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Title talk can come after 33 games - not three

Andy Awford can't stop people talking of Pompey as title favourites, and he knows it. But he will do his best to play down such notions and at least stop his players believing the hype.

Pompey's start, in which they have won two and drawn one of their opening three league games, has been enough for some to say they'll run away with top spot.

Awford says it's far too early to talk about who'll win the league and insists Pompey must simply concentrate on dealing with a game at a time - starting with the trip to struggling Oxford tomorrow.

The boss told The News: 'The start has been solid. I won’t go overboard with it because it is so early. Richard Money (Cambridge manager) was saying we are going to win the league, but it is just so early in the season to be saying things like that.

‘I can’t control what other people say or do. We can only go about our work and where it takes us, it take us. Maybe he was trying to take a bit of pressure off his team, by saying we’re going to win it.

‘We’ve only played three games. If we’re going well after 33 games then maybe. It’s a bit early for that sort of comment, in my opinion. But I can’t control what people say. We’ve had a nice, solid start.’

Awford has pledged to keep on making plenty of changes - even to a winning team - as he uses his squad to get through the hectic early-season schedule.

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