HARRY Kane and Son Heung-min rather ruined what Ian Evatt could glean from Portsmouth’s first 90 minutes under caretaker management.
A 1-0 defeat in the FA Cup third round proved a relatively one-sided affair at the weekend, as Simon Bassey picked up the reins from Danny Cowley at the Fratton Park club.
Evatt watched the game to pick up pointers on the side that will provide Bolton’s opposition for the next two games, first in the Papa Johns Trophy, and then League One at the weekend.
But he admits that it won’t be until the team-sheets are handed in around 6.30pm this evening that he will have a real idea of what Pompey’s plan will be.
“When you are playing against that quality it is really difficult to see what they were trying to do,” he said of the Spurs cup match. “We know it will be a completely different game against us, more evenly matched, and we will go about it as we always do – our way – but it is a difficult one to plan for.
“It is unusual to play the same side one after the other. And in the cups this season we seem to be at home a lot, which isn’t doing to pitch many favours. It could do with a breather.
“They will be two completely different games, I’m sure, and we will take them both on merit.
“First and foremost we are concentrating on Tuesday night and making sure we do everything to get into the next round.
“We know it will be a tough game because Portsmouth, at this level of football, are a very big club and they have a strong squad of players as well, good individuals.
“We know what is coming and we need to perform to the levels we have of late.”
While many League One managers have used the Papa Johns Trophy for experimentation, Evatt’s line-ups have remained familiar through the group and knockout stages.
The Wanderers boss is hoping that tonight’s attendance will better reflect the advanced stage of the competition, with average gates in the four home games so far edging just over the 3,000 mark.
“This is a huge opportunity and one we have respected from game one, really,” he said. “We have had a good run in this competition, had some excellent performances and now we’re within touching distance.
“We would like to see more interest from the support. We have played in front of two and thee thousands so far but we want the support and we need them to help us get to Wembley.
“It is a game we are taking very, very seriously. It will be challenging because of the change in management and having a caretaker in charge and with only Tottenham to go off in terms of last games.”
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