View: John Mousinho must hand Terry Devlin Portsmouth chance after international display
John Mousinho should look to hand Terry Devlin more first-team opportunities at Portsmouth.
Pompey are still looking for their first EFL Championship win of the season.
However, those three points might not arrive anytime soon, with Mousinho’s side facing a tough run of fixtures. After the visit of high-flying West Brom on Sunday (15 September), Portsmouth face back-to-back matches against Burnley (21 September) and Sheffield United (28 September).
As a result, the Pompey boss might be wise to switch things up if he wants to find a winning formula amid a difficult run of games.
And one player who has certainly proven that he deserves more of an opportunity is 20-year-old Devlin.
Following his arrival from Glentoran in July 2023, Devlin has made 28 appearances for Portsmouth, scoring twice and providing two assists.
He has made two appearances from the bench in the Championship thus far this season, while he was handed a start in the 1-0 defeat to Millwall at Fratton Park in the Carabao Cup (13 August).
And after his display for Northern Ireland’s Under-21s against England’s Under-21s on Friday (6 September), Mousinho might be considering handing Devlin his first Championship start against the Baggies.
John Mousinho to start Terry Devlin for Portsmouth against West Brom?
West Brom are on fire and will no doubt pose a great attacking threat to Pompey. Therefore, a lot of defensive solidity will be required if the home side are to get anything out of the match.
And Devlin’s recent display for Northern Ireland’s Under-21s proves that he might be just what is required in midfield for Mousinho.
Just like Portsmouth are likely to be against West Brom, Northern Ireland were up against it in their match with England. The Young Lions had 79 per cent of the ball and took 20 shots, compared to Northern Ireland’s four.
However, Devlin and his teammates were able to hold strong and force a 0-0 draw, with the Portsmouth ace working tirelessly in midfield.
As per Sofascore, Devlin was superb defensively, winning 10 of his 12 ground duels and 100 per cent of his aerial duels.
In addition, he won three fouls for his team to relieve pressure in the middle of the park, and made four clearances, one interception and seven tackles.
While he did struggle on the ball, completing just 58 per cent of his passes and providing just one accurate long ball from four attempts, his defensive contributions overshadow that.
Mousinho’s side are likely to concede a lot of possession against West Brom, which means a strong defensive unit will be more important in the middle of the park than players who are capable on the ball.
Therefore, Mousinho should look to throw Devlin in at the deep end against the Baggies.
In other Portsmouth news, the club’s fans won’t be “massively concerned” as a contract decision is made.
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