There have been many great Premier League double acts down the years - think Yorke and Cole; Shearer and Sutton - but there is one duo on the south coast stealing all the headlines. Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe.

With 13 of Portsmouth’s 18 league goals scored between them, the club are becoming ever more reliant on the pair to continue their lethal form if their season is to be as successful as the last.

However, with Portsmouth having a turbulent season full of ups and down, it is time for the support cast to step forward and play a major role if the club is to push on.

Harry Redknapp left for Spurs in arduous circumstances at the end of October, and as a parting shot at the board, he told the press of their lack of funds. If rumours are to be believed, Tony Adams could only have limited funds in January, and with serious debt to pay off, prize assets may be sold.

If you take away the goals Crouch and Defoe have scored, Pompey would be trailing with seven points at the bottom of the league, and with Kanu ageing and David Nugent and Ben Sahar unproven at this level, Adams must have his front two fit all season.

The midfield must also chip in with their fair share, the way Matt Taylor used to do. Lassana Diarra and Niko Krancjar are world-beaters on their day, but with their season plagued by suspension and injuries, Portsmouth have had to rely on their squad players far too often, which has seen them failing to put teams to bed over recent weeks and conceding too many goals.

Despite Sean Davis getting the winning goal in Sunday’s 3-2 win over Blackburn, he can surely no longer be seen as a long term option, along with many ‘deadwood’ players amongst the Pompey squad. There is no real strength in depth, just people who can come in and do a job. Adams will need to use all the man management of his predecessor in order to get the best out of the likes of Sean Davis, Richard Hughes, John Utaka and Co.

Portsmouth came into the season with high expectations as FA Cup holders and experiencing their first European adventure. But this has been the death of many teams before. Anyone remember Ipswich all those years ago?

This is a transitional season for Portsmouth. Enjoy the big European nights while they can, but the league should be the bread and butter. If Adams can steady the ship until next summer, keeping hold of the big players and waiting for a big investor, the future of Pompey could be secure.

Should the big players jump ship now, or get injured, it could be a long season. What they cannot afford to do is lose Crouch and Defoe. But their help must start to arrive sooner, rather than later.