Wolves boss Mick McCarthy today highlighted Portsmouth as "dangerous opponents" ahead of tomorrow's Barclays Premier League clash at Molineux.
Pompey have failed to pick up a single point in their seven league games to date and underwent a major turnover in players during the summer, but their performances have been far better than results suggest.
And Mick believes there is a way for visiting boss Paul Hart to use their current predicament as added motivation for trying to turn Wolves over tomorrow afternoon.
"Portsmouth are a very experienced team," said Mick.
"And the way things have gone for them, having that experience is probably the best thing for them.
"Nobody here thinks it's going to be an easy game because of the problems they are having.
"If I was Paul I'd be using all the things that have happened to them as motivation.
"When you get written off and told the club's in turmoil and things aren't right, if you can just engender that backs-against-the-wall feeling and say 'sod everyone else' then you become a very dangerous opponent.
"They were very unlucky against Everton.
"There were probably two teams who felt very unlucky last weekend - we were one and Portsmouth were the other!
"They will win a game at some stage and if I was Paul Hart I'd be saying just that - if ever there's an opportunity to turn this around it's at Wolves on Saturday.
"I'd be using it as a real motivational tool."
Despite their points tally Portsmouth have been very close in most of their games so far this season, most recently in losing 1-0 against Everton last weekend.
"They're not getting spanked in games, they've been involved in close games, and they've got good players," Mick added.
"I look at the team - Kaboul, Ben Haim, Steve Finnan if he's back from injury, Michael Brown. Jamie O'Hara, Boateng, Tommy Smith, Kanu off the bench - they are all good players."
And Mick has also saluted the job Paul Hart carried out at Fratton Park, in stabilising Portsmouth's now long-running position in the Premier League.
"Paul won't want my sympathy and he knows he won't get my help," said the boss.
"I can emphathise with him though.
"He took the job on last season and did really well to keep them up and then they sell a whole clatter of his best players.
"How is he expected to do just as well this time?
"But complacency from us? I'd say it's completely the opposite.
"I actually think it's the most dangerous game and we should all be turning up knowing it's going to be a really tough afternoon.
"The Pompey fans are usually loud and our fans should be thinking they will want to shout them down and out-sing them.
"And on the pitch our players will be chasing them down and doing their level best to win the game.
"That's what we'll have to do, and we'll have to play at our very best to beat Portsmouth.
"Anything less than that and there's the danger it could go the other way."
