View: Portsmouth have different midfield dimension with 92% ace now in the mix
Portsmouth will be receiving a new dimension in midfield having strengthened with the signing of Freddie Potts on loan from West Ham United.
The 20-year-old arrives for the season to bolster John Mousinho’s options, with the boss remaining in the hunt for further recruits.
Potts’ arrival is even more important given Tom Lowery missed the weekend draw with Middlesbrough with a hamstring problem [The News, 26 August], and provides ample cover in midfield – but also carries with him attributes that had previously been absent from the middle of the park for the Blues.
Portsmouth to benefit from Freddie Potts signing
Portsmouth now have an imposing array of midfield players in their arsenal, having looked light in the area when they approached the Championship season – Marlon Pack and Andre Dozzell starting the first three games.
Now with Potts added to Abdoulaye Kamara, the defensive aspect of the Blues’ midfield is being more than adequately covered – with the young Hammer in the top percentile of defensive contributions in League One for Wycombe Wanderers on loan last year.
According to Fotmob, Potts beat off 90% of fellow third division midfielders in 2023-24 for defensive actions, which include ball recoveries, ground and aerial duels and successful tackles.
The youngster achieved 4.3 ball recoveries per game for Wycombe [Sofascore], and his impressive defensive data on Fotmob also shows he won 92% of last term’s aerial duels (the same as Moxon, Pack had 96%) to complete an aerially superb midfield.
The prowess Potts has in the air makes it even more intriguing that in the Chairboys’ set-play outlay last season, he would often be deployed on the edge of the area, with 75% of his eight shots from corners coming from outside the box [Fotmob] – including one of the two league goals he scored.
It will be interesting to see how Mousinho operates Potts when he is included, and how often he will start as he moves up to the Championship. Despite his impressive defensive statistics, he will need to improve in possession, only completing 55.3% of his dribble attempts last campaign and being outrightly dispossessed more than once every two games.
However, on the whole, there is an excellent prospect there to be developed, and one whose defensive contribution will be vital against the toughest English opponents outside the Premier League.
Potts is a player who has featured in Europe and was in the travelling squad for West Ham’s Conference League final triumph in Prague – he has a taste of that big-game nous, and is now under a progressive coach who should draw the best out of him.
In other Portsmouth news, John Mousinho reveals how many more players the club want to sign this week.
For more Portsmouth news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.