Redknapp concerned by tired players

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp admitted some of his players look as though “they are running on empty” after a 1-0 defeat by Middlesbrough extended Pompey’s home run without a Premier League goal to six matches.

Redknapp again used strikers Kanu and Benjani Mwaruwari and restored flying winger John Utaka to the starting line-up. He even called on £6m substitute David Nugent in the second half.

But Boro hung onto the 20th-minute lead given to them by Turkish striker Tuncay Sanli after a slip by David James and Redknapp said: “I won’t make excuses. It was a bad performance. It looked like a horrible game to me.

“Some of the players looked very tired. I gave Sulley Muntari a rest because he’s done excellent and we play Reading on Tuesday and have a few injuries.

“I expected to beat Middlesbrough but we never really got going and in the end were just lumping balls onto the heads of Huth and Woodgate in the Boro defence.

“We were 11 games unbeaten until a couple of weeks ago and got a good point against Arsenal in the week. This is a second 1-0 defeat at home and we didn’t do great against Spurs, but it’s about players not systems.

“I don’t know where the next goal is coming from here for us but we just keep battling on. We are going to have to do that because when we lose four players to the African Cup next month we’ll be down to a bare 14 in the squad.

“We need to get some bodies in, maybe a few loans, but nobody is going to give you proven goalscorers. Benjani has done well to get nine – that’s more than he’s ever got in his life in one season but now he’s struggling too.”

Portsmouth play Reading away on Tuesday having beaten them 7-4 in September when they last scored goals at Fratton Park in the Premier League.

Against Middlesbrough, Kanu hit a post from six yards and Papa Bouba Diop fired a golden chance high over at the end of the first half.

Tuncay’s winner – his fourth goal in six games – came when James fumbled a volley from former Pompey star Gary O’Neil.

Boro manager Gareth Southgate, who signed O’Neil from Pompey in, August said: “We’ve missed his energy and enthusiasm.

“He’s been out for two games with hamstring trouble but we needed him today with George Boateng suspended and Emanuel Pogatetz injured.

“We were down to just 16 fit players but they were resilient and had the desire and will to win.

“People probably looked at us and thought we’d be rolled over at a place like Portsmouth but I was delighted by the attitude we showed.

“We showed all the qualities we didn’t show in the defeats against West Ham and Birmingham and it just shows you what you can achieve.”