-5-1 formation that has seen us win so many times on the road and has been particularly difficult to break down. With the way that Tony Mowbray likes to get his side to attack, the system we employ will be perfectly suited to absorbing pressure and hitting them on the counter-attack.

So should I be correct in my thinking, we will have two strikers on the bench along with Diop, Lauren and Ashdown. So that means that the likes of Sean Davis, Richard Hughes and Pedro Mendes will miss out, which would be a shame for three top servants of Portsmouth Football Club over the years.

Here's hoping Harry gets it right when it matters most, and that every player justifies his inclusion in the team.