Ian Darke slams ‘idiotic’ fan comments he saw about Portsmouth ace Colby Bishop
Colby Bishop returned to the goals on Tuesday night for Portsmouth as Cardiff City were put to the sword at Fratton Park in a crucial survival encounter.
The Pompey frontman bagged his 50th strike in the famous blue and white since arriving two-and-a-half years ago, and his fifth in the Championship this season.
It’s certainly not a bad record for a team who enjoy little possession compared to many of their rivals and for a player returning 12 weeks after a summer heart operation to play in the second tier for the first time.
Darke defends Bishop after unjust ‘criticism’
Bishop is still very much the man to lead the line for John Mousinho’s side and is looking to continue to prove himself at Championship level, according to Ian Darke.
The TV commentator and Blues fan, speaking exclusively to Pompey News, believes while the jury remains out over whether Bishop is a long-term viable Championship option, he certainly deserves more time to establish himself.
Darke also branded a minority of supporters criticising him after missing key chances of late as “idiotic”, and called on them to get behind the 28-year-old.
“I think he’s still got to prove over a longer period that he’s a Championship striker, but he deserves more time given what he’s been through. He needed that goal against Cardiff for certain, because a pretty idiotic section of the fans were beginning to get on his back for missing a few chances,” he said.
“He took his chance very sharply with a brilliant toe-poke. He gets a bit of a free pass in my view with the heart condition and the operation, and he’s come back ahead of time. Maybe there was a little period he was feeling it after that initial burst of adrenaline, which is understandable.
“He’s still very much the best option for Pompey in the number nine role, and I don’t think any of the lads behind Bishop in the pecking order have proven anything yet.”
Portsmouth and their striker options
Bishop has been the first-choice number nine for Portsmouth ever since that emotional day at Fratton Park against Preston, when he tucked away a penalty to seal three points just minutes after his first appearance of the season (9 November).
It came staggeringly just 12 weeks after his major heart operation, a need for which took he and his young family by immense surprise and saw the whole city instantly rally around them.
With five this season, Bishop has half of his impressive teammate Callum Lang, albeit a player who has been available for almost all of the campaign.
Behind Bishop in Mousinho’s striker selection pool, Mark O’Mahony has registered two goals this term, including against Saturday’s opponents Oxford United (15 February), but the young Irishman is only just returning from injury.
The same can be said of Kusini Yengi who has struggled with his fitness, and during his run in the team failed to score while simultaneously judging the Championship to be only a small jump from League One.
The Socceroo will be looking to prove himself, however, while recent arrival Thomas Waddingham netted himself a debut goal against West Brom last month (25 January) and will be further developed under minimal pressure at Copnor Road.