Connor Ogilvie lifts lid on fight for position with Jacob Farrell at Portsmouth
Connor Ogilvie has discussed the fight to keep his place at left-back with new Portsmouth signing Jacob Farrell.
Ogilvie, 28, has played in every Championship game so far for the Blues this season, having previously not experienced the level.
Farrell, signed from A-League champions Central Coast Mariners in the summer, has been on the treatment table but is soon set to return to fitness for his debut.
Speaking to BBC Radio Solent’s Andy Moon [26 September]: Ogilvie said: “Every year we get that competition, and it’s what we thrive off.
“We want that fight and that competition for a position, so it’s really good to have that.
“We see every day in training how good these boys are, and it’s just a case now of getting that first win as quickly as possible.”
Connor Ogilvie and Jacob Farrell compete for Portsmouth spot
There are a few examples in the Portsmouth squad at the moment of players who were integral in the League One campaign last year finding their long-term place in the side threatened.
This is natural when stepping up to the Championship, after John Mousinho ensured the likes of Ogilvie, Will Norris and Paddy Lane kept their places and momentum for a chance to prove themselves in the second tier for the club.
Ogilvie, a former Tottenham academy product, was one of just two out-of-contract players – the other being captain Marlon Pack – to be offered fresh terms after promotion, a tremendous show of faith from Mousinho and Rich Hughes.
However, the signing of Farrell, seven years his junior, could demonstrate that there is a succession plan in place and Ogilvie’s performances have been up and down over the course of the opening seven weeks of the season.
Farrell is unproven in English football and the curiosity of the relative unknown is what appeals to fans at Fratton Park over drafting the Australian into the starting XI, which could well start to happen in the coming games.
In other Portsmouth news, Glen Little discusses the start to the season.
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.