Portsmouth midfielder Richard Hughes would like a period of stability at Pompey after what seems like endless turmoil on the South coast. The club currently sit in 16th place in the Premier League table, just four points above the drop zone, and Hughes feels a stress-free end to the season would have been nice.

He told The Daily Star, "There is never a dull moment at Portsmouth. Thankfully, so far, there has always been a happy ending.

"In my first season here, we secured promotion from the Championship. But there have been a few scrapes. "A few years ago we were cut adrift at the bottom of the table and pulled off the great escape.

"That was a magnificent effort in the last part of the season to secure safety. Then, of course, last season we won the FA Cup.

"So overall I have had seven happy years at the club, and hopefully there will be a happy ending to this one as well.

"We seem to be involved in big games at this stage every year, for one reason or another.

"But, hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, we can get the right results to make it less exciting than it has been in the past."