The Fratton Park club are all but relegated following the deduction of nine points. Pompey are marooned at the bottom of the table, 17 points from safety, following the points sanction imposed by the Premier League on Wednesday for going into administration. While the south coast club's fate appears sealed, Hull are fighting for their top-flight lives and they start the game second from bottom, one place behind Burnley on goal difference - although they do have a game in hand on the Clarets. Dowie was unveiled as the new Tigers boss on Wednesday on a short-term contract after Phil Brown's eventful tenure was brought to an end at the start of the week. The 45-year-old has just nine games to ensure Premier League survival for the KC Stadium club, starting at Pompey, and Dowie wants his side to ignore any thoughts about their opponents' fate. He said: "I'm not sure how much of an effect that (the deduction) will have simply because they have known it is coming. "You have to admire what they have done - the fans have gone there in great numbers and watched them. "They have produced some very spirited displays - my wife's family is from Portsmouth so I'll be hated round my wife's family on Saturday for sure. "I think it's about us, I've got great admiration for the job Avram Grant has done there and the way the players have responded. "It will have an effect in their minds because they know their fate is really out of their hands. "But it is about how we go there and perform and how we embrace that challenge. "I want to go into the lions' den, I want it to be a pressure-cooker atmosphere, I want to embrace that and I want my players to enjoy it. "But we must keep our discipline and, when we get a chance, play and pass because we've got players who can certainly do that." Dowie's role in east Yorkshire marks his return to football after a similarly short stint as assistant to Alan Shearer at Newcastle ended in relegation and this is his first managerial position since an ill-fated spell at QPR ended in October 2008. However, his enthusiasm remains undimmed and he promised up-tempo, positive football with chairman Adam Pearson claiming there were six winnable games in a run-in which, as well as Portsmouth, includes fellow strugglers Burnley, Sunderland and Wigan and mid-table pair Fulham and Stoke. The Tigers have to address their away form, though, which has seen them fail to collect three points on their travels in more than a year - but Dowie is relishing what lies ahead. "I think in particular the game against Portsmouth is a fantastic opening game," he said. "Maybe you'd have liked it at the KC but I am looking forward to that. "Everyone knows about the away form but that is something we have to address and what better place to start than at Portsmouth."
