The FA Cup is supposed to offer hope, but for holders Portsmouth it provides only a grim reminder of how different things were only eight months ago.

For others, this weekend’s fourth round extends the potential for glory, but many at Fratton Park today for the visit of Swansea might well think back to the same stage last season. This is not so much because of that fourth-round tie itself – a 2-1 victory over Plymouth – but because of the mood around the club a year ago.