Former Portsmouth defender Ricardo Rocha has posted an inspirational Twitter message to his former side following their result against Southampton on Tuesday night.

Pompey were facing their bitter rivals in the first instalment of the South Coast Derby since 2012, but they fell to a resounding 4-0 defeat against Ralph Hasenhuttl's side in the Carabao Cup third round.

Danny Ings (2), Cedric Soares and Nathan Redmond were all on target for the Premier League side at Fratton Park, as they helped pile the pressure on Pompey boss Kenny Jackett whose side are currently sitting 20th in League One.

In the aftermath of the crushing result, Rocha took to Twitter to share an uplifting message with fans of his former club:

Rocha wrote: ""What defines a champion is not winning, but rising after defeat". Class and amazing fans as always! Play Up Pompey!"

The 40-year-old signed for Portsmouth in 2010 and spent three years with the South-Coast outfit, during which time he made almost 50 appearances before retiring from football in 2013.

The Verdict

Portsmouth's defeat to Southampton would have hurt their fans as it has been so long since they faced their rivals, but the League One side cannot afford to dwell on the loss as they now aim to improve their league form.

It has been a disappointing start to the season for the Fratton Park side, but Rocha's message suggests that Portsmouth should learn from the defeat and take any positives into the next league match.

Rocha's message also makes reference to the Pompey fans who backed the team until the final whistle on Tuesday night, and it is vital they show a similar backing to their side next time out if they are to have a helping hand in turning the league form around.

The derby defeat may be a tough one to take for Pompey, but they can definitely start making amends by stringing a positive run of results together in the coming weeks.